Welcome Back... to non-practicing Catholics

Are you a Catholic who has been away from the Church? Do you think about returning? "Welcome Back" is our parish program created to help people return to the sacraments and to regular church attendance. It's a wonderful opportunity to ask question about your faith, and to learn about changes in the Church. Sessions begin Monday, April 7, 2008, at 7:00pm in Cathedral Place, and continue until June 30. Please direct questions on the Welcome Back program to TerryAnn Bowen at 206-382-2018.

The entire program is offered two times a year: The Fall Session begins in September and a Spring session begins in April. Each session runs for twelve weeks, with weekly meetings held on Monday evenings from 7:00-9:00 in Cathedral Place.

Welcome Back FAQs

What is the purpose of the Welcome Back program?
Welcome Back is an invitation to take another look at the Catholic Church… and to explore changes that may have occurred since you were a practicing Catholic. There is never any pressure to return; rather, Welcome Back invites you to pray and begin to discern where God is in your life, and whether or not you might wish to become part of the Church once again.

Who comes to Welcome Back sessions?
Anyone who has been away from the Church… Some have been away for just a few years; others have stayed away for decades. Some people want updating on what they’ve missed. Others are not at all sure whether or not they want to come back; this is just a place to listen and see what may have changed in the Church, or in their own hearts. WB participants range in age from twenties to eighties… and include men and women. What they have in common is a desire to take another look at their Church.

Do I need to come to all twelve sessions, or is this a drop-in kind of program?
There is a very logical sequence to the series we offer. We begin by listening to questions, and encouraging conversation and interchange of ideas; we move to a period of catechesis, during which the Welcome Back team offers presentations on God, Jesus, the Church, sacraments, and the Mass…. In our final weeks, we move more deeply into prayer and spirituality. Commitment to the process is important; it’s helpful to come to as many sessions as possible.

What if I have individual questions that I am uncomfortable bringing up in a large group?
You are encouraged to have at least one individual meeting with the staff person associated with Welcome Back, TerryAnn Bowen. This is a good opportunity for you to bring up any questions you may have.

Words from the Welcome Back Team

I choose to work in this ministry because Welcome Back was the most important thing that has happened to me as an adult Catholic. Without having gone through the program myself, I would still be quietly weeping in my pew on Sundays, wishing I felt like I belonged back at church. I want to share that incredible gift with others. Every time a Welcome Back class member shares his/her faith journey with me, I am reminded my own lonely struggles. It is my greatest joy to quietly nod and listen to another pilgrim on the road, and walk with them to a happier place. Welcome Back is a perfect place, a SAFE place, to tell a story with the assurance that it will be accepted without judgment. It is remarkable that in this TV world, this video world - there is a quiet place where people will listen prayerfully to one another, without interruption or condemnation. There is a place where any question is a valid question, and any answer will be given respect. Welcome Back opened my heart, and let me see the doors that were open to me.

Barbara A. Schafer

Why am I part of the Welcome Back Team? For the Grace of it! I am blessed and privileged to share the faith story and faith journey of those going through the Welcome Back Program. It is a real time of Grace. That is why I love being involved with Welcome Back. The most important part? Giving those going through the program a welcoming, safe, non judgmental place for them to experience God's love for them. And also to help them find some of the answers they seek to so many questions, not unlike you and I. For someone who has been away from the church, it takes a lot of faith and courage just to show up and walk into that "unknown" first Welcome Back meeting. Something is calling them back and with trust in God they are opening themselves to God's grace and responding to that "something" which I believe is His invitation to them to return. I am in awe of their faith and courage!

Ron Murphy