Formal program assisting reverts?

[Casilda]

Does the Catholic Church or maybe just your local parish have a program that assists Catholic reverts in getting back into full communion? I have been trying since I was a teenager and have met with one BIG problem…not enough priests. I would like to know if there is a system in place at your local level that is working that I may try to copy and implement in my own diocese. Trying to revert through the local parishes is not working. I am now going to try at the diocese level.

 

[edwest2]

Does the Catholic Church or maybe just your local parish have a program that assists Catholic reverts in getting back into full communion? I have been trying since I was a teenager and have met with one BIG problem…not enough priests. I would like to know if there is a system in place at your local level that is working that I may try to copy and implement in my own diocese. Trying to revert through the local parishes is not working. I am now going to try at the diocese level.

Where are you located?

Peace,
Ed

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

There are different programs available like Landings and Catholics Come Home. Some parishes develop their own programs based on their particular needs. You can probably get an idea of what’s available by looking at the bulletins or web sites for different parishes. If they have some kind of information on the web site, for example, they probably have a program in place.

 

[Casilda]

There are different programs available like Landings and Catholics Come Home. Some parishes develop their own programs based on their particular needs. You can probably get an idea of what’s available by looking at the bulletins or web sites for different parishes. If they have some kind of information on the web site, for example, they probably have a program in place.

Thank you for that suggestion, I started looking at the websites of the bigger parishes in my diocese and found a Landings ministry and got an immediate response from a deacon. I will also be meeting with a Legion of Mary group tomorrow.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Thank you for that suggestion, I started looking at the websites of the bigger parishes in my diocese and found a Landings ministry and got an immediate response from a deacon. I will also be meeting with a Legion of Mary group tomorrow.

That sounds good and I’m glad you got a positive response.

How much help a ministry like Landings can be depends in part on what you need.

Some people who leave the Church return on their own. At some point they start attending Mass and go to confession and they’re all set.

Other people need more support than that, whether it’s from a friend or family member or as part of a group. I think that’s where these ministries are especially helpful.

There’s a third group that needs additional help in returning and that’s when the sacraments are involved. Someone’s family may have left the Church when they were quite young so that they never received the Eucharist or Confirmation. Others may have married outside the Church and need to straighten that out in order to return to the sacraments. These needs are probably beyond what Landings can provide though a group can be supportive.

 

[ccmcmg]

I would love to be a part of a such a program.

When I was away from the Church, and from God completely, it would have been amazing and helpful if someone from the Church had reached out to me. No. One. Did.

I don’t fault anyone for that, but I don’t want anyone else to go through that. It’s horrible.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

When I was away from the Church, and from God completely, it would have been amazing and helpful if someone from the Church had reached out to me. No. One. Did.

And that’s the place where we all play a part.

A program is one thing and it’s wonderful. It says the parish cares about returning Catholics. But for someone to take advantage of the program, they have to reach out to the parish first.

But family and friends can reach out to the one who is away from the Church. Maybe invite someone to go to Mass or a lecture or a prayer group or whatever might be going on in the parish. One-on-one plays a big part – “I’m going to Mass…would you like to come with me?” For the person returning, just knowing that they’re not going to be there alone is a big deal. And having someone hand them a hymnal or show them which page we’re on in the missalette can make them feel very welcome and wanted.

 

[kkollwitz]

In my parish reverts are encouraged to sit in on RCIA.

 

[ccmcmg]

And that’s the place where we all play a part.

A program is one thing and it’s wonderful. It says the parish cares about returning Catholics. But for someone to take advantage of the program, they have to reach out to the parish first.

But family and friends can reach out to the one who is away from the Church. Maybe invite someone to go to Mass or a lecture or a prayer group or whatever might be going on in the parish. One-on-one plays a big part – “I’m going to Mass…would you like to come with me?” For the person returning, just knowing that they’re not going to be there alone is a big deal. And having someone hand them a hymnal or show them which page we’re on in the missalette can make them feel very welcome and wanted.

For the record: I did reach out first. But the thing that made it difficult, if not impossible, was that the people that were a large part of why we left were the same ones running the program. The people running the program were the same ones insisting on their own liturgy which was opposed to the Church liturgy; there were the sames ones who were advocating and pushing an agenda contrary the the Church’s beliefs and teachings. We just need to be aware of that. As long as people aren’t perfect, we’re going to have these problems. But we need to do our best to solve them.

I did learn, and am learning, from that experience. Maybe that was part of God’s bigger plan. I don’t know. But I don’t want anyone not to know that the Lord loves him or her; I want them to know they are not just welcome, but wanted.