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Katie Holmes: What She Could Expect at New Church


PEOPLE
By Mike Fleeman
7/13/12


Have the Catholics rolled out the welcome mat for Katie Holmes?

Judging by a carefully crafted statement from the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York, issued after Holmes settled her divorce from Scientologist Tom Cruise, it sure seems like it.
 
Raised in a Catholic family before she embraced Cruise's Scientology faith, the actress, 33, has reportedly registered as a parishioner at the progressive church located near her new Manhattan apartment she shares with daughter Suri, 6.

Although neither the church nor Holmes's rep have commented on the matter, the church posted this statement on its website Thursday:
 
"Various media sources have recently reported that Katie Holmes has become a member of the Church of St. Francis Xavier. While we cannot comment on Ms. Holmes in particular, St. Francis Xavier is a church that strives to carry out the mission of the Gospels by creating a safe, warm, welcoming, and friendly environment for people from all walks of life to practice their Catholic faith."
 
The statement adds that the church offers a "vibrant, parishioner-driven community in which the Sacraments are celebrated with joyful reverence, along with an active outreach ministry to those in need."
 
The church's charitable programs include a a weekly "Welcome Table" serving more than 1,000 meals, a men's shelter, a food pantry, a weekly clothing room and life-skills training program for the homeless.
 
"Those who attend St. Francis Xavier call this their 'spiritual home,'" says the statement, "where all are welcome."