Welcome

We're delighted to be able to send you this special Come Home For Christmas edition of our ezine. You may recall that the theme of this year's Home Mission Sunday (HMS) in September was, "Where are they now?"; the focus was 'resting' or non Church-going Catholics. Our resource packs included material designed to support parishes and individuals to reach out to people who never or rarely attend Mass. The reasons for lapsing are many and varied, but Jesus invites us all to reach out to our beloved lost sheep and welcome them home. To accompany the HMS initiative, we're launching a national campaign on December 2nd which will finish on January 31st. Please do consider getting involved.

In this edition:

• Reach Out To The Lapsed
• Video Testimony: Dean's Story
• Event: A National Conference, Newcastle, 14 - 18th November
• Prayer Intentions
• Free Resource: For The Month Of Remembrance
• Be Inspired: An Invitation From Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
• Contact CASE

Reaching Out To The Lapsed

The CASE Team has created a range of new resources to support the practising Catholic community in England and Wales to reach out to potential 'returners'. In some areas, it is estimated that up to two-thirds of the baptised are lapsed; to balance that statistic out, research carried out by the TEAR Fund suggests that more than three million people would come to Church if they were invited. Now available are: posters, leaflets, invitation cards and even a brand new website which aims to provide an online area where resting Catholics can explore coming back. Please see the link above and also: www.comehomeforchristmas.co.uk Materials can be ordered from the CASE office: see our contact details

Video Testimony: Dean's Story

"My name is Dean Meehan. I'm 45 years old. My mum and dad are both Irish and I was raised a Catholic. I'm a train conductor. I've a daughter who's 18 and I'm separated from her mum. I was away from the Church for 26 years... I still went for 'hatches, matches and dispatches', but I never stopped believing in God."

"One of the biggest influences in my journey back to Church was the novel, the Da Vinci Code... I read it and thought that this was a good adventure yarn, but that there was nothing in it that I could ever believe in... What the Da Vinci Code did for me was it made me interested in Church architecture and religious history, and through that, I started going back to Church." More

Event: A National Conference With Sr Helen Prejean, 14th - 18th November

A National Conference with Sr Helen Prejean (the woman behind the film Dead Man Walking). Other speakers: Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP and David Wells. Mass with Bishop Kevin Dunn. Bookings and information: YMT.
Tel: 01207 592244.
Email: conf@sisterhelen.co.uk
Website: www.sisterhelen.co.uk

Prayer Intentions

Please hold in prayer:

• the appointment of a new CASE Team Member;
• those who have contacted us and are interested in becoming Catholic, especially those who are facing obstacles;
• our forthcoming Come Home For Christmas initiative that is launched on 2nd December;
• all our benefactors who give so generously of their money, time and prayers;
• those we know who are sick; for their complete healing;
• priests who are struggling in their evangelistic efforts.

You are welcome to visit our online prayer room

Free Resource

In the liturgical calendar November is the month of remembrance and to promote this fact CASE is giving away prayer cards to non Catholic enquirers. The hope is that the cards will provide a talking point and encourage people of all faiths and none to pray for their loved ones who have died. They can also be used to stimulate discussion about the significance of the month of November in Catholic life. The website of the Catholic Enquiry Office has a themed page on remembrance. On it, we are featuring an online 'Remembrance List'. Please do direct people to it; the page can be found at: http://www.life4seekers.co.uk/remembrance/
Image copyright: www.radiantlight.co.uk
All rights reserved.

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Be Inspired: Come Home For Christmas Initiative

''My dear friends, I urge you to take part in this initiative. All of us know someone who no longer attends Mass. This is a great sorrow for so many of us. In a non-judgmental way, as the Body of Christ, let's go out to the lost sheep this Advent, Christmas and New Year, with a message of love, acceptance, welcome and reconciliation.'
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor

Contact CASE

Please feel free to contact us at our office. We are happy to be of service to you, your parish, school, community and / or organisation in whatever way we can.

Tel: 020 8458 3316

Email: info@caseresources.org.uk
Website: www.caseresources.org.uk

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Thank you for your support
The CASE Team

* If you do not wish to receive future editions of this ezine please email us

CASE website: www.caseresources.org.uk
Catholic Enquiry Office website: www.life4seekers.co.uk

Catholic Trust for England & Wales. Company Number: 4734592. Registered Address: 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX. Registered in England & Wales. Registered Charity Number: 1097482.