Convert, Revert, Cradle or growing Catholic?

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homewardbound said:
Convert/Non-Catholic trying to convert fully

I am converted entirely. I’m just waiting for the process. Tried RCIA, but it was at a screwed up parish and I decided I didn’t want to enter the Church that way.

Here’s my conversion story for anyone interested:

Born to two non religious people who cared absolutely nothing for me. By age 5, was adopted by my maternal grandparents cause they had finally found out the physical abuse I was enduring.

I was raised Baptist. “Saved” at age 7, baptized a few months later on Feb. 14th 1993. I loved church, with all the songs and excitement. I was a very devout Baptist as a child. That all changed as my world was shattered at age 13. We were going to what my family saw as a wonderful perfect traditional Baptist church. The whole no pants for women, no dancing, no drinking, kind of place. My youth pastor, who was also the pastor’s son and 6 years older than me, decided to abuse me. This went one for two years. I finally attempted to tell my family and got out enough for them to leave the church. I had fallen into a bad mindset by then and was extremely suicidal and self harming. At 16, I was completely away from God and spent the rest of high school in a haze of illicit activities and a very abusive relationship with a guy who was my first boyfriend.

I went to the farthest university in the state that would accept me. I thought this would help me escape everything. I stopped going to church completely. My freshman year was mainly a haze, as I was just relieved to finally be out of my hometown. Sophomore year I collapsed mentally and by Jan of 06 I was in the psychiatric ward. I flunked out that spring and by the end of the semester I felt the need to escape that place as well. I had attended a Methodist church during that time a few times, and many of the people from there visited me in the hospital and the pastor spoke with me several times. One Sunday, the pastor preached on baptism. About how he was baptized as an infant and how it had a huge impact on his life. They also said the apostles creed, the whole thing. I had never heard it before and was confused by it all.

I transferred to a school closer to home, yet not too close. I mainly transferred there to be closer to a long time friend whom I had recently, on a whim, professed my love to. We’d known each other since we were 14. He was Catholic. Instead of focusing on my past so much, we began to argue about religion. Even though I had fallen away from church, I still knew all about the truth…I thought. After a few weeks of argument I was baffled at how he refuted everything I threw at him…and it made sense! I was angry for awhile, but eventually had to concede to the truth. The truth of Catholicism.

My depression and all the other things I had been diagnosed with completely vanished this past January. I’m not sure what happened to finally get me better and finally begin to forgive myself, but I know it wasn’t anything anyone here on earth did.

I break down at almost every Mass as the Eucharist is given. I love my Lord so much, the agony, all the agony I feel at not being able to receive Him and all the shame I feel at not being able to confess and finally be forgiven for everything just all comes out. I am insanely envious yet feel sorry for all the Catholics at the same time. Envious that they can have what I most desire, and sorry that they are not able to feel such agony for our Lord, its I believe the deepest agony anyone could ever feel.
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Yours in particular, quite moving and inspirational to all!
 
Lance said:
I emailed them and have not gotten a response. To be fair, if they are anything like our parish they are probably loaded with much more important matters and will get to it when they have a chance. It seems that most parish staffs are 2 or 3 people under what they really need. This was 35 years ago and I am sure Father has moved many times since then so it will probably take some time to track him down.
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I think you can also contact the diocese.
 
I’m a cradle Catholic who hasn’t always been the geatest about practising her faith. Many years of on and off attendance, poorly chatechised children, picking and choosing what I want to believe in. I’m still trying to change all of that.
 
And question- when you say contemplative order, is she going to be cloistered, or not?

Yup, she’ll be cloistered, which is something the family really doesn/t understand. It’s hard for her dad and me, too, as they’ll be no more hugs. We’ll get other blessings, though (and a whole new family of “daughters”!). Thanks for asking!🙂
 
I grew up in an agnostic household. My parents were and still are very far away from an active faith. As a matter of fact, until the last couple years, I thought they were atheists. God just was not discussed in my household.

My second husband is a non-practicing Catholic. About 10 years ago, he had become friends with some good Catholics and I suppose you could say that he became nostalgic. He asked me if I wanted to go to an RCIA class and he would go with me to get involved with the Church again. Well, he dropped out after the first class. Too touchy-feely for him and too many expectations (that he would actually be obedient to the Church and to God). I went to RCIA for the whole session and became very excited about my faith. But there were some complications. I had to get an annulment, which was easy, because neither myself nor my former husband had ever been baptized (ironically, he married a Catholic woman and later became baptized in the Church). Anyway, when the “Church” told my current husband he had to annul his first marriage he had a fit–he didn’t want to be told what to do, so he would not cooperate with all the forms you have to fill out for annulments. It’s a very long story, but in short, because he had filled out some paperwork for the RCIA class which described the circumstances of his marriage, we were able to get the marriage annulled by a special process. It had to go all the way to the Vatican for approval. My husband, to this day, wants nothing to do with the Church because of the whole annulment issue. He is completely unwilling to budge on issues of authority and will not submit to anyone other than himself. I pray that will change in the future. However, thanks be to God that my husband ever came up with the idea of me going to RCIA. I had a lengthy period of time, after my baptism, where I lapsed from the Church. But I came back, about three years ago and have been growing in my faith ever since.
 
