by Bishop Galante

Ever since becoming bishop of Camden, one point I have emphasized consistently is my concern about inactive Catholics.

It pains me that so many Catholics in South Jersey, in percentages similar to other places across the country, fail to connect with the rich spiritual treasures offered by the church.

Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, a prominent commentator on things Catholic, noted in an April 18 column in the National Catholic Reporter one reason this may be so: Too often, we fail to feed the great hunger for Scripture.

Father Reese was examining data from the Pew Research Center which noted that one out of every 10 Americans is a former Catholic. If this group were put into its own denomination, they would rank third in the United States, behind active Catholics and Baptists.

Father Reese noted that these non-practicing Catholics are roughly divided equally between those who join other congregations and those who drop out of all religious practice. His article focuses on those who join Protestant groups, both evangelical and traditional mainline denominations.