Is God calling you to return to the Catholic Church?
Has your wandering led you to a yearning for the Eucharist?
Is your anger, hurt or bitterness over some past event being overshadowed by a strong urge to find peace in Christ's love?
Have you, or a friend or relative, been away from the Church for a while and would like to talk with someone about coming back?
Do you want to re-kindle your faith but aren't sure what to do next?
Catholics Come Home is a program designed to facilitate the return of inactive Catholics to active life in the Church. It's purpose is to provide a warm, welcoming place that aids alienated and inactive Catholics in their return to the table of the Lord and to an active Catholic life as disciples of Jesus Christ. This return is not always an easy thing; but our Holy Father has called upon all Christians to be united together in their love of God.
We form ourselves by the practices we promote. A church can only become hospitable by practicing hospitality. A church can only become charitable through its practice of charity. If you are an inactive Catholic, it is our prayer that we will offer you promise and resurrected hope in your faith journey, along with a new understanding of what it means to be Catholic. We also hope to assist and support all Catholics who want to make the road back easier for their inactive family members, neighbors, or friends.
The rootedness of our faith in the lived experience of Jesus Christ demands that we offer love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and celebration to all; to exclude anyone is to impair the full promise of what the church can be for the rest of us.
We want to take this occasion to tell you that we miss you. We pray that you might consider coming back among us and resolve to be with us more regularly. Our life is strengthened by every active member and weakened by every inactive member. Our house is fuller and happier when you are a part of it! Our bond with our family of faith is strengthened through our sharing of the scriptures and the Eucharist. Just like the bond with family and friends is richly experienced at the meals we share on special days, so to is our unity celebrated and experienced during our liturgies. If there are issues separating them from the sacraments, we are prepared to help you address those barriers. If you were hurt, or felt rejected, we want to hear your stroy. We can't promise to solve every problem; but we're anxious to help you take the first steps in your return to the Church.
Come Home for the Love of God!
"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep'." Luke 15. 4-6.
For further information, please contact our parish coordinator:
Deacon John Moeller 630-469-7540 X18
Email: deaconjohn@stjamesge.org
- To view the Catholics Come Home Brochure, please click here
- To see the St. James Advent/Christmas Liturgy Schedule, please click here
- For information about annulments, please click here
- For information about adults becoming Catholic, please click here
- If you're struggling with emotional or spiritual pain after an abortion please click here
- To contact another member of our parish staff, please click here
- For information about our parish school, please click here
- For information about our Religious Education program for children, please click here
- To view Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children by the US Bishops, please click
here
- To register as a parishioner, please click here
You can find additional information and additional resources, including copies of the three videos being broadcast, at the Joliet Diocese Catholics Come Home Website:
http://www.dioceseofjoliet.org/omf/catholicscomehome/returningcatholics.asp
|
|
