Leaving the church

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George_M

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I read where a lot of people are coming back to the church and I’m thinking about leaving.I retired from Chicago to Lillian Alabama right next to Pensacola Florida and I’m having a hard time with the Catholic church down here.The first church I went to while the priest was giving his sermon he said that Jesus died for most of our sins.I couldn’t believe what I heard until he said it again. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. The second church I went to I though I would get there early but they started at 4 rather that 5 Saturday so I was late.Well I seen everybody coming out but after driving for 1/2 an hour I thought I could at least meet the priest. I got to the door and he said to get out,yes just like that. Well I must of had a surprised look on my face,because he said I’m serious. I asked if I could take a flyer and left.Now I’m at the third church and trying to get in touch with a priest for a week to bless our marriage. After calling and stopping by the church I still haven’t been successful. I’m going to give another try today but it is wearing me down. Thanks for reading my post and God Bless George
 
Hey George, so sorry about what’s been happening.

You definitely don’t deserve that, and while I to would feel so discouraged to enter another church, one thing stops me.

The fact that Jesus is Truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Brother, there are going to be many ‘weeds’ in the church, and when these turn out to be priest, it very saddening, you have an obligation to pray for these priest you have encountered.

but along with the ‘weeds’, the are ‘wheats.’ Those truly faithful ones. We see many of them on EWTN too.

Keep searching, but always know that Christ is faithful to His church even when some of his minister seem to not be.

one more thing George, on that day (that Last Day) when you finally get to see Him whom you love, Jesus, do you think the reason that you will give for leaving will suffice?

Jesus came so that we may know the truth. He is the Truth. He says that we must eat his body and drink his blood or we will not have eternal life; we will not be raised.

Not trying to scare you or anything, just trying to bring your focus back on Jesus, amidst the scandal of these priests you have encountered, that’s all.

pray for me please (my name is George too)
 
George, I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve had negative experiences recently. Although it might feel like these incidents are related to the Church, since that’s the “face” you’ve been seeing, please remember that these experiences don’t really represent the Church at all. There may have been some misunderstandings, and at worst, you ran into a few bad seeds, as Cephas said. But, the Church is so much larger than that. There is so much more to it.

I saw one of your other posts about talking to a non-Catholic about the rosary. Does this play at all into your thoughts about leaving the Church? I grew up in a Fundamentalist Christian environment and completely misunderstood the Church for many years before I converted to Catholicism. I still have friends that make arguments like the one that was made to you about praying to Mary, but I have found that a lot of the problems that people have with the Church are due to misunderstandings. It might be worthwhile for you to spend a little time reading up on the Church. I suggest “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” by Karl Keating. That book helped me through some of the problems that you might be encountering.

Please carefully consider this decision. It is a huge one, and I guarantee that if you hang in there, you’ll find a much warmer face to the Church. Let us know how we can help.
 
Sounds like it’s time for a letter to the bishop, if you ask me.
 
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Cephas:
You definitely don’t deserve that, and while I to would feel so discouraged to enter another church, one thing stops me.

The fact that Jesus is Truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist.
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AMEN, BROTHER! You can’t find that in any protestant church. Not to mention having the fullness of Truth in the Roman Catholic Church. If you’re going to leave the Church for some other chruch, you should do so for doctirnal reasons. You need to be where the Truth is, and that is in the RCC. There are no multiple truths or partial truths…there is only one, absolute Truth.

Even James White, a protestant apologist, says (and I agree with him) that too many people leave the Catholic Church for the wrong reasons…they say that their priest was a “meany” or “I didn’t like this guy,” etc. They left because of their feelings, not because of the Truth.

There are definately leaders in the Catholic Church who badly misrepresent us, but as hard as it may be, you need to stick with it. You must be STRONG in your faith. Situations like yours are true tests of faith. Is yours a strong faith or a weak one? If you’re here searching and learning like the rest of us, then I would assume that you in fact do have a strong faith. Stick with it and keep praying!
 
