CV NEWS FEED // Catholic bishops with the National Eucharistic Revival have published resources for inviting lapsed Catholics back to church as a part of the newly-launched “Invite One Back Initiative.”
Lapsed Catholics are Catholics that stopped going to Mass for various reasons and never returned. In the United States, there was a 7% decrease in Sunday Mass attendance post-COVID-19, according to a 2022 CARA study.
“It’s a familiar story,” reads the initiative’s landing page:
the family you used to see at Mass every week slowly stopped showing up when “life got busy.” Or maybe there’s an elderly parishioner you haven’t seen since the COVID-19 pandemic a few years ago. Noticeable or not, we all have holes in our pews.
…It’s time to bring them home.
Created by the National Eucharistic Revival, the Invite One Back Initiative offers practical ways to reach out to parishioners who have stopped going to Mass. The National Eucharistic Revival is a multi-year initiative promoting devotion to the Eucharist, especially through the National Eucharistic Congress set for July in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Because this year has been designated the “Year of Parish Revival,” the Invite One Back Initiative aims at inviting Catholics back into parish life to encounter Jesus Christ and “experience God’s love, mercy, and goodness.”
“To do that, we all need to invite back everyone who has left in a way that makes sure they feel seen and desired as an individual member of your parish family,” the Initiative reads, challenging the reader to consider the question: “Whom are you called to invite home?”
The landing page offers training webinars and a “tool kit” that recommends various ways to invite lapsed Catholics back.
One recommendation is to hand-write a letter or a postcard inviting a lapsed parishioner to return to Mass, using one of the suggested templates on the website. Another recommendation is to give the parishioner a phone call.
The landing page offers “call scripts” to serve as a starting point for the calls, but the Initiative added, “Don’t let these confine your conversations, but rather use them for inspiration as you encounter and connect with your parishioners!”
The Initiative’s suggestions for calling a parishioner to return to Mass include: “Don’t Monologue,” and give the other person a chance to speak; “Assume the Best” of the lapsed parishioner and don’t project judgment; and follow up with the person after the phone call.
The outreach Initiative also encourages Catholics to pray in intercession for the success of the invitations, especially through a designated “team of prayer warriors.”
The Initiative added that every parish community has its unique differences, so personalized outreach is important.
Finally, the Initiative encouraged Catholics to choose the methods of communication you believe will be the most personal and effective for the people you serve.
“If you feel inspired to ‘invite one back’ in a different way, that works too! There is plenty of room for creativity in this campaign,” the Initiative reads. “Know that we are praying for you on this journey.”
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