Wishing to be Protestant again...

[brb3]

Sounds like a prodigal wanting to return. Come home brother the fattened Calf awaits.

Oh No – don’t tempt a Catholic with another Gospel !!

 

[brb3]

In the old days, only a few generations ago … so I’m told, the Church used to hold HEALING SERVICES.

Is this still ongoing in certain parishes ? Has this gift been removed from our Church in recent times … apart from the healing at Lourdes ?

 

[brb3]

sure convince our Priest or most people in the church.

Start it w/o him. Tell him you need the Church on a certain night for Christian Fellowhip. Begin with Adoration … then go on from there.

 

[Dorothy]

In the old days, only a few generations ago … so I’m told, the Church used to hold HEALING SERVICES.

Is this still ongoing in certain parishes ? Has this gift been removed from our Church in recent times … apart from the healing at Lourdes ?

Most of the Catholic churches in my area have Masses (a weekday night) with the focus on healing. They are well attended. The priests that celebrate these Masses do remind us that every Mass is a healing Mass. Healing for us in mind, body, and spirit, according to the Lord’s will for us.

 

[crazzeto]

@Cat,

I would love to quote your lovely post, but alas it’s a bit long and I think I’ll run into the char count limit. As such, I would just like to make some comments based upon my reading of what you posted:

Idea 1 Church is all about fellowship:

I see the point you’re making, particularly later on but respectfully I disagree. Fellowship is something we should do as Christians, in fact it’s commanded by Christ in so much as the Corperal and spiritual acts of mercy. I get what you’re saying about your evangelical friends being there for someone who loses relatives, or having babies all at the same time (OK, I hope you can admit the 2nd is hard to coordinate in any church environment) and such. But that’s not what the Church is, though I have no doubt that is what it is to an Evangelical.

The Church it’s self is a teaching institution, it’s there to guide and nurture our faiths. It’s not there to coordinate fellowshiping, though she should most certainly do what she can to encourage it (and in my experience she has). What you’re talking about is terrific, and honestly even to some extent I might say it helps play a role in the salvation of souls. But at the same time, the primary purpose of the Church is to faithfully proclaim the gosple, and provide access to the sacraments.

I don’t say this to negate the importance of your points, rather I say this to offer what amounts to a paradigm shift. The Church is Christo centric, the beleivers should do the fellowshiping. Though yes, some communities fail here which is quite sad.

Idea 2 Perhaps the OP is talking about there not being enough extra-mass activities.

Well I could go along with what you’re saying here, I realize not all churchs offer the same oppertunities to get involved. Perhaps the OP could help shed some light on this situation? If indeed there is a derth of oppertunities to get involved, then I whole heartedly agree that this is a sad situation. Maybe there’s a better church in his community in that case. I’m blessed that mine offers exactly the kind of life revolving around church oppertunities that you discussed, and indeed this past fall mine has revolved around Church.

God bless,

 

[twopekinguys]

In the old days, only a few generations ago … so I’m told, the Church used to hold HEALING SERVICES.

Is this still ongoing in certain parishes ? Has this gift been removed from our Church in recent times … apart from the healing at Lourdes ?

There are still some healing priests out there, and healing services are still being done.

I happen to know this one personally.

maryshelpersinc.com/

 

[TexCatholic4JMJ]

Took a relative to an evangelical Church’s service on several Sundays. It felt like I was at
a Christian concert with people leaning over the pews to talk to others. (They had water
bottles that they drank from during the service, something that again reminded me of
a concert.) They were very welcoming to me but things became less friendly when they
found out I was Catholic. I had no response when I was unable to take my relative to
service and asked if there was anyone who could pick her up on those infrequent occasions. Not once did these friends of hers offer to pick her up. Though she never
said anything, my relative noticed and just started asking me to take her to Mass.
She came back to the Catholic Church months later and I often heard her say that
she felt such peace at Mass and how “orderly” and reverent everyone was.
Unfortunately, I know that many people do need that connection to socialize and that
it is not often found at many of our parishes, but seek out the parishes that do. We
have young people coming from various other parishes to attend our “Life Teen” Mass
and they come early to “warm” up with a music worship/prayer service before Mass
starts. (I also know many “seniors” that go now and then just to hear the enthusiasm
of the young people.)

 

[TriuneUnity]

Took a relative to an evangelical Church’s service on several Sundays. It felt like I was at
a Christian concert with people leaning over the pews to talk to others. (They had water
bottles that they drank from during the service, something that again reminded me of
a concert.)

They’re not like concerts at all! At concerts, the music is actually good.

