CONVERTS, do you have a moment?

[Adeimantus4]

I think the “moment” for me when I started considering Catholicism as a valid option (raised in a Oneness Pentecostal type church) was when I was reading a Reader’s Digest book titled After Jesus. I was intrigued at how Catholic the early church seemed. Also, reading C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and Cardinal Newman’s Apologia Pro Vita Sua around this time helped (didn’t completely “get” the latter until years later, but it intrigued me). A few years before reading these books, I had a sudden urge to pray for the Pope–somewhat out of the blue–although it didn’t really go anywhere at this time. So, I will be baptized and received into the church this Easter vigil.

 

[EIF5A]

I think the “moment” for me when I started considering Catholicism as a valid option (raised in a Oneness Pentecostal type church) was when I was reading a Reader’s Digest book titled After Jesus. I was intrigued at how Catholic the early church seemed. Also, reading C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and Cardinal Newman’s Apologia Pro Vita Sua around this time helped (didn’t completely “get” the latter until years later, but it intrigued me). A few years before reading these books, I had a sudden urge to pray for the Pope–somewhat out of the blue–although it didn’t really go anywhere at this time.** So, I will be baptized and received into the church this Easter vigil.**

God bless you! (I hope to do the same next Easter.)

 

[steymard]

My “moment” was at night after I read “Rome Sweet Home” earlier that day. I sat in my room, thinking of my little protestant evangelical denomination…it differed on this or that point with most Christians in the world. So I thought, did that mean that I expected when I went to Heaven for God to point to me and the people in my denomination as the People Who Got It Right? Well, I realized that was implicit in my belief…yet - here was the moment - how did I know my denomination did Get It Right? Well, with a sudden and chilling clarity, I realized I had no way.

I’d actually remembered thinking this many years before when I was in my early teens, but I remember never following through on it, laying it aside. Now it came back to me, and suddenly it was as if a void opened up under me, a hellish chasm of doctrinal agnosticism. Many former Christians had also gone down this road. But thanks be to God, I had just read Rome Sweet Home. And I believed in the reality of Jesus Christ too strongly to give up without doing my best to find doctrinal certainty about Him. Might the Catholic Church have the answer? From that day on I devoured literature on Catholicism, the Early Church Fathers, early Church history, followed endless rabbit trails on Catholic apologetics comment boxes (haha), and found myself simply persuaded.

But it began with that first terrifying question I posed to myself: how did I know that what I believed about Christian doctrine was right? Now I’m across the Tiber sitting on the firm tripod of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium.

 

[charitydawn725]

I had several moments that really stick out to me. The first came on Christmas Day at midnight mass. I had been curious about Catholicism for a while, as my boyfriend was born and raised Catholic and is very passionate about his faith. Raised in a protestant(specifically baptist) church, I was used to a casual atmosphere with some Christian contemporary music played at the beginning, a heartfelt sermon, and a collection and announcements near the end. The traditional Latin midnight mass I went to was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever experienced. As I knelt down in the pew, I listened to the choir’s incredible voices, the liturgy, and the priest’s wonderful sermon. I didn’t understand the consecration, the words, genuflections, or most of the other liturgical and symbolic actions, but I could feel the reverence and respect for God and the amazement of the sacrifice that was made for us on the cross. I didn’t understand much about Catholicism, but I knew that the experience had been life-changing.

My second “moment” came as I compared that mass to the protestant Christmas eve service I attended earlier that evening. Both groups of people seemed fully intent on worshipping God to the best of their ability, but when I compared to Gregorian chant to the drum-filled version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” and the liturgy, sacrifice, and reverence of the mass to the chattering of the congregation before and during the service, I couldn’t help but feel that something didn’t quite feel right anymore in the church I was attending.

