My limited contribution to the question is from the perspective of a former Calvinist who became a Catholic convert after visiting a Benedictine monastery and who became an oblate and then a Catholic.
As you may know, Catholic Benedictine monasteries often have oblates who are not Catholic — that fact and other Benedictine practices help give the Benedictines their reputation for ecumenism and outreach to the wider Christian world.
Our oblate classes at the monastery have about 25% Catholic converts and about 5% non-Catholics.
With that background, it might be assumed that the Benedictine oblate outreach to the wider Christian world of Baptists, Methodists, etc. would have a “watered-down” version of Catholic practices to “appeal to” and “be relevant” to non-Catholics. “Gotta speak their language.”
And it might also be assumed that the non-Catholics who are drawn to the Benedictines and the Catholic Church are on the margins and fringes of their particular Protestant denominations — the people who might not be steeped in the Bible study and Sola scriptura (“by scripture alone”).
But in my experience with one Catholic Benedictine monastery — both such assumptions are incorrect.
First, the monastery tends to be traditional even though its Masses are in English and the monastery is getting more traditional in its Benedictine practices of the daily divine office (
example of the divine office – liturgy of the hours – for those who have never heard of the term).
Second, the non-Catholics who become oblates and those who go on to become Catholic converts tend to have years of Bible study and were active and deeply committed to their Protestant denominations.
These converts
sought MORE from their life as a Christian, not less. They feel the Bible truth they learned well must surely lead to a fuller life in God’s Church, not a lesser one. That leads them to the deep spirituality of the ancient Benedictine practices at the monastery and then, into the Catholic Church as they learn of its rich and beautiful heritage.
So, based on the Catholic converts I know, the converts tend to be more traditional than the typical Catholic — the Catholic convert oblates tend to like the Latin mass, like the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, and like the reverence of tradition although there is also a good percentage who do like Mass in English while liking the beauty of traditional practices.
The one thing all these converts agree on is the desire for
deep spirituality in the fullness of the Catholic Church. That’s what tends to make them more traditional.
And congratulations on your RCIA and coming home to Christ’s one true Church! You are on the right track.