 

[twopekinguys]

Took a relative to an evangelical Church’s service on several Sundays. It felt like I was at
a Christian concert with people leaning over the pews to talk to others. (They had water
bottles that they drank from during the service, something that again reminded me of
a concert.) They were very welcoming to me but things became less friendly when they
found out I was Catholic. I had no response when I was unable to take my relative to
service and asked if there was anyone who could pick her up on those infrequent occasions. Not once did these friends of hers offer to pick her up. Though she never
said anything, my relative noticed and just started asking me to take her to Mass.
She came back to the Catholic Church months later and I often heard her say that
she felt such peace at Mass and how “orderly” and reverent everyone was.
Unfortunately, I know that many people do need that connection to socialize and that
it is not often found at many of our parishes, but seek out the parishes that do. We
have young people coming from various other parishes to attend our “Life Teen” Mass
and they come early to “warm” up with a music worship/prayer service before Mass
starts. (I also know many “seniors” that go now and then just to hear the enthusiasm
of the young people.)

Great story!!

Glad you could bring her back home!!

 

[Lady_Mariegrace]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Mariegrace
. They dont’ care about the truth of the Church. They love God

God is love, but God is also truth… I realize what you’re getting at from the “perspective of flesh”, but can I ask you to take a second, step outside the box and think about this one…

I don’t care about the truth of God, but I love him anyway…

I just knew posting quickly this morning would get something said in a way someone could pick at my point.

My children know the truth about the Church and God and salvation and a whole lot of other things better than some adult Catholics because i have made sure to answer their questions with facts and research and given them lots of faith opportunities but what i meant was they love God and want to be able to exuberantly show it sometimes and they want to share that love with some friends of like mind not just be told they should go to Mass and be happy cause they have the “true deposit of faith”. Both my boys are ADHD and being quiet and respectful for a solid hour is hard for them no matter how much they love God. i hope this clarifies some things or maybe just makes it muddier.

 

[Lady_Mariegrace]

and i obviously did not cut and paste the quote correctly so it does not show where it came from earlier in the thread.
Sorry.

 

[Sonny1954]

Hi, I chose that title to be somewhat provocative to hopefully garner people who could reply to this thread. I converted from Protestantism more than 10 years ago and I am happy to be Catholic. However, having said that I do miss much of the social aspects of a Protestant church. There were programs and bible studies for every age group; there were many ways of connecting to different people in your church–I had lots of friends in church and we would call each other up and do things together. There would be family picnics and other outings the church would sponsor.

In my 10 years of being Catholic my knowledge of truth has increased but at the cost of fellowship. I’ve been around 4 different Catholic churches in 10 years and all of them seem to be not much more than ‘Eucharist factories’ where you shuffle the people in, give them a boring homily, the Eucharist and shuffle them out until next week when you can do it again. The earliest youth group starts at high school.

I have brought some of my brothers and sisters in to the Church, but we all are beginning to pine for the days when going to church was enjoyable.

It does really appear to me that the Catholic Church, as an institution, does not foster fellowship anywhere near as much as the Protestant churches do. Am I wrong?

And before you say to me, “Well then, you get something started at your church!”, I’m trying to make the point that as an institution the Catholic church does not foster fellowship. I don’t want to be one person trying to roll a rock up hill, I want to be part of a Church that encourages fellowship.

As I mentioned before, I helped bring others to the Catholic Church, but now I’ve got a dilemma. My two kids, ages 12 and 13 are really complaining about going to our ‘boring church’ when their Protestant friends do all these really fun activities their churches sponsor. And I have an older son who may be considering becoming Catholic, but he has 4 children ages 1-6. I wince at the prospect of telling him he can’t put his children in Sunday School while he and his wife go to mass, but instead he has to keep four children under control for an hour while having to listen to a boring sermon. These are not show stoppers, but they really detract from giving incentives to joining the Church.

Any thought are welcome. But does anyone else see this lack of fellowship problem?

My wife converted from Methodism about 15 years ago. She is theologically happier with Catholicism, but I’ve head her make these same kind of statements regarding the Catholic Church’s general lack of social networking. Being born Catholic myself, I’m used to not knowing anyone at Church.

 

[crazzeto]

My children know the truth about the Church and God and salvation and a whole lot of other things better than some adult Catholics because i have made sure to answer their questions with facts and research and given them lots of faith opportunities but what i meant was they love God and want to be able to exuberantly show it sometimes and they want to share that love with some friends of like mind not just be told they should go to Mass and be happy cause they have the “true deposit of faith”. Both my boys are ADHD and being quiet and respectful for a solid hour is hard for them no matter how much they love God. i hope this clarifies some things or maybe just makes it muddier.

OK, but you said they don’t care about the truth which is problematic. Truth and love can’t really exist one with out the other. It’s our duty to make sure that youngersters understand this, and offer them the oppertunities you discuss here with out compramising in some way.

