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A foundational action is to be their friend through thick and thin, because you never know how long it might take for their reconciliation, and you want to be available for them as a faithful Catholic when they do.
In addition, to the extent that they are open to discussing it, ask them why they left. That may you give you a good idea they left, but it may mask a deeper reason. Ask them more pointedly if there’s something that someone in authority did which alienated them from the Church. I personally know someone who was abused as an altar server in their youth and who has yet to be reconciled with the Church. I continue to be this person’s friend, looking for opportunities to exemplify fraternal love and encourage them to take another look at the Church.
For those who have been hurt by members of the Church, I would encourage them not to let that hurt continue by keeping them from the incomparable love of Jesus Christ and his Church. That is, don’t let someone else’s wrongdoing keep them from the sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of Reconciliation and also the Eucharist. In this light, they shouldn’t generalize from the particular. Thus, they shouldn’t evaluate Jesus Christ and his Church by the bad actions of particular members of the Church. That is certainly not to excuse those bad actions, but it also means not allowing those wrongful actions be an ongoing means of keeping them from Jesus’ redemptive love.
Some people may have moral issues that are keeping them from the Church, e.g., being divorced and invalidly married and/or disagreeing with the Church’s teaching on contraception. The Church is available to help them address these issues, and that includes us here at Catholic Answers through our various online resources and availability to speak on the phone.
And they may have, in part, issues with the Church’s doctrine. Find out what those might be and respond accordingly. Again, we at Catholic Answers are here to help.
Finally, a related book you may consider purchasing is Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid. Here also are Part 1 and Part 2 of Madrid’s related interview with Catholic evangelist Martha Fernandez-Sardina.