MIAMI — Tom Peterson, founder of Catholics Come Home, announced that his Catholic evangelization organization will be airing a new national television commercial featuring retired college football coach Lou Holtz during college football week and ending with the BCS National Championship (Notre Dame vs. Alabama) on Jan. 7. The 30-second ad features Coach Holtz delivering a half-time “pep-talk” reminding viewers to keep focused on life’s goal: heaven.
“Faith is not a spectator’s sport; it must be lived. … It’s interactive,” said Peterson in a press release. “We’re trying a creative game plan, with the goal of winning loyal fans for Jesus and the Church.”
He continued, “All viewers who follow the wisdom of Coach Holtz … will be the true winners when the final down is played.”
Using a locker room as a backdrop, Holtz reminds viewers of the importance of doing God’s will, loving others, prayer, discipline, gaining strength through God’s word and receiving the sacraments. And, when we “fumble due to sin,” the sacrament of confession “puts us back on the field,” the Catholic retired coach reassures viewers.
The Holtz ad will be aired in various markets and programming throughout the United States, reaching an estimated 70 million households. Peterson said he wrote the spot more than a year ago and, “by God’s grace,” met Holtz by accident at Los Angeles International Airport and invited him to star in the ad. Holtz agreed.
Then, additional Catholic attention was ensured when Notre Dame unexpectedly went unbeaten this season and soared to the top of national college-football polls. Holtz served as Notre Dame’s head coach from 1986-1996, winning a national championship with an unbeaten team in 1988.
Peterson noted, “It’s quite apparent that God is watching over us and has a wonderful plan in store.”
Executive Inspiration
Peterson was a successful advertising executive living in Arizona who went on retreat 15 years ago and had a powerful “reversion” experience while praying before the Blessed Sacrament. He decided to leave the business world and found Catholics Come Home, an organization that works with dioceses to lead people into the Church. Today, it is headquartered in the suburbs of Atlanta.
“I believe I’ve been called to use my advertising talents to bring people to Christ,” Peterson said.
The organization is invited into a diocese by its bishop and then airs television ads with a “gentle yet powerful invitation” to explore the Church. Peterson writes and produces the advertisements himself.
Catholics Come Home’s 30-member advisory board includes Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, Colo., Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Calif., and Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Neb., as well as prominent theologians and Catholic business executives.
Peterson said in the past three years Catholics Come Home has been invited into 30 American dioceses, resulting in 300,000 returning or coming into the Church. After the group’s advertisements air, according to parish census counts taken by dioceses themselves, Mass attendance has increased 18%.
One priest said that the Saturday after the Catholics Come Home ads aired in his diocese, 16 people came to confession after a long absence who specifically told him they were prompted by the ads. Peterson is hoping for similar success with the Holtz ad.
Peterson will soon release a book sharing his story, Catholics Come Home … God’s Extraordinary Plan for Your Life, with a forward by theologian and author Scott Hahn.
Jim Graves writes from Newport Beach, California.
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It is my prayer that if Catholics are called to come home, they are also called to vote other than the way Catholic democrats vote. These same people who sit near us at Mass voted for a candidate who supports legal killing of girls and boys outside of their mom’s womb even after they survive the attempt to kill them in the womb. They voted for someone who wages an immoral war against God’s church and other Christians under the guise of health care. They voted for someone who calls marriage what God calls an abomination. They voted for someone who refused to thank Our Lord on Thanksgiving Day. Catholics who come whom must be taught to use the hearts and minds God gave them to vote for something other than the hideous platform voted for by Catholic democrats.
Please withdraw your support from football as it is a violent sport which causes so many injuries.
Where does it state in the Vatican II documents that any should convert or reconvert to the Apostolic Church?
Join me in prayer that parishioners and church members are prepared to receive the returning and hungry faithful, and that we all find it good to be community together. A long term commitment to receive Jesus together, faithfully.
God loves us.
I pray that many of the leaders, staff and supporters of ND will heed to the call as well .... Kudos for this innovative and timely action plan.
This is just fantastic! God bless the efforts and let’s pray for its fruitful and continued success!
Excellent idea.
I certainly hope my brother actually sees and listens to this ad during Monday evening’s game. He left the church in 1982. I pray for him and all others who have turned their back on the faith - but certainly poor catechism classes in the 1970’s contributed to this as many people do not know their faith and are easily led astray. Jesus, Mary & Joseph pray for all those who wander.
