Over 250 Catholic Churches in LA. One Girl on a Mission.

I’m a Catholic, have been for 25 years, and I regularly attend Sunday Mass. I’ve been living in Los Angeles almost three years now but I have yet to find a Catholic church to call home. A couple of times I thought I had found it, only to be introduced to elements that didn’t connect well with my personal faith. And it’s getting a little tiring. I want to foster and grow in my faith; I want to have a good relationship with God. But I haven’t found a space where I can connect with Him.

It’s been an up and down roller coaster ride in my faith journey lately. When I find a new church, I feel very connected, ready to get to know God a little more and see how He works in my life. But then the newness of the church wears off and I’m left with the reality of a church that just doesn’t fulfill me. Maybe it’s the church; maybe it’s me. But it sounds 
like I have a journey to embark on.

The good news: I live in Los Angeles. Which means I have access to a gagillion churches. Okay, not a gagillion but WAY more than anyone else in the country has access to. So I have options, I just have to go check them out and find out which churches I mesh with. So I’m going to do that. And I’m going to write about it, because why not? And because I should probably remember and dig deep into this journey. Because my faith is a big deal to me.

I’ve already been to a few churches several times, so I’ll write about my experiences there. And then every Sunday I’ll visit a new church, and talk about what I liked and what I didn’t like, in an attempt to hone in on what I’m looking for in a church. Hopefully, this will help me find a home, a place where I enjoy worshipping, and look forward to going to every Sunday. I’m nervous, because what if I don’t find someplace that feels like a good fit? But I’m also excited to see what’s out there.

So many people live their lives going to one church. Which is great, because there are so many loving and Spirit-filled communities out there. I’m lucky enough to have the unique opportunity to visit many communities, see how different groups of people live their faith, and meet many different Catholics. May God give me an open heart and guide me.