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michael64
Guest
I have been away from the Catholic Church. What is the proper way to return?
Thanks and God Bless You
Michael
Thanks and God Bless You
Michael
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mcmitton
Guest
I am no expert, a convert in 2000.
I’d suggest Reconciliation.
Welcome back.
I’d suggest Reconciliation.
Welcome back.
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mikejacobus
Guest
Welcome home! Google “Catholics coming home”. Look for a priest in your area with a kind heart and a welcoming spirit to guide you back.
God bless you!
Mike
God bless you!
Mike
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michael64
Guest
Thank You for your guidance and welcome. Both suggestions are very helpful. I’ll continue reviewing and remembering my catechism, look for a welcoming priest and prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation .
Thanks again for your help.
Michael
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.
Thanks again for your help.
Michael
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.
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JRKH
Guest
I returned a few years ago and having been raised Catholic and having received the sacraments already, All I needed to do was to go to confession. Then of course begin living as a Catholic (Sunday mass etc…)
Now - I will say that I had to have an impediment removed before I could return. That impediment was a previous marriage/divorce. Fortunately by the grace of God I was granted an annulment and so not only could my wife and I return to the Church (she was also a lapsed Catholic) we could also have our marriage convalidated.
So - your return could be as simple as “go to confession” - or it could be a bit more complicated. It just depends on your particular circumstances.
Peace
James
Now - I will say that I had to have an impediment removed before I could return. That impediment was a previous marriage/divorce. Fortunately by the grace of God I was granted an annulment and so not only could my wife and I return to the Church (she was also a lapsed Catholic) we could also have our marriage convalidated.
So - your return could be as simple as “go to confession” - or it could be a bit more complicated. It just depends on your particular circumstances.
Peace
James
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catholicmomx5
Guest
Welcome back home!! As a convert and a sponsor in my Parishes RCIA I would suggest of course speaking to a priest and going to confession and also seeing about attending RCIA next fall (RCIA will end on Easter). You will learn so much about your faith that you may not have learned in the past. I would also suggest you look for a Traditional or Traditional minded priest; unfortunately there are priest/RCIA directors who are very lax and teach watered down versions of the faith. There is a woman in our RCIA class who is a convert and then left the faith and is now back, she is sitting in the class to refresh her mind on the teachings and is learning so much she didn’t catch the first time around.
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
Many parishes offer programs for people who have been away from the Church. It might be helpful to attend something like this, especially if there are any issues you need to resolve.
You don’t need to answer this, but why you left the Church might play a role in how easy or difficult it would be to come back. Some people leave over marriage issues, for example, and those issues would need to be resolved.
If you’re a “do it on your own” kind of person, then all you really need to do is go to confession.
If you would find it helpful to get more connected, then you might see if your parish has a program for returning Catholics, or a staff member who could meet with you to talk about your journey and see what you might need to come back more easily.
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michael64
Guest
Thank You All for taking the time to share your thoughts. It feels like Home!! In some ways, I never left. I was always thankful for my Catholic upbringing and the fruits of it’s teachings that reflected in my behavior.
I was initially inclined to keep my reasons for leaving the church private, as I feel these matters are ultimately between myself, my priest and God. After thinking about it, I changed my mind; a brief explanation may help others.
I stopped going to church upon deep reflection. I no longer felt worthy because I began to question the positions of the Church while science was revealing knowledge which seemingly contradicted the Church’s beliefs. I began “not” to believe in God Literally (but secretly still talked and prayed to him). I was faced with a dualism of thought and unable to reconcile in the outside world.
I am coming home, because I feel I have matured and have begun to deeply understand that the reconciliation of Faith and Science is a matter of understanding that they actually compliment, rather than contradict, one another. They are two parts of the whole, which Pope John Paul II talked about long ago in: Faith can never contradict reason: The Pope on Galileo.
I’ve spent this time away seeking knowledge and truth. I’ve studied the ways of life across the earth and throughout history. It was my Catholic heritage that instilled the value of truth and education. It has lead me on a journey away… and has lead me back!!! For this I am grateful.
Peace be with you.
I was initially inclined to keep my reasons for leaving the church private, as I feel these matters are ultimately between myself, my priest and God. After thinking about it, I changed my mind; a brief explanation may help others.
I stopped going to church upon deep reflection. I no longer felt worthy because I began to question the positions of the Church while science was revealing knowledge which seemingly contradicted the Church’s beliefs. I began “not” to believe in God Literally (but secretly still talked and prayed to him). I was faced with a dualism of thought and unable to reconcile in the outside world.
I am coming home, because I feel I have matured and have begun to deeply understand that the reconciliation of Faith and Science is a matter of understanding that they actually compliment, rather than contradict, one another. They are two parts of the whole, which Pope John Paul II talked about long ago in: Faith can never contradict reason: The Pope on Galileo.
I’ve spent this time away seeking knowledge and truth. I’ve studied the ways of life across the earth and throughout history. It was my Catholic heritage that instilled the value of truth and education. It has lead me on a journey away… and has lead me back!!! For this I am grateful.
Peace be with you.
P
Prague
Guest
Thank you for sharing. God Bless you.
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odile53
Guest
Interestingly enough, scholars of the Catholic Church developed the scientific method, the university system, and a whole host of other accoutrements of what we now call science. You might wish to read through the website called Catholics Come Home for a cursory overview of this.
Personally, I find nothing incompatible between science and the teachings of the Church. Science is merely a quantifiable, directly observable way, to describe the truth that the Church has taught all along. Our God is gracious in that He has given us intellects, senses, and methodologies to observe, to formulate hypotheses, to engage in experimentation, and to draw conclusions. Surely, the best of science is a great gift of God to describe, quantify, and ultimately, utilize His creation for His greater honor and glory and for the benefit of His creatures, meaning us. May He be ever praised that He has given mankind the ability to do so!
There is no conflict, and no impediment to faith, in intellect, provided we are willing to inquire and pursue humbly, acknowledging His sovereignty over the universe, which, after all, is only in existence through His divine Mind.
And, by the way (I guess I got a little carried away, but science is one of my favorite obsessions–LOL!) welcome back home!
Personally, I find nothing incompatible between science and the teachings of the Church. Science is merely a quantifiable, directly observable way, to describe the truth that the Church has taught all along. Our God is gracious in that He has given us intellects, senses, and methodologies to observe, to formulate hypotheses, to engage in experimentation, and to draw conclusions. Surely, the best of science is a great gift of God to describe, quantify, and ultimately, utilize His creation for His greater honor and glory and for the benefit of His creatures, meaning us. May He be ever praised that He has given mankind the ability to do so!
There is no conflict, and no impediment to faith, in intellect, provided we are willing to inquire and pursue humbly, acknowledging His sovereignty over the universe, which, after all, is only in existence through His divine Mind.
And, by the way (I guess I got a little carried away, but science is one of my favorite obsessions–LOL!) welcome back home!
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johnthebaptist1
Guest
If you are Catholic and want to return to church ,that,s wonderful. I would talk to your parish priest, he ,ll guide you back. May God,Jesus, Mary,and may The Holy Spirit touch your heart and guide you back to the LOVE of God. 
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