Testimonials

“With the Landings program there was an organized program for me to be welcomed back to the Church in a gradual and educational way.”

Joe Witherspoon

Landings returnee and coordinator
Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Oakland, CA

“Our Landings program has continued through all the years since it was brought to the Reno Diocese over 20 years ago. Our parish has maintained it with the help of active participants. We have held 33 sessions in total and just this year had two sessions happen.”

Rita Hill

Landings coordinator
St. Gall Catholic Church, Gardnerville, NV

"Landings is a Christ-centered, non-judgmental community. Just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, the community welcomed me back to the Church. It is through Landings that I found my safe harbor, a community where I can anchor spiritually.”

Dan

Landings Singapore

“I was a team leader for two years and always found blessings in attendees. They always brought me face to face with the possibility of losing faith no matter the reason. Helping them return to God was joyful.”

Candace

Former team leader
Ohio

I discovered the Landings course at Farm Street, by far one of the most enticing and beautiful churches that I had visited. It was a haven of tranquillity in a busy world. Whilst sitting in the pew I noticed a card that seemed to be speaking directly to me. It was a prayer card for the Landings group. It seemed that God was directing me to this group. I decided to bite the bullet, contact the course leader, and I am so glad I did.

Landings prompted some deep soul searching in me. It was therapeutic in so many ways. Each Wednesday I would go into the group with questions or burdens. I would always leave enlightened and lighter. It really was like Catholic therapy. Landings built up my understanding of the Catholic Church and has allowed me to explore aspects of my faith and to strengthen it.

It was a pathway to a deeper divinity. It opened doors that I had closed. I now know that God never closed the door on me. I was the one who closed my mind off to the divine. Prior to Landings I had been in a deep depression, and I had felt very alone and hopeless. The love and learning at Landings instilled in me new hope. I grew stronger and more resilient with the help of God.

Each week we heard a different testimony about how or why we had each struggled with our faith. There was always a common theme. We all lacked understanding. However, each of us admitted that throughout our lives we had always all felt a pull back toward the Church.

God speaks to us and calls us back to him over and over again. We don’t always listen. Landings helped me open my ears, open my heart and open my mind to the vast wonders of the living God.

Lorna

Landings London

“Landings is my very favorite ministry. It is quite an honor and humbling to walk this spiritual journey with an inactive Catholic. It is said that the “longest journey is from the head to the heart.” This is so true of the journey of a returning Catholic to the Church and the practice of the Sacraments, especially Penance....I strongly encourage every parish to start a Landings ministry." Sister Brenda Query, IHM, Landings Coordinator, St. Gregory the Great, Virginia Beach, VA

Sister Brenda Query, IHM

Landings Coordinator
St. Gregory the Great, Virginia Beach, VA

I wanted to return to Church, but emotionally, I was in a bad way. I felt like the lost sheep caught in a thorny bush. The Landings programme reached out to me, where I am emotionally and spiritually, and accompanied me, at my own pace, back into the Church. This image of the Good Shepherd has been consoling, speaking to my heart.

Tony See

Landings Coordinator, Southeast Asia

As a teenager I fell off the rails; got in trouble with police. I should have listened to my parents but thought I knew better. I blamed everyone, my parents, life, God, for all the bad things that happened to me. In fact I made the bad choices all by myself. If only I had stopped and truly listened I would have heard God!

Thirty years later, I returned to France. One morning I woke to hear singing and praying. I went downstairs to find the group praying together. It was such a wonderful thing to see and hear. During my stay I visited Lourdes; something within me made me want to reconnect with God. I went to confession and to Mass, but I still felt ashamed that I had turned my back on the Lord for so long, that I had blamed him for everything that had gone wrong.

Later when I came back to the UK, I found Landings while out on a stroll at lunch time. I saw a poster on door of Farm Street and applied: the rest is history. God has a plan for each of us - his plan for me was to see poster at Farm Street; he wanted to welcome me back. It just took me decades to hear the invitation.

Maggie

Landings London

"Landings has been a life-changing experience because I have discovered a group of extraordinary life-giving individuals who never fail to remind me about the power of prayer. It is still so hard for me to fathom how in such a short period of time, I have grown to trust, love and treasure my Landings community. I can't get through a week without my Landings community session--it helps me to recharge my spirit and renew my faith in Christ. God works in such mysterious ways!”

Bernissa

Landings Singapore

“Landings helps me to look back at my life experiences through the eyes of faith and to recognise God's presence in my life which I might not realised previously. Hearing faith stories from others inspires me and gives me strength in facing the challenges in my own faith journey and spiritual life.”

Gary

Landings Singapore