Becoming Catholic

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Sjm1988

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Hi, I am new here and I hope I have got the right forum.

I am in the process of deciding to become catholic and am very confused at the moment. Having read so much information I am worried about going back to the church and asking silly questions.

My decision to become catholic comes from 1) going to a catholic school for 5 years whilst living in Ireland 2) my partner is catholic and 3) having seen catholic families sense of ‘family and church life’. It feels a natural way for me to go but I am worried that a simple ‘it feels natural and right’ is not the right reasons to become a catholic.

Some advise would really be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Hi there! :tiphat: I am also undergoing the process of sussing out whether I should join the Catholic Church. I am also CofE, I have been through High and Low Church, so I know the background you have 🙂 I have been meeting with a Catholic priest at the local church every week for the last two months, attending mass at the same time as also going to my CofE church services (this was advised by the priest as it is a fairly big decision about your faith you are making, and if it isn’t for you after solely attending mass for a while it may be awkward going back to the CofE church, also attending mass gives you a feel to the church in general).

Have you talked to your partner that you are thinking about it? Also if it feels right, why would it be wrong? It’s a good sign that it might be for you. They are quite friendly to people even just wanting to explore and find out more about the faith. When it comes to asking silly questions, there aren’t any, if you want to find out more why not go along to mass with your partner and talk to the priest afterwards, I did that and he was incredibly accommodating! 🙂
Best wishes, God bless,
Hatter
 
Don’t worry about asking “silly questions”! Praying for you…
 
I recently made the leap from Episcopalian (Anglican) to Catholic and it has been an amazing ride. I agree that the first step is to connect with a Catholic priest who can be available to get you the answers you need. I thought it was going to be a much simpler transition because both churches are liturgical. It turns out they are worlds apart on a lot of things. (At least here in the US.)

It has been an amazing experience so far. I did find that sometimes reading the forums, books, etc, felt overwhelming. My biggest advice is that when you start to feel unsteady, find a church with adoration and just sit with the blessed sacrament for awhile. For me, it cleared my head and reassured me that I was, indeed, following God’s leading.

God bless you on your journey!
 
You did forget one thing, faith. Do you really believe what the RCC teach? You can be a Catholic as much as you want, but it is worthless without your faith. Three good causes, but the fourth is missing.

Some people think it is “cool” to be a Catholic, and they agree with everything just to get first Communion and then skip The Church. Let us hope you are not one of those. If you, from the bottom of your heart and soul believe that Christ is God’s only begotten son, and that He did die for our sins and His ressurection are real, then you are a Catholic, but if you don’t agree on all points, you are not.

But I will pray for you, and hope that you will find Christ and become a Catholic only for that reason, and I wish you luck and may God bless you because if you have faith, you are on the start of a hard, but rewarding journey.
 
I’m going through some of the same things. I started going to RCIA in February, initially it was because my husband is Catholic and we’re going to send our daughter to their school. I wasn’t sure I was actually going to convert but if my daughter had questions I could answer her and I wanted to know what she was being taught. I never realized how much theology there was to explore. Some good books that have helped: Just about anything by Scott Hahn-“Rome Sweet Home,” “The Lamb’s Supper” both are my favorites. “Surprised by Truth” is about conversion stories." “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis is good too. To be honest I’ve learned more from my own research on here and in books than I have from the class.
 
I would read Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn and/or Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid. Good resources that answer many questions for those becoming Catholic.
 
Sjm1988 said:
Hi, I am new here and I hope I have got the right forum.

I am in the process of deciding to become catholic and am very confused at the moment. Having read so much information I am worried about going back to the church and asking silly questions.

My decision to become catholic comes from 1) going to a catholic school for 5 years whilst living in Ireland 2) my partner is catholic and 3) having seen catholic families sense of ‘family and church life’. It feels a natural way for me to go but I am worried that a simple ‘it feels natural and right’ is not the right reasons to become a catholic.

Some advise would really be appreciated.

Thanks
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There are NO stupid questions. Actually, there’s only ONE stupid question… the one that isn’t asked.

Ask away! The priest’s job is to answer your questions and help be your guide on earth. I also recommend lots and lots of prayer. Jesus will help you on your journey, as will your priest. Please continue to come back here, and please continue to ask questions!

God bless.
 
