Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.
Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says,
"Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep."
Luke 15:5-7
Did You Know?
On average only 21% of Catholics in the US attend Mass on Sundays.
By the age of 23, eight out of ten young adults have stopped going to church.
This means our families, friends, neighbors and our church family are not with us as we celebrate God’s most sacred liturgy.
What can you do to personally reach out to those who have stopped going to Mass?
START A CONVERSATION.
- Share what the Mass means to you; talk about what you enjoy about Mass.
- Gently inquire about why your friend or family member doesn’t attend Mass and then simply listen.
- Invite those who have not been to Mass in a while to attend Mass with you.
- Tell them you will meet them at the doors so you can walk in together. Start with a daily Mass. Let them know that Sunday Masses are live-streamed on our website so they can watch a few times before they try a Mass on their own.
- Share the good things going on in your parish.
- Invite them to attend a social event with you, such as a parish picnic, festival, New Year’s Eve party, etc.
- Pray for your loved ones; ask the Lord to bring them back to the church. Let your friends and family know you love them, God loves them, and they are missed.
Do You Have Loved Ones Who Have Stopped Coming to Church?
Do you know an inactive Catholic? Maybe they attend Mass infrequently, such as Christmas and Easter, don’t attend Mass at all or maybe they are a neighbor of yours who you know is struggling with issues of faith. We have had promising success at reaching out and encouraging inactive Catholics to give St. John Neumann another try.
Interested in Helping Others Return?
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