| May 4, 2009 | Volume 84, Number 14 | |
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Kids want to knowThere are probably few older Catholic parents today who don’t have at least one adult child who has abandoned practice of his or her Catholic faith. While this is a point of fact today, this was a rare occurrence decades ago in a society where the norm “once a Catholic, always a Catholic” prevailed. A new study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released April 27 seeks to explain why those who were reared in one religion either abandon the faith altogether or look to another religion for spirituality. Both Catholics and Protestants were interviewed in the study. The one finding of “Faith in Flux” that many Catholics might find startling is that the number of Catholics who have left the Church outnumber by four to one those adults who have become Catholic. In the Diocese of Richmond we have long rejoiced at the large number of new Catholics welcomed in parishes at the Easter season. Most of them are termed “candidates” during their formation through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) because they previously were baptized in another Christian faith tradition. The Catholic Church recognizes their previous baptism which is understood in the ecumenical theology of “one faith, one Lord, one baptism.” There are also catechumens, those adults who were not baptized and seek to become Catholic, but their numbers are far fewer. We should be proud of our Catholic faith. But there is obviously some sadness when we see some of our brothers and sisters walking out the door. Some parishes in the diocese are addressing this concern by offering a “Welcome Home” program in which lapsed Catholics can come and share their story and see what might have changed during their absence. They walk into a warm and friendly group which welcomes them. The Pew study addresses the reasons they left in the first place. Cited most often by those who left the Catholic Church were that their spiritual needs were not being met, that they “just gradually drifted away” or they “found a religion they liked more.” But perhaps the most helpful finding of the Pew study is that high percentages of both Catholics and Protestants who have stayed in their churches were active in religious activities in their youth. The study said 46 percent of people who have remained Catholic described their faith as strong when they were children. Parents and Catholic parishes need to take this finding seriously. Quality programs are important for building strong faith in young people. But parents — the first educators of their children — bear the responsibility of getting their children to church and stressing why it is important. Kids want to know. Just think what would happen if they would show the same enthusiasm about church to their children as organizers of the “Welcome Home” series show to their visitors?
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