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If you’re Catholic, almost certainly you have a friend, family member, or loved one who used to be Catholic and now isn’t.
A Pew research study found that one of the fastest-growing religious groups in the United States is made up of former Catholics:
Those who have left Catholicism outnumber those who have joined the Catholic Church by nearly a four-to-one margin. Overall, one-in-10 American adults (10.1%) have left the Catholic Church after having been raised Catholic…
It’s easy to look at these numbers and feel discouraged, heartbroken, even hopeless. Yet we have to remember that God cares even more about our loved ones than we do, and he has a plan for them that is far greater than our limited perspective can comprehend.
Pray, pray, and pray
The best thing we can do for our loved ones is to pray, pray, and pray some more for them. To that end, Bishop Robert Barron’s Word On Fire Catholic Ministries is hosting its second annual Rosary Challenge for fallen-away Catholics:
As we enter into the month of May, in which we place a special emphasis on the Church’s relationship with Mary, we ask Catholics to join us in praying 50,000 Rosaries for the intention that those who have fallen away from their faith may return to the Church with a renewed understanding of God’s love and mercy.
Last year Word On Fire celebrated the Virgin Mary during May by asking supporters to help pray 10,000 Rosaries throughout the month for the intention that those who have left the Church might return.
People logged the Rosaries on their website so that the locations would appear on a map, and, within 48 hours, they had already exceeded the goal. By the end of the month, more than 64,000 Rosaries were prayed all over the world!
This year’s goal is to reach 50,000 Rosaries, and you can log yours here. The map showing the location of those who prayed helpfully serves as a visual representation of the reach of this endeavor and as an encouragement for others to participate. You can also submit a photo of yourself with your rosary to be shared on Word On Fire’s social media channels.
If someone you love has left the Church, join in this challenge to pray for them. God in his wisdom and goodness hears our prayers and has a plan for those we love, whom he loves even more than we do.
