RETURNING TO THE CHURCH
An invitation for inactive or alienated Catholics to take another look at their Catholic family of faith
Who might benefit from Re-Membering?
- Those who have left the Catholic church and are considering a return
- Those who want to feel welcomed and invited back
- Those Catholics who feel hurt, angry or forgotten
- Catholics who have simply grown apart from the Church by time, habit, or other responsibilities
The ReMembering program will begin Tuesday January 8, 2008 and run until
Tuesday April 1, 2008. Obviously – you only come when you can and when you want to! These nights are our attempt to help you figure out
whether or not St. John's and the Catholic Church are a 'good fit' for you.
You don’t have to wait until then! Call Peter Barbernitz at 410 964-1430 or email
pbarbernitz@sjerc.org to talk now!
Our 2008 Program Schedule (preliminary, subject to
change!)
Tuesday January 8, 2008
Introductions, sharing of personal stories.
What are some of the things that matter to you? What are some things that
don’t?
Sometimes I think I want to belong to a community, other times I don’t.
Tuesday January 15, 2008 Sometimes the Bible
seems to say one thing, other times something exactly the opposite.
Tuesday January 22, 2008 Sometimes the church seems to
focus on things that really matter,
other times on things that don’t.
Tuesday January 29, 2008 Sometimes rituals and symbols
of religion seem helpful, other times seem very empty.
Sometimes
my prayer feels effective, other times it feels empty.
Tuesday February 5, 2008 Pancake Supper at OM at 6:00
I’m a woman, a single parent, gay, divorced … is there a home
for me here?
Role and primacy of conscience in the Catholic church.
Tuesday February 12, 2008 Sometimes church members and
even the church itself seem uncaring and un-Christian
Tuesday February 19, 2008 Sometimes I believe it all,
sometimes I can’t believe any of it.
Some doctrines make sense and others just don’t.
Tuesday February 26, 2008 Can I be forgiven? Can I
forgive?
Why does the church get into the middle of forgiveness?
Tuesday March 4, 2008 I believe …
Wednesday March 5, 2008 Reconciliation Service (RCIA,
ReMembering) 7:30 OM Chapel
Tuesday March 11, 2008 Our world can seem fine
one minute and then be full of violence and evil the next.
Has it been redeemed? Is hope and faith a delusion?
Tuesday March 18, 2008 Let’s talk about the
reality of death.
Thursday March 20, 2008 Holy Thursday Liturgy at
7:30 WL
Welcome Home for those who
would like to take this step at this point.
Tuesday April 1, 2008 Concluding pot-luck
supper, Bob Bartolo’s house. 6:30 pm
SNOW / BAD WEATHER POLICY: CALL PETER’S WORK NUMBER
(410 964-1430) FOR A MESSAGE BEFORE COMING IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS.
Comments from Re-Membering Graduates
Janice
The meetings allowed me and others to raise questions, explore issues of faith, and simply share in a way that has allowed my faith to deepen and my commitment to the Church to be strengthened. Even though I had been coming to Mass for quite a while, I knew that I had not made the real commitment to Catholicism that made me feel whole. I knew that I wasn’t getting any younger and that it was time that I either put up or shut up when it came to my commitment to being a Catholic.
Jackie
Whoever said, "You can’t go home again" did not go through this program. Through Re-Membering I am home again in my church and Catholic community. …We come to discuss our journeys and find our way back each in our own individual way.
Julia
I had been away from the Catholic Church for a few years, not out of anger or hostility, but out of frustration and laziness. And during that time, I tried Lutheran and Methodist churches. Obviously, I didn’t branch out too far. But, in the end, my roots were in the Catholic Church, and I ended up in a seat at Mass, and then read about the Re-Membering program in the weekly bulletin.
Cindy
I have been an on-again off-again Catholic for many years.... I would go to church, but never really felt a connection. I decided to try again last Christmas--by this time I had become a "C& E" Catholic, going to church twice a year, on Christmas and Easter. It was a wonderful ceremony but what really caught me was an item in the bulletin. It was for Re-Membering, and was an invitation to explore coming back into the church. I even liked the name of it: "Re-Membering." Remembering how I was raised and re-membering myself to my church and to God. There was a feeling of acceptance, never guilt, never shame. It is a very inspiring and worthwhile adventure back to the Catholic faith.
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