Listening and learning from stories of departure from the catholic church for the Synod 2021-2023

An Ongoing Catholic Disaffilition Research Project

Xaverian Missionaries USA

Featured in the Synod Resources of the Holy See

The Final Report is Available

Listening to Those who Left the Church for the Synod 2021-2023

We are pleased to make available the final report of those who left Catholic Church practice and shared their stories of departure for the Synod of the Church. We are grateful for their candor and willingness to share themselves for the lessons they teach, particularly for the church in this time of synodality.

We sent this report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Synod of Bishops Office at the Vatican. Please feel free to share it with others.

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Understanding Catholic Departures in Light of the Synod of the Church 2021-2023

Pope Francis convened a Synod as an opportunity to consult and dialogue with those within and outside of the church as we all move forward together in this 21st century.

As a way to begin, I present to you my study on Catholic Disaffiliation 2020-2021 in the Archdiocese of Boston from June 2020 – March 2021, entitled, POSTSECULAR CATHOLICISM: TOWARD RENEWED UNDERSTANDING OF CATHOLIC FAMILIES WITH DISAFFILIATED FAMILY MEMBERS.

The first part includes the multilayered context of Catholic Disaffiliation in the Archdiocese of Boston, the theological background to Disaffiliation, and a survey of other studies in this area.

Part two includes the study proper with a report of the interviews of Catholic parents and grandparents whose children no longer practice the faith, along with the themes derived from the interviews. Part three is the report of the younger generation of Catholics who left the practice of their faith.

Part four brings both generations into dialogue with some conclusions based on the study. Finally, the chapter examines the implications for parishes and families that this study could lead. A bibliography is also included for further reading.

Fr. Carl Chudy, D.Min.

DOWNLOADS ARE AVAILABLE BELOW

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Downloads Available Below

Download Part I:

Multifacet Context of Catholic Disaffiliation

The Theology of Dialogue & the Practical Theology of Disaffiliation

Other studies in Catholic Disaffiliation

Download Part II:

Generation 1: Parents of Grandparents of Children who Left Church Practice

Download Part III:

Generation 2: Those brought up in the Catholic faith and left church practice in their early or middle adulthood.

Download Part IV:

Multiple Views of Faith, Meaning, and Belonging in the Family

New Road Maps Beyond Disaffiliation

Bibliography

Full study download here

We are Seeking More Conversations Concerning Church Departures

Multi-Generational Catholics, Multiple Views of Faith, Meaning, and Belonging

In Catholic families, many studies have pointed to different ways multiple generations understand the Catholic faith, what it means to them and what belonging may look like. These differences, along with practical experiences in the parish and the larger cultural realities, all speak of Catholic Disaffiliation, which often begins in the family.

We began this study by interviewing more than seventy people. Some were parents and grandparents whose children decided not to continue. Other family members who were raised Catholic and chose not to continue church practice are also part of this study.

We are continuing the opportunity to give space to those who would like to share their story with us. We want to listen to your experiences of faith and church and what it can teach us as we learn how to navigate the changing religious landscape we all live in.

Contact us if you would like to set up an appointment for an interview. We would love to hear from you.

OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN CATHOLIC DISAFFILIATION

RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS & CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTERS
CLERGY
CAMPUS MINISTERS

VITAL LINKS TO THE DEEPEST LONGINGS AND MEANING, SPIRITUAL LIFE OF OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS

SHARE WITH US YOUR EXPERIENCE

Together with Catholic families, pastoral leaders and teachers also accompany our young people who experience substantial doubts about their place in the Church and many questions about its teaching and relevancy for their own lives. Would you share with us your own experience of Catholic Disaffiliation with those you minister with? Your insights, experiences, and questions would be essential for this study.

Can the Church give a new voice to its firmly embedded commitment to the common good? And can it forge new directions in language, doctrinal thinking, and institutional practices that find greater resonance with the lived experiences of increasingly secularized Catholics?

Dr. Michele Dillon – University of New Hampshire

Disaffiliated Catholics are not a problem to solve but a grace to the Church. They are telling us something about ourselves. What if the disaffiliated is one of the ways the Spirit operates in and beyond the Church? What then is She telling the faith community through the experience of leaving the Church?

Dr. Bob McCarty -Going, Going, Gone Study

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Listening to Those Who Left the Catholic Church

THE CATHOLIC DISAFFILIATION RESEARCH PROJECT