Hi, thanks for welcoming me!
I don’t really have an interesting or fascinating story.
I started searching for God since I was seven years old. I knew something was out there, but I wasn’t sure what. I had questions and doubts, though I never became atheistic. I called myself a Christian throughout my children because I liked Christmas.
My first time learning about God was when I attended a Bible Study session with the Jehovah’s Witnesses when I was eleven. They always passed out reading materials and were very persistent – they would continually knock on people’s doors and ask to share their faith. My understanding of Christianity came from their perspective, which was very confusing, but I accepted their interpretations because I didn’t know any others.
Since I live in a province where Catholic schools are funded by the citizens’ taxes, I chose to attend a Catholic school and learn more about Jesus. From my high school education, I learned the basics about Catholicism; however, I rejected the Catholic faith due to the influence of my Presbyterian friend, the portrayals of the Church on TV, and a lack devout Catholics in my school. Until I turned sixteen, I was convinced I was going to either be a Presbyterian, Lutheran or non-denominational Christian. They’re pretty common misconceptions: Church is man-made; all you need is the Bible; Catholics worship Mary; priests have no authority; Catholics oppress women; nuns whip children with sticks, etc.
Luckily, I did some of my own research and found the Catholic Answers website, which cleared up every misconception I had about the Church and introduced me to other truths about the faith. Everything started making sense to me, and I felt like God was calling me to be Catholic and to join His Church. Since I will be eighteen years old by the end of this month, I was allowed to register for RCIA classes without my parents’ permission. They already told me they would not accept me becoming a Christian, so I have been secretly attending RCIA sessions and I will receive my Sacraments of Initiation without them knowing. It’s a major risk, but it’s worth it. My friends either don’t care or think it’s a joke. I fear that my family will disown me and cut ties with me – all money in my bank account is going towards my university education, so I am scared of being kicked out and left to financially support myself. If you’re reading this, please pray for me. Anyways, what’s your story?