My final moment occurred a few months after. I had learned a lot more about the doctrines of Catholicism and about the mass itself. I realized in a split second that I wanted to go to mass. It didn’t feel like an obligation or a requirement like my old church did at times. I wanted to feel Jesus’ presence and love, the feeling of forgiveness, the feeling of peace that filled me throughout the day, and most of all, I wanted to show respect and honor someone who made the greatest sacrifice of all for me.
I’ve still got a lot of questions and several doubts about converting, but those three moments stand out strong enough to overpower any doubts

 

[Itineris]

I was attending one of those Evangelical ‘mega churches’ until about 1 year ago. For a number of reasons I was getting increasingly uncomfortable with the contemporary-style worship service, which was getting more and more unstructured and informal.

One defining moment was when communion was served (which was only once/month). The pastor didn’t want to impose any prayer on us of force us to take communion in any certain way. So as they passed the tray with wafers and grape juice we were to just consume it however we wanted.

It suddenly dawned on me that they weren’t taking communion very seriously. Then the band cranked up the loud music and everyone stood up clapping, waving their hands, and singing. I felt cheated out of having that few moments of quiet prayer and reflection with our Lord. Within a few months I was signed up for the RCIA class at a terrific Catholic parish.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

I think my moment happened when I was reading a book about Catholicism. I’d been in RCIA for a few weeks, and still wasn’t sure whether or not it was for me. But as I was reading a chapter about the saints I felt moved, and knew at that moment that I would become a Catholic. It was a wonderful, powerful experience

 

[The_Question_1]

My moment was when I was thinking about my next career. I am getting out of the military and I was lost for a while. I started to ask myself what I wanted to do with my life. From there I started looking at different career paths but I got the sense that isn’t what I should be worried about. Then I started looking at my spiritual life. I attended church and read my Bible but it was more out of habit than love. I wasn’t even sure what I professed to believe as a protestant, outside of Jesus dying for my sins. I started to try to find a written record of what my protestant church believed, but it didn’t exist. Then I started to look for protestant role models, but I didn’t find any that stood out to me. Then I ran across St. Francis. His story jumped out at me and I knew that I wanted the kind of relationship he had with God. So I decided I would take a look at Catholicism. I found the CCC and read the entire thing, cover to cover. I found that it spoke the truth to me in a way I had never experienced before. I signed up for RCIA and was recieved into the church one year ago. I am continuing on in my discernment and am hoping to enter a cloistered religious community sometime early next year. God is good!

 

[DAML72]

Sometimes it’s not passionate theological debates that shifts the position of people who are against Catholicism. Sometimes it’s just a poignant…moment.

Will you share yours?

Example: I was a new Christian, going from church to church, never fully comfortable in any. I was studying scripture voraciously. My Reformed Episcopal Priest said to me, in conversation : “I love Protestant theology”. :newidea: That was a “moment” for me, when something shifted. Because I realized at that very moment the crux of my problem: I did NOT love Protestant theology. This sent me in an entirely new direction…

That was a very significant moment for me personally.

Please, folks, this is not a place for debate or judgment. I would just really love to hear your “moments” when something shifted…

Thank you in advance for sharing.

God bless

I had a few ‘moments’. I think the first was when I was about 7 or 8 years old and we took a trip to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and I felt compelled to light a candle.

Another was when I was in a place when I was very confused about what God wanted for me with regard to my failed marriage. I had been out of it a long time, but hadn’t healed. I never wanted the divorce and had a hard time coming to terms with it. I tried to move on to another relationship, etc. I was even with a man for 3 years and we were engaged. But it didn’t feel right and I had ended that relationship and decided I was going to try to live my life according to the Gospel because I had screwed it up so much, I figured I should just turn things over to God. I was in a very bad place emotionally because for about a year or so, I had been thinking that perhaps the Holy Spirit was calling me to stand firm in my marriage - to wait for my husband. I prayed for a particular sign about this. Then I found out that all along he had been lying to me and that there actually had been another woman - someone who was also married and who he held out to be just a friend to my children. My children had become close with her and even her husband. It was a nightmare. Then my ex did something cruel to me, and while I was in the midst of seething with anger and pain, I received that sign that I had asked for. That confused me very much. Then the holy spirit led me to an old friend who witnessed to me. There is much more to the story, but I asked him and his family to pray for me and my confusion. Not long after, I found myself in the middle of a Catholic book store, wondering what I could find to be of use in my faith journey, and my eyes landed on a book entitled, ‘Catholics and Divorce’. That led me to look into whether I could finally get peace through the Catholic church on the issue of my marriage. From that point on, there were a lot of ‘ah-ha’ moments.

