Question: Rejoining the church

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ksb911

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I’m not sure if this is the right forum for this, sorry if it’s the wrong one.

When I was 18 I left the church due to a lack of interest. I’m 21 yeas old now and I feel that I want to rejoin the church and be more involved. I have some questions on rejoining though that is holding me back though…
  1. Can I just simply rejoin the church after 3 years of only attending holiday mass? I have all of my sacraments…
  2. Do I have to go to the same church? I’ve heard the church in the town over is more lively and is headed by a much younger priest. I’ve been to a mass there once for my sisters confirmation and I liked it better than my old parish, it was more age diverse.
  3. If I can join the church in the town over, do I need to register or make myself known to the priest in any way?? Notify the diocese?? etc???
I would appreciate any answers you guys can give me. I think I should return to the faith, but I’m still quite shaky about doing so. It’s a big decision. These answers will help me start down the path. 👍
 
I’m not sure what you mean by “left the church”. If you just quit attending, then all you need to do is go to confession. Thankfully, it really is that simple:thumbsup:
 
First of all, WELCOME HOME…

Please see a priest and seek the sacrament of reconciliation. I understand the desire to go to a different parish when it is hard to connect in your own… but perhaps you can be a part of the growth of your own parish.

Stick around this forum. There are so many things to learn.

Welcome Home!
Crystal
 
Welcome back, we’ve been waiting for you🙂
Well the thing I would recommend is to just try to talk to your priest. Start out fresh I guess, but still go to confession. Look around this here Catholic.com for all your questions and support and what not. There’s also the website Catholicscomehome.org or Catolicosregresen.org for an ice breaker.
If attending mass in the other church would more comfortable for you then go right ahead, but you’ll waste more gas;)
 
ksb, welcome back!

Since you have already been baptized and confirmed, all you need to do to rejoin the Catholic Church is to go to confession and start attending Mass again. Confession completely repairs your relationship to God, which was damaged when you stopped attending Mass three years ago. It is also a great way to get a fresh start within the Church.

You are welcome to attend any parish you would like, and I think finding one that has a lot of other young adults is a great idea. Once you find a parish that you like, I recommend that you officially register with the parish. Technically, you don’t need to. You’re only obligated to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, not officially belong to a parish, but I think it’s a good idea to register anyway. It puts you on the church’s mailing list to receive envelopes and other important mailings, helps you support the parish, and will also serve you if you’re ever asked to be a confirmation/RCIA sponsor or godparent (you normally need to be a registered or regular member of a parish to do so.) To register, simply stop by the parish office during normal business hours and give them your information (name, address, etc). It’s not a long or difficult process at all.

I’ve also found, having moved around a few times in the last couple of years, that you may feel more welcomed to a new parish if you introduce yourself to the priests after Mass. You can just walk up to them and say something like, “Hi, my name is KSB and I’m new to the parish.” They can then let you know about any programs or services that the parish offers to new parishioners, or can simply remember to welcome you when they see you at Church. Plus, if you ever have any questions about the faith, you will already have become aquainted with one of your best resources.

God bless!
 
Is it me, or does it seems that the Traditional Catholic Forum is an unusual place for this specific question, with its references to “lively” and “age-diverse” parishes?
 
Thanks all. You advice will be very helpful!

@Chatter163 - I’ve been a web administrator for over 5 years, I see what you implying, and I guess you missed this:
"I’m not sure if this is the right forum for this, sorry if it’s the wrong one. "
Click to expand...
Thanks again all.
 
ksb911 said:
I’m not sure if this is the right forum for this, sorry if it’s the wrong one.

When I was 18 I left the church due to a lack of interest. I’m 21 yeas old now and I feel that I want to rejoin the church and be more involved. I have some questions on rejoining though that is holding me back though…
  1. Can I just simply rejoin the church after 3 years of only attending holiday mass? I have all of my sacraments…
  2. Do I have to go to the same church? I’ve heard the church in the town over is more lively and is headed by a much younger priest. I’ve been to a mass there once for my sisters confirmation and I liked it better than my old parish, it was more age diverse.
  3. If I can join the church in the town over, do I need to register or make myself known to the priest in any way?? Notify the diocese?? etc???
I would appreciate any answers you guys can give me. I think I should return to the faith, but I’m still quite shaky about doing so. It’s a big decision. These answers will help me start down the path. 👍
Click to expand...
Hi,

Alright, first things first, you need to realise that I myself have returned to the church after years away, but it was the best thing I ever did. The church is made up of all types of people, but one thing unites us all, we are all made in Gods image, secondly NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE YOU! We are all sinners trying with Gods help to get through this life.

It is important to remember that any priest worth his vocational calling will not judge you, do not be afraid to ask difficult and uncomfortable questions, because it is only when we ask, that we learn, if you are unsure what to ask or say write down your questions first.

As regards your question about where you go to Mass, if you want to attened Mass at a different church to your usual one, just phone the church concerned and speak to the priest at that church.

Remember the word “church” comes from the greek “kurkos” meaning a circle or gathering of people. The Holy Roman Catholic Church is one worldwide family, one giant
gathering, a huge circle and therefore one church,

God bless you,
Sam.
 
Hey!

OK just to add because nobody mentioned this part. If you live near a college or a University, I would see if they have a Newman Center or a Catholic community. I know that sounds weird if you’re not a student there, but people seriously do it all the time. I say this because (if you can’t already tell) I’m a young adult too, and SOO many of us are in the exact EXACT same place as you. A parish can feel a bit alienating, especially if you’re just getting reoriented in the Church, because there’s that weird younger families/old people mix and there really aren’t good communities for people our age.

Don’t ask me why that is, but it majorly sucks.

And obviously being Catholic is more than just going to Mass, and so they have all so many activities: retreats, adoration, dinners…all different types of prayer forms so that you can see what suits your spirituality and your personality to go deeper into your faith–that way you’ll never get bored with it and you can make it a part of every day life!

Anyway. Hope this helps! I’ll pray for you!
 
ksb911 said:
I’m not sure if this is the right forum for this, sorry if it’s the wrong one.

When I was 18 I left the church due to a lack of interest. I’m 21 yeas old now and I feel that I want to rejoin the church and be more involved. I have some questions on rejoining though that is holding me back though…
  1. Can I just simply rejoin the church after 3 years of only attending holiday mass? I have all of my sacraments…
  2. Do I have to go to the same church? I’ve heard the church in the town over is more lively and is headed by a much younger priest. I’ve been to a mass there once for my sisters confirmation and I liked it better than my old parish, it was more age diverse.
  3. If I can join the church in the town over, do I need to register or make myself known to the priest in any way?? Notify the diocese?? etc???
I would appreciate any answers you guys can give me. I think I should return to the faith, but I’m still quite shaky about doing so. It’s a big decision. These answers will help me start down the path. 👍
Click to expand...
You are welcome at any Catholic parish/Mass. You don’t need to go to confession first.
 
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