Are converts better evangelizers

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Converts SHOULD NOT speak on catholic issues until they have real experience as christians.
 
It depends on the person’s natural gifts and how well suited their message is to their particular audience. In theory we are all evangelizing eachother more than we realize. You don’t have to become a professional speaker.
 
Perhaps this will be an unpopular view but I think some converts can’t help but bring with them some remnant of their former beliefs. That’s not always necessarily a bad thing. In some cases, however, it can become problematic. I think Eric Sammons is a good example of this. His former protestant beliefs seem to bleed through on occasion when he rejects bishops’ statements, including those regarding the closure of churches due to the pandemic and reception of communion in the hand. He seems very comfortable rejecting authority. In that sense, I don’t think he’s necessarily a good evangelizer, and certainly not a better one that cradle Catholics.
 
Tommy999 said:
Some cradles are fine and respectful in our interactions and I admire them greatly and desire more dealings with them.

Others come across as arrogant, condescending, and dismissive of all Protestant faith traditions. These people have the opposite effect on me and make me glad I’m not one of them.
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Thanks for posting this.
 
gracepoole said:
Perhaps this will be an unpopular view but I think some converts can’t help but bring with them some remnant of their former beliefs. That’s not always necessarily a bad thing. In some cases, however, it can become problematic. I think Eric Sammons is a good example of this. His former protestant beliefs seem to bleed through on occasion when he rejects bishops’ statements, including those regarding the closure of churches due to the pandemic and reception of communion in the hand. He seems very comfortable rejecting authority. In that sense, I don’t think he’s necessarily a good evangelizer, and certainly not a better one that cradle Catholics.
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I can agree with you on this.

What I bring with me from my former beliefs is the longing for good music in the Mass and my willingness to play it when our priests say, “Sure, that sounds fine!”

Thankfully, many of the people in my parish love it when I play piano preludes and postludes, mainly hymns like “How Great Thou Art” (which is in the Gather Hymnal), and occasionally a Bach or Buxtehude prelude or postlude on the pipe organ.

I’m also good at accompanying the school choir and have no problem rockin’ at the piano with the CCM that they perform (which I personally don’t think elementary school children should be singing because it doesn’t train them to sing correctly in their head voices).

I know that there are probably people in our parish who prefer Gregorian chant and Latin hymns, but there is a Latin Mass parish in our city that has been approved by the Diocese for decades, and so I feel that people who truly hate folk, CCM, hymns, etc. have the option of attending a Mass with their kind of music–and it’s only a few miles down the road (I have played organ there, too, but not lately since they hired an organist/choir master, whom I know as a friend).

But I am very happy to accept the authority of Holy Mother Church. I saw first hand what happens when everyone is free to make their own decisions about Christianity, and it was horrible, so bad that I’m not sure I will ever be able to fully trust anyone again.
 
NoelFitz said:
Does this sound a bit patronizing? The WWW is not too positive about Cardinal Raymond Burke.
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If I recall correctly it was during an interview with Fr Mitch Pacwa on EWTN when Dr Hahn said this. At the time when he said it I thought he was being sincere. I know he has a great love for the Church Fathers (as can be seen in his bible commentaries) and I have read a number of his works outside of his bible commentaries which show his great love for the Church so I think he was being sincere. Obviously, I would also say that it’s not a small thing to sustain Holy Mother Church in existence either! (ie it’s not a small thing “just” to serve in the Church whether as a layperson or as a priest or religious!) I recently read a biography of St Francis of Assisi (called “Saint Francis of Assisi: Passion, Poverty & the Man Who Transformed the Catholic Church” by Bret Thoman) where it was said that St Francis saved the Church from collapsing in the 1200’s:

However, that night, Pope Innocent had a dream that would forever change the direction of the Church. He saw the façade of the cathedral begin to lean, threatening to collapse. Suddenly, a poor beggar appeared to the pontiff and, with arms outstretched, held the basilica up, preventing it from falling. Pope Innocent awoke startled. He knew immediately that the man was Francis. He quickly called his guards and ordered them to find Francis and bring him back.

Also, St Faustina said (in her “Diary” at no. 1434) that the Church’s religious orders prevent God from destroying the world:

1434 Today, the Lord gave me knowledge of His anger toward mankind which deserves to have its days shortened because of its sins. But I learned that the world’s existence is maintained by chosen souls; that is, the religious orders. Woe to the world when there will be a lack of religious orders!

With regard to Cardinal Burke, I generally follow the conservative evangelists in the Church so I generally support their works (assuming they are in line with Church teaching). Were you referring to the dubia that Cardinal Burke issued to Pope Francis?
 
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Strictly speaking, a former Protestant is not considered a “convert” by the Church. Only those who were unbaptized are properly and formally called “converts”.

My answer? It depends.
 
For any one who is interested, Scott Hahn has listed on his website the Catholic works and authors who were central to his conversion:
  • Fr. Louis Bouyer (The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism. New York: Scepter Publishers, 2001.)
  • Jean Danielou
  • Christopher Dawson
  • Henri De Lubac
  • Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
  • James Cardinal Gibbons (The Faith of Our Fathers. Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1980.)
  • Karl Keating (Catholicism and Fundamentalism. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1988.)
  • John F. Kippley (Birth Control and the Marriage Covenant. 1st ed; Sex and the Marriage Covenant. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2005)
  • Josef Pieper
  • Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
  • Matthias Scheeben
  • Hans Urs Von Balthasar
Referenced Works:
  • Humanae Vitae [Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Paul VI on the Regulation of Birth (25 Jul 1968). Boston: Daughters of St. Paul.]
  • Summa Theologica
  • Works of John Henry Cardinal Newman
  • Documents of Vatican II
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • Church Fathers
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
I don’t have much patience with them - I am far more understanding of a convert with such an issue - but that’s a topic for another thread.
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Usually I agree fully with you. However a discussion about Mary being Mediatrix of all graces is for another day and thread.