I am the wife of a man who has been away from the church for over 60years. Would you all please pray for him, and our son, to “come back” to the practice of the Catholic Faith. God bless you Lou, and Tom Peterson for what you are doing. The ads are beautiful, and are being run in our Cincinnati Archdiocese at the present time. It looks like many of the people are listening with their hearts and coming back home. Thank you all.
Can’t wait to see the ad. There are a LOT of Notre Dame fans in the Florida area I am in, the ones I know are already active Catholics, but I am sure it will be effective with those who have been away. God bless Tom Peterson in all his efforts. I think asking current Catholic ball players, women & men, to participate in these efforts might also keep a lot of kids and younger adults active in their faith journey to Heaven.
I am LOVING THIS Gift Of OUR LORD !!!
BEAUTIFUL ENDEAVOR—-WE NEED MORE LIKE THIS!!!
When catholics come home completely they WILL vote as they should for their soul and not put the “party” first attitude!
We (our human bodies) are here less than usually 100yrs. Our souls live forever. It is this time on earth that we choose where we would like to spend that eternity.
I feel so sorry for those who have never had the opportunity to have parents or friends to guide them to a better eternity than hell. Hopefully this ad will be the factor that brings not only wayward catholics home, but those who haven’t had this teaching ever.
Wow the ad was cooked up even before anyone knew Notre Dame would be in the bowl game! God is amazing, and the guy met him at LAX wow Praise be to God
Catholics come home. Why did you leave the church in the first place?
If it’s because the homilies don’t preach the bible enough, then read the
Word Of God on your own time and you will spiritually grow. You must
persevere too, however. I also recommend the daily praying of the rosary.
If you find it difficult to do these two practices, then pray to God to
give you the graces, to read the bible daily and to pray the rosary.
If you persevere in reading the bible daily and to pray the rosary
daily, you will become a saint. Do it and you’ll see what I mean!
Mark Gifford on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2013 7:18 asked: ” Why did you leave the church in the first place? “
Catholics left because the changes were contradictory to Sacred Tradition. Faith and moral absolutes were changed because it created discomfort for protestants and non Catholics. There was a major undertaking to deregulate doctrines of Holy Mother Church. Millions of people not fooled by the new values and new perspectives left. Those that stuck with the changes thought corrections would be made.
“Lex orandi, lex credenti” is the law of praying will be the law of believing. Time-honored prayers and devotions were abolished. Since 1969 ordinations declined by 72%; seminary enrollment by 90%; teaching sisters by 94%; Catholic School enrollment 55%; and Mass attendance 60%.
So what are they coming home to?
To Joe Some of the changes were as you said to make protestants feel more welcome. The ones who decided this should have questioned the converts. They came into the church because of what the church was founded on and the beauty was an enhancement.
The reason enrollment for priests went down was far before the 60’s. Read Good Bye, Good Men. And the book by Fr. John O Connery telling of how the communists from Russia sent men all over the world to become priests to undermine the church. This started in the 30’s and 40’s and a good catholic knew something was wrong when they had to teach their priests, dogma!! One good priest told me, it won’t be the clergy that will bring the church back, it will be the laity.
Good catholic never left the church. They knew when the consecration was true and could receive it. They knew also when they had a “bad” priest and spoke up about it.
Read also Pope Leo XIII on his locution way back in the 1880’s and note the changes in the world to materialism and falling away of morals. The devil has made a big dent in humanity and the church - but he will NEVER take it away from God.
@Phyllis Poole, you said, “One good priest told me, it won’t be the clergy that will bring the church back, it will be the laity.
Your priest steered you wrong. The laity cannot work against the bishops.
BTW, there are not two Catholic Churches - one pre and one post Vatican II Catholic Church. The documents of Vat 2 have many contradictions to what Pontiffs have promulgated and has created a major disturbance. A ‘self destruction’ to the new religion of post Vat 2 is going on causing many souls to be lost.
@Phyllis Poole you said, “Good catholic never left the church. They knew when the consecration was true and could receive it. They knew also when they had a “bad” priest and spoke up about it.”
How did they know this? How do they deal with the bad churches and bad priests? How do they deal with good and bad consecrations and priests in the same diocese?
Once again, I ask where in the Vatican II documents does it call for non- Catholics to convert or former Catholics to reconvert to the Apostolic Church?
