Waterloo Catholics


Information for and About Catholic Seekers


 
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Quik-Click Guide
Who is a Catholic Seeker?
Why Catholics Become Seekers
"Spiritual but not Religious"
How to Assess Your Relationship to the Church
What Seekers Can Do
How We Can Help
 

Seekers can begin to find in the Church fulfillment of their heart's
desires.  They are invited to undertake a spiritual journey that is
focused on Jesus Christ and his Kingdom of salvation, love, justice
and mercy....  This is the Church's invitation to seekers who want to
discover a satisfying answer to their spiritual hungers.  Her invitation
is rich: to seekers, old and new, and to those who might label them-
elves as alienated or indifferent, the Church offers Jesus Christ and
his love, the fulfillment of hope.

--U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
(2007) pp.6-7.


Who is a ‘Catholic Seeker’?

    By definition, a seeker is one who searches.  In a spiritual context, a seeker is someone who searches for a deeper, more meaningful spiritual life or for a more comfortable, nurturing spiritual home. Often spiritual seekers are also searching for a resolution to some conflict or tension between themselves and a particular church or religious community.

    The term “Catholic Seeker” is commonly used to describe individuals baptized into the Catholic community who no longer feel spiritually at home there.  Catholic seekers may include active, inactive, alienated, discouraged and former Catholics who are disillusioned, confused or troubled about their relationship with the Catholic Church. 

Why Catholics Become Seekers

    There are a wide variety of circumstances and reasons why some Catholics become spiritual seekers.  Almost always, a Seeker’s relationship with the Church is complicated by the fact that we are all human beings and the Church is both a supernatural and a human community. 

    Human persons grow and change -- or fail to grow and change -- as the world around them changes. We are all spiritual pilgrims, and the church is a pilgrim church.  For that reason, nothing is complete, finished or perfect here.  We are always “on the way,” and everyone travels at a different pace.  This creates the possibility for tension, and sometimes conflict, between the faith community and individual members. 

   That tension may express itself in a variety of ways.  For example,

• Some Seekers feel a conflict between their faith and the institutional church.
• Others are troubled by some aspect of Church teaching or Catholic practice.
• Some are happy being Catholic but do not feel at home in their local parish.
• Others are frustrated because the faith they learned as children is no longer
  adequate for adults.
• Some Seekers are discouraged or disappointed by change, or the lack of
  change, in the Church.
• Other feel that some of their personal or spiritual needs are better fulfilled in
  another church or tradition.
• Some Seekers have been abused or offended by a representative of the church or
  are scandalized by the behavior of some Church members.
• Others have gradually drifted away from the Church and now feel estranged or
  unwelcome.
• A number of Seekers have rejected their association with the church but are still
  troubled by some experiences, issues or questions which were left unresolved.

    What every Seeker shares is a sense that something important is missing, unfinished or unsatisfied in their life.  All Seekers hunger for something which will fill the emptiness.  Some Seekers may feel that they are re-living their teenage years.  In the process of becoming a mature, responsible, and faithful adult, the Seeker may have to re-appropriate what they have been taught to believe, and renegotiate their relationship to religious authority.  It is an exciting, but also challenging, and sometimes scary, experience.  

‘Spiritual’ but not ‘Religious’

    Spiritual Seekers often describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.”
    Being spiritual but not religious usually indicates a very sincere desire to remain spiritually alive, even when a person is disillusioned by organized religion or alienated from an established faith community.  However, being spiritual but not religious is much like being married but physically separated or emotionally estranged from one’s spouse.  It is painful and usually destructive over a long period of time.
    Human beings are social beings; our faith is a deeply personal relationship nurtured, expressed, affirmed, celebrated and challenged in the context of a very real relationship with other members of a faith community. 
    Catholics believe that an individual’s relationship with God is mediated  (encountered and expressed) in and through the community of the Church, which we believe to be “the Body of Christ.”

    Although an individual may find it necessary, even healthy, to limit or withdraw from active participation in the faith community at certain times, it is painful and lonely to remain separated from the community -- to be “spiritual but not religious” -- on a permanent basis.
   If you consider yourself spiritual but not religious, we invite you to re-examine your relationship to the faith community.  The following exercise may be helpful to you.