I guess I should tell the rest of the story. I’ll try to be as brief as I can. Forty years ago I was married for a very short time less than a year. I didn’t get it anulled until about ten years ago.Reason being you have a heart breaking experence and the church throws you out. Anyway I got it annuled but I didn’t get it, my new marriage blessed . I didn’t think I had to because I was married by an ordained Lutherian minister. I’ve been recieving communion all this time in sin. Didn’t know all that until I went to confession last Saturday. So until I can get my marrage blessed I can’t recieve communion. I told this to the answering machine of the last priest I tried to get a hold of. The first church that I when to doesn’t have an answering machine or a secretary. Needless to say I wont call the priest that threw me out. Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut, George
 
Hi George,

Please pray for perserverance while you find your place in your new home. It’s not always easy, but of course, it can be done.

I was parish administrator of a very large church in South Florida and I’ve known many priests. Some were reverent, some were patient, some were holier than others (so it seemed), but the bottom line is that they are all human. I used to hear parishioners complain about which priest “said” Mass or if a particular priest challenged them in a way that made them uncomfortable…

It’s already been said, but the bottom line is that at the very core of who we are and the greatest gift we have, is the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. That is not dependent on the attitude or whims of a particular priest. We need to pray for them all.

I cannot imagine life without the Eucharist…?!

Keep the faith!
 
George M:
I guess I should tell the rest of the story. I’ll try to be as brief as I can. Forty years ago I was married for a very short time less than a year. I didn’t get it anulled until about ten years ago.Reason being you have a heart breaking experence and the church throws you out. Anyway I got it annuled but I didn’t get it, my new marriage blessed . I didn’t think I had to because I was married by an ordained Lutherian minister. I’ve been recieving communion all this time in sin. Didn’t know all that until I went to confession last Saturday. So until I can get my marrage blessed I can’t recieve communion. I told this to the answering machine of the last priest I tried to get a hold of. The first church that I when to doesn’t have an answering machine or a secretary. Needless to say I wont call the priest that threw me out. Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut, George
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George, The good news is that there are plenty of rcc churches to go to. I would suggest you find one that will welcome you and your family in love. The Lord said where you are not welcome shake off the sand from your feet and move on. 👍
 
Keep trying other parishes.

I would take drive to the Cathedral and inquire there :o
 
The Catholic Faith is Truth and Perfection - why would Christ choose anything less than perfect for His bride? Human beings, on the other hand, even saints, are imperfect. People fail all the time - even priests.

Your salvation is not about “church” or “community” or “superb preaching” or anything else of a strictly human nature - it’s about following Jesus to Heaven. If it appears to you that the problem you are having is the church you’re attending, you may wish to look a bit deeper into your own faith.

I also gently disagree with the post that suggested that you keep trying other churches. We have a duty to our parish. If the parish is not living up to God’s standards (not yours), then the issue must be discussed with the priests, the pastor, and the bishop, in that order. We have a duty to the parish and to the mission of Christ to fix such problems. Only when that fails should one abandon that parish for another. See Catechism, 907 et. seq.

The words of William F. Buckley will serve me well here: “Search for the perfect church, if you will; when you find it, join it, and realize that on that day it becomes something less than perfect.”
 
George,

I pray that you receive all the graces you need to persevere. Many people face such difficulties when we finally begin listening to the Holy Spirit, learning our Faith, and actively begin living according to God’s will.

When I had been away from the Church for a number of years, I was trying to get to confession. There were two parishes nearby–you wouldn’t think it would be a problem. For three or four weeks, I tried to go before Easter Sunday. Each time I went, something happened to prevent me from confessing–one time the priest ran out just as I pulled up–he had an emergency,etc.

Easter came and I was so disappointed not to be able to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist. My mother-in-law, God bless her, advised me to go, as Our Lord knew how hard I had been trying to go. So I prayed a fervent Act of Contrition, promising to go as soon as possible. I did, and it was wonderful, and I was the first in line the next Saturday!

All this to say, that sometimes either Satan is working to prevent us, or perhaps God is testing us to see how much we really really want to grow closer to God.

As for getting your marriage blessed–do whatever you can to get it done. Early on in my reversion I didn’t understand the power of sacramental grace, but I am beginning to. My husband and I married civilly and had the marriage blessed two years later. It is worth all the effort you are going through. You and your wife will be so blessed by the graces you receive, even if you don’t feel anything right away.

