Thinking about coming back to Catholic Church

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athansor

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Hi all,
I’m not sure where to post this, but I wanted to say Hi, and maybe ask for some support/prayers. I was raised Catholic, and was active in the Church for many years (until my mid 30’s or so). Then I started attending an Episcopal Church and since then have considered myself to be Episcopalian.
Recently, my family has moved to a new town, and the local Episcopal Church, while headed up by a wonderful priest, has suffered from a split and has very few people left (think around 5 or so) attending. I’m the only one with small kids (or any kids at all). For this, and other reasons, I am thinking that I would like to be back in a strong community of faith, where my kids can participate in religious education. The Catholic faith was an important part of my life growing up, and I want to give that opportunity to my kids…plus I feel I’m being called in that direction.
There would be some issues to overcome, but right now we have attended mass at two Catholic Churches the last two Sundays and are going to attend mass at one more Catholic Church this Sunday. Then I’m going to do some soul-searching, talk to my son, and both the Episcopal Priest and the Priest at one of the Catholic Churches.
Anyway, I’ll probably be lurking around here as well.
Thanks!
 
Welcome Home!
when you get to the point have have more questions than answers, or when you feel like it is time for more formal instruction on the faith, ask your pastor about RCIA or other adult classes for people like yourself. Oh, I love my job
 
From today’s Liturgy of the Hours:

Prayers and Intercessions

Blessed be God our Father, who protects his children and does not spurn their prayers. Let us all humbly pray to him:
– Lord, give us light to see by.

We thank you, Lord, for sending us your only Son to enlighten us:
may his light fill us all day long.
– Lord, give us light to see by.

Lord, send your wisdom to lead us through the day:
let us walk in the purity of a new life.
– Lord, give us light to see by.

Give us the strength to endure adversity for your sake:
with courage let us serve you unceasingly.
– Lord, give us light to see by.

Guide our thoughts, our feelings and our actions today,
so that we may serve you and follow you.
– Lord, give us light to see by.
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
We pray to you, Lord, the true Light and the creator of light.
May we keep our minds on what is holy
and live always in the brightness of your presence.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
 
athansor said:
Hi all,
I’m not sure where to post this, but I wanted to say Hi, and maybe ask for some support/prayers. I was raised Catholic, and was active in the Church for many years (until my mid 30’s or so). Then I started attending an Episcopal Church and since then have considered myself to be Episcopalian.
Recently, my family has moved to a new town, and the local Episcopal Church, while headed up by a wonderful priest, has suffered from a split and has very few people left (think around 5 or so) attending. I’m the only one with small kids (or any kids at all). For this, and other reasons, I am thinking that I would like to be back in a strong community of faith, where my kids can participate in religious education. The Catholic faith was an important part of my life growing up, and I want to give that opportunity to my kids…plus I feel I’m being called in that direction.
There would be some issues to overcome, but right now we have attended mass at two Catholic Churches the last two Sundays and are going to attend mass at one more Catholic Church this Sunday. Then I’m going to do some soul-searching, talk to my son, and both the Episcopal Priest and the Priest at one of the Catholic Churches.
Anyway, I’ll probably be lurking around here as well.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum! Why did you leave the Catholic Church in the first place? As a military family, we have run into the issue of not having an Episcopal Church in the area and attended an ELCA Church. My family and I felt very much at home in the ELCA Church…

God Bless!
 
emeraldcoast said:
Welcome to the forum! Why did you leave the Catholic Church in the first place? As a military family, we have run into the issue of not having an Episcopal Church in the area and attended an ELCA Church. My family and I felt very much at home in the ELCA Church…

God Bless!
Click to expand...
I first went to an Episcopal service to play music with a friend, and I was impressed with the warm welcome and the commitment to social justice. Without writing a novel, it’s hard to describe exactly why I switched over, but it had to do in part with a perception of mine that the Catholic faith, at least in the area where I lived at the time, was trying to distance itself from social justice elements such as liberation theology and moving in a different direction.

I still feel connected to the Catholic Faith (I spent the first 35 years of my life pretty involved in it) and I also really love the Episcopal church, and don’t wish to leave it because of their teachings as some who have left to form Anglican churches in the US have done.

I’m just finding it hard to feel interested in going to mass anymore at the Episcopal church when there is so little attendance and most Sundays I end up taking my kids down to the nursery and watching them during the Mass. (The church is welcoming to my kids, but my littlest one is 15 months old and nearly impossible to keep still at church). My husband kids me that I’m basically getting everyone up and dressed so we can go and hang out in a nursery and play with different toys for an hour every Sunday morning.
If there were other kids, we could have Sunday School or something like that.

It’s a mess right now …if I leave the Episcopal Church, I’m going to feel really bad because we form a pretty significant percentage of the active parish and I really feel bad for the priest, who is a wonderful person, but on the other hand, if I stay, I fear I’m just going to eventually quit going altogether. I also think if we stay with TEC, my kids will miss out on all the religious education I had growing up (including going to Catholic School, something I did and though was very worthwhile).

I had thought about checking out the local ECLA church as well, maybe in another week or so we can do that.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers so far!!
 
I also meant to ask, is there a better subforum for this kind of stuff, people considering returning to the Catholic faith or prospective Catholics?
 
athansor said:
Hi all,
I’m not sure where to post this, but I wanted to say Hi, and maybe ask for some support/prayers. I was raised Catholic, and was active in the Church for many years (until my mid 30’s or so). Then I started attending an Episcopal Church and since then have considered myself to be Episcopalian.
Recently, my family has moved to a new town, and the local Episcopal Church, while headed up by a wonderful priest, has suffered from a split and has very few people left (think around 5 or so) attending. I’m the only one with small kids (or any kids at all). For this, and other reasons, I am thinking that I would like to be back in a strong community of faith, where my kids can participate in religious education. The Catholic faith was an important part of my life growing up, and I want to give that opportunity to my kids…plus I feel I’m being called in that direction.
There would be some issues to overcome, but right now we have attended mass at two Catholic Churches the last two Sundays and are going to attend mass at one more Catholic Church this Sunday. Then I’m going to do some soul-searching, talk to my son, and both the Episcopal Priest and the Priest at one of the Catholic Churches.
Anyway, I’ll probably be lurking around here as well.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
I have read many posts at forums where someone says they are being called to a different church. They all seem to boil down to the people they associate with at these churches. More than not the church they are leaving has caused them some grief.

What I always fail to understand is why do people base their choice on a church on the social quality of the place and it’s people???

The Catholic Church is rooted firmly with 2000 years of history. It can fully claim to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. All other churches fail to meet this criteria. One must choose the church where the most Holy Eucharist is really the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. To think nothing of John 6 and when Jesus says “if you do not eat His flesh and drink His blood then you have no life in you” has to hit home when you know that Jesus is speaking of the most Holy Eucharist.

The things that are most important are not of this world but of Spirit.

Make your choice wisely.

God Bless and Shalom
 
The Catholic Church is commited to social justice. Chances are your local church gives to the poor, and among the catholic church you would find such great people as the blessed Mother Teresa.
 
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