Sjm1988 said:
It feels a natural way for me to go but I am worried that a simple ‘it feels natural and right’ is not the right reasons to become a catholic.
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I think this is a more-than-sufficient reason to look into becoming Catholic. I’ve had people start RCIA for lots of reasons, including having a Catholic boyfriend/girlfriend, finding some special feeling when they step into a Catholic church, memories of going to Mass with Grandma when they were small, etc.

While those reasons may not sustain them forever, it’s enough for them to want to explore the possibilities of becoming Catholic and learning more about the Church. RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a slow and gentle process where you will learn more about the Church and what it means to be Catholic. Hopefully during that process you will gain a greater understanding and be able to make a firmer commitment to the Church.
Lasting_faith said:
You did forget one thing, faith. Do you really believe what the RCC teach?
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You’re confusing the beginning of the process with the end.

At the end of the process the candidate will make a profession of faith. But that’s not where someone has to be to start learning about Catholicism. The Holy Spirit gives people these wonderful urgings and desires. Let’s encourage them and pray for them.
 
I, too, am just coming into the Faith of the Catholic Church and learning a lot myself. It will be a lifelong process, one that I will enjoy.
 
Sjm1988 said:
Hi, I am new here and I hope I have got the right forum.

I am in the process of deciding to become catholic and am very confused at the moment. Having read so much information I am worried about going back to the church and asking silly questions.

My decision to become catholic comes from 1) going to a catholic school for 5 years whilst living in Ireland 2) my partner is catholic and 3) having seen catholic families sense of ‘family and church life’. It feels a natural way for me to go but I am worried that a simple ‘it feels natural and right’ is not the right reasons to become a catholic.

Some advise would really be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...
There are a bunch of conversion stories here for you to read:

chnetwork.org/

Also, if you have EWTN in your area, there is a show called Coming Home which features those stories of converts.
 
pablope said:
There are a bunch of conversion stories here for you to read:

chnetwork.org/

Also, if you have EWTN in your area, there is a show called Coming Home which features those stories of converts.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is a good site for conversion stories. Also, I have EWTN, but they have the daily Mass coming on in the evening instead of mid-day. Are there any other times the Mass would come on?? Also, what does EWTN mean?? I have been trying to figure that out for the life of me! 😃
 
Becca3 said:
Yes, that is a good site for conversion stories. Also, I have EWTN, but they have the daily Mass coming on in the evening instead of mid-day. Are there any other times the Mass would come on?? Also, what does EWTN mean?? I have been trying to figure that out for the life of me! 😃
Click to expand...
Ha ha ha…EWTN…Eternal Word Television Network
.

You can check their schedule here: ewtn.com/index.asp
 
pablope said:
Ha ha ha…EWTN…Eternal Word Television Network
.

You can check their schedule here: ewtn.com/index.asp
Click to expand...
Thank you! I have also watched the The Hearth? I believe it was, and it was so good. It made me feel like I was home in the Church. The man speaking was a former Jew I think. I could be wrong. But he was so good to explain things.
 
This off topic, but when God call you to join His Church it all about faith. The faith comes first, always. Without it you have no need to became what you want to. So the begining is the same as the end, faith equal faith is faith.
 
Sjm1988 said:
Hi, I am new here and I hope I have got the right forum.

I am in the process of deciding to become catholic and am very confused at the moment. Having read so much information I am worried about going back to the church and asking silly questions.

My decision to become catholic comes from 1) going to a catholic school for 5 years whilst living in Ireland 2) my partner is catholic and 3) having seen catholic families sense of ‘family and church life’. It feels a natural way for me to go but I am worried that a simple ‘it feels natural and right’ is not the right reasons to become a catholic.

Some advise would really be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...
As an RCIA teacher, I would suggest you write down all your questions and thoughts then visit a local priest to talk to him. If after talking with a priest you think you still might be interested in becoming Catholic, join a GOOD RCIA group and don’t rush it! You can be in RCIA for as long as you need to make sure you are making the right decision. Don’t let anyone rush you - it’s a learning process and a time to pray and communicate with God.
The last thing you want to do, is rush in, become Catholic, then walk away later because you didn’t fully grasp all the teachings.
Take your time, pray, study and ask lots of questions. Never think a question is silly.
Best wishes.
🙂
 
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