Catholicism is one of the most rapidly declining faiths in the United States. Today, I share part one of a talk I recently gave at my parish about the six main types of fallen away Catholics so we can better understand why people are leaving the Catholic Church, and how to bring them home.
Snippet from the Show
If you ache for the salvation of your loved ones’ souls, remember that the grace of Jesus Christ is bigger than your plans and more powerful than your words. Place your loved ones in his hands, and he will call them home.
Shownotes
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6 Main Types of Fallen Away Catholics:
- Cultural Catholics– Those who identify as Catholics because of their culture or family, not because it’s a personal decision.
- Shruggers– Those who are apathetic about the faith, so they leave the Church because they don’t care, are complacent, or are just lazy.
- Spiritual but not Religious Catholics– Those who seek spiritual realities outside the Church. They recognize that the material world cannot define what it means to be human but base their spirituality based on their subjective experience.They have often never been exposed to the richness of the Catholic faith.
- Moral Movers– Those who fall away from the Church because they disagree with the moral teachings of the Church. They often haven’t been taught the teachings of the Church well.
- Religious Switchers– Those who switch to other Christian churches because they want to keep their faith in Jesus but see the sacraments, liturgy, and other parts of Catholicism as “unnecessary extras.”
- Skeptics- Those who identify as agnostics and atheists due to the popularity of the new atheist movement.
Practical Evangelization Tools:
- Never lose hope, place your confidence in Christ.
- Remember that Jesus Is the savior, not you. He is the one responsible for the salvation of souls.
- Learn how to pray and pray for your loved ones in community.
- Give your loved ones to Christ.
- Propose and don’t impose.
- Trust that the Holy Spirit is working behind the scenes.
- We need to be the change, model a radical life of holiness.
Resources
- Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com
- Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and be added to Gomer and Dave’s email list
- The Activated Disciple by Jeff Cavins
- Visit Dave’s website www.thecatholictruthaboutangelsanddemons.com and www.artofevangelization.com
- Visit Mike’s website at www.layevangelist.com
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings.
New Podcast from Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR: The Rosary in a Year!
Meet Your Hosts
New Podcast from Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR: The Rosary in a Year!
Michael “Gomer” Gormley
Michael spent 17 years in full-time parish ministry and is now the Mission Evangelist for That Man Is You!, a men’s apostolate for Paradisus Dei. Michael is a frequent speaker at conferences, retreats, and parish missions all over the US and Canada.
He is the founder and creative director of LayEvangelist.com, and hosts three Catholic podcasts: Every Knee Shall Bow, Catching Foxes, and Becoming God.
Michael is married to his college sweetheart, Shannon, and has four beautiful and hilarious children: Kateri, Cecilia, Noah, and Thomas.
Dave VanVickle
Dave VanVickle fell in love with the Lord at the age of fourteen and has since dedicated his life to bringing others into a radical relationship with Christ.
He is a speaker and retreat leader who focuses on proclaiming the universal call to holiness, authentic Catholic spirituality, spiritual warfare and deliverance. Additionally, Dave has over ten years of experience assisting priests with their ministries of exorcism and deliverance.
Dave married his late wife Amber in 2010. He now resides in Pittsburgh with his five children: Sam, Max, Judah, Josie and Louisa.
Will you please prayerfully consider address how to bring home and retain Catholics who have fallen away after being scandalized by the clergy abuse scandal or who were victims of clergy abuse? I am a clergy abuse survivor and know other survivors who no longer practice. I am also really struggle staying in the church. One priest told me that “many people make up allegations of abuse” and another told me that I may have been morally responsible for my abuse because I was “over the age of reason and didn’t physically fight off”. I was deeply wounded by the molestation itself and even more wounded by the comments priests and other religious leaders have made to me. I struggle not only to stay in the church, but to just stay alive even with the help of a counselor. I actually feel that going to church makes me feel worse.
What a simplistic, yet judgmental typology! What about the cast-out Catholics, the burned Catholics, or the democratic Catholics, who do not believe that abortion is the only worldly issue we should focus on? You like to make it difficult to return.
Why do you trivialize abortion….baby killing?
Mmmh see, not every pregnancy is guaranteed to result in a healthy baby. Ectopic pregnancies are a perfect example. If not terminated they will kill the mother and will never result in a baby. It’s that no grey area thing that feels like a problem. Also, I don’t think I can legislate my religious beliefs on non-believers. God gives us free will. Taking away the free will of others rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to save them and change their hearts, actually evangelizing them isn’t Godly. It’s misguided.