Expert: Fr. Michael - 4/3/2004

Question
Why doesn't the church have a missionary program like those of the mormons and jehovahs witnesses?  Wouldn't we be able to reach out to people who aren't catholic better and also those who have fallen away from the church?  The Mormons also have a home teaching program where they go around to people who haven't been to church for awhile and find out whats going on with them, and try to tell them it would be in their best interest to come to church.  As Easter is approaching i think about going to mass and seeing all those twice a year Catholics and how it would be wonderful to reach out to these people.  Why isn't this an important mission of the Church?

Answer
It is, but, more important, it is YOUR obligation as a baptized Catholic, by your own example and encouragement, to win back the fallen-away  Catholic, as well as the heretic, the schismatic, and the apostate back to the true Church.  Your question should not be "Why doesn't the Church?"  Your question should be "Why don't I?"  If every Catholic did likewise, there would be little "fallen-away" problem.