Former Catholics are everywhere. This diaspora, in differing degrees detached from institutional Roman Catholicism, often takes shape in communities that still claim the name Catholic. Part 1 of a 5-part series.

Inclusion without qualification is a familiar theme in independent eucharistic communities, especially when it comes to women, the LGBTQ community, and the divorced and remarried. Social justice themes, outreach to those on society’s margins, are also prominent, far more likely to be prioritized on websites than doctrinal or devotional elements of communal life.