For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, (NABRE, 1 Ti 2:5)
 
I think converts are much better evangelizers and much more passionate than cradle Catholics. Cradle Catholics are often (not always, but often) only Catholics because they were born into it. Converts make the choice out of their own free will to become Catholics-no one forced them.
 
TheBomb.Com said:
Converts SHOULD NOT speak on catholic issues until they have real experience as Christians.
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Protestants are Chrisians.
gracepoole said:
I think Eric Sammons is a good example of this. His former protestant beliefs seem to bleed through on occasion
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I have been reading about St John Henry Newman recently. and he reminds me of some views expressed here. He was critical of some of the views of the Church leaders after his conversion, and it is refreshing to read his opinions, even though Cardinal Manning, the head of the Church in England, did not agree with him at times.

I hope converts are not disappointed at the lack of zeal of us Cradles. It is important for converts’ views to be acknowledged and that they bring their experience into the Church to improve it.
 
Many converts have a greater appreciation for what is in the Catholic Church then we who grew up in the Church have.
 
I think that it is utterly foolish to speak in sweeping generalities, as I am seeing on this thread.
 
NoelFitz said:
I was impressed, encouraged and inspired by Eric Sammons article on ‘Sharing the Good News When the Daily News Is Bad’. Reading it I thought of the Church being described as ‘A Holy Church for Unholy People’. Sammons concludes that even in difficult times we should do our best to make converts.

This excellent article made me think of the very large number of convert participants, as thread and article writers, in CAF. Do converts have an enthusiasm and commitment often apparently lacking among cradle Catholics? Is there a surprising number of article writers in CAF who are converts, often, like St John Henry Newman, from evangelical convictions? In fact are converts better evangelizers?

I note similar concerns have been considered in CAF, where it is noted that most well known apologists are former Protestant Evangelicals, as Hahn, Wood and Madrid.

I would appreciate hearing your views.
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Converts (and some reverts) typically do a ton of research into the Catholic Faith (including often history) before making their minds to convert (or return) to the Catholic Faith.

Therefore, it’s not uncommon for a convert/revert to study Catholic theology, dogma, doctrine, discipline, history, etc much more through than man Cradle Catholics.

Think of it like this: if you were told something was false and/or wrong (and perhaps even worse) your entire life, don’t you think you would research the heck out of it before accepting it as true and/or good?

NOTE: this is not true of ALL converts. Some simply convert to provide one faith in a home, without really researching it. However, many do a lot of research.
 
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Some counter-examples.

A large percentage of people who go through RCIA leave the Church within a year or so, and never darken our doors again. In four years of teaching RCIA, I can count at least two men, on fire for the Gospel, who are now ghosts.

Cradle Catholics can be on fire for the faith. Many of our young, newly-ordained priests are cradle Catholics, raised in warm, close families of faith, where they were nurtured and affirmed in their vocations until the time came to enter seminary.

I know many large families who come to Mass at 10:30. Their children are all, naturally, cradle Catholics. They make wonderful altar boys, sacristans (girls), and lectors. Their faith is reinforced by Catholic school or homeschooling. They have an encyclopedic knowledge of Catholicism. Converts have got nothing on these kids.
 
It seems that most converts are more devoted because they essentially chose to be Catholic. Cradle Catholics can be not as interested in the faith as converts because they really did not see a reason to be Catholic besides the fact that they were raised Catholic

This is all hypothetical. Some cradle Catholics are as devoted as converts and some converts aren’t as interested as other.

But converts tend to be more religious because they had a free will choice on choosing to be Catholic
 
Peeps said:
I have to say that I really really miss that kind of fun, welcoming, friendly, outgoing fellowship at Protestant churches, and whenever I play piano/organ at Protestant churches, I still experience it and I wonder often why it doesn’t happen in Catholic churches.
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FYI - It does happen in the small Catholic parishes. The reason it doesn’t happen in many Catholic Churches (as much as in Protestant Churches) is because Catholic Churches were historically neighborhood Churches. In other words, most people (not everyone) knew each other outside of Mass. We lived in the same neighborhoods, went to the same schools, etc.

So Sunday, was a day to hang out with family (after mass). Also, Catholics in the old days, often did things with other Catholics during the week. Knights of Columbus, Catholic Bowling leagues, women’s groups, Legion of Mary, evening devotions, etc.

In other words, Catholics tended to hang out with other Catholics on Monday through Saturday & Sunday was just for Mass & family.

In most territorial parishes, that culture still exists (though most Catholics do very little during the week, but the Church still has devotions, groups, etc during the week).

Therefore, today, usually it’s only the smaller parishes (or the parishes where most people are transient and don’t have family in the area) that have Sunday socials. This is why it’s very common for Latin Mass Parishes to have Sunday socials (because many of them are traveling further distances to mass & only see eachother on Sundays).

I hope this helps a litte.

God bless
 
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