Catholics Returning Home Ministry Offers a Warm Welcome Back to the Church

You’ve probably seen some variation of a study documenting the number of those who grew up Catholic but have since left the faith. Recent research tells us that 13 percent of adults in the United States fall into the category of “former Catholic.” Many of us could probably point to people in our lives — family members, friends, coworkers, and others — who were raised Catholic, but no longer identify as such, or at the very least, aren’t actively practicing their faith.

But what if a person in this situation noticed a tugging attheir heart when they drove past a Catholic Church? What if they realized that something about the rhythm and the ritual felt like home, and a sense of longing reminded them of the ache for God deep within? Here at Cathedral of Christ the King, we hope to create a place for those who have been away from the faith to come back, without judgment or expectation and experience the loving return to a relationship with Christ in His Church.

“Catholics Returning Home is for the person who has fallen away from the Church and is starting to become curious about returning,” says parishioner Whitney Allen, who helps to coordinate the ministry. “It is for baptized Catholics who have stepped away from the Church for a while — people who have been gone for 50 years or people who have fallen away in the last five years.”

Catholics Returning Home is a six-week course, hosted several times a year, for those who have been baptized Catholic, but are no longer practicing. The group discusses the fundamentals of our faith, answers questions, and seeks to provide a support system for those who are considering “coming home” to the Catholic Church.

“It’s more of a reintroduction to the faith and why we believe the foundational things we believe,” Whitney says. “The intention is to bring people back in, to createcommunity for them, and give them a resource.”

Although she now serves as the coordinator of the ministry, it was only five years ago that Whitney was on the other side, considering returning to the faith. Those who serve as part of the team can share similar stories of having been away from the Church for a time.

“I had stopped practicing my faith for about 20 years, since right after high school,” Whitney says. “But five years ago, I was in a very challenging time in my life and I decided I couldn’t do this alone. I was finding myself going to the church to pray and there was this tug. I drove by the cathedral one day and saw this great big banner that said ‘Catholics Returning Home’ and I was very curious. It was very uncharacteristic of me to see something like that and explore it, but I did.”

The ministry had a great impact on Whitney’s life and relationship with God, to the point that she says she sometimes looks back on her life and journey of faith as two distinct parts — before Catholics Returning Home and after Catholics Returning Home.

“I had gotten to a point of spiritual rock bottom,” Whitney says. “The difference between my life before and my life after was the level of joy that I have, the level of love and security, even when things are hard and scary and unfair — because of my relationship with God and the Church, those things don’t get to me anymore.

“I think for a lot of people, what brings them back is that realization that life isn’t what they thought it was going to be, and the thing that’s missing, you can’t fill on your own,” she adds. “It truly is an invitation from God, a whisper that says, ‘I’m the only One Who can fill that place in your heart.’”

Whitney encourages all parishioners to support this important ministry through prayer, as well as sharing it with people in their lives who may be considering coming back to the Church.

“We ask people to be prayer warriors for us — to pray for the people who are thinking about returning, pray for people going through the series, for the team members, that this message is shared and seen by somebody and to give people the courage to spread the word about it,” she says.

Whitney knows that, in many cases, those who have stopped practicing their faith may dealing with feelings of guilt She assures those considering attending Catholics Returning Home that there is no judgment or shame, just open arms. She hopes the sessions will help people to grasp a better understanding of the faith, as well as give them confidence and hope in returning to the sacraments, and a deeper relationship with Christ.

“It’s really important for people to know that you can come back and you can have that deep connection with Jesus and build that relationship again,” she says. “We’re just so joyful that you’re here and we want to walk with you.”

If you would like more information on Catholics Returning Home, please visit www.cathedralctk.org/catholics-returning-home.