Converting to Catholicism Advice?

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BayleeRene

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Hello, my name is Baylee! My boyfriend and his family are Catholic and I’m not religious really. I am very open minded and will have an understanding of every religion. My boyfriend and I have been together a little over two years now, and he would like me to try and convert to his religion. I have no problem with this, so I have been trying to study more about it and understand it more. It has been really difficult to have a perspective from one religion though, and I’m struggling with converting fully. We are going to start trying to go to church together, and he said he’ll start helping me a little more. But I just ask for some advice on making the conversion? Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day! And I apologize greatly if this is in the wrong category!
 
good idea to attend Mass as much as possible, read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (can be found online and kindle), speak with your Priest, attend RCIA, follow Catholic accounts on Twitter, pray, pray, pray, attend Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, ask questions, read and pray some more!

i’m so excited for you to begin this journey!👍
 
My husband was raised Catholic and then fell away from the Church. When we met we were both Pagans and then Atheists. When he decided to return to the Church, I decided to go to a Mass and see what it was all about. I fell in love. I had not felt so peaceful and right in years. So, I began attending every week. After a few weeks the Sister who does RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) classes asked me if I would like to start classes. By then I was firm in my desire to convert, so I said yes.

I wouldn’t convert to any religion for any human, even my husband. I would only convert because I wanted to for me. RCIA is great for persons interested in learning about Catholicism. There is no obligation to convert if you go to class and Masses. Why not find a parish near you and ask to attend RCIA?
 
Only convert if it is what you believe.

When I married my wife she had no intention of converting, which I was okay with as she was a Christian, just not Catholic. But as we’ve studied together, she has felt more convicted and states shes “95% Catholic” now. She’s interested in converting, but she has fears of what her parents would think. We are moving in a couple of weeks, after which I think we are going to look into getting her into meetings with a priest.

For the time being, I would suggest just investigating until you learn more and understand. Try the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis to start with to get an idea of basic Christianity (that which is shared by all Christians), and then try Catholicism for Dummies by Fr. John Trigilio and Fr. Kenneth Brighenti. Then, when you’re ready, try the Catechism of the Catholic Church. RCIA would be a help, but like I said, you might just want to inquire first until you really understand and believe it before seeking to convert. Some people go through RCIA multiple times before converting.

Becoming a Christian, and especially a Catholic, is a big deal (even bigger than getting married IMO), so it should not be done ignorantly.
 
MJJean said:
My husband was raised Catholic and then fell away from the Church. When we met we were both Pagans and then Atheists. When he decided to return to the Church, I decided to go to a Mass and see what it was all about. I fell in love. I had not felt so peaceful and right in years. So, I began attending every week. After a few weeks the Sister who does RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) classes asked me if I would like to start classes. By then I was firm in my desire to convert, so I said yes.

I wouldn’t convert to any religion for any human, even my husband. I would only convert because I wanted to for me. RCIA is great for persons interested in learning about Catholicism. There is no obligation to convert if you go to class and Masses. Why not find a parish near you and ask to attend RCIA?
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When I got engaged a year ago, I did found out that my fiance was Catholic but back then I was not ready to convert til a month and half ago. So, my decision was not based on the fact that he is Catholic but it had to come from the heart. Now, I am ready. Since I have been attending Mass, I, like, MJ here, have had this kind of peace in a long, long time. I felt at home in the Church.

My advice echoes the others… Read the Catechism, Read the scriptures, search out the forum here. I have learned a lot from being on here. Have your fiance help you as well. Pray also!! 👍
 
BayleeRene said:
Hello, my name is Baylee! My boyfriend and his family are Catholic and I’m not religious really. I am very open minded and will have an understanding of every religion. My boyfriend and I have been together a little over two years now, and he would like me to try and convert to his religion. I have no problem with this, so I have been trying to study more about it and understand it more. It has been really difficult to have a perspective from one religion though, and I’m struggling with converting fully. We are going to start trying to go to church together, and he said he’ll start helping me a little more. But I just ask for some advice on making the conversion? Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day! And I apologize greatly if this is in the wrong category!
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Here is my advice.
Pray - and keep on praying.
Take your time.
Read. (Catholicism for Dummies is a good start)
Attend Mass (no communion for now)
Attend RCIA classes (no commitment to convert)
Any questions you have you can ask here at CAF…many good people to help.

Don’t assume you can take in all of the Church’s teachings quickly or easily. The Church is nearly 2000 years old…there is a depth and richness to her teachings that even lifelong Catholics and consecrated religious have found too large to fully digest.

Also - recognize that Catholicism is a lifestyle (or it should be). It is not something one should do lightly. It is a way of thinking and acting. Of course we aren’t perfect at doing this…but we keep trying…👍

Good luck on your journey

Peace
James
 
Welcome! I’m also new to the faith and decided to convert a few months ago. My husband is a cradle catholic and I agreed that we could baptize and raise our daughter in the faith but initially didn’t really plan to convert. So my RCIA experience started out as more of a fact finding mission to understand my husband’s faith more. I guess you can say I’ve read my way into it. If you like to read there is a wealth of information out there to explore. I see other posters have pointed you to C.S. Lewis- he is great. Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and The Great Divorce are my favorites. Also, Scott Hahn has written some very good ones: Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb’s Supper are very good at explaining the Mass. Hahn is a theological professor and a convert from an evangelical background so his scriptural references and resources are spot on as far as I can tell. Surprised by Truth is another good one- I love conversion stories. My background is more Methodist as a child, Lutheran as an adult; so the Catholic church isn’t really a huge leap for me. I love liturgical worship and haven’t really embraced the non-denominational form of worship that seems to be sweeping through my city. Although, to be fair I wasn’t really well grounded in the Protestant traditions either. Go to Mass, read, get a New American Bible- it has the 7 books that were taken out during the Reformation, and pray for understanding. Oh, and be careful with the reading. Unless you have an advanced degree in theology some of the text can be a little overwhelming. I bought a used copy of The Dark Night of the Soul, by St. Thomas, it was a bit too much for me this early on but then I don’t have a background in philosophy or theology. I’ll pray for you and again -Welcome!
 
