Returning Catholics FAQs: Do They Really Want Me?

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

One of the reasons I left the Church was because it had a bunch of rules I found next to impossible to follow. Are you sure they want me back?

The short answer: Yes.

The longer an...