Reaching Lukewarm Catholics

[AntalKalnoky]

You know them when you see them. There is a distinct absence of parishioners at the Sacrament of Penance.

Confession To Christ, Forgiven By Christ through his Earthly Servan, The Priest, has been found The Best way to Prevent, avoid Psychological Problems, according the Fereudian developer of Clinical Psychology: Sigmund freud, 1880’s. He said the lowest Percent of his Patients were Active, Practcing Catholics in Paris, his home. Not many people realize, remember that it is Christ who forgives, through his Apostolic Powers Priest. The Priest does not remember what each of us confessed; and he is The Best Consultant/Adviisor to offer brief suggestions to solve our individual problems.

                                                                                                                     "But  I   don't have to Confess Through  A  Priest".   (1)   Why  did  Our  Arisen  from the dead  Lord  bestow  the Power  to Forgive,  Retain Sins to The Apostles? [SIGN] John  20:19-**23**[/SIGN]

• (2) We Feel the Forgiveness, Removal of Guilt, clear conscience confessing Through a Priest; I and my friends have

.

• (3) Again, The Church teaching; Minor sins we can confess directly to God; Major (“Mortal”: Death in God Sins (James)) Must be confessed Through A Priest, if Possible, for Known, felt Forgiveness. Most all of us have Mortal Sins, especially Unnatural Sex, etc. We Feel the Forgiveness, and help in avoiding sins, confessing Through the Priest. * Sigmund Freud agrreed, not as a Catholic, but a Leading Psychologist.*
• Perhaps your and other Pastors would consider these matters I’ve learned From the History of The Church, and Solving Problems.

Live in Jesus, not ourselves; we finally get Bored in Ourselves, as does everyone Been there!

 

[ManOnFire]

Many are choosing to live life according to the feelgood messages and “values” of the entertainment industry. “True Love,” romanticism, and the beauty of innocence are being throw out by the progressives in the media in favor of more entertainment of the self, drugs, and bling, which requires more money and less true love. Money buys comfort but not love. People are happier with romantic love, but not when men have been reduced into lust machines by pop culture and women have given up hope and faith of finding a romantic man. It’s designed to break up men and women to control the population. If people could be made aware of the difference…but good luck competing with the consumerist messages that people see every day in the media. People not only believe they need to obey what the media says, people are addicted to it and will choose the media over the church too many times. If only more people would realize that clarity is found away from the pop culture’s Distractions…

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Many are choosing to live life according to the feelgood messages and “values” of the entertainment industry. “True Love,” romanticism, and the beauty of innocence are being throw out by the progressives in the media in favor of more entertainment of the self, drugs, and bling, which requires more money and less true love. Money buys comfort but not love. People are happier with romantic love, but not when men have been reduced into lust machines by pop culture and women have given up hope and faith of finding a romantic man. It’s designed to break up men and women to control the population. If people could be made aware of the difference…but good luck competing with the consumerist messages that people see every day in the media. People not only believe they need to obey what the media says, people are addicted to it and will choose the media over the church too many times. If only more people would realize that clarity is found away from the pop culture’s Distractions…

The “Leftist Progressives” Are Now the Mega-Rich Owners of Media, even Newspapers as is being proven in Britain and soon the USA. They preach Party, have FUN, BUY, not the ‘obsolete’ Morality/Church/Cultures/History That Are the Solution: [SIGN] helping Others, not oneself. [/SIGN] ManOnFire

 

[puzzleannie]

thank you all for the feedback and discussion, it is extremely helpful and I have passed it on with the links and recommendations to “the committee”.

looks like they will probably go with Awaken, which is under the Disciples in Mission umbrella, which this parish and the Diocese are already using and invested in.

I think however the points made here about why people become inactive or disaffected in the first place are well taken and there won’t be much sucess unless these are addressed.

 

[kabyr8]

Fr Robert Barron’s video on Eucharist is excellent. It is on DVD and a workbook that can be used to stimulate conversation and conversion. He is also coming out this month or fall with a 10 part video series on the Catholic faith. I have seen the previews and it looks awesome. Problem is getting the lukewarm Catholics to come to these programs, but maybe with encouragement from the pulpit they will come

 

[CatholicFireman]

Fr Robert Barron’s video on Eucharist is excellent. It is on DVD and a workbook that can be used to stimulate conversation and conversion. He is also coming out this month or fall with a 10 part video series on the Catholic faith. I have seen the previews and it looks awesome. Problem is getting the lukewarm Catholics to come to these programs, but maybe with encouragement from the pulpit they will come

Fr. Barron is awesome! Here is his YouTube channel:
youtube.com/user/wordonfirevideo

 

[CatholicFireman]

Maybe this will ispire them. I can’t wait: wordonfire.org/HTMLemail/5_3_11/web.html

 

[CatholicFireman]

Maybe this will ispire them. I can’t wait: wordonfire.org/HTMLemail/5_3_11/web.html

Forgot to add this link: youtube.com/watch?v=HtnH_8oKHUw&feature=player_embedded#at=88

 

[Allegra]

My parish has CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish) weekend and it has brough about tons of conversions of luke-warm (or even stone-cold) members of our parish.

