How to welcome back inactive Catholics

"We are all called to be Church, and this is a wonderful way to reach out and say to our sisters and brothers, 'We miss you; we need you in order to make our community complete,'" stated David Amico, associate director of adult catechesis for the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (OEC).

He was referring to the workshop titled, "We've Missed You -- Welcome Home," which he and Rev. Robert Longobucco will present at the annual Parish Convening.

Father Longobucco is the clergy associate for the OEC.

Mr. Amico called this "a perfect time" to discuss outreach to fallen-away Catholics, since evangelization is one ministry being explored in the "Called to be Church" future planning effort underway in the Albany Diocese.

The pair will speak on ways for individuals and parish volunteers to reach out to those who no longer call the Catholic Church "home."

"This isn't the first time we've looked at this issue. We've actually been working on it for years, but recently it has come to our attention that there is more of an urgency in connecting with Catholics who no longer call our Church their community," Mr. Amico said, citing the results of a recent parish survey taken last year in the Albany Diocese.

That survey indicated a desire in parishes to help inactive Catholics return "home." Other research has indicated that 21 million Catholics nationwide are no longer active, although Catholicism is the second-largest Christian denomination in the U.S.

"There are many reasons why Catholics may have left the Church," Mr. Amico explained. He added that "for a number of years, we have been sponsoring 'Coming Home' evenings throughout the Albany Diocese, usually during Lent and Advent, which seems to be an opportune time to reach out to such Catholics."

In the diocesan survey, parishioners indicated that they would like guidelines on how to invite Catholics back into the Church.

"We need our most committed Catholics to look outward and share what they love about our Church. In doing so, they can invite back those who have left our family," said Father Longobucco.

"Many parishes are looking at ways they can do this. We hope to discover why [inactive Catholics] no longer share our community life. We will dialogue on what personal experience has taught us. Together, we hope to come up with some strategies that people can use," Mr. Amico noted.

The workshop is open to anyone interested in inviting and welcoming Catholics back "home," and to "anyone who might know someone that has left the Church. For family members, it is an opportunity to understand that they are not alone, that others are going through this, too. Hopefully, we will be able to provide some concrete things they can do."

(10/12/06)