Now regarding your childerens desire to exhuberently show their love for God. Well that’s terrific, but the Mass certainly isn’t the time to show this kind of excited exhuberence ADHD or no. Again, your childeren need to be properly formed and educated, to show respect and love for God in the way God taught the Apostles, and they taught subsequent generations.

What you’re looking for should be expressed in other ways, in particular through extra-mass ministries. What ministries does your parish have for High School aged childeren? If the options are slim, I would come back here, get some idea’s for ministries you could start, and have a conversation with your pastor. You might find your pastor quite willing and exhuberent to start the kind of ministries you’re looking for.

But as for worship… True worship requires something other than fellowship. It requires order (God is the God of Order after all), focus on Christ (not friends), and a prayerful attitude.

 

[Netty1]

I’m a recent convert and I like the way the RCC is more serious and focused. There are some groups arranged in my parish but they are not allowed to seep into the reverential atmosphere of the Masses.

Post #57 said it quite well, I feel, that: * “A Catholic reverently enters the hallowed sanctuary, kneels, silently prays and prepares themselves for mass. Any talk of earthly things would be frowned upon as distracting from God’s presence…Same with leaving…Catholics on the other hand, leave with the same reverence they came with.”*

I like that focus. :yup:

 

[Cat]

@Cat,

I would love to quote your lovely post, but alas it’s a bit long and I think I’ll run into the char count limit. As such, I would just like to make some comments based upon my reading of what you posted:

Idea 1 Church is all about fellowship:

I see the point you’re making, particularly later on but respectfully I disagree. Fellowship is something we should do as Christians, in fact it’s commanded by Christ in so much as the Corperal and spiritual acts of mercy. I get what you’re saying about your evangelical friends being there for someone who loses relatives, or having babies all at the same time (OK, I hope you can admit the 2nd is hard to coordinate in any church environment) and such. But that’s not what the Church is, though I have no doubt that is what it is to an Evangelical.

The Church it’s self is a teaching institution, it’s there to guide and nurture our faiths. It’s not there to coordinate fellowshiping, though she should most certainly do what she can to encourage it (and in my experience she has). What you’re talking about is terrific, and honestly even to some extent I might say it helps play a role in the salvation of souls. But at the same time, the primary purpose of the Church is to faithfully proclaim the gosple, and provide access to the sacraments.

I don’t say this to negate the importance of your points, rather I say this to offer what amounts to a paradigm shift. The Church is Christo centric, the beleivers should do the fellowshiping. Though yes, some communities fail here which is quite sad.

Idea 2 Perhaps the OP is talking about there not being enough extra-mass activities.

Well I could go along with what you’re saying here, I realize not all churchs offer the same oppertunities to get involved. Perhaps the OP could help shed some light on this situation? If indeed there is a derth of oppertunities to get involved, then I whole heartedly agree that this is a sad situation. Maybe there’s a better church in his community in that case. I’m blessed that mine offers exactly the kind of life revolving around church oppertunities that you discussed, and indeed this past fall mine has revolved around Church.

God bless,

I would like to suggest that you read through the little letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians.

This book is all about the Church, the Body of believers on this earth (and in heaven). St. Paul discusses in quite a bit of detail what “Body Life” in the Church of Jesus Christ should be like. It doesn’t stop when we walk outside of the church doors.

Being the Church (or being the Body) is a whole lot more than the Spiritual and Corporal Works of mercy. Being teh Body means being together, one body, doing things together, like raising children, and falling in love and getting married and remaining married, and working together. It’s all in the letter to the Ephesians.

In fact, HOW exactly do you “admonish sinners?” Or “feed the hungry?” Or do any of the Spiritual or Corporal works of mercy? Do you do these things at church, and then forget about them when you are done with church? Of course not. We don’t stop being the Body of Christ ever, no matter where we are, and in everything we say and do, we are to accomplish the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy.

Interestingly, Ephesians is the letter where the famous (or perhaps some of you would say “infamous!”) verse about drunkenness is found–“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph. 5: 18).

 

[crazzeto]

I would like to suggest that you read through the little letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians.

This book is all about the Church, the Body of believers on this earth (and in heaven). St. Paul discusses in quite a bit of detail what “Body Life” in the Church of Jesus Christ should be like. It doesn’t stop when we walk outside of the church doors.

Being the Church (or being the Body) is a whole lot more than the Spiritual and Corporal Works of mercy. Being teh Body means being together, one body, doing things together, like raising children, and falling in love and getting married and remaining married, and working together. It’s all in the letter to the Ephesians.

