Are you the sole Catholic in family?

[Steveabrous]

My mother and sister and I converted to Catholicism 20 years ago. My father came later. Then I married a Protestant. The only person I had issues with making remarks was my mother-in-law.

My suggestion is to become and expert on Catholicism. There are answers to every objection. And the answer shows Catholicism true and protestantism false. I will give an example:

The king James version of the bible adds “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” to the lords prayer in the gospel of Matthew. KJV is the only translation protestant or otherwise that has this. They added it.

My mother-in-law, snidely, commented one day that we Catholics don’t have all of the lords prayer. Then proceeded to quote scriptures against adding or subtracting from the word of God ( obviously accusing us of subtracting). I showed her other protestant translations, which she accepts as valid, that also omit the above doxology. And pointed out to her that KJV added it. Then I quoted the passages against adding and subtracting from the word of God she had quoted me.

A few more instances like this and the comments stopped.

 

[Yehuda_Dion]

My family, my uncle’s family and my father’s elder brother-in-law and his two children are Catholic from my father’s side. That makes half of my extended family from my father Catholics. I had a lot of support growing up, especially from my aunt who is very devout. Everyone else is Church of Christ, but my grandmother and youngest aunt and her son are all very devout Protestants. My youngest aunt even teaches Sunday School. We go to different churches on Sunday, but on the whole family harmony is there.

 

[Kelfa28]

Wow that has to be tough with the agnostic part. We do, however, have a powerful tool in the Holy Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy! We can pray for them and offer up our sufferings on their behalf!

I pray a rosary every night and my intentions for conversions go on and on and on and on and on… I have a rosary CD in my car and it’s usually on so I can pray a Chaplet or the whole Rosary if I’m on the road long enough.

Believe me…both my husband and I are hard at work in that respect.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

Divides like this are always tough. My fiance and I are the only atheists in his family. Actually, we’re the only non-Catholics. Unfortunately while everyone is very nice and loving I don’t think that we are all quite comfortable with it yet. There is a lot of tiptoeing around on both sides because we all fear offending someone. I think I’ll just count my blessings that we actually love and care about each other enough to not want to offend or hurt feelings.

Growing up my family was entirely Protestant (except for my Dad’s side, and I had very little contact with them). But my grandma has since died, my brother stopped believing in his early 20’s and is married to an atheist, I stopped believing in my late teens and am marrying an atheist, and my mom married a man who is either an apathetic agnostic who is antagonistic towards religion, or an atheist who is antagonistic towards religion. I never cared enough about his thoughts on the matter to ask. So now my mom is the only person left in our family who is religious, and I know that she feels lonely and sad about it. I’m supportive of her faith, but I know that doesn’t make her feel any better.

 

[PetiteFoi]

I’m still coming back to Catholicism, but I am the only one in my family, both sides.
My husband is Protestant, though he’s very accepting of my beliefs.
The past couple of weeks has been a little difficult, as I’ve been all excited about the concave and the new Pope - everyone else just shrugs their shoulders.
My mother thinks this is just a “phase” for me - and they all expect me to just walk away and come back to the RP church.

It’s extremely tough - thank goodness I have you guys to encourage me!! :hug3:

Peace,
~ PetiteFoi

 

[TwinMommy]

In a way I am. There is no one in my family that is a Christian. My husband’s family are Catholic but do not practice(hopefully that is the right word). His family go to church for baptisms, weddings and funerals. My husband is trying to figure out if he believes in God at all. He is starting to make comments here and there, poking fun at me for praying so much and seeking information to grow my faith. Prayer has always been important to me but it has changed a lot and I am in prayer a lot more often.

I am praying that when we move and will be by his family that over time his family will want to join me at Mass.

Dianna

 

[aidanbradypop]

I’m still coming back to Catholicism, but I am the only one in my family, both sides.
My husband is Protestant, though he’s very accepting of my beliefs.
The past couple of weeks has been a little difficult, as I’ve been all excited about the concave and the new Pope - everyone else just shrugs their shoulders.
My mother thinks this is just a “phase” for me - and they all expect me to just walk away and come back to the RP church.

It’s extremely tough - thank goodness I have you guys to encourage me!! :hug3:

Peace,
~ PetiteFoi

Thank you for sharing and I pray that my suffering will ease your’s!

In a way I am. There is no one in my family that is a Christian. My husband’s family are Catholic but do not practice(hopefully that is the right word). His family go to church for baptisms, weddings and funerals. My husband is trying to figure out if he believes in God at all. He is starting to make comments here and there, poking fun at me for praying so much and seeking information to grow my faith. Prayer has always been important to me but it has changed a lot and I am in prayer a lot more often.

I am praying that when we move and will be by his family that over time his family will want to join me at Mass.

Dianna

The goes for you dear sister. I pray that good will use my sufferings to bless you and bring your family closer to him!

 

[Kal2012]

My family is very protestant. I don’t know if my cousin eventually converted because she married a Catholic years ago. I don’t think so, given that their wedding was very ‘balanced’ with the Catholics on one side, giving the sign of the cross when it was needed, and the Protestants smiling and nodding at the different reaction to the words the minister spoke.

My husband’s family isn’t religious at all.

As far as I know, we are the only Catholics on either side.

 

[aidanbradypop]

My family is very protestant. I don’t know if my cousin eventually converted because she married a Catholic years ago. I don’t think so, given that their wedding was very ‘balanced’ with the Catholics on one side, giving the sign of the cross when it was needed, and the Protestants smiling and nodding at the different reaction to the words the minister spoke.

