Msgr. Rossetti

Response: This is a very painful situation and my prayers are with you. Sadly, I hear this often. There are no easy answers. God gives each of us free will and He respects our choices. We cannot force adult children to make good choices. It is important for parents not to be mired in feelings of inappropriate guilt. Rather, we ought to do the best we can to raise our children in the faith and continue to be good examples of holy living. 

One of the first vocations of parents is to pray for their children, and their prayers are particularly powerful. Parents of wayward children might take St. Monica as their patron who prayed for years for her straying son Augustine who eventually returned to the Church and became a great saint. Know for certain that your persevering prayers are not wasted. On our APP/website under "Deliverance Prayers for the Laity" we have a "Parent's Prayer" which a parent might consider saying, in addition to offering for their children one's Eucharist, rosaries, and other traditional prayers. 

Moreover, even though the wayward children do not stay in contact, the parents might make it clear to their children that their door is always open and the children are always welcome to be in contact, with no reprisals or hard feelings. Perhaps sending a card at Christmas time, birthdays or such can be helpful, if their address is known. We do all we can, then we "let go and let God": we commend our children to the care of the Almighty.