Parishioner’s Initiative Helps Catholics Defend Faith

A parishioner from St Felix Church in Felixstowe has taken the initiative to equip fellow Catholics with the tools to respond to common criticisms of their faith. John Conlon, a retired journalist formerly with the Financial Times, has compiled a series of 50 short questions and answers under the title Defend Your Faith.

The series aims to provide clear, concise responses to some of the most frequent challenges directed at the Catholic Church and its teachings — especially those circulating on social media and in the wider secular world. The material is now being shared with the parish community through the weekly newsletter, space permitting.

Explaining his motivation, John said: “Our faith and the Church are constantly under attack in an increasingly secular world, so I thought it would be useful to provide short, easily digestible answers to the kind of criticisms we hear every day. Catholics have a responsibility to learn as much about their beliefs as possible. It is not just a case of turning up for Mass once a week and then switching off.”

He continued: “We should not be afraid to hit back at what is often ill-informed condemnation. With the right knowledge, we can respond more confidently — whether by writing to the letters pages of newspapers, contacting MPs, or engaging thoughtfully on social media.”

Fr Michael Smith, parish priest at St Felix, said: “I’m delighted with this initiative — as Catholics we are all called to share and explain our faith to others — the Defend your Faith series helps us do exactly this.”

The Defend Your Faith series is already proving a valuable resource for parishioners, offering both clarity and encouragement in sharing and standing up for their beliefs.

All fifty questions and responses can be viewed here.

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