Hello. 🙂 First off, I would like to point out that you should only convert to Catholicism if you believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church. You shouldn’t convert to it solely because your boyfriend wants you to.

If you want to convert, you should probably contact a nearby parish soon. RCIA starts in a few weeks. 👍
 
You and your boyfriend will benefit greatly from spending time with the Lord Himself. This may be done during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (also known as Holy Hour). Once you are there, ask our Lord to reveal His presence to you. Then, be as patient with Him as He has been with you. To quote Fr. Benedict Groeschel, “Once you are aware that he is there, you will be changed.” You should not convert until and unless you have confidence in all aspects of the faith your are adopting. If understanding is lacking, you should be able to freely give intellectual assent to the teachings of the Church (i.e. I don’t yet understand it, but I agree that it is true).

A great book for you would be Catholicism for Dummies. It is an excellent and easily read and understood reference on Catholic beliefs and the reasons for them.
 
If you invest in a bible, you might try the New Catholic Answer Bible. It includes common questions about Catholic beliefs and practices and directs you to scriptural basis for the belief/practice. It includes the dogmatic Constitution on divine revelation.

Although it’s recommended for new converts or those taking RCIA classes, I’m a cradle catholic and I really like this. It helps The USCCB approved.
 
I recommend that you make to investments that will serve you very well.

One is a copy of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which you can get from the Catholic Answers shop online.

The second is to invest the time in the free course from the Catholic Home Study Service which has a number of excellent courses that one can take.
(You can, if you wish, send them a donation to help cover it. It is thoroughly worth it.)

http://www.amm.org/chss/images/chss3.gif
**WE BELIEVE… A SURVEY OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH **
An explanation of Catholic teaching, cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and following the same structure as the Catechism: Creed, worship, Christian life, and prayer. The course studies belief in God, the Bible, the life and teaching of Jesus, the Church, Mary, the saints, life after death, the Sacraments, moral living, and Catholic prayer. *Foreword by Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia. *
 
JanetF said:
If you invest in a bible, you might try the New Catholic Answer Bible. It includes common questions about Catholic beliefs and practices and directs you to scriptural basis for the belief/practice. It includes the dogmatic Constitution on divine revelation.

Although it’s recommended for new converts or those taking RCIA classes, I’m a cradle catholic and I really like this. It helps The USCCB approved.
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The New Catholic Answer Bible is the one I always recommend as RCIA gifts. It was my first Catholic Bible.
 
BayleeRene said:
Hello, my name is Baylee! My boyfriend and his family are Catholic and I’m not religious really. I am very open minded and will have an understanding of every religion. My boyfriend and I have been together a little over two years now, and he would like me to try and convert to his religion. I have no problem with this, so I have been trying to study more about it and understand it more. It has been really difficult to have a perspective from one religion though, and I’m struggling with converting fully. We are going to start trying to go to church together, and he said he’ll start helping me a little more. But I just ask for some advice on making the conversion? Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day! And I apologize greatly if this is in the wrong category!
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First of all…congradulations in advance.

To your question, there is only one reason to believe in something. That’s because it’s true…right? Afterall, it’s a waste of time and energy believing in things that aren’t true.

As simple as I can say it, one becomes Catholic thereby entering the Catholic Church, because it’s true, and one wants to go to heaven when they die. Jesus the truth, is the reason for our faith and our Church. Since Jesus Son of God and 2nd person of the Blessed Trinity, established the Catholic Church and gave His sacraments and all His promises to her, it’s useless to look elsewhere. There are no knock-offs, and no such thing as seperate but equal organizations to the Catholic Church. Jesus is absolutely faithful to His spouse, the Church He builds. And it is this one Church Outside of which there is no salvation. And that’s from scripture. As you hang around, I’m sure you will have all your questions answered. Prayers ascending for an enjoyable journey into the Church. 👍
 
Like people here have said convert bc you fell the calling, don’t do it out of obligation. Next attend mass, go see how it’s like. I read people mention going to an Eucharist adoration, and I could not agree more.

Also start looking at sites lie scripture catholic, and other catholic apologetic sites that can help you and guide you to why it is what we believe.
 
BayleeRene said:
Hello, my name is Baylee! My boyfriend and his family are Catholic and I’m not religious really. I am very open minded and will have an understanding of every religion. My boyfriend and I have been together a little over two years now, and he would like me to try and convert to his religion. I have no problem with this, so I have been trying to study more about it and understand it more. It has been really difficult to have a perspective from one religion though, and I’m struggling with converting fully. We are going to start trying to go to church together, and he said he’ll start helping me a little more. But I just ask for some advice on making the conversion? Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day! And I apologize greatly if this is in the wrong category!
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Hello,

I think a great book to read would be: “This is the Faith” by Canon Francis Ripley. RCIA classes would also be recommended; however, personally I think if you can find a FSSP priest who could instruct you in the faith then you will be in great hands.

Other than this I would pray and continue to attend Mass (but not receive communion). I would also look up Arch Bishop Fulton J Sheen and listen to his talks, and especially read His book “The Life of Christ”. It is by far one of the greatest books I’ve ever read. To be honest everything this man has written has been amazing.

God Bless you on your journey!
 
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