Catholic church offers opportunity to eplore the challenges of faith journey

Through Catholics Returning Home, the people of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church have opened the church doors to people, who for whatever reason, have become separated from their church and want to re-explore their connection to the Catholic faith.

Begun locally in 2014, the Wooster church has followed a program model put forth by Sally Mews, author of "Inviting Catholics Home." Mews came to Wooster to help establish a team of church members to lead the effort. Now the team is extending an invitation to non-practicing Catholics to join them no matter how long or for whatever reason they have been away from the church.

“Our team provides a non-judgmental, confidential, safe place where individuals can explore the challenges they have faced and their concerns associated along the way with their faith journey,” said Mary Zuercher, team coordinator.

Janet Ball and her daughter, Jessica Andrews, attended the Catholics Returning Home program last year.

“We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to take the classes, most of all, being back to the church has been a great blessing.  It feels good to be home,” they said in a news release.

The six-week series is designed to inform and answer questions non-practicing Catholics may have about the faith since they have left. Sessions are:

• Welcome and Overview of the Series

• Sharing of Faith from previous Catholics Returning Home

• The Church Today:  living in a Vatican II Church

• A Walk through the Mass along with explanations and a look at the Eucharist

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Explanation of today’s Confession

• What Catholics Believe: The Creed

Sessions begin at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, at St. Mary, 527 Beall Ave.

For more information, call the church at 330-264-8824.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: St. Mary in Wooster offers Catholics Returning Home program