WELCOMING CATHOLICS HOME

Thank you for visiting our new Welcoming Catholics Home web page!

This page will be used to keep you informed about an exciting new movement growing across the country, and right here, in the parishes of the greater Keene community. Welcoming Catholics Home is about reaching out to invite Catholics back to actively practice their faith.

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People stop practicing for any number of reasons: • Did you stop practicing after a traumatic event in your life? • Were you affected by the clergy abuse crisis or the handling of those events? • Did your beloved church close? • Did you stop practicing in college? • Is a challenging marriage situation impacting your practice? • Maybe life just got in the way?  If these, or similar, situations resonate in your heart and you are interested learning how to return to Catholicism, we would love to talk to you.

A previous participant had this to say about her experience of Welcoming Catholics Home:

I was raised here in Keene and was baptized and confirmed at St. Bernard.  I loved God growing up, but it was a blind faith.  I didn't understand, despite going to church regularly and attending Sunday School classes what it meant.  I had a wonderful childhood, but somehere along the way I got lost and stopped attending church, except for an occasional Christmas or Easter.  When I got older I tried reading the Bible on my own, but without someone to guide me I didn't get very far.  Life can be hard, and if we don't make God first in our lives and live by his commandments life will undoubtably get harder.  It did for me.  Welcoming Catholics Home got me to a place where a team of wonderful, caring people could help me understand all the things I didn't grasp growing up.  I learned what being Catholic meant and I fell in love with my faith.  My life is forever changed.  I am truly home and I have a love for God and this community that I have never experienced, nor thought possible.  Please come home too!  The wonderful people that helped me will be there for you and so will I.  "Be Not Afraid."

What is Welcoming Catholics Home? 

Our Welcoming Catholics Home initiative is comprised of seven weekly sessions where we invite you to speak to us about returning to the Catholic faith; we will foster a nonthreatening, no obligations environment.  We will speak openly about some of the issues that may be holding you back and try to answer those concerns.  We will be providing some basic teachings on different areas of the faith. You will be able to speak with people who have had and answered many of the same questions that you have, Catholics who were away and felt God calling them home; they have never been happier.  Even if you are unable to attend all of the sessions, please join us for the first session.  We want to meet you, to listen to you, and to talk with you. 

  

  

Welcoming Catholics Home

Monday, October 4, 2010

6:30 PM in the parish hall

St. Margaret Mary Church

35 Arch Street, Keene, NH  03431

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For more information, please contact the parish offices at 603-352-3525