Sometimes, I, too, have had difficulties with a priest, but found that God used those times to teach me to focus more on Him rather than on the priest.

You and your wife are in my prayers. God bless you and may our Blessed Mother intercede on your behalf until you are drowned in our Lord’s graces, peace, and love.
 
George M:
I told this to the answering machine of the last priest I tried to get a hold of. The first church that I when to doesn’t have an answering machine or a secretary.
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I can definitely see how this could be frustrating. When I was thinking about converting to the Catholic Church, I wrote e-mails to a few parishes asking what I had to do in order to convert. It took a long time to get a sufficient reply from someone who seemed to have actually read what I asked. It can be difficult when you feel very concerned about something and other people don’t seem to be taking it as seriously as it seems like they should. The reality is that the parishes are very busy and not always as organized as they could/should be. They are also run by fallible people who make mistakes and don’t always understand. Hang in there… God’s blessings far surpass these shortcomings.
 
George M:
I read where a lot of people are coming back to the church and I’m thinking about leaving.I retired from Chicago to Lillian Alabama right next to Pensacola Florida and I’m having a hard time with the Catholic church down here.The first church I went to while the priest was giving his sermon he said that Jesus died for most of our sins.I couldn’t believe what I heard until he said it again. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. The second church I went to I though I would get there early but they started at 4 rather that 5 Saturday so I was late.Well I seen everybody coming out but after driving for 1/2 an hour I thought I could at least meet the priest. I got to the door and he said to get out,yes just like that. Well I must of had a surprised look on my face,because he said I’m serious. I asked if I could take a flyer and left.Now I’m at the third church and trying to get in touch with a priest for a week to bless our marriage. After calling and stopping by the church I still haven’t been successful. I’m going to give another try today but it is wearing me down. Thanks for reading my post and God Bless George
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George,
I am truly sorry that this has been happening to you. I hope that you will understand when one of us makes a mistake it reflects badly on all of us. May I suggest that you get a copy of the Catechism it teachs what the faith is. I am Catholic not because of the men in women in the Church but because our Lord founded this Church. I can tell you there are many times that I hurt people like you because I went with my own ideas, but it was good men like you that asked for the Church’s best that brought me home and taught me to respect what Christ has given us. Please know that this is the only perfect yet imperfect church. It is Perfect because Christ gave it to us and promised to protect it. It is imperfect because they let me in the door.

God Bless and please know we feel your pain but dont walk away from the truth of God because a confussed people. Look for yourself what she teaches.

Scott:blessyou:
 
This may not help your immediate problem but here’s a link that lists Catholic Churches in your area with times and phone numbers.
masstimes.org/ASP/Db/Lookups/ChurchLookup.asp?By=Cities&Id=22688
Some even have web address with further info. Since I don’t know the area, I don’t know how far some are, but maybe this will help you locate a parish that will help you!
God bless you on your journey. I will be praying for you.
Jennifer
 
Okay, I can’t help directly on this, but this is a big board. Someone who posts here must someone who knows someone who knows a good priest in George’s diocese!

Come on everybody. George is working hard to do the right thing. Let’s show him that Catholics can be helpful! Let’s get him the name and phone number of a good priest in his diocese!

Unfortunately, I don’t know ANYONE in that area of the country!

I wish I had a good prize to offer for the person who gives George a good referral!
 
George,

I hope your experiences aren’t representive of the Church in Florida, wow, talk about harsh. You could always move to washington, I know alot of solid priests and parishes up here, so they do exist, just keep trying. God bless.
 
Did you ever think God is testing your resolve to fix things? To make you hunger for Him?
 
Thanks for all the responses and they do help. I’m glad you can see where I’m coming from. There is a lot of fundamentalism down here and I find it hard to back a church that wont back me.Thanks again and God Bless George
 
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Ham1:
Okay, I can’t help directly on this, but this is a big board. Someone who posts here must someone who knows someone who knows a good priest in George’s diocese!

Come on everybody. George is working hard to do the right thing. Let’s show him that Catholics can be helpful! Let’s get him the name and phone number of a good priest in his diocese!

Unfortunately, I don’t know ANYONE in that area of the country!

I wish I had a good prize to offer for the person who gives George a good referral!
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GREAT POINT :clapping:
 
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