But another compelling moment was after receiving an anointing for past hurts at a service at our parish. I received that anointing and felt such a sense of peace and love - I got into my car and just bawled my eyes out for 10-15 minutes after that. What a release and a relief! I think that was the point in my discernment when I knew for sure where I needed to be. All the intellectual stuff got sorted out with the help of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Cricket2]

Sometimes it’s not passionate theological debates that shifts the position of people who are against Catholicism. Sometimes it’s just a poignant…moment.

Will you share yours?

Example: I was a new Christian, going from church to church, never fully comfortable in any. I was studying scripture voraciously. My Reformed Episcopal Priest said to me, in conversation : “I love Protestant theology”. :newidea: That was a “moment” for me, when something shifted. Because I realized at that very moment the crux of my problem: I did NOT love Protestant theology. This sent me in an entirely new direction…

That was a very significant moment for me personally.

Please, folks, this is not a place for debate or judgment. I would just really love to hear your “moments” when something shifted…

Thank you in advance for sharing.

God bless

My “moment” was my near death experience at the age of 4. Prior to that event I did not even know there was a God. In a way still mysterious too me, my NDE allowed me to understand that though there were many religions I had to be Catholic. All the while I was growing up (after this experience) I was very sensitive to the spirituality of different churches if I got to visit them. I always felt that something was missing, but could not identify what that was.

When I was 9 years old I got to go to a Catholic wedding. It was during the Mass that I came to realize what was missing: The Eucharist. During the consecration (I did not know that this is what this part of the Mass was. I only knew the priest said:This is the body/blood of Christ.) I realized that the missing aspect in the other churches was the Body and Blood of Christ. Even though my family was not Catholic, and many were actually anti-Catholic or atheist, I wanted to ask the priest to take me away and put me in a “convent.” I was saddened by the idea that I had to stay with my family first.

 

[Took2Long]

I don’t know that I would describe it as a moment. I remember when I had a moment and knew I had been touched by the Holy Spirit. As far as Catholicism is concerned, I had a slower, more analytic approach to the subject. I grew up “unchurched”. I was never a member of any religious affiliation, and I was never baptized (until the Easter Vigil last week, that is!).

When it came time for me to seek a church to express what I was feeling, I read, studied, and prayed for guidance. The answer to me was to start with the oldest of the Christian churches. Keep in mind, I was ignorant of all religious traditions. I asked myself a simple question. If I am going to choose Protestanism over Catholicism, “What am I protesting?” So the search for me began by trying to first understand Catholicism. After a careful study of Catholicism, I couldn’t find anything to protest. A year of RCIA and studying additionally on my own, allowed me to see the truth of the Catholic church. So for me at least, there wasn’t a “love at first sight” moment-I took my time and fell deeply in love with the Catholic faith.

 

[ericc]

God bless you for knowing how wrong this was!

What a shame that happened. In a Catholic parish?

I tell Catholics all the time that I am a convert. They think it’s great. They also tell me I probably know more than them about the Church (which isn’t true) and how much they enjoy the new Catholics.

How I wish I could convert some but I got no track record to speak of.

I am not sure why people bother to keep track who was born Catholic or not. At the end of the day, it is those who persevere will be saved , not by how “blue” one’s blood is. In my church where there are folks passing though town frequently, it is pretty difficult to know who was born Catholic or whose parents were Catholic. (That is the great thing about Catholicism. Every Catholic Church you find yourself in, you are at home. US, Australia, Asia, some small little village you happen to be passing thru etc). I am third generation but I don’t feel any more special than the person in the next pew. Remember the first prayer of the mass is the “I Confess”. Every one is in the same boat.

