Possible revert-not anymore

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sj2017

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I have been thinking about re-joining the Church for around 2 years. I have contacted several priests, Catholic organizations and been met with silence.

I found 2 parishes nearby that looked very good. I contacted them as well about reverting. I got very luke-warm and unwelcoming responses. I’m tired of reaching out to the Catholic Church.

I once visited a local evangelical, protestant, church down the road with another relative. I can assure you that if I had expressed an interest in joining that church, I would have not have been ignored.
 
That doesent make the Church any less true.
I’m sorry the parishes were inhospitable, but-
If you had a disease that only one hospital had the full treatment for, wouldnt you break down their door in order to get that cure? Would you let anything hold you back from getting it?
It’s a similar thing here
 
‘He said: In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me! And the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’ - Luke 18:2-8
 
I’m sorry the reception you got wasn’t what you were expecting, but it’s very unclear from your original post why you were contacting these priests and Catholic organizations, or how you were contacting them.

Did you have a specific question or a need to resolve some particular issue, such as an irregular marital situation?

Are there still sacraments that you need to receive, like for example you were baptized Catholic but never made your First Holy Communion or your Confirmation and need to do so? If so, then a priest would typically just refer you to the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program, which might not even be run by the parish.

Those of us who have been “away” and don’t have a specific issue, such as a marital situation to resolve or the need to receive our first sacraments, usually just go to Confession and then start going back to church on Sundays like normal. I know I didn’t expect a special welcome when I decided to resume active practice after some years of being "away’, and would have been embarrassed if a fuss had been made. The priest in the confessional expressed a sentence of happiness that I had come back and that was enough for me.

What exactly were you needing or expecting that you didn’t get?
 
Your tired of reaching out hahaahha ohhh man, that’s a good one !

Imagine how God feels -
 
One thing Catholic parishes don’t do well is outreach. I’ve heard other stories where someone contacts a parish and is very excited then doesn’t get an answer for an extended period of time. The parish may have excellent reasons from their point of view, but when you’re the one feeling ignored it’s disheartening.

Some parishes have programs for returning Catholics. Two that I’m aware of are Catholics Coming Home and Landings. As you look at parish web sites or bulletins you might see if they mention either of these.

I know when you’re hurt it’s tempting to just give up. I hope you’ll try again to contact a parish and come back home.

I’ll be praying for you.
 
I don’t understand your dilemma either. If you are baptized and confirmed you must simply go to confession, repent and recant any schism or apostasy, and start attending Sunday Mass again. What’s with all the “reaching out?”
 
Sorry about that, but if you’d be “rejoining” the Church, you can just go to confession, assuming you’re not in any weird situations.
 
I’m sorry you were knocked off the Rock. That happened to me several times before I finally submitted to the will of God.

It’s not about the people. It’s about the truth as handed down by Christ to His Church.

People have fallen natures. If you put your hope in them you will always be frustrated.

I’ll say a prayer for you. If you are anything like me, you’ll be back. 🙂
 
There is very little to do to “re vert” if you were already in full Communion with the Catholic Church. All you need is to go to Confession and start going to Mass, assuming there is nothing else going on.
 
sj2017 said:
I have been thinking about re-joining the Church for around 2 years. I have contacted several priests, Catholic organizations and been met with silence.

I found 2 parishes nearby that looked very good. I contacted them as well about reverting. I got very luke-warm and unwelcoming responses. I’m tired of reaching out to the Catholic Church.
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What is it you want from them that you aren’t getting? You are free to come to mass, go to confession and then, receive communion. I am not really sure what you are looking for.

If you want to re-vert, you are the one holding yourself back, not anyone else. Think of what and why you would be coming back to Catholicism. And then ask yourself if you are willing to forgo that because you didn’t get the attention you were seeking.

There have been many threads on this site by people saying they didn’t feel “welcomed” and in each thread, they were told that they should come back for the core of what the church teaches and believes, and not to give up on it because other people in the church did not live up to their expectations.

I don’t know how long you have been away or what the reason was, but it is you, not the Church the should be the one doing even more “reaching out.” Not by calling or emailing, but by attending mass, getting involved in the parish, and becoming a part of your parish’s life.
 
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“So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.”
(Luke 15:10)
 
Yeah, my Protestant husband ran into this. The short story is that the evangelical spirit in the churches which I frequent is essentially non-existent.

Husband is still converting on Saturday. The fact is, it’s simply not about the priests.

I think the Protestants have some things right. The expectation that the love of Christ should be visible in his people is one of them. As Catholics, we do not seem to have the same expectation of our leaders.

But the purpose of our existence is to know God, not a priest, or any other people in the church. There are times this distinction becomes very, very important. If you’re running into this problem right now, maybe it’s something God is trying to work out in you. Do you think it’s possible he wants you to love him more than you love yourself? Maybe he wants you to come back for love of him alone?

Oh, and dear goodness, don’t you miss the Eucharist? Wouldn’t you do anything, go through anything, to be so close to Jesus again? You can’t ever have that in any Protestant church. Come back. Ignore everything that gets in the way. Just come back.
 
You are welcome home anytime. Go to confession and then go to mass. If you have questions go to RCIA. Join a chuch group. I’ll pray for you. Don’t give up. Come home. God Bless
 
Honestly, as others have mentioned, your post doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It is too bad that you met with indifference from the parishes you contacted, but no doubt they are busy people. All you need to do is go to Confession and then restart a sacramental life–Mass every Sunday, for one thing. What more are you trying to get? If you were poorly catechized, there are numerous resources for you, or you can look to see what Bible study or fellowship or service activities are at the parish for you to join.
Don’t make this more complicated than it is. The call to return comes from Jesus, and it is to Him only that you need to respond.
 
I think that a lot of you here have never had the experience of reverting to your faith. It’s easy to say, “oh, just go to confession and you’re all set,” but there’s more to it than that. Going to confession requires a change in attitude and commitment. Showing up at a strange church when you haven’t been to Mass in a decade or more is frightening. Your whole life is changing as you make the new commitment. And wanting some support or at least to feel like you’re welcome in the parish is not unreasonable. “Suck it up” is not the answer. A little understanding would help.
 
Please, do share your understanding then of what his church should have done. But please, do not assume that any of the people responding have not been where the OP is.
 
If I email a business and it doesn’t reply or gives a rude reply, I’ll move on to another business. If I contact a friend and he never replies, we probably won’t be friends for very long. It’s about give and take in human relationships. Why expect less in a church? I thought this was common sense.

As for being busy, we’re all busy. It’s about priorities. Using the rationale that the Catholic Church is the one true church and that’s all that matters won’t cut it in 2018. Personal relationships do matter.

A response to my post noted that there have been many threads on this issue. If this has happened with many people, it sounds like the Church should be introspective on this matter and do something about it.

Here are some insightful comments from Bishop Barron (especially the last 2 or 3 minutes):
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
I think that a lot of you here have never had the experience of reverting to your faith. It’s easy to say, “oh, just go to confession and you’re all set,” but there’s more to it than that. Going to confession requires a change in attitude and commitment. Showing up at a strange church when you haven’t been to Mass in a decade or more is frightening. Your whole life is changing as you make the new commitment
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I was away from Confession for 18 years and away from Mass for probably 10.

I didn’t need a red carpet or anyone holding my hand. My Catholic mom was dead and my husband was a Protestant and three states away when I decided to go back. I had no other Catholic friends or family nearby.

I just made the commitment and did what I had to do.
 
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