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Reconnect
Overview of the Returning Catholics Process
The Returning Catholics process has as its center the sacrament of reconciliation. We realize the normal way for Catholics to come back to Church, and to reconcile with the Church, is through the sacrament of reconciliation, or by "going to confession." Catholic instincts often lead a person who is coming back to Church to look for the Confession Box. And what they discover is that in most Catholic Churches today, the Box is gone! There is something called a "Reconciliation Room" and they don't know what to do in there! This discovery is one of the signs a person sees that the Church she or he knew has changed.
If they do risk going into the Reconciliation Room, the priest may in turn advise them to join the Returning Catholics process. However, most people who join us find out about us through word of mouth, ads in the local newspaper, or in the Church Bulletin, through our brochure, or now, on the web.
While the process was originally designed to meet the needs of those who have been away from the Church for 10, 20 and even 30 years or more, we now have people joining us for other reasons. Some are parishioners who feel disconnected from the Church, who want a sense of belonging. Some people want to be updated on their Catholic faith. Others, often young adults, are seeking the sacrament of confirmation. The Returning Catholics community is a very diverse group of people with lots of different issues. This diversity makes for some interesting meetings!
The format for our meetings is somewhat the same for each Tuesday evening. We gather with a coffee social, have check-in and opening prayer, listen to and reflect on scripture, meet and talk in small groups, have some kind of presentation and discussion, and take time for questions. The topics we cover include things like: Who is God? What is the Church? ... Prayer, The Mass, Vatican II, Sin, Moral Decision Making, Reconciliation, Liturgy, and more.
The community that meets on Tuesday nights is also a bridge to the larger community of Catholics meeting during our weekend masses. We therefore have rites and rituals that connect Returning Catholics back into the community. We also encourage, support and invite participants to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation at some point on their journey back into the Church.
Another essential part of the Returning Catholics process are the companions who come to journey with those who are returning to the Church. Companions are parishioners. They are often people who themselves have gone through the Returning Catholics process. Companions come to listen, to share their faith, and to help people re-connect to the larger community. Sometimes people come to the Returning Catholics meetings and decide not to return. That's okay with us. However, we hope you will take another look at your Catholic Church, and consider coming back to us. We miss you... the Church is not complete without you.