Please reconsider “coming home”. Don’t let the foolish mistake of a reckless priest deprive you of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist! I cannot even imagine living with out it.
I once had a priest treat me pretty badly in the confessional - but I realized that he is human after all. Besides, if we go to a doctor to treat a disease we may have, and that doctor is mean and incompetent, do we stop going to doctors because of the “one”? No, we find another doctor and get treatment. And, how much more important is medicine for our soul than the sacrament of reconcilliation and the Holy Eucharist?
Please reconsider. :)
I don’t believe that “home” is in a building or a denomination. I believe God lives in the hearts of people who choose to believe and follow Him. It’s searching for Him daily in His word, people and circumstances. Initially I left because of the priest, as well as other priest and nuns’ treatment of myself and others. I don’t hold this against the church because I know their are good and bad people in every denomination. They pushed me out the door which gave me a chance to see all God was doing in this world. I searched years before making a decision on a church. I wanted to know I was following God and not man. I know God has me where He wants me. Even though it hurt to leave the church my mother, sister, aunts, cousins...were baptized in (they told us we could not teach the children a line of scripture, only straight catechism). I do know the peace and joy of knowing God has forgiven my sins and taking communion in remembrance of what Jesus did for all of us. I do not believe you must be Catholic to go to heaven. I also believe their will be Catholics will be in heaven, but not because their Catholic. The last I heard, anyone who is not Catholic, will not be in heaven. God weights the hearts of men. He knows our hearts and we will gain heaven by His rules and not mans. I know we are sanctified by the death and resurrection of Jesus, not our works and that “They will know us by our fruits”. Thank you for your concern. I wish more people would concern themselves with the spiritual lives of others.
Pray for the unity of ALL Christians to Christ and His Church!