Calling the Converts and Reverts!

[DiscerningTheTruth]

I would love to hear your conversion/returning home stories!

 

[Usige]

I’ve told my story many times here, but you can find a version here:

How long did it take you to convert to Catholicism? Traditional Catholicism

Well I always say about 12 hours, but maybe it was not quite that quick. Here is the (kinda) quick story. My wife received the sacraments of initiation in 2004 with my oldest daughter. During the time I was an apostate Presbyterian that didn’t realize how anti-Catholic I was until my wife said when was going to be one. For the next 2.5 years I belittled my wife, by reading her books and saying things like “you seriously believe this s***?” In October 2006 we went on a Marriage Encounter weeken…

 

[Neithan]

At a critical point in my life, I came across a little old book and read this opening line, by Fr. Walter Farrell, OP: “Life must be lived, even for those who don’t have the courage to face it.” Some stunning truths were revealed to me in that little book. It inspired me to read a lot more. Two years later, with the gracious guidance of a good pastor, I was confirmed into the Catholic Church.

 

[DrawNearToGod]

My conversiom centers around what I believe to be a private revelation, which is unapproved and so isn’t allowed to be discussed here. But I’d like to hear others stories.

 

[Justin_Mary]

I was baptized Catholic, but never made it to first communion due to my parents splitting up.

Lived as a Pagan from 7 to 21. I believed there was a god, but that god was not interested in me in any way whatsoever.

Then when my first daughter was born I experienced true love for the first time. I knew it was real & came from somewhere. I had to study what I thought love was in all the ways I’ve experienced it & relate it to what I felt that first morning I saw that baby who owed me nothing, could do nothing for me, who I wanted nothing from, other than to just be.

I looked at many Christian traditions, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Jewish tradition & Catholicism (which I was trying to avoid) seemed right, as our God is the God who established order out of Chaos & Jesus is the only reason that makes sense from Genesis to Apocalypse.

If I, who am wicked, were God & could do everything & anything for that little girl, would I not give her the world?

 

[Penitent60]

Determined as a teen to find my own damnation…which I did. Studied Buddhism on the night shift at my little private hospital where I was often on my own. The house doctor would come on by for coffee and a sit. I discovered he was a devout trad catholic and we talked…religion, philosophy and the meaning of life. I returned to the church after about 30 years…it has been my salvation.

 

[ProdigalDaughter96]

I was born in a rather messy family (that’s all I’m going to say) when my mom was 17. At the time, she didn’t want me baptized, despite how both maternal and paternal grandparents protests. My favorite grandmother (biological father’s side) started taking me to Mass when I was very young. Fast forward when my mom married my adoptive father.We weren’t what I consider the gold standard Catholic family, but we still attended Mass occasionally. Despite me asking why I was never baptized, and wanting to, nothing came to fruition besides me attending some Catechism classes.Fast forward to me living with my grandparents again after my parent’s divorce. I was in high school when we started attending a church nearby and told my grandparents I was interested in getting baptized. This was after my favorite grandmother passed away. In 2012, I finally came home, despite me only doing it because my grandmother would’ve wanted it. This was a month before I turned 16 (now 23 going on 24). From that time until now, I really struggled with my faith. I was a good kid in school, but rebellious when it came to faith. It wasn’t until I met someone who came to my church in 2015, and stayed for 3 short, but wonderful years. This man used to be the deacon of my church before being transferred to another parish He made me see my faith in a whole new faith, and now I’m becoming more active in my church. I went from being a bipolar Catholic to a grateful found sheep

 

[drac16]

I came across the fact that Jesus did in fact claim to be God. In Mark 2, Jesus forgives a man of his sins. I was taught that this doctrine was made up by christians, hundreds of years after Jesus left this earth. Moreover, I got tired of Shariah because you basically have to earn your way to Paradise. Your merits have to be good enough and your deeds numerous enough.

I fell in love with the idea that God came to visit His creation and took upon Himself the penalty that we all deserve. Being satisfied with Christ and having peace with God is beyond what I thought ever existed. Islam cannot give you peace because it’s basically a treadmill. You have to keep working so that God will love you. That leads to either pride or despair, though. Praise God for the cross!

 

[redal]

I would love to hear your conversion/returning home stories!

I don’t understand the whole concept of “Convert” and “Revert”, since in my mind, conversion is the turning away from sin and turning to God, and not the important but simple act of coming into full communion with our Catholic faith and Church.

So with that said, I, like every single practicing Catholic, am a convert…“Cradle Catholic” or one entering full communion at a later age, or returning are all “converts”, and if they are not, they do not understand the importance that once entering into the Catholic faith, conversion, by necessity continues.

To say otherwise is to subscribe to the theology that is not Catholic that “once saved always saved”, and for those of us who were “born into the faith” this is an important realization.

Peace to all, and Rejoice in the Lord Always!

 

[LouLouTyson]

I was raised Baptist, and lived a very sheltered life. In my early twenties, I went with a friend to a local mission here in California. I absolutely loved how it felt there. I found myself wandering through the rose garden there, and ended up sitting on a bench in front of a beautiful Mary statue. My friend joined me soon after.

Now, going back to my sheltered upbringing here, I mentioned to my friend how wonderful it felt there. And then I asked, “But why are people Catholic? Weren’t Protestants here before Catholics were?” (Yeah, I know. Laugh it up, lol.) She looked at me like I’d grown another head and said, “No. The Catholics were here first. They’ve been here since Jesus.” And for me, that was all it took. I had to unlearn a lot that I had been taught of the Catholic faith, but my goodness, did I fall hard for our beautiful faith. And I can’t help but think that Mary had a hand in it, too!