In this article, I want to talk about finding and welcoming inquirers. The truth is, you probably have potential inquirers showing up at your parish every weekend. And even though it likely says something in your mission statement about being a welcoming parish, most of those potential inquirers do not come back for a second visit because they didn’t feel a welcoming presence.

I have some personal experience with this. Before the pandemic lockdown, Diana and I would travel to ten or more locations a year to lead catechumenate training institutes. That means that over a span of ten years we were in at least ten different parishes a year for Saturday evening or Sunday morning Mass. So 100 parishes or more.

I can literally count on one hand the number of times a parishioner who was not at the institute recognized that we were new to the parish and welcomed us. Even so, I know for a fact that all of these parishes were welcoming communities, just as I know your parish is a welcoming community.

Shifting our perspective on Sunday Mass

So if most of our parishes are welcoming communities and most inquirers who show up at our parishes don’t feel welcomed, what’s going on? I don’t know for sure, but I have a guess. I think we do not treat our own parishes as “mission territory.” We think of Sunday Mass as a time to be with God and maybe also to see some of our friends. I’ve often heard of Sunday Mass described as a time to recharge our batteries. For most of us, Mass is not a time to evangelize.

And if we really want more inquirers in our catechumenate process, we have to change that thinking. If you think of it from the point of view of a seeker, when else are they most likely to show up? Even folks who have no Christian background know that the place to find Christians is in church.

Someone who has hit bottom in their addiction or who has just lost the love of their life or who was just let go from their job or who was just diagnosed with something serious or who is just plain lonely says to themselves, “Self, there must be more to life than this. Where can I find some solace and comfort?”

And while the seeker might not know it, that is a prayer to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then whispers to the seeker, “Try the 10am at St. James. There are some welcoming folks there.”

But when the seeker shows up (at 10:10, because they don’t want to be too noticeable, or they couldn’t figure out where to park or where the door to your church was, or they couldn’t find the restroom once they got there), no one speaks to them. And I get it. Mass has already started. We have songs to sing and prayers to pray. But what if we train ourselves, as a catechumenate team, to be on the lookout for people who don’t know how to use the hymnal? Or don’t know when to stand or kneel? Or don’t come to Communion? Or who we just plain don’t recognize?

Your challenge this coming weekend is to notice at least three people you don’t recognize at your Sunday liturgy. Pray about this, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.

A challenge to welcome the stranger

If there are three people on your team, and each of you recognizes a new person every Sunday, that’s over 150 people a year. Not all of those 150 people are actually seekers. Some are Catholic visitors, like Diana and me. Some are relatives of a parishioner. Some are actually parishioners who we just don’t yet know. But let’s say that over the course of the year, ten percent of the 150 people your team notices are actual seekers. That’s 15 people a year. And I promise you, in most parishes, the number of seekers that show up at least once during the year is much higher than that.

So your challenge this coming weekend is to notice at least three people you don’t recognize at your Sunday liturgy. Pray about this, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Then what? What do you do after you see a new face? You probably have some ideas, and I would love it if you would share your thoughts in the comments box below. I’ll share my own ideas in an upcoming article.

Remember, creating a welcoming parish starts with you. Every encounter is an opportunity to reflect Christ’s love. By being present and attentive to those around you, practicing active listening, and showing genuine interest in others’ journeys, you can transform your parish into a place where seekers truly feel seen, valued, and loved.