{"id":98,"date":"2020-05-30T18:49:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-30T18:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/xaverianmissionaries.org\/catholic.disaffiliation\/about-us\/"},"modified":"2022-01-19T22:39:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T22:39:36","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/xaverianmissionaries.org\/catholic.disaffiliation\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Why This Study"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Seeking God elsewhere<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Leaving organized religion<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n

As a member of the Xaverian Missionaries USA<\/strong>,<\/a> we are an exclusively missionary religious congregation that serves in 21 countries worldwide for more than 120 years. Our mission is to proclaim the Kingdom of Christ across faith and cultural boundaries, and to demonstrate our  bond with people’s of other faiths..<\/p>\n

Today we emphasize the church’s commitment to interfaith dialogue<\/a>. Dialogue, openness, the search for common ground, and holding our differences as a sacred mystery answers the deepest of human needs in a time of grievous division and fragmentation in our country, and worldwide. It is our way to proclaim Christ.<\/p>\n

It is here I found that, like the Catholic Church, younger generations were also retreating from other faith traditions and that their voice needed to be at the table of dialogue as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Rise of the “Nones”<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n

“Nones” are a diverse group of people who do not identify with any of the myriads of religious options in the American religious environment  Most believe in God, some do not. Some may participate occasionally in religious rituals, others will not. They are often misunderstood. On the other hand, it is also not correct to describe them as \u201cunchurched\u201d or \u201cunaffiliated” because they are often religious searchers, disillusioned by traditional churches. . <\/p>\n

Many Catholic families find family members opting out of going to church and often are at odds with church teaching. Some have also been deeply affected by clergy sexual abuse issues. Instead many seek meaning and belonging which they may not find in churches. <\/p>\n

What are young people’s spiritual and religious needs? Where are they being met if not in the institutional church? What is going on that makes church affiliation less attractive? What can we learn in dialogue with them?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Want to know more?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

sacred secular dialogue<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n

In the spirit of Vatican II, our modern mission of dialogue also includes secular hearts and voices, with those who do not profess any religious faith. We initiated the program, COMMON GROUND<\/a>, as a process of dialogue and collaboration in the US and the United Kingdom. with secular humanists, agnostics, and others.<\/p>\n

In these encounters I ran across many who left traditional religion behind, but not their spiritual search for meaning and belonging.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis says: \u201cAs believers, we also feel close to those who do not consider themselves part of any religious tradition, \u2026We consider them as precious allies in the commitment to defending human dignity, in building peaceful coexistence between peoples and in protecting creation.\u201d<\/em> (Joy of the Gospel 257)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Listen to the Story of Two Young Catholics<\/h2>\n

Through St. Mary’s Press important study entitled Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics (2017)<\/a>, <\/strong><\/em>Listen to the stories of some of these young Catholics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

View More<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n\t\t
<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n\t