Mark Gifford on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2013 7:18 asked: ” Why did you leave the church in the first place? “
Catholics left because they witnessed changes contradictory to Sacred Tradition. Faith and moral absolutes were changed because it created discomfort for protestants and non Catholics. There was a major undertaking to deregulate doctrines of Holy Mother Church. Millions of people not fooled by the new values and new perspectives left. Those that stuck with the changes thought corrections would be made.
“Lex orandi, lex credenti” is the law of praying will be the law of believing. Time-honored prayers and devotions were abolished. Since 1969 ordinations declined by 72%; seminary enrollment by 90%; teaching sisters by 94%; Catholic School enrollment 55%; and Mass attendance 60%.
So what are they coming home to?
Mark Gifford on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2013 7:18 asked: ” Why did you leave the church in the first place? “
Mark Gifford, I’m trying to have a discussion with you about your question but the moderator blocks my respectful, commonsensical reasoning.
To Joe: Good Catholics knew they had a bad priest because he usually didn’t know his theology as they did. Many older catholics had the opportunity to go to a good catholic school (in the 30’s and 40’s.) Then the communist priests and the unschooled ones started to come to parishes. I personally heard of a woman who schooled an untaught priest and he was grateful.
Search Fr Trosch for a book on a communist priest, or Fr John Connery (that might be O’Connery -can’t remember) It will tell of how the communists infiltrated the church and I am sure they were at Vatican II. The priests that heralded VaticanII knew we had them and gave us the opportunity to go to churches outside our diocese - a law against it before. They knew we might not get the true body and blood of Christ with some.
Also read Good Bye, Good Men. It will tell of the seminaries being run by bad priests or communist priests, who did not teach Dogma. They had orgies instead - child abusing priests??? They also turned down good men for various reasons concocted and brought in those they could manipulate and not schooled well.
Search Pope Leo XIII and read his locution. This is where it all began and the world’s people became materialistic for the world, not living just in it.
Anyone should not leave the catholic church because of what people do-no matter who they are. The body and blood of Christ is being consecrated on the altar daily and we may take it to help us through this life. What a gift!! Why turn it down! We also have the ability that Christ gave us to be sorry for our sins and have them forgiven. Another great gift! Why should anyone leave this- no matter what another person does. Someone said they are all hypocrites -Mother Angelica said “one more won’t hurt’!!
PLEASE GOD ENLIGHTEN YOUR “SHEEP”!!
to Joe: Maybe your reading too much of VaticanII writings. I haven’t touched any of them. I have not liked some of the changes BUT they do not change the consecration. Pray the rosary daily and ask the BVM to help you through your dilema. She will clear all your doubts. God will too but you must ASK
GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SHEEP
Phyllis Poole, Are you defending what you’ve never read? Are you defending bad priests and changes that cause people to loose their Catholic conscience?
BTW, the novus ordo missae is offering a meal from a wooden table to accommodate the proestants who hate the altars and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I just don’t understand what you defend.
Phyllis Poole - I’m answering your latest post respectfully but moderator stepped in.
I think people can get “wrapped” in what other people do. Just concentrate on what God gave us and use it!
We live less than 100 yrs usually and eternity is forever. No one is going to take me from what God intended me to have. Many are converting to the catholic church -watch EWTN Monday nights and hear the conversions. Many are protestant pastors. I read once where protestants are finding it difficult to find a pastor to lead them.
A psychiatrist once said “those who critisize are doing it to make themselves feel good about themselves.”
Most all of the conversions are because they have read the history of the church. Fr. Neuman,a well read anglican said, to know church history is to cease to be protestant.
The devil’s tactic “divide and conquer”, and some are falling into this trap. Luther fell into it. Protestants of all sorts are falling into it.
Satan will NEVER take the true church away from God.
Communion in the hand was one that took some away. When Jesus gave the apostles his first Body and Blood at the last supper and showed them how to do this, He gave them a loaf of bread to pass around. I am sure the first christians did not have little round hosts, they used a loaf of bread. They did it with their hands. Please don’t try to be a God to His people. He knows when someone is worthy and not, no matter how they take His gift!!! Satan will NEVER take the church away from God as he boasted.
PLEASE GOD ENLIGHTEN YOUR PEOPLE!!
Phyllis Poole, said, “Fr. Neuman,a well read anglican said, to know church history is to cease to be protestant”
.....is to cease being a conciliarist and tolerant of modernism.
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