323 North Van Buren Stoughton, Wisconsin

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Ideas for Sharing & Practicing Our Faith

 

Inactive Catholics have faith in God, but for various reasons that faith in not connected with the Church.  Here are what some parishioners are doing to show they live the faith as well as other ideas.   

 

  • When I attended CEW a few years ago, one speaker mentioned living your faith.  Specifically, he asked if people around you even knew you were a Christian let alone Catholic.  I then started to find ways that I could mention my faith at work and while traveling for business.  If someone asked about my weekend, I’d mention going to church, or some event related to church (St. Ann’s Festival, baptisms, confirmations, etc).  Eventually, everyone knew.  Over the years, I noticed a few things.  When working late one night, someone asked why Christians are so against abortion.  On another occasion, someone asked me what confirmation was about.  There was the time someone used the name of Jesus as a curse word, then noticed I was nearby, and apologized.  I’m often caught off guard or unprepared for a response, but I hope that by letting people around me know how much I enjoy my faith that I may set sparks even though I may never see the outcome. ~ John Gray
  • We have a leather checkbook cover in black & tan.  On the tan part there is a scripture from Joshua 1:9  "Be strong & courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."   If someone sees this & asks what does it say, I let them read it themselves. ~ Willie Hoffman
  • I heard of a Catholic woman who went to funerals & saved all the programs & she put them in a basket & throughout the year she would pick one out of the basket & pray for that person!
  • Some parishioners use greetings cards to express our faith.  They look for cards with a scripture passage, or a message that reflects our values.  This helps them to remember the faith on special occasions and it gives the opportunity for the person who receives the card to think about God.    
  • A parishioner shared with me a simple way of using religious symbols.  When she buys stamps at the post office she looks for religious ones.  The stamps remind her to pray for the person she is sending the letter to.  It also gives the person who receives it the opportunity to think about God.
  • You can use goodsearch.com to help people connect to the parish.  Just tell an inactive Catholic that you are using it, and say something like, “Why don’t you help the parish by using goodsearch.com?  If a person chooses to do it, they make a small connection to the parish.  This is not a big thing, but the little things can lead to big things.  The same could be said for the other things we collect; Box Top for Education, milk moola tops, used ink cartridges, Campbell soup labels or introduce them to our SCRIP program!
  • One parishioner uses napkins with a faith message on them.  For example, for Christmas, “Happy Birthday Jesus".  This gives her family and her guests the opportunity to think about God while they eat.  
  • Invite people to the upcoming CEW weekends.
  • When I was in second grade, I invited my dad to come to church with Mom and me and he did.  He was an inactive Catholic.  He then became very involved.  My idea is to invite the children to ask any adult Catholics they "know" to come to Mass or take them to Mass. Of course, this should only be done in a way that is safe for children.  ~ Fran Luther
  • I have a palm cross & I take it with me at certain times, church, retreats,etc. & I ask friends, priests, nuns if they would hold my cross & say a silent prayer. At night when I pray, I think of all the people who have held my cross & prayed  and I'm thinking Jesus is well pleased with that! ~ Willie Hoffman

 If anyone else has ideas on how to share the faith, email me Randy.Budnar@stanns-school.org or put your ideas in the ask Fr. Randy container.