Returning Catholics FAQs: What If I Don’t Fit In?

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 ofWhen They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics,a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

What if I don’t fit in at a parish?

You won’t, always. Neither do cradle Catholics who’ve never missed a Sunday Mass in their lives.

Parishes and priests are different, just as people...