Amen to that!

I am a "recovered catholic", now received Episcopalian who has found a happy home for my family, in this church. It truly boggles me that we haven't launched a major campaign to bring home the hundreds of thousands of disaffected Roman Catholics who could and would find a new home as Anglo Catholics in our Episcopal parishes.
Our institutional mindset, our clergy culture is focused elsewhere, and for most the prospect of evangelism and growth seems to be distasteful.

Jim, if you're talking about Roman Catholics who attend church, I won't evangelize. If you speak of Roman Catholics who have drifted away from their church, I offer my church as an alternative.

June Butler

YES!

The problem, I think, is that the ECUSA is in survival mode instead of growth mode.

And we bleeding heart liberals are scared to say, "We're right, they're wrong, join us" because that would be triumphalist and intolerant.

Every diocese should have a "Catholics in exile" mission.

Are you serious???????? Why would you make it a priority to bring in people who have already found a church, and have some relationship with Christ, when there are so many other people out in the world who are unchurched and waiting to meet Christ. We shouldn't be focused on bringing in people from other churches, we should be focused on doing what Jesus called us to do, and thats make believers out of non believers. If for some reason a Catholic is un happy in there Church then by all means yes we should bring them in, but focusing on bringing in more Catholics instead of people who still need to accept Christ is just plain stupid.

Quite serious, Michael. One in ten adult Americans is a former Catholic. Millions more have profound disagreements with the hierarchy. Why shouldn't we invite these folks to explore a church that might be more to their liking?

BTW: one question mark is plenty.

The deanery where I serve recently offered a day for Roman Catholics who wanted to look at the Episcopal Church or for former RC's who are already among us. It was healing, hopeful, and we should do more of this. A "Mission to Catholics in Exile" sounds like a great idea. Perhaps we can offer an Anglican version of what the pope recently offered? I think we have to start being more proactive and courageous in this. And I don't mean going after practicing RC's who are happy where they are but reaching out to those who aren't. Good for you Jim.

Perhaps it'd be useful to unpack what we mean by "reach out" and "invite" Roman Catholics to our services. Being overt about it, especially when the RC church is receiving bad news coverage, seems a bit like ambulance chasing or kicking a fellow part of the Body of Christ while it's down. But I've found, and the church I'm Rector of has found, that TEC's rich and evocative liturgy, plus our warm welcome to communion, plus our inclusive attitudes, not to mention the breath-of-fresh-air sights of priests wearing wedding bands and a woman serving as Presiding Bishop -- is welcome enough.

A quick story: after officiating at a wedding, I was shaking hands with the guests on their way out of church. A man (who'd come from out of state) held back until everyone else had left. With tears in his eyes he then said, "I'm a divorced Roman Catholic; I attend Mass every Sunday, but that is the first time I have received communion in 18 years. Thank you." My heart broke for him, and shortly after that I offered a class based on Christopher L. Webber's "Finding Home: Stories of Roman Catholics entering the Episcopal Church," copies of which I still distribute to (the growing number of) those sheep I'm not stealing but who find TEC pastures greener, safer, and every bit as nourishing as the one they've left.

Great idea, but we need to learn more about Catholic culture and expectations as we seek to reach out. There's more than enough Catholicism in Anglicanism for ex-Catholics to be at home, but for sure we could be as enriched by our new friends as they would be by us. In Ireland, for instance, the Anglican Church is growing as RC refugees darken our doors, but the openness of the C of Ireland to Catholic spirituality and culture--as well as said culture's pervasiveness in Irish life--has enabled this transition to be smoother than it might have been.

This will take more work than just niceties, but I can't see any downsides, and a lot of upsides. Oh, and many ex-Catholics feel like they can't ever have a relationship with Christ and his Church for all the reasons they're ex-Catholics. TEC could be a place where this relationship can be renewed and deepened.

The last parish I attended, and my exit from the Episcopal Church, and possibly from organized religion, was an Episcopal church populated in the majority by "ex" Roman's. I put "ex" in quotes because even though they had "left" the Roman Church, they hadn't. They were welcomed fully, Even the rector and assisting priest are ex Romans. This parish used the Roman Catholic Hymnal almost exclusively, Did not use the BCP for worship, maintained side altars with saints and devotions, all the trappings of a Roman Church pre Vatican II. They removed the word Episcopal from their signage, because it might keep people away, and they even do an occasional high mass in latin. The main problem was their confusion on the differences between Anglican, theology and Roman theology, there was none in their minds, and I fear there are many anglo catholics who do not know the basic differences between the two practices of christianity (Rowan may be one). The theology of the Episcopal Church has a lot to offer to the world, but not if it doesn't proclaim it in an effort to boost numbers in the pews.
Bruno Finocchio

I've never quite understood what I call somewhat tongue in cheek ~ "the Episcopalian dread of proselytism". I.E. all forms of outreach mis-perceived as sheep stealing.

Maybe it's a widespread allergic reaction to the excesses of evangelical Protestantism?

If so, I just hope we seek treatment before many more of our graying WASP churches close forever.

my two cents,

John Iliff

who used to be OCA,
who used to be Roman,
a parent member of SNAP
who loves his moderate Anglo-Catholic parish

It sounds as if the good bishop is committing idolatry--he is worshipping a fetus instead of God.