About two years ago I learned of a different kind of Catholic known by some as CAPE Catholics. I had never heard this phrase and the explanations that ran through my head were people who wore a cape to church and Catholics who live on the cape. The explanation I got started with the Christmas and Easter only attendees at Mass. The CAPE Catholics add Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday to the Masses they attend.
One possible explanation as to why they attend these two additional Masses is that they get something for attending. This thing they get is not just the Mass receipt, also known as the parish bulletin. They get the ashes on their forehead and the palms to display in their house as visible signs of their being Catholic. Many regular attendees at Mass may find this behavior to be deplorable. I could list many reasons why their behavior is wrong, but deep inside there is a desire to have a Catholic identity. No matter what their reason to have a visible Catholic identity, there is hope.
When I went off to college and did not even think about going to church. For the next 16 years I attended Mass when I lived under my parent's roof, was visiting my parents, or my parents were visiting me. There was a period of time in between when I lived near Chicago and I started to attend Mass every week, but then I moved again and did not look for a church.
During those 16 years, I lived in 5 different cities. I have since settled in Columbus, OH. When I visited my parents for Easter in 2007, I went to Mass with them just like I would have any other year. I do not know exactly what happened to me, but I decided to attend Mass the following Sunday. Due to my association with a non-religious organization, I had already known where one Catholic church was nearby my home so that is where I went. Because my childhood parish did not, and still does not, have kneelers I knew I was going to be lost on when to kneel so I followed what the others did. I also followed the example of others to know where to go for reception of Holy Communion. Regardless of what was happening, I needed to follow the example of others.
I would like to say that I was warmly welcomed to the parish. That did not happen. The thing that kept me coming back was the accessibility of the parish priests after Mass as I asked them for guidance. They were more than happy to help me relearn the faith. They also directed me to a bible study and RCIA class. The RCIA class was the best thing for me as I was able to learn and relearn the Catholic faith. In the process I also got to know our deacon that runs the RCIA program at our parish and some of the other clergy. Without the accessibility of the parish priests after Mass, I do not think I would have continued to come back. Within a few months of my return to the church, they held their annual stewardship fair so people can see what organizations are at the parish and invite people to join them. At least that is the intent of the fair. What happened for me is that I signed up with two groups and never got contacted. I did not make that realization until a year later when I was attending the RCIA class. I could have easily been turned off from the Church because of the appearance of nobody wanting me.
Not every infrequent attendee of Mass has the desire to (re)learn and get active like I did. When the CAPE Catholics come to church, it is important to be a good example for them. This call is not just to be an example of what to do at Mass and when to do it, but an example after Mass as we are called to live our faith in every thing that we do. The example we provide to infrequent Mass attendees, like CAPE Catholics, may turn them into regular attendees. Some might just be going about their ritual to attend Mass on a day where they feel compelled to attend. Any one of them might see or hear something that makes them realize they need to be there every week. Rather than treating the CAPE Catholics as someone in the way at Mass four times a year, treat them with true Christian charity and be willing to help them if they ask. Perhaps they might remove the CAPE and become a practicing Catholic.
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