Nevertheless, there are always folks who for whatever reasons like to segregate people in neat little compartments. Ignore them. That won’t bring you closer to heaven.

 

[The_Question_1]

How I wish I could convert some but I got no track record to speak of.

I am not sure why people bother to keep track who was born Catholic or not. At the end of the day, it is those who persevere will be saved , not by how “blue” one’s blood is. In my church where there are folks passing though town frequently, it is pretty difficult to know who was born Catholic or whose parents were Catholic. (That is the great thing about Catholicism. Every Catholic Church you find yourself in, you are at home. US, Australia, Asia, some small little village you happen to be passing thru etc). I am third generation but I don’t feel any more special than the person in the next pew. Remember the first prayer of the mass is the “I Confess”. Every one is in the same boat.

Nevertheless, there are always folks who for whatever reasons like to segregate people in neat little compartments. Ignore them. That won’t bring you closer to heaven.

I don’t think the purpose of this thread was to segregate anyone. I think the idea was for those of us who converted to share our stories and hopefully inspire those who are on the fence about converting. Coming from experience I can say it’s nice to hear about those who have done it before you, especially when you are from a family that is strictly anti-Catholic. Perhaps it would be better to approach all of the threads with a spirit of generosity and assume that the poster means what they say in a positive way until they clarify that they don’t.

 

[AveMariaConvert]

So, Hey!
My name is Chloe, but I was baptised Mary for Our Lady who I do REALLY love!!
I am a Catholic Convert (28/2/2012) and was Baptised on the 19th of April 2014

In my family, my parents are strong atheists. My mother and Father, like most parents today are not together anymore. My grandparents were Baptist Christians and I went to church with then occasionally but not always and it didn’t mean much to me. Last year, I started my second school and we had a chaplain there. I went to the chapel at the school to meet him and he explained the basics of the Christian faith. Over time, we read the bible together, discussed and debated and so much more. He introduced me to prayer and I will never go back!

I was first of all going to be baptised into his church (which was Anglican communion) but had doubts. I searched around, looking at every church then I prayed. I prayed harder than I ever did before and meditated on the crucifixion. I thought I heard a voice telling me to be a Catholic and I never went back! So that is my testimony!!!

God Bless You All!

 

[Brandall]

How I wish I could convert some but I got no track record to speak of.

I am not sure why people bother to keep track who was born Catholic or not. At the end of the day, it is those who persevere will be saved , not by how “blue” one’s blood is. In my church where there are folks passing though town frequently, it is pretty difficult to know who was born Catholic or whose parents were Catholic. (That is the great thing about Catholicism. Every Catholic Church you find yourself in, you are at home. US, Australia, Asia, some small little village you happen to be passing thru etc). I am third generation but I don’t feel any more special than the person in the next pew. Remember the first prayer of the mass is the “I Confess”. Every one is in the same boat.

Nevertheless, there are always folks who for whatever reasons like to segregate people in neat little compartments. Ignore them. That won’t bring you closer to heaven.

With the Catholic Church being pummeled in popular media, of all forms, it is nice to see that people are coming into the church. The fact that I converted from Baptist, of my own free will (not a marital conversion), makes people stop and think. To the non Catholics, they might be curious about what I saw in the Church. To the fallen away or stagnant Catholics, it may make them remember what the church is and encourage them to find it again.

I’ve heard a couple of people mention they were cradle Catholics in an attempt to act superior about it. That just doesn’t bother me. I know for a fact that I now know more than most cradle Catholics about the Church. I feel special that God led me to the Catholic Church and made it clear that’s where he wanted me. There are a lot of cradle Catholics that don’t appreciate the mass and from what I’ve read and heard, a lot of them don’t even understand it. That is just a huge shame because from the first mass I went to as an adult, I knew there was something special about it. Now that I have a bit more understanding about it, it is even more special.