In fact, HOW exactly do you “admonish sinners?” Or “feed the hungry?” Or do any of the Spiritual or Corporal works of mercy? Do you do these things at church, and then forget about them when you are done with church? Of course not. We don’t stop being the Body of Christ ever, no matter where we are.

Interestingly, Ephesians is the letter where the famous (or perhaps some of you would say “infamous!” verse about drunkenness is found–“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph. 5: 18).

That’s great Cat, but you’re missing something very important here… You’re making the fellowshiping the center of your faith, don’t you see the problem with that? The center of the faith is Christ, not community. Community is one (very important) avenue we can and should use to meet Christ. But you’re statement is a declaration that the community should play the central role of the Church. This in fact is a very protestant concept, and a very recent innovation in Christendom, historically Christ has been the center of the faith.

 

[mary_bobo]

My wife converted from Methodism about 15 years ago. She is theologically happier with Catholicism, but I’ve head her make these same kind of statements regarding the Catholic Church’s general lack of social networking. Being born Catholic myself, I’m used to not knowing anyone at Church.

I am sorry so many of you are finding churches that do not offer “fellowship”. My parish has a very active Knights of Columbus group that besides the good things the Knights do, they serve breakfast in the parish hall on the last Sunday of each month. It is inexpensive and good. Other Sundays we have coffee and donuts there after each Mass. There is a bridge group, a book club, bible studies, and various other programs throughout the year. I particularly enjoy the ones about church history. We have a group that prepares a meal to be served after a funeral and burial of someone in the parish. We have a group that cooks and serves once a month at a local homeless shelter. We have ecumenical groups that meet with four other inner city churches on the Wednesdays of Lent, each week at a different church, and we had the Stations of the Cross outside on Good Friday in a square in the downtown area.

We have a group that makes quilts, and bake sales, and a monthly book swap, and more. Surely one could meet people with whom to socialize with all of that.

 

[Metamorphoo]

I think some of the post-ers are missing the point that the originator of the thread was trying to make: that fellowship and socialization within Catholic churches OVERALL tends to be weak (although some parishes certainly don’t fall in that category).

A number of respondents rightly noted that the primary purpose of church is about worshiping the Lord, not about satisfying our own wants. Yet spiritual fellowship and socialization are human needs which our Creator has put within us. After our relatiionship with Him, nothing in this world matters more than our relationships with other people.

Fellowship certainly is important, as it fosters spiritual growth in the believers who engage in it. Fellowship enables Christians to encourage one another to “press on” in the faith when they are discouraged or struggling; to glean spiritual wisdom from those who are more spiritually mature than we are; to have accountability to another Christian who is willing to stand alongside us in overcoming a besetting sin.

Socialization is not the same thing as true spiritual fellowship. But what better place to make friends with other Christians than through the local church and its functions? It isn’t a good thing when a Christian has difficulty finding fellowship and social relationships within his own church–be he a Catholic or Protestant.

 

[distracted]

T_More:
your story helped me with my DAY!!! Thanks so much…

i feel i could have written that post myself except for the being raised JW part…

i am a cradle Catholic but i wnet outside the Church, in ignorance, a long time ago and it really messed me up (duh) … and its a long story how i came back… had a crisis… prayed the rosary, had another big crisis (the devil didnt’ like that) and… just wish i had known way back when what i know now…

big shame people don’t teach their children the catechism… etc…

could have saved me and a lot of others i was involved with… a lot of heartache and misery… and i mean a LOT…

you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free

 

[Reuben_J]

I think some of the post-ers are missing the point that the originator of the thread was trying to make: that fellowship and socialization within Catholic churches OVERALL tends to be weak (although some parishes certainly don’t fall in that category).

Isn’t this also applies to some Protestant churches as well?

A number of respondents rightly noted that the primary purpose of church is about worshiping the Lord, not about satisfying our own wants. Yet spiritual fellowship and socialization are human needs which our Creator has put within us. After our relatiionship with Him, nothing in this world matters more than our relationships with other people.

Fellowship certainly is important, as it fosters spiritual growth in the believers who engage in it. Fellowship enables Christians to encourage one another to “press on” in the faith when they are discouraged or struggling; to glean spiritual wisdom from those who are more spiritually mature than we are; to have accountability to another Christian who is willing to stand alongside us in overcoming a besetting sin.

Or support groups - like cell groups where members are committed to support and journey together with each other through social or spiritual life. If one wants to look for this, it is availbale in the Catholic Church.

Socialization is not the same thing as true spiritual fellowship. But what better place to make friends with other Christians than through the local church and its functions? It isn’t a good thing when a Christian has difficulty finding fellowship and social relationships within his own church–be he a Catholic or Protestant.

No issue in the CC.