Zooey said:
👋 Your Friendly Neighborhood Methodist here!!
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What kind of friendly Methodist are you? I could have sworn you were Catholic.

Would you please explain to me what Methodist beliefs you hold that are different from Catholic beliefs?
 
PatienceAndLove said:
I know. I meant in a 25-30 in a diocese
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Church_Militant said:
Man, the Cathedral here in my town is always packed with people coming into the church, and that is only half of the diocese.

People who tell me that the church is failing and that we are losing people must live somewhere else.
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The Diocese of Cleveland rents out the Public Auditorium (city owned) for the Rite of Election (where all the converts sign the book–I might have the name wrong. I went once to be an usher to help seat people at the auditorium, but don’t remember if that is the correct name of the ceremony.). There are too many people to fit into the Cathedral for the ceremony.
 
There are a lot of great conversion stories here.

I’m a cradle Catholic/revert who is trying to grow in my faith. I am hoping to be a saint some day but am pretty far from that right now.

The Catholic Church is the “pearl of great price,” but I had to leave the Church for 28 years to find that out.

I come to CAF because there are people here who like to discuss religion.
 
Just an ex-Episcopalian, and agnostic/athiest. I converted from Episcopalian, to agnostic/atheism, to Deism, and finaly now and forever (God willing) Catholicism, after researching about Medieval history. Not exactly sure how it inspired me (maybe cleared up misconceptions), but I guess God works in mysterious ways. I did more research on Catholicism, started praying, and realized it was the one true faith. I’ve never felt life had more of a purpose until now.

God Bless
 
I’m a “convert” from, believe it or not, searching through European paganism.

The “scriptures” of European paganism led me to the Catholic Faith, so, I’ve embraced it.

Best decision I’ve ever made…
 
Jean_Marie said:
I’m a “convert” from, believe it or not, searching through European paganism.

The “scriptures” of European paganism led me to the Catholic Faith, so, I’ve embraced it.

Best decision I’ve ever made…
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It is amazing how God works.

Thanks for sharing. Your testimony and others surely show to other Christians that it ain’t Satan who brought us to Jesus but Jesus Himself. 👍
 
Ok, long story short, He drew me to the Catholic Church, showed me that He is able to keep His church out of error.
I grew up Southern Baptist in a small town in Kentucky. I ignored God voice and married an un-baptized man I met. I believed him to be saved. After 6 or 7 years (approx.) began attending an Assembly of God church after much prayer (with my children) my husband would not come to church. I began attending a Charismatic Lutheran congregation and loved it there. We moved to another suburb and it was too far away. I pretty much stopped going anywhere or practicing any sort of faith. I finally divorced in 1998.

I began seeing a Catholic man who did not practice his faith for several years. We had in common that we were divorced and enjoyed each other’s company. When he came down with appendicitis, after surgery he moved in and recovered at my house. Yes I knew it was wrong, I allowed it anyway, but I was way out of touch with God, though Praise His Name, He was watching over me.

Once our heavenly Father got my attention again, I began attending a non-denominational church that is pastored by a former catholic. Pete would NOT attend with me, which made me very unhappy. He asked me what was wrong with the Catholic Church, I said I’m not catholic, and didn’t see it happening. (hmm, I was wrong and God has a sense of humor, 😃 ) God is so good and patient. His Holy Spirit knows the best way to draw us. I just could not sit in that non-denom. church. Now a Protestant would say that’s the Holy Spirit convicting me of my living in sin out of marriage. But mostly it was the Holy Spirit showing me the way home. He kept showing me this Catholic Church in our neighborhood. I finally looked the church up online and got the schedule. From the online bulletin, I saw that “this” Catholic Church was different from what I’d heard about in my “journey” The Holy Spirit started with, go here and pray. I told Pete to pick out which mass he wanted to attend because we were going to start going and that was IT. He took a deep breath, swallowed hard and said 11:00 am. We’ve been going ever since.

Once attending, I found out that I should not be partaking in communion. Now that wasn’t setting too well with me that even though I’ve known Him for most of my life, I was not in full communion. I read in the bulletin that there was a Wednesday night prayer and sharing meeting. (Let’s just say the Holy Spirit pointed it out} He knows what He’s about. I guess what caught my eye was the " bring your Bible" part of the note. Deacon Charlie and his wife Janet conducted the meeting. Let’s just say that was the real beginning of my conversion to God’s Holy Church.

So much for the short version, huh. Pete and I married in July 2006 in a non-catholic ceremony, (I know, I know, I know I just could not be with him and not be married anymore.) My annulment has been granted still waiting for Pete’s, almost there (in fact his has gone through once approved and going through the review.) We will get the marriage blessed or convalidated as soon as possible. We are not partaking in the Eucharist, we wait, attend the mass. We are still on our journey, that’s my story. I’m far from perfect and rely on God’s mercy and the church’s charity.
 
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