Waterloo Catholics

 
QUIK-CLICK GUIDE TO THIS PAGE
Schedule of Listening Sessions for Inactive Catholics
What Inactive Catholics Should Know
Some Good Reasons to Become Active
What You Can Do When You're Ready
How to Assess Your Relationship to the Church
How We Can Help
 

“Do people today find it difficult to encounter God in our Churches?
Has our preaching lost its salt? Might it be that many people have
forgotten, or never really learned, how to pray in and with the Church?
…We need to discover, as I have suggested, new and engaging ways
of proclaiming this message and awakening a thirst for the fulfillment
which only Christ can bring.… What is needed above all… is a renewal
of that apostolic zeal which inspires her shepherds actively to seek
out the lost, to bind up those who have been wounded, and to bring
strength to those who are languishing.  And this, as I have said, calls
for new ways of thinking….”
—Pope Benedict XVI in remarks to the U.S. Catholic bishops, April 16, 2008.
 

Listening Sessions
for Inactive Catholics and Catholic Seekers

Current Schedule of Listening Sessions:

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Listening Sessions meet at 7:00pm. in the Board Room
at Kimball Ridge Center (former Schoitz Hospital)
2101 Kimball Ave., Waterloo
[ Click here for map ]

    Are you angry about some church-related issue?  Have you been embarrassed, hurt or rejected by someone representing the Catholic Church?  Has your present marital status left you estranged or unwelcome in the Church?  Are you participating in another church but still feel that “I’m a Catholic and I’ll always be a Catholic.”  Do you feel uncomfortable saying “I’m a spiritual person but I’m not religious?” Would you like someone to listen to the events, people or circumstances which have shaped your relationship or alienation from the Catholic Church?

    These listening sessions are an opportunity to discuss your past, present or future relationship to the Catholic faith community in a safe, discrete, and welcoming environment.  We’re here to listen, not to judge.  If there is some way we can be helpful to you in your present spiritual circumstance, we will arrange whatever additional help or assistance you desire as a follow up to the listening session.

For more information contact a member of the parish staff or
Director of Adult Faith Formation
Phone: 319-234-9912
Email: DBQ208s3@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

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Are you or someone you know an inactive, alienated or former Catholic?

   The Catholic parishes in Waterloo are eager to encourage and support our sisters and brothers who no longer participate regularly in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Catholic community.
   There are a variety of opportunities and options for inactive or former Catholics who wish to resume, or wish to explore the possibility of resuming, fuller participation. 
   We invite you to dialogue about your past, present or future relationship to the Catholic Church even if you do not plan to resume active participation in the future.

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What Inactive Catholics Should
Know About Being Catholic

    Individuals are incorporated into the Catholic faith community through the Sacraments of Initiation.  These sacraments establish a spiritual and social (or juridical) relationship to the Church. This relationship is almost never completely revoked or renounced.  Baptized Catholics are members of the Catholic Church for the rest of their lives, unless they take a deliberate public action to renounce that membership.
    However, membership in the Church assumes continuing participation in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Catholic community.  Active participation generally includes regular participation in Sunday Eucharist, personal prayer, an effort to grow in faith, commitment to Catholic moral principles, a contribution of time, talent and financial support to the faith community, and service to the broader human community.
    In fact, the level of an individual’s participation may vary from time to time and person to person, depending upon a wide variety of circumstances.

    There are many reasons why baptized Catholics do not participate fully or regularly in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church.
    According to a 2009 study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 63% of Catholics who have left the Catholic Church did so because they gradually drifted away from active participation; 57% did so because their spiritual needs were not being met; 56% did so because they stopped believing in some of the Church's teachings, particularly the Church's teaching on abortion and homosexuality (40%) and the Church's understanding of the Bible (36%).
    Some inactive or former Catholics limit their participation because of their marital status or because past experiences left them feeling alienated or rejected.  Some feel unwelcome or excluded because of certain Church laws or community attitudes.
    You should know that church laws and customs which seem to exclude individuals under certain circumstances are often misunderstood or mistakenly applied.  Most inactive Catholics are still Catholics.  Most may resume participating in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church if they wish to do so.

    Resuming full participation or reconciling your relationship to the Church under present circumstances is a deeply personal and sometimes difficult challenge; for most inactive Catholics it is a gradual process of spiritual growth and personal healing. 
   For many former Catholics who have made that journey, it is like a long-delayed homecoming which fills a spiritual void they have experienced for a long time.

