The Argentine Lautaro experienced you can be raised with faith, but it comes to you once you are ready to embrace it. Growing up, he didn’t feel a connection with the religion. “I even was an atheist at some point, then I went agnostic. When I still had questions to some big things in life I realized I didn’t know much about Catholicism. Recently I did some research, and I ‘re-converted’ to Catholicism.”
Lautaro struggles with social media in combination with faith. It was distracting him from his faith, preventing him from growing religiously. He is now renewing his algorithms to show him things that help him to get closer to God.
Outside of the digital world, Lautaro has found a safe haven to further discover his faith within the community of Parochie Maria. “Hard questions or vulnerable conversations don’t scare its people off. They speak English, even when I am the only one not speaking Dutch. Since actively coming to faith, my life feels fulfilled, also having found a community that welcomes me and others unconditionally. To me, that’s a reflection of the religion I love. Before, I was scared of losing friends by admitting I am religious. Now I am proud of it. I know who I am in my faith and I have a community to support me in it.”
Lautaro hopes nobody will be afraid to join mass with a welcoming community. “People bring snacks, often even home made as well, so you can’t go wrong there,” he laughs.
Feel free to join us for English mass, every Saturday at 17.15h. St. Catharine's church is located at Kruisbroedershof 4 5211 GX 's-Hertogenbosch.