Becoming Catholic

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I have a question for all the converts out there. I know technically that you’re not a Catholic until you’re officially welcomed into the Church, usually at Easter, but at what point did the other converts out there really start to think of themselves as being Catholic? Was it after you were confirmed? During RCIA? I’ve just been wondering, as I’m in the middle of RCIA, and I already find myself thinking of many things with a distinctly Catholic outlook.
 
I had a sudden conversion. I had been an atheist my entire adult life. Suddenly, at the age of 42, I had a supernatural experience that lead me directly to the Catholic Church.

I have been asked this question before. Here is my answer.

“I woke up an atheist. I had breakfast, lunch and dinner as an atheist. I went to bed Catholic.”
 
I had made the decision quite rapidly and suddenly, just as the previous poster, but I did not consider myself Catholic until the Church did, which was on Easter Vigil.
 
I considered myself Catholic when I was admitted to RCIA, though I described myself as “in the process of becoming Catholic” if asked.
 
As a baptised Christian, the point of no return was – for me – when I made my general confession. This is the first sacrament one is permitted to receive as a Catholic. Confirmation was important, of course, and put my name on the books, so to speak, but I became a Catholic during the two hours of that confession.

I was a reluctant convert; it took decades. A lightbulb went off when a clergyman asked me, “How long have you been Catholic?” And I responded: “I’ve been Catholic for 25 years, but I came into the Church five years ago.” 🙂
 
ladylinguist said:
I have a question for all the converts out there. I know technically that you’re not a Catholic until you’re officially welcomed into the Church, usually at Easter, but at what point did the other converts out there really start to think of themselves as being Catholic? Was it after you were confirmed? During RCIA?
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It’s been almost six years since I started following Catholicism, and about five and a half since my Confirmation and First Holy Communion, but I still think of myself as a “convert.”

But I definitely think like a “native born” Catholic in most ways, now - I was already using the Sign of the Cross, praying to Saints, praying the Rosary, and attending Mass regularly, even years before I finally got Confirmed, and it’s just been a gradual process of inculturation.

I think, for me, it’s just a much more gradual process. I also have this driving need to understand things before I actually do them, but once I’m there, I’m fully into it. 🙂
I’ve just been wondering, as I’m in the middle of RCIA, and I already find myself thinking of many things with a distinctly Catholic outlook.
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Welcome!! 🙂
 
rpp said:
I had a sudden conversion. I had been an atheist my entire adult life. Suddenly, at the age of 42, I had a supernatural experience that lead me directly to the Catholic Church.

I have been asked this question before. Here is my answer.

“I woke up an atheist. I had breakfast, lunch and dinner as an atheist. I went to bed Catholic.”
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I should add that I am speaking informally here. Of course I knew I was not “Catholic” until the I was admitted into Church at Easter Vigil, after 17 months in the RCIA (that is the length of the program at my parish.)

I think for converts there are two distinct phases of becoming Catholic: realizing you are Catholic at heart (your conversion) and being a professed Catholic (when you are baptized and confirmed).
 
Same for me. I had a moment of conversion, where my heart felt it. And then I spent 2 years in RCIA developing my knowledge and faith and understanding. I didn’t consider myself “officially” Catholic until my Easter Vigil baptism. But, in my heart I knew at that first moment of conversion. It is pretty cool to be able to say “I’m Catholic.” Now I just need somebody to ask me about it so I can say that. Hehe. I always secretly wanted to be Catholic.

Lina
 
(rpp, just in case, what you said originally was fine! :))

I did not feel Catholic at all until the Easter Vigil. I had decided to become one, but for me a crucial thing was to be in a community, to be, uh, well, I guess I wasn’t inclinded to think I could properly worship God in a “only Jesus and me” sort of way. So, it was important for me to be Christian in a group of Christians to be on the right path. I felt that my discipleship was stunted until I was in a community.

So, for me, it was important to have the Church say I was Catholic, or to accept me, I guess. I’m not sure how to phrase it. :confused: I’m probably making little sense. It has to do with my upbringing (clearly Protestant). It was a long time coming after conversion before I started to naturally think like a Catholic.
 
Pug said:
(rpp, just in case, what you said originally was fine! :))

I did not feel Catholic at all until the Easter Vigil. I had decided to become one, but for me a crucial thing was to be in a community, to be, uh, well, I guess I wasn’t inclinded to think I could properly worship God in a “only Jesus and me” sort of way. So, it was important for me to be Christian in a group of Christians to be on the right path. I felt that my discipleship was stunted until I was in a community.

So, for me, it was important to have the Church say I was Catholic, or to accept me, I guess. I’m not sure how to phrase it. :confused: I’m probably making little sense. It has to do with my upbringing (clearly Protestant). It was a long time coming after conversion before I started to naturally think like a Catholic.
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I hear you. but for me it was the other way around. I thought the Church would be thrilled to death to embrace such a great catch (:rolleyes: ) as yours truly when I finally flopped in abject submission on the doorstep.