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Facts You Should Know About Divorce...

• Inactive, divorced or remarried Catholics are not excommunicated.

• Divorced Catholics who have not remarried may participate fully in the
  spiritual and sacramental life of the Church, including Mass and
  Communion.
 
• Divorced Catholics remarried outside the Church may participate in
  many aspects of the Church’s sacramental and spiritual life, although
  they may not receive Communion.

• Divorced and remarried Catholics may have their children baptized, and
  may enroll them in a Catholic school or religious education classes.

• Inactive Catholics who are not divorced and remarried outside the
  Church may celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation and  resume full
  participation in the Church’s spiritual and sacramental life.
   
  Click here for information for and about Divorced Catholics

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Some Good Reasons to Think About Resuming Active Participation in the Catholic Church

Are you ready to resume active participation in the Church?  Here are some common signs which may suggest that you are ready to consider resuming active participation in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Catholic community:

__You feel personally or spiritually lost.

__You sense that something important is missing in your life.

__You feel socially or spiritually unconnected.

__You sense a need for more encouragement and support.        

__You feel like you do not have the emotional or spiritual resources
    to face difficult situations or problems.

__You worry about how your non-participation in the Church is
    affecting your marriage or your children.

__You feel less angry or bitter about the Church.

__You have more positive feelings about your past Church
    experiences.

__You are experiencing major changes in your life, or are more
    aware of growing  older.

__You are concerned about “starting over” or “getting things in
    order.”

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What You Can Do ... When You’re Ready

Here are some steps you can take if you are an inactive Catholic who is interested in resuming participation in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church. 

1. Find a Catholic parish where you feel welcome.  
    Begin attending Mass; participate in other parish activities to the extent that you are comfortable.  This is the most important thing you can do.  At first you may feel uncomfortable and strange; eventually you will get to know more people, and begin to feel more comfortable.  If not, you may want to visit with a parish staff person, or try another parish.  (You do not have to officially register in a parish in order to attend Mass and participate in most parish activities.  However, when you are ready to resume full participation in the Church, you should register in the parish where you plan to be active.)
Click here for a current schedule of Masses in the Waterloo parishes.

 2. Take advantage of adult formation and education programs where you can learn more about the Church, the sacraments, and Catholic teaching. 

   • The Catholic parishes in Waterloo sponsor listening sessions for inactive and alienated Catholics; these provide an opportunity to ask questions and clarify your relationship to the Catholic Church.  In addition, information and support is available in a confidential private setting throughout the year.

    • The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and the Rite of Christian Reception of Adults (RCRA) are formation programs for non-baptized persons and non-Catholic Christians who are interested in becoming Catholics.  However, they are also an excellent opportunity for inactive Catholics who have been away from the Church for a long period of time.
Click here for information about RCIA and RCRA.

• In addition, many parishes have adult faith-sharing and bible-study groups or intergenerational formation programs which give inactive Catholics an opportunity to share their personal experiences, questions and concerns in a comfortable and supportive atmosphere.
Click here for information about adult formation and education programs.

 3. Choose a spiritual guide or spiritual director with whom you are comfortable discussing your faith experience, your questions about the Church, and your participation in the Church.
    A spiritual guide can walk with you on your spiritual journey, even if you are not planning to resume active participation in the Church; he or she can help you evaluate your experience, recommend resources which will help you grow spiritually, and can suggest opportunities for fuller participation.  A friend who is active in the Church might be a good spiritual guide.  At some point you may need to visit with a priest or a parish staff person who can answer specific questions about Church teaching or law. 

 4. Seek healing for painful personal experiences which may have left you emotionally or spiritually scarred, alienated from the Church, or angry at God. 
    Sometimes an understanding spiritual guide can help heal these painful experiences.  However, in some cases professional counseling may be necessary to heal serious emotional and spiritual hurts.   The Archdiocese of Dubuque provides free, confidential assistance to individuals who have been sexually abused by church employees.   This assistance is provided by independent professionals, not church employees.
Click here for information about assistance for victims of clergy abuse. 

