Posted by Michele on November 22, 2005, 11:23 am, in reply to "Re: And the Dance goes on..." Jo talks about her local Church closing and knows that she could attend else where but does not feel the same sense of "home" in that place. I could tell you a story about my experience of Church which has left me unable to attend my local parish. So the question I guess I'm asking, without being able to articulate it, is who in the Church welcomes those people who are outside their parish? Who welcomes the people who drop by for a couple of years and then move on to some other place? Who gathers up the people who for whatever reason have been hurt by someone in the Church, holds their hand and welcomes them back through the doors? I know that I can attend Mass in another parish but I doubt that I would feel particularly welcome. And despite the fact that a good 50% of the people in my life are Catholic and mostly practicising Catholics I couldn't tell you the last time one of those people encouraged or invited me to attend Mass with them. True, sometimes we have to take responsibility for our own actions but I just wonder if the institution could not do more to go out and hunt down the "lost" ones. Invite them back and encourage them to stay. As I say Kathy thanks for your thoughts and your comments about the way Mass provides you with inspiration and courage to move forward in a community is very true and spot on. Cheers
Kathy, thanks for your reply and the thoughts contained within. On reading your reply I was able to narrow my questions somewhat. You talk about people doing kind and good things all through your days and I too see that, time and time again. But what you have clarified or illustrated for me is that distance between being good people and being people who participate in and attend the instutition called "Church".
Michele
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