 

[quiet52]

My parish has CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish) weekend and it has brough about tons of conversions of luke-warm (or even stone-cold) members of our parish.

I’m wondering what it might have been about CRHP, or advertising it, which helped the participants to decide to attend, especially if they weren’t already Sunday Mass-goers.

 

[Allegra]

I’m wondering what it might have been about CRHP, or advertising it, which helped the participants to decide to attend, especially if they weren’t already Sunday Mass-goers.

Rabid one-on-one invitations…incessant phone calls from multiple anonymous phone numbers…providing cupcakes, wine, and free childcare…personal testimonies…after being involved with four teams, I can happily say I’ve never heard a person say it was a waste of their time. Nearly every parishoner who goes on a retreat joins the next team. Then they invite their friends and families.

 

[quiet52]

Rabid one-on-one invitations…incessant phone calls from multiple anonymous phone numbers…providing cupcakes, wine, and free childcare…personal testimonies…after being involved with four teams, I can happily say I’ve never heard a person say it was a waste of their time. Nearly every parishoner who goes on a retreat joins the next team. Then they invite their friends and families.

Please share more about the “incessant phone calls from multiple anonymous phone numbers”?

 

[Allegra]

Please share more about the “incessant phone calls from multiple anonymous phone numbers”?

Well, we have a very active parish and we found that if the secretary in the rectory called the person, it would show up as our church on the caller ID and the person would ignore. But if we called from some of our cell phones, the person was more likely to answer. We got lists of people from the office who were new to the parish or who were registered members but not signed up in any ministry of special group. Then we would divide them up and have at least two different people call them from their own number. It worked pretty well. Last year, the priest asked those in church who’d attended a weekend to stand and over half the people in church stood. It’s really brought our parish together. Also, several women on my teams never attended Mass except for their kids sacraments before they became involved in CRHP. Now they come nearly every week!

 

[puzzleannie]

Fr. Problem is getting the lukewarm Catholics to come to these programs, but maybe with encouragement from the pulpit they will come

well they are not in church in the first place so invitations cannot rely on a pulpit message or bulletin announcement

and there is a lot of work that has to be done uncovering and addressing sources of resentment and the reasons they left in the first place before the true teaching can begin

as I say the group in charge of this effort seems to have a plan in place to address both of those concerns, so let us pray for them

we are going to be using Fr. Barron’s tapes in adult ed settings this year, in small doses (about 20 minutes seems to be the limit for any type of video presentation to be useful in these circumstances). The difference is that the other resources he provides are so excellent I think it will be worth the investment.

thanks again to all who responded
the parish and diocesan committee working on this has received all this (name removed by moderator)ut and also thanks you

 

[puzzleannie]

This isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s a book targeted toward lukewarm and fallen away Catholics.

amazon.com/Come-Home-Door-Open-Reconciliation/dp/1878886045/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1311812827&sr=8-3

I found it at the local library, bought it, and have been reading it periodically. It goes over the basics and has an imprimatur. Something to think about.

thanks this was also given to me by a parishioner but we can’t find a source for enough of these in bulk, also not available in Spanish.

there is a plan at the diocesan level, I think, to mount a push to get people back to confession, with more times and days for confession available, billboards etc. possibly in lent so we will let them handle that aspect.

btw for those who referenced legion of Mary, a very fine group with a long track record, however approach to our local conference was rebuffed they do not see this particular endeavor as part of their apostolate at this time.

 

[theengel]

Lukewarm often leads to flat out cold. A lot of Catholics have fallen into habitual sins because they weren’t making God a part of their lives. I’m talking about drugs, pornography, alcohol, over-eating, etc.,

The Protestant churches have programs to help people with these problems on a parish level. They pick people up and help break those chains of addiction. This sets them on fire for God… but since the help didn’t come from the Church, they don’t stay with the Church.

The Catholic church is a little slower to respond, and rarely does it on a parish level.