How to Assess Your Relationship
to the Catholic Church
 

[Copyright Protected by
Dave Cushing] 

Our relationship to the Church or other religious organizations is 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.

   We expect the relationship to be
    
__ mutual
     __ fair
     __ honest
     __ safe
     __ challenging (in a positive way)
     __ life-giving
     __ (you may add other expectations)

   We expect our partner to be
    
__ truthful
     __ respectful
     __ appreciative
     __ attentive
     __ responsive
     __ helpful
     __ caring
     __ committed
     __ faithful
     __ loyal
     __ understanding
     __ accepting
     __ forgiving
     __ accountable
     __ responsible
     __ (you may add other expectations)


    In our relationship to the Church, we have similar expectations which we expect the Church to fulfill.  A breakdown in our relationship to Church occurs when we perceive that the Church or its representatives is not fulfilling those expectations.  In assessing our relationship to the Church, it is helpful to identify which of our expectations the Church does not meet. 
This is something we identify at the feelings level.  It is not first of all a matter of facts or truth, but our perception of what has happened.

    The following steps may help you develop further insight into your relationship with the Church:
a) Assess what expectations are most important to you.  (Objectively, all of our
    expectations are important; but some may be more important in your
    relationship to the Church than others.)
b) Identify which of your expectations the Church does not meet.
c) Identify which expectations the Church does adequately fulfill for you.
d) Identify unrealistic expectations you may project onto the Church from your
    personal experience or needs.
e) Identify which expectations the Church has which you may not be able to fulfill
f)  Consider how well another church will be able to fulfill your expectations.

    This process helps us examine our relationship to the Church in a broader perspective.  It helps us identify more clearly why our relationship to the Church is damaged or broken.
    Just as in any other personal relationship, the knowledge and insight you gain may help you repair or rebuild the relationship, or it may simply confirm that the relationship cannot be reclaimed at the present time. 
    In either case, it should help you to move on with greater serenity and help you be more intentional about what you seek in your relationship to another church.


What Seekers Can Do

 If you or someone you know is a Catholic Seeker, here are some things you can do:
•  Continue to pray for the spiritual gifts of patience, wisdom and discernment.
•  Find a Catholic faith community where you can worship regularly, even if you
   attend services in another church.
•  Investigate new forms of personal and communal prayer such as Taize
   Prayer, Centering Prayer,
or
Lectio divina.
•  Identify friends or colleagues with whom you can share your personal faith
   journey confidently and honestly.
•  Join a faith-sharing group where you can discuss matters of faith with other
   Catholic Seekers.
•  Avoid people or circumstances where talk about church is too polarized or
   bitter.
•  Seek a spiritual director or guide with whom you can meet regularly
.
•  Ask a trusted friend or spiritual guide to suggest good books by traditional or
   contemporary spiritual writers.
•  Read more about the history of the church to appreciate how it has changed
   over the years.
•  Study the documents of the Second Vatican Council.  (An accessible resource
   is Bill Huebsch’s Vatican II in Plain English.)
•  Meditate on the lives of the saints, old and new, who were the pilgrims,
   prophets and pioneers of their day.
•  Participate in retreat and renewal opportunities offered by local parishes or
   nearby retreat centers.
•  Live your faith by getting actively involved in community service and social
   justice activities.
•  Learn and practice strategies for healthy living recommended for co-
   dependents by 12-Step programs
.

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 a Catholic Seeker, 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 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 Street,  Waterloo IA 50703
Phone: 319-234-9912
Email: DBQ208s3@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us


Posted 12.18.07  •  Last Update 08.11.08

ADULT FORMATION PRINCIPLES
The Catholic parishes in Waterloo are committed to providing life-long faith formation and spiritual growth for adults of all ages. We value individual life experience, respect the diversity of personal convictions, and welcome the wisdom of every participant. We encourage conversation and dialogue. We will never intentionally embarrass or offend participants.

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