The Catholic Company Book Review - Recovering Faith: Stories of Catholics Who Came Home

In Recovering Faith: Stories of Catholics Who Came Home, Lorene Hanley Duquin profiles 18 men & women who had left the Catholic Church at some point in their lives only to return years later. She explains what caused their departure & what led them back. Some left due to the changes made by the Second Vatican Council. Some were lured away by fame, fortune, or Protestant ideals. Some never physically left the Church, but were not there mentally, only going through the motions.

I was familiar with a good number of the people profiled, but was surprised by a few. I had no idea that Dean Koontz, author of horror novels was a Catholic! And I knew that Martin Sheen was, but I didn’t know how faithful he was to the Church.

While each person had their own experiences of being drawn back to the Church, there seemed to be a common thread – each felt a pull or nudge. As they looked back on the paths their lives took, they could see those inner workings of the Holy Spirit.

I could see parts of my own faith journey in some of their stories. While I was one of those who never officially left the Church, there was a period in my life when I was just going through the motions. I didn’t worry if I missed Mass occasionally, I stopped going to Confession, & I really didn’t pray much. Once I started to question & doubt various aspects of the Catholic Church, I started to read more & it was then that I gained a better understanding of the Catholic Faith…my Faith!

There were several things I really liked about this book. First, it was comforting to know that it is okay to step back from the Church & follow a path that guides you to return to your faith. Second, at the end of each person’s story is a list of resources – books by that person & other books that helped them along their journey, as well as websites & blog links. I plan to delve deeper into many of those resources.

Third, interspersed in each chapter are footnote-type sections telling about various topics / ideas mentioned. While each is right between the stories, the footnotes enhance, rather that interrupt the flow of the text. The footnotes are there to help explain many of the things misunderstood by those who’ve left.

This is an excellent book to share with those people in your life who have left the Church, for whatever reason. The very last section explains steps to take to come back to the Catholic Church & it’s reassuring to know that it is never too late.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Recovering Faith: Stories of Catholics Who Came Home. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.