Posted on 09/06/2009 3:50:15 PM PDT by NYer
And in a big way. A lot of you have seen the great ads produced by a group called Catholics Come Home. The ads, evidently, are working. And spreading.
From the Los Angeles Times:
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento is home to nearly 1 million Catholics. On a typical Sunday, less than 137,000 can be found in church.Curious to see what all the fuss is about? Check out the videos below. And you can find more at the Catholics Come Home link.
Now, using a strategy straight from the secular playbook, its leaders hope to lure back those who have drifted.
The diocese and nearly a dozen others across the country are preparing to air several thousand prime-time TV commercials in English and Spanish, inviting inactive Catholics to return to their religious roots.
In addition to Sacramento, dioceses in Chicago, Omaha, Providence, R.I., and four other cities will launch the “Catholics Come Home” advertising blitz during Advent, the period before Christmas.
Four more dioceses will follow during Lent next spring. Los Angeles is not among the initial group but could be part of a nationwide campaign slated for December 2010.
"I'm hoping that a significant number of people will give us another look," Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto said of the campaign. "Many Catholics have a sense of believing but not always a sense of belonging."
The potential audience is huge.
Only about one-quarter of U.S. Catholics say they attend Mass every week, and a majority go to religious services a few times a year or less, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, which conducts social science research about the Catholic church.
Researchers there also found that two-thirds of Catholics believe they can be good members of their faith without attending Mass regularly.
Inactive Catholics cite a number of reasons for their absence. Many do not believe that missing Mass is a sin, the center reported. Others say they are too busy with family or work, or, as other analysts point out, are more interested in material happiness than spiritual fulfillment.
"There is a strange pattern of people who aren't practicing but still have beliefs and pick up parts of the faith," said Mark Gray, a research associate with the center. "They may give up meat on Fridays during Lent or attend Ash Wednesday services."
LOL. My husband left the Catholic church, got born again and all they tell me here is that he was improperly catechized. They’re the ignorant ones, Robwin.
Jesus made restitution for our sins. That’s ALL that’s needed.
I offer the sacrifice of praise, of myself—a sinner. He wants our hearts, not our rites.
Excuse me? Catholic are ignorant of Christ?
Amen, Mr. Rogers!!! Good to see you again.
Yes, the catholic (universal) Body of Christ. You can’t be saved outside of Christ but you can be saved outside of the Catholic Church. Most probably are. Members of the Body of Christ are in all kinds of churches.
The One True Church is the Body of Christ, created by Christ and members of this Body are in all manner of churches. Don’t be so arrogant about YOUR one true church because it doesn’t exist outside of the Body of Christ.
Good post!
We Christians are never out in the cold, Mark. I’m not so sure about you Catholics anymore. After reading your posts, I’m convinced that Catholics grow farther and farther away from the truth.
Hallelujah, Mr Rogers!!!
Any one who is saved is considered a saint by God.
Jesus established the Body of Christ, of which there are many members in many churches. Yours is not ‘the one true church’ any more than mine is.
Then why doesn’t your church take Him off of the cross?
Yes, the catholic (universal) not the Catholic church will last forever. The catholic church consists of the Body of Christ and nothing will prevail against her. The Catholic Church will fall one day, as will other denominations, but the universal Body of Christ will last forever. ALL believers are part of that Body.
No, dear ex-snook. Christ indwells every believer. WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit, not Rome.
AMEN, Noterrex.
Amen, Iscool.
No, ignorant of why people leave the Catholic church.
And the idea that no one is saved outside of the catholic church is still taught, but spun that you are a catholic even if your not, thats how you get saved, your just not smart enought to know it. When I read that explanination, I just had to go "What?"
No salvation outside of the catholic church is no different in philosophy than a Muslim saying there is only hell outside of Islam...(I am not saying they are the same, so don't mistake the comparison I am trying to make) Just the philosophy that says its our way or no way...
One of several reasons why I finally left the church...There is much to respect in the church, but to deny there is much to dislike is to be in denial.
Your soul reading that another is "shallow" is also bigoted and a bit self righteous..You just judged this persons standing before God....Perhaps you should pray for humility before you judge anothers state of mind and soul before God..
Robwin, I appreciate your honesty and your leaving seems to have followed a lot of thought, prayer. I believe to follow a dogma blindly is the downfall of many... God Bless
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