I once asked my pastor (who admitted there was a serious pornography addiction problem in today’s society, including many Catholic men) if I could start a support group for such addicts. One that was more ‘Catholic’. His answer was that people would rather go somewhere outside the parish for something like that.

hmmm… and then he would wonder why people are leaving his parish.

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Lukewarm often leads to flat out cold. A lot of Catholics have fallen into habitual sins because they weren’t making God a part of their lives. I’m talking about drugs, pornography, alcohol, over-eating, etc.,

The Protestant churches have programs to help people with these problems on a parish level. They pick people up and help break those chains of addiction. This sets them on fire for God… but since the help didn’t come from the Church, they don’t stay with the Church.

The Catholic church is a little slower to respond, and rarely does it on a parish level.

I once asked my pastor (who admitted there was a serious pornography addiction problem in today’s society, including many Catholic men) if I could start a support group for such addicts. One that was more ‘Catholic’. His answer was that people would rather go somewhere outside the parish for something like that.

hmmm… and then he would wonder why people are leaving his parish.

The Catholic Church Best addresses, cures those problems: at the Diocesan Level. Pastors can not address each oproblem; The Diocese Does!. Only so much a Pastor can do. Best to check Diocesan level, and if available, find a couple of like minded volunteers. A Pastor has too many concerns to Initiate programs; Can approve great proposal, if dedicated volunteers available. depending on the size of your Parish, Parish organizations are a great attractant: A Music Festival, wirth Youth Orchestras: Middle and High School; Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary Door-to-Door, Scouts, CCD, RCIA (The Best for the weak, lapsed, confused ‘catholics’ also), etc., etc.

                                                                                                             Everything  depends on a  few  good volunteers!  Our now Mega-Parish  of  12,000  (Tripled in 3 years)   has  65 Organizations  for  all interests.  The  Church  works, dends on Volunteers!

Only Some protestant churches have such programs; Catholic Help programs are Massivelly Bigger and more effective. Thanks for your concern!.

 

[AntalKalnoky]

thanks this was also given to me by a parishioner but we can’t find a source for enough of these in bulk, also not available in Spanish.

there is a plan at the diocesan level, I think, to mount a push to get people back to confession, with more times and days for confession available, billboards etc. possibly in lent so we will let them handle that aspect.

btw for those who referenced legion of Mary, a very fine group with a long track record, however approach to our local conference was rebuffed they do not see this particular endeavor as part of their apostolate at this time.

If I may ask, which “conference” rebuffed Legion of Mary as ‘part of their apostolate’? The Legion of Mary Is The World Outreach, Apostolate recognized by Each Pope since our Founding as The Outreach of each Pastor. There’s a big misunderstanding someplace! The Legion of Mary has a vast number of low cost great pamphlets, Flyers fior our door-to-door packets, too many to list: “Why Catholicism”, “The Catholic Answer”, etc., etc., and for any person. Your local Legion Curia has the pamplets/flyers available, or should.

My Praesidium President and I are Reverts, as are all 3 Bible Study Leaders, Relapsed or Converted because of Other’s Prayers, and trying something Catholic. Half of my KC Council volunteered at one meeting that they are Converts.

 

[smitchell]

You need to check out what Alpha is doing to revitalize Catholics, those who have fallen away from the Church and the un-churched. www.alphausa.org/catholics

Fr. Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household has a wonderful interview and endorsement of Alpha on the front page of the web site noted above. He sees Alpha as an effective way to evangelize and re-evangelize Catholics, bringing them closer to Jesus.

Alpha is a great FIRST STEP in a parish’s overall plan and process of evangelization and formation (catechesis).

Alpha is changing lives:

“I have seen the effects of Alpha. Many lives have been changed and life priorities re-ordered. Many guests who came on the course have since become very active members of the parish.” Bishop Donald Hanchon, Archdiocese of Detroit

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Puzzleannie, Going to Confession largelly depends on having Confession available, to help cure the Post-Vatican II Relapse, confusion.

• Dr Sigmund Freud, :whacky::banghead: of Freudian problems fame, mentioned in the 1880’s that he discovered that the smallest Percent of Parisians Needing Mental Therapy were Practising Catholics. Confession and Forgiveness By Christ, through the Counselling also Priest Removes the Guilt feeling and often the Pattern of Sin. Too bad Dr Freud was ‘too expert’ (Self Centered) to try His Discovery that so many Catholics knew.
  And all a lapsed Catholic Needs is a Good Confession Through a Priest. I and Many of my friends found That solving All Problems, in Rediscovering the Beauty, Ideal Nature of Our Lord, His Church