My husband’s family isn’t religious at all.

As far as I know, we are the only Catholics on either side.

Blessing be with you!

 

[Ms_Manners]

I was raised Catholic, but mostly non-practising. Now I am a practising Catholic.
My mother is a Catholic who goes to church on Christmas and Easter, my maternal grandmother is a practising Catholic, so is one aunt. Another aunt’s family is Eastern Orthodox. The rest of my side of the family is atheist, some very anti-Catholic.
My husband was raised atheist, but is a practising Catholic now. We was baptized last Easter, before we were married. His family is atheist, some are also anti-Catholic to various degrees.

My mother is still surprised to hear that we go to church, but I think her feelings are somewhat mixed, she finds it unusual.

 

[aidanbradypop]

I was raised Catholic, but mostly non-practising. Now I am a practising Catholic.
My mother is a Catholic who goes to church on Christmas and Easter, my maternal grandmother is a practising Catholic, so is one aunt. Another aunt’s family is Eastern Orthodox. The rest of my side of the family is atheist, some very anti-Catholic.
My husband was raised atheist, but is a practising Catholic now. We was baptized last Easter, before we were married. His family is atheist, some are also anti-Catholic to various degrees.

My mother is still surprised to hear that we go to church, but I think her feelings are somewhat mixed, she finds it unusual.

Nothing wrong with being unusual right?

 

[LaughingBoy1503]

As of Easter Vigil this year, I will be the only Catholic in my family. Everyone from my Mothers side are varying types of protestant christians. Pentocostal, Baptist and non denominational. How many are even devout Christians is a mystery to me though. And I dont say that being judgemental. I really dont know because I rarely even talk to any of them except my Mother and Grandmother. I dont know anyone from my fathers side of the family.

I heard a rumor that a cousin of mine is thinking of becoming Catholic. I dont know if that is true or not though. It was interesting to one time hear my mother tell me that she will " never, ever, ever become Catholic unless I see Mary beside Jesus when he comes back" as if I ever tried or even mentioned anything about converting to her, or anyone else in my family besides my own conversion. Other than afew things like that, It has been ok. I should have told her “And I will never, ever, ever convert back to protestant unless I see Jesus come back with all the major protestant reformers, or atleast the right one, on one side of him and a Bible on the other”

 

[Ms_Manners]

Nothing wrong with being unusual right?

No, but it’s like I joined a cult sometimes. It’s her religion too, at least it’s supposed to be, I am only living what we were all taught, what she wanted me to learn when I was a child, what she partly taught me, so sometimes I find it difficult to understand where all the surprise and suspicion is coming from.

 

[Bezant]

You are very blessed!

Thank you, I certainly think we are, although it’s a bit strange.

Except for the elders, most of my relatives attend services only for weddings, baptisms, Christmas, Easter, etc. On the other hand, my SDA relatives won’t eat pork, everyone has their kid baptised and treats Good Friday rather seriously (prayer, no parties, quiet music) even if they don’t fast or go to church. Essentially everyone is on the same page, and where we’re not, we don’t interfere with each other.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

I am the only Catholic. My family is mostly Baptist and other varieties of Protestant and they don’t believe the Catholic Church is even Christian; they consider it a sort of cult. Things were horribly tense when I first joined RCIA. It seems to have gotten a little better, but mostly because everyone just avoids the subject.

It’s always tricky trying to figure out how to go to Mass when I’m at family gatherings, especially because they all flip out if they hear where I am going.

I really hope I can meet a good Catholic man to marry – it gets exhausting sometimes trying to do this alone, with family always pressuring me not to go to Mass or do Catholic things.

 

[anp1215]

I’m the only practicing Catholic, including husband, parents, and all extended family.

 

[SecretaryMonday]

Only one…so far.

As far as I know, all extended family for several generations has been Protestant (Nazarenes seem to be most prevalent, along with a little Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian…) We get along and respect one another, and mom keeps being amazed at stuff she didn’t know about Catholics…parents were worried at first but not angry.

 

[aidanbradypop]

I am the only Catholic. My family is mostly Baptist and other varieties of Protestant and they don’t believe the Catholic Church is even Christian; they consider it a sort of cult. Things were horribly tense when I first joined RCIA. It seems to have gotten a little better, but mostly because everyone just avoids the subject.

It’s always tricky trying to figure out how to go to Mass when I’m at family gatherings, especially because they all flip out if they hear where I am going.

I really hope I can meet a good Catholic man to marry – it gets exhausting sometimes trying to do this alone, with family always pressuring me not to go to Mass or do Catholic things.

Remember that Christ told us that if they hate you, they hated him first! I used to get the “cult” statement all the time, but I simply allowed the way I live and interact with them to speak volumes. I started to understand that they were not going to listen to reason, so I just decided to off up my suffering on their behalf.

I will pray that God will send a wonderful and loving Catholic man into your life to build you up in Christ and to love you dearly!

 

[aidanbradypop]

I’m the only practicing Catholic, including husband, parents, and all extended family.

Hold strong to your faith and allow others to see God working in your life! Sometimes our lives serve as a tool for the conversion of others.

Only one…so far.

As far as I know, all extended family for several generations has been Protestant (Nazarenes seem to be most prevalent, along with a little Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian…) We get along and respect one another, and mom keeps being amazed at stuff she didn’t know about Catholics…parents were worried at first but not angry.

That is sweet of them to worry. Kind of weird to think that way, but that shows their love for you and their desire for you to be close to God. Many people simply have false information about the Church. We need to show them just how much Christ loves us all and desires us to be in full communion with Him and His Church.