Diocese of St. Pölten

Re-entry into the church begins on the internet

Digital handout: Bishop Alois Schwarz addresses the faithful who wish to rejoin the Catholic Church via the Internet.(Bild: Imre Antal)

Bringing the lost sheep back into the Catholic Church - that is the aim of a pioneering digital campaign in the Most and Waldviertel regions of Lower Austria ... 

The aim of the campaign is to make it as easy as possible to return to the bosom of the church. The first option, which was created on the initiative of Bishop Alois Schwarz, is remarkably simple: with just a few clicks in an online form, those who want to return to the faith can take the first step - fill in the form, send it off and then receive contact from a helpful member of the diocese. "We want to pave the way for all those who have distanced themselves from our community," explains Bishop Schwarz.

Re-entry priests are also available
"But not everyone chooses the path of digital communication - and that's a good thing," explains the bishop. He has opened up another channel for those seeking closeness and dialog with a pastor: an appointment with a re-entry priest. Schwarz: "In the intimacy of a personal conversation, questions can be asked, concerns shared and the path into the community discussed." There are no barriers here either - re-entry does not have to take place in the parish of one's own place of residence.

The campaign has got off to a successful start and is spreading to other dioceses. "An initiative that gives us Catholics hope," they say.