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.
How can I be sure I’m Catholic enough?
There’s only one way to find out. Start coming to Mass and meet some people. Start volunteering and studying and asking questions. If you don’t understand a Church teaching, ask a friend, a priest, or a lay minister to point you in the direction of guidance. Consult the Catechism and other documents. Invest in learning about the faith in the same way you’d learn about any other passion.
You won’t ever be a perfect Catholic. None of us is. But the only way to become a better Catholic is to dive in and live as God asks–and to seek his forgiveness when you err and then resolve to start anew.