 

[Melchizedek89]

Christ is Risen!

I converted from Roman Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy and I’m new to the CA Forums… is it appropriate for me to post the reasons here?

Thank you!

 

[vz71]

Christ is Risen!

I converted from Roman Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy and I’m new to the CA Forums… is it appropriate for me to post the reasons here?

Thank you!

I do not see why not.
The question is to converts. The amount of conversion was not defined.

Besides, every conversion to the church is a story worth celebrating.

 

[bmhatch]

I was the kind of person that had a lot of anxiety and insomnia. I spent most of my time searching for something more. I didn’t grow up with any religion in my life. I didn’t even know that I was searching for God. I had a child when I was a senior in high school, married the father, divorced the father. Married another man when I was 23. Divorced him when I was 24. I followed one party to the next. I was married again when I was 30. When I turned 34 I gave birth to another daughter. From the miracle of that birth that I was truly present in, I knew that God had given me a precious gift and I knew that God was good. I soon realized that I needed more than just that epiphany. When my daughter was 4 I had the good fortune to be good friends with a Catholic family. I started to attend Mass with them. The feeling of peace that I felt during Mass was incredible, the only other place I felt that peace was when my daughter was in my arms. I just knew then that Jesus was actually present in the Catholic Church. After the Our Father when people give each other peace, I actually felt it coming to me, I still get a huge grin on my face every mass when we do this. I started to attend RCIA, moved and continued RCIA and was baptized in the Easter Vigil 2014. It is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

 

[Janis_F]

My moment was returning to the Catholic Church after about five years away.
I was estranged from all religion after a divorce, but began to feel that I was missing something, so I started experimenting. I settled on a UCC congregation that had lots of good music and powerful sermons that always ended with an appeal for a generous collection. I went to a few classes that explained how this particular church was founded, and went through the initiation ceremony, which ended with communion–the first I experienced there. Communion was chunks of bread in a bowl passed around, and grape juice in little cups. It suddenly occurred to me…where were the sacraments? What was I doing there? Then it dawned on me that I needed to come home.

 

[LisaA]

My moment was returning to the Catholic Church after about five years away.
I was estranged from all religion after a divorce, but began to feel that I was missing something, so I started experimenting. I settled on a UCC congregation that had lots of good music and powerful sermons that always ended with an appeal for a generous collection. I went to a few classes that explained how this particular church was founded, and went through the initiation ceremony, which ended with communion–the first I experienced there. Communion was chunks of bread in a bowl passed around, and grape juice in little cups. It suddenly occurred to me…where were the sacraments? What was I doing there? Then it dawned on me that I needed to come home.

Janis when I was a Protestant I didn’t get “what’s the big deal about Communion?” because as you said it was NOT a big deal. I was a Methodist and communion (small c) was once a month, grape juice and bread chunks. We’d sort of wander up the aisle, chatting with friends, no feeling of the sacredness of the moment. Once I converted I saw what I’d been missing.

Welcome back Home

Lisa

 

[ArchAngeles]

Janis when I was a Protestant I didn’t get “what’s the big deal about Communion?” because as you said it was NOT a big deal. I was a Methodist and communion (small c) was once a month, grape juice and bread chunks. We’d sort of wander up the aisle, chatting with friends, no feeling of the sacredness of the moment. Once I converted I saw what I’d been missing.

Welcome back Home

Lisa

LisaA, we meet again! At my UMC we had communion (small “c”) every week. It was my favorite part of every service. Our communion was treated pretty reverently but even so, like you I felt there was more to it and that something was missing (it was missing the real presence!).

As far as my “moment,” there were many on this long and wonderful path, but the one that finally got me to step foot in a Catholic Parish for the first time was my wife. After trying one protestant church after another and not finding what I was looking for, my wife said if I was looking for a traditional church, try the Catholic Church, there’s nothing more traditional than that!

I took her advice and now, quite some time later, I should be Confirmed at this Easter Vigil.