Turns out they wanted to see how bad I wanted it and put me through the whole RCIA wringer (well: not all. I was trained as a minister in a Protestant Church, and in some ways was more Catholic than the Catholic church is today, so they spared me the catechetical stuff).

It had never occurred to me that they might not want me. That was a good thing to learn.
 
After feeling the God “tug” once again after 50 years of alternating luthernism, jwism and hedonism, I began to research.
I wanted to know from a historical aspect which was the true Church Christ established.
After pouring over the Catholic Encyclopedia in the library for hours on Saturday afternoons for 6 months, I walked into the nearest Catholic Church and asked the priest how I become a Catholic.
It took 2 &1/2 years of R.C.I.A…
I began to realize after a very few weeks of research that I had really felt Catholic all my life but didn’t know it and wasted many years searching.
 
I felt Catholic way before I entered a parish. I just didn’t know the way I felt was Catholic. In desperation to get support for actually staying married and having a family, my dh and I (then pregnant with our 3rd dc) went to a church for the first time since we got married - a mass at a church that was across the street from us. Why a Catholic church you ask? Because every bloomin’ other church in town had one or more of the following signs out front:
"Singles support group"
"divorce support group"
"single-parent support group"
"gay/lesbian support group"
blahblahblah support group
HELLO! Would anyone care to actually remove those problems and support marriage and family?!
Yes. It appeared ONE did. The Catholic church across the street. So we went to Mass there one Sunday to check it out.
It just so happened this was the mass where Fr. G. gave a homily about what s is supposed to be. What love bewteen a husband and wife is supposed to be. About what children really are. This homily was supposed to be for the teens. to encourage them to wait for real love.**
**Finally. I had arrived home. FOUR years later I finally finished RCIA and became official. I kept getting pregnant and put on bedrest - which messed with the RCIA schedule!😃 **
 
ladylinguist said:
I have a question for all the converts out there. I know technically that you’re not a Catholic until you’re officially welcomed into the Church, usually at Easter, but at what point did the other converts out there really start to think of themselves as being Catholic? Was it after you were confirmed? During RCIA? I’ve just been wondering, as I’m in the middle of RCIA, and I already find myself thinking of many things with a distinctly Catholic outlook.
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It would depend on who I am talking to. For some, i would say i was Catholic. Period. But when talking to Catholics I would make it clear I am an RCIA Candidate. If they are really interested, I would tell them that I could have been confirmed last October, but chose to remain with the RCIA class and help the two instructors with the Catechumans. 🙂

But I pray daily: Rosary, Divine Mercy, Psalm 51, Compline, various prayers for the Church Suffering, and more. I now fast and abstain. I am simplifying my life. I donate to Catholic organizations. I try my best to sin no more. I try my best to make amends. I will have to do a lot of penance. 😦

I suppose I will be a REAL Catholic after I do my first confession as an RCIA Candidate. The catechumans get off with a big splash, I’ll have to spend several hours working on 55 years backlog:eek:

All this, and also spoiling 3 senior cats rotten:D
 
Thanks for the answers so far. I don’t really have a lot of people arouund me to ask, as most of the Catholics I know are cradle Catholics (not that I know too many Catholics. Georgia isn’t exactly a hotbed of Catholic activity). It’s just interesting to see how people made their way to the Catholic church, and when they really knew they were Catholic, be it in their heart or officially declared by the Church. As for myself, I feel Catholic in the sense that I have made the firm decision to join the church, and I’ve begun viewing my faith in the light of her teachings. I’ll obviously wait until the Easter Vigil to answer “Catholic” when someone asks my faith, but I’m looking forward to that day.
 
jmcrae said:
It’s been almost six years since I started following Catholicism, and about five and a half since my Confirmation and First Holy Communion, but I still think of myself as a “convert.”

But I definitely think like a “native born” Catholic in most ways, now - I was already using the Sign of the Cross, praying to Saints, praying the Rosary, and attending Mass regularly, even years before I finally got Confirmed, and it’s just been a gradual process of inculturation.

I think, for me, it’s just a much more gradual process. I also have this driving need to understand things before I actually do them, but once I’m there, I’m fully into it. 🙂

Welcome!! 🙂
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I really enjoy reading your posts jmcrae!

I officially converted 4 years ago this December 8th. But I was Catholic (via baptism by desire) the moment I believed 👍
<>
McKevin
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rpp said:
I should add that I am speaking informally here. Of course I knew I was not “Catholic” until the I was admitted into Church at Easter Vigil, after 17 months in the RCIA (that is the length of the program at my parish.)

I think for converts there are two distinct phases of becoming Catholic: realizing you are Catholic at heart (your conversion) and being a professed Catholic (when you are baptized and confirmed).
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I think your right, you become Catholic in your heart first. I like the way you put that.
 
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