"PHOENIX, Arizona, JULY 8, 2008 (Zenit.org).- For many who have left the Catholic Church, there
is often a great desire to come home. However, fear and guilt often lead many to
put off the gnawing decision to return to the Church. Not knowing where to turn,
many who were once faithful feel lost and ashamed.Tom Peterson, founder of
Catholicscomehome.org, has found television and the Internet to be just the
place to reach out to those wishing to come back to the Church.Earlier this year
Peterson tested his methods and ideas using an advertising campaign geared
toward the 3.5 million who live in the Diocese of Phoenix.More than 6,000 people
inquired and came back to the Church via the Catholicscomehome.org Web site, and
many more came back to Catholicism by reporting directly to a parish near their
home. One priest reported that 16 people came to him for confession after they
saw the television ad.“One of the biggest surprises for us was the amount of
inquiries from those who are not Catholic," said Peterson. "About one quarter of
those expressing an interest in the Catholic Church are from those who have seen
our commercials or visited our Web site and want to better understand the
Catholic Church, or have actually made the decision to become
Catholic.”Reasons
When sorting out what caused many to leave the Church, Peterson
said “about 90% of those who left the Church can’t give a good reason."He also
explained that many can't express why they want to come back. Many simply say
they felt something was missing."They often want to come home but don’t know
how. They feel uncomfortable about coming back and don’t know what to do -- when
to sit and when to stand, and what to pray. We try to ease those fears and
remind them of God’s desire to see them come home,” the director said.Once they
come back to Church, he added, they feel renewed. “They experience the Eucharist
again and the power of confession. They feel their hunger for the truth has been
met and a feeling of joy overcomes them."When asked why he thought his brief
television commercials had such an impact, Peterson said: “Our commercials are a
basic reminder of who we are, the Church Jesus founded, the Church that Jesus
entrusted to Peter and every pope who followed him."We are the Church that gave
the world the Bible. When we quickly explain these facts and use the Bible to do
it, people really respond. They admit that either they never really knew this or
simply forget."
To read more, including testimonies, please see the article at the above link.
If you haven't seen the commercial yet, I have had it posted at the bottom of my blog for a while, now. I think it's a great and non-threatening way to encourage people to take another look at what the Catholic Church REALLY is about. I look forward to seeing more commercials produced!
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