 5. Investigate what might be done to resolve official barriers to full participation. 
    In most cases an invalid marriage can be reconciled through the annulment process.  Inactive Catholics often assume that validating their marriage is too painful or legalistic.  In fact, many people experience this process as a positive opportunity which provides a sense of personal wholeness and spiritual peace.  A parish staff person can recommend someone who is trained to help you work through the annulment process.
Click here for information about annulments

 6. Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  
    When you are ready, this is the most appropriate way in which to renew your participation in the sacramental and spiritual life of the Church.  You can celebrate Reconciliation as part of a parish communal penance service during Advent or Lent; however, if you have been away from the Church for a long period of time, you will find it more helpful to celebrate Reconciliation privately with an understanding priest who will guide you through the process.  (Generally, an inactive Catholic should not begin receiving Communion again until he or she has celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation.)
Click here for information about Reconciliation

 7. Here are some other steps you can take toward resuming active participation:
   • If you have children, enroll them in a Catholic school or religious
     education program.  Participating in your child’s religious education is
     a good way to prepare yourself for more active participation.

   • Subscribe to a Catholic newspaper like The Witness, a newsletter like
     Catholic Update, or Catholic magazines like America, Liguorian, St.
     Anthony Messenger, or U.S. Catholic.
     Click here for a list of Catholic periodicals and book clubs.

   • Become active in a Catholic service or social justice organization like
     the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the Catholic Worker House.
     Click here for service opportunities.  

   • Attend a renewal experience like the Christian Experience Weekend,
     Marriage Encounter or Beginning Again Experience.  These
     experiences can help you appreciate the relationship between your
     personal spirituality and Church
     participation.
     Click here for a guide to Spiritual Renewal Programs. 

   • Use the exercise suggested below to evaluate your current
     relationship to the Catholic faith community.

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How to Assess Your Relationship
to the Catholic Church 


Our relationship to the Church s not unlike other personal relationships. In a healthy personal relationship we have certain expectations of the relationship and our partner.  When a relationship breaks down, it is usually because our partner has failed to meet some or all of our expectations.
Click here for a guide to assessing your relationship to the Church.

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Prayers for Catholic Seekers

Click here

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Searching for God?

God is searching for you.  Listen to this podcast from Renew International[audio software required]:

http://xpmail.kolaco.com/Renew/index.nsf/vPages/PodcastSearchingForGod

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Questions About Being Catholic

• Do I really need God in my life? 
   Click here for the answer.
• Why do Catholics argue so much about their faith? 
   Click here for the answer.
• Why is the Church so hung up about sex? 
   Click here for the answer.
• What about the way women are treated in the Church?
    Click here for the answer.

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How We Can Help

    The Catholic parishes in Waterloo are eager to encourage and support our sisters and brothers who do not feel at home in the Catholic faith community.
    If you or someone you know is an inactive, alienated disillusioned or former Catholic, we welcome the opportunity to discuss your concerns and questions in a safe, understanding and nonjudgmental environment, even if you do not anticipate resuming participation in the Catholic faith community.

The Catholic parishes in Waterloo provide the following opportunities:

Listening Sessions
These open-forum opportunities for Catholic Seekers and inactive Catholics held periodically throughout the year in a non-church location
Click here for a current schedule of Listening Sessions.

A Seekers’ Faith-Sharing Group
This faith-sharing group meets monthly to discuss the spiritual needs of Catholic Seekers, inactive and alienated Catholics who are troubled by their past or current relationship to the Catholic Church.
Click here for more information about the Seeker's Group.

Companions on the Journey
These small faith-sharing groups meet monthly and provide an opportunity for spiritual discernment under the direction of a professional spiritual director.
Click here for more information about Companions.

Fundamental Issues Series
This developing series of adult formation programs is designed to examine fundamental issues which many believers take for granted and many Seekers want to explore.
Click here for more information about the Fundamental Issues Series.

Continuing Adult Formation, Education and
Spiritual Growth Opportunities for Adults
The parishes sponsor a variety of continuing formation, education and spiritual growth opportunities throughout the year.  We suggest that individuals who have been away from the Church for some time may want to consider participating in a program like Catholic 101 or The Rite of Reception for Adults.
Click here for a Directory of Adult Formation Opportunities.
Click here for a Directory of Spiritual Growth Opportunities.
Click here for Highlights of Adult Formation Opportunities this month.

A Private Appointment
We would be happy to arrange a private, confidential appointment with a pastor or a pastoral staff member at any time.

•   •   •

If you or someone you know is an inactive, alienated or former Catholic
who is interested in discussing their relationship to the Catholic Church,
please contact a pastor or staff member at one of the Waterloo parishes
or contact:

Director of Adult Faith Formation  •  320 Mulberry St., Waterloo IA 50703. Phone: 319-234-9912  •  Email: DBQ208s3@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us

Posted  12.18.07   •  Last Update  02.01.12