Pointing Lapsed Friend to the Church

[CountryMan11]

So, I have a close friend and coworker who grew up nominally Catholic, but whose family left the Church and became irreligious during his middle school years. In college he became an evangelical Protestant, and is very devout. We’ve talked some about his Catholic background and some of the negative feelings and memories there, but overall he’s reluctant to investigate the truth of Catholicism, and wants to stay where he’s comfortable in Protestantism.

However, I think there’s a bit of an opening as he’s recently decided to look for a new church to attend. I want to take this opportunity to plant seeds in his mind and at least get him thinking about the Catholic Church. Any approach would have to be focused less on the “truth” elements of Catholicism, as he doesn’t see the importance (or doesn’t want to) of these distinctives. Instead, he’ll need to see first the beauty and goodness of the Church, and come to desire it. Any recommendations for helping a former Catholic with largely negative memories of the Church connect in this way? In particular, any books or reading material for non-Catholics that take this approach, rather than an apologetics-heavy one?

 

[Kei]

Pretty much all the paintings that are so famous are Catholic, about religious topics, if you know what I am talking about.

Many Churches are simply beautiful.
And intricately beautiful.

The Church is I think the biggest if not one of the biggest sources of charity in the world.

But I wouldn’t give up on Truth. Church isn’t something we shop for, like a shirt, to see what “fits” on us. It’s a search for the True Church, the one founded by Jesus Christ.

 

[Maximilian75]

Ask hm to attend Mass with you. If you have an Extraordinary Form parish in your area, maybe consider that. If you can, discuss some of the symbolism of the Mass.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Last night I read Trent Horn’s new book “Why We’re Catholic”. I’d suggest you get the book, read it and then share it with your friend. WOW is all I can say.

 

[adamhovey1988]

One of my ex-girlfriends is like that, and I have found that trying to get her back to the Church is an exercise in futility. I’d be glad to, even bring my Bible and everything if she wanted a discussion. I’m not saying don’t do it, I’m saying that sometimes the best thing you can do is pray for them, because you’ll have exhausted almost every resource you have other than that. Then again, if they’re intellectually honest, they may very well listen to you.