Converts: How did you break the news?

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OraProNobis

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If you’re a convert to Catholicism (or, for Protestants, “reconciled” with the Catholic faith), how did you break the news to friends, family and co-workers?

For my own part, I e-mailed my sister. It barely registered on her radar screen. :whistle: I wrote my aunt, the widow of a Catholic, and she thought it was great. :dancing:

I have not yet told the guy who I share an office with. He’s a splinter Southern Baptist, farther right than Bob Jones, who still thinks I’m a Bible Church Fundie. Interestingly, faith hasn’t come up as a subject for many months, so I’m waiting for the Holy Spirit to move me on this one. :hmmm:
 
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OraProNobis:
I have not yet told the guy who I share an office with. He’s a splinter Southern Baptist, farther right than Bob Jones, who still thinks I’m a Bible Church Fundie. Interestingly, faith hasn’t come up as a subject for many months, so I’m waiting for the Holy Spirit to move me on this one. :hmmm:
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My family had all died before our conversion so it wasn’t a problem for me. My wife’s aged parents took it hard (still do). We came out plainly and told them-it’s hard to hide something like that when you live in the same small town. Now whenever they get on us about becoming Catholic, we politely excuse ourselves and leave. They’ve been getting better about it lately.

I had a co-worker, an aide in the building where I taught. She was the wife of an indepent Baptist preacher. When she heard that I had converted, she said, “Now, what did you want to go and do something like that for??? Catbolics believe in works righteousness!” I said, “Do you know what is the first thing I do when I go to Mass on Sunday? As I enter my pew, I kneel and look at the crucifix and thank God for the price that was paid to save me.”

She never bothered me after that.
 
My parents are Catholic. They were thrilled. My mom spread the news to my family.
My BIL was a recent convert. He was thrilled too.
My FIL found out when we started RCIA. We received much grief because he is pretty against the Church.
My MIL is fine with it and found out the same way.
Our best friends thought it was intriguing enough to want to look into it themselves but they backed off.
When we told our home church group from our old Church they were stunned. We received some nasty faces and even a challenge to “discuss matters” at a different point in time.
I called the priest from our Episcopal Church and sent a formal resignation letter in case others in the congregation cared to know why.
Most of our other friends found out through the grape vine.

We hear complaints, but I guess we will have to get used to it.
 
When I converted, my son’s Baptist Preacher said I was headed straight for hell and taking my children with me, I pray for him.

Mostly, I just tell people “straight up”. some want to know when I plan on joining a Convent, I think they say this because of my tremendous love for the faith and not being affraid of sharring with all who will listen. 😉 🙂
 
I am a cradle catholic but my wife is a recent convert from a family that comes from a proud mainline protestant tradition. They respected her decision to convert to the catholic faith and stated that it was a good thing for us and our children that we were going to be united in our faith. Still, I know that if they had their choice they would have preferred my conversion to protestantism rather than my wife’s conversion to catholicism.

My wife converted over a year ago, but it’s still a sticky subject with her family. Of course, I don’t shy away from the topic of religion around my in-laws. But I don’t raise the subject either. I respect their religious traditions and they respect ours. Mainly, our disagreements are more political and social than doctrinal.

Peace,
Robert in SD
 
I accidentally let it slip to my mom when a conversation on the Bible came up. I then let it go all the way when I argued the case for the authority of the Magisterium and how Martin Luther and his “sola Scriptura” let open a box of demons!My mom’s SDA church is worried about my salvation now.
 
mm … well it took me two goes at RCIA … the first time my mother sorta freaked out, the second time she realized she’d have to play ‘supportive mother’ if she was going to be someone I talked to about such things.

My mother is a former Catholic, she was 17 and shacking up with my father when they moved 800 miles from her backwards-Catholic family (poor POOR examples of what it means to be Catholic) and she was befriended by some fundie-Protestant-neighbors and started going to church with them … so my siblings and I were raised to dislike everything about Catholics and I was astonished to find out how very wrong my family was.

My mother has since married a nice man who was a poor Catholic as well and promptly converted him to her Southern Baptist ways … even had him reBaptised 'cause the one he had when he was a baby wasn’t good enough. >blah!<

And she’d make comments about her husband’s perfectly lovely mother like “Oh if only she were saved, it’s really such a shame” as IF she gets to decide.

so when I entered RCIA she was more than a little miffed – I went anyway since I wasn’t doing this for her I was doing it for me and my family … I had to learn!

Now members of my family call and ask me questions they know will set me off but I’m attempting to fill myself up with enough knowledge that I can take them down on every angle … in love of course 😉 – I can let them live in their ignorance but when it spills out of their mouths I have to correct it. Can’t help myself anymore!

I always have been a rebel I suppose :cool:
 
My dad found out when one of my kids pulled a rosary out of my purse! He asked…“is that a rosary???” …when I said yes, his next comment was “your grandmother is going to have a stroke!” …dad’s family (and dad) is mostly primitive Baptist.

SV
 
It wasn’t a big surprise to my husband and children. I was reading Catholic books and visiting Catholic websites and even bought a rosary. When I told them they were half way expecting it. My husband took his concerns to his associate Pastor and this young man said simply “Don’t worry about it. If it brings her closer to Jesus its a good thing.” I thank God for that piece of advice because it helped bring harmony to our marriage. I pray for the conversion of that man and his family right along with the conversion of my own family.

Most of the people in my husband’s men’s group knew and only one has had a problem with it but he has gone out of his way to be extra nice to me whenever I see him.

I still have not told my parents or brothers. Its not because I’m afraid…its because my husband has asked me not to. They are fundamentalists and he is afraid that they would cause me constant grief for my decision. I am a cancer survivor and he is quite protective doesn’t want me to endure that. I see no reason to disobey him. I have however come to the conclusion a long time ago that its not my problem if other people have problems with the truth.

They just asked for info for updating the directory at my husband’s church. I filled it out with my husband’s name only. When anyone asks “How long have you been members here?” I answer that Dave is the member . I just come to keep him company but I am a member of Sacred Heart. I also have a little jokes about it being a great ecuemencial movement or how I get a double dose of church as a means to put them at ease if they are uncomfortable about it.

dream wanderer
 
I was working for the Christian Research Institute at the time of my conversion. CRI is a Protestant apologetics organization, best known for the Bible Answer Man radio broadcast hosted by Hank Hanegraaff.

In my letter of resignation, I said that I was leaving CRI, that I was becoming Catholic, and that I was going to work for Catholic Answers. I guess you could say that it shook 'em up. They took it well, though, and I’m still in touch with a few people who work there. They don’t agree with me, but to their credit everyone has treated me with kindness and respect. As for my family, they are nominally Lutheran and for them it was no big deal.
 
I converted in 1985, when my husband returned to the Church, after an eighteen year absence. My Dad, who was always a bit anti-Catholic really didn’t say much about it, and my Mother was very supportative (she was Methodist). No one, in fact, said much about it. It’s a good thing, too, because at that time I really was not well-grounded in the faith, and could not have defended it very well.

I often think of my life as before I bacame a Catholic and after…It has made such a huge difference in my life. Even though I there was much I didn’t understand, joy filled my heart from the first moment…No RCIA, in my case, so I had to learn a lot on my own…I had some help, of course, but most of my real understanding about the Church has come about through my own study…I did get a Master of Arts in Religion, but believe it or not, school is NOT where I “caught” my faith. It came to me through the ministrations of three very good women friends, and my own reading…The journey has been very satisfying and I realize that it will not end in this life.
 
The best way to announce your acceptance of Christ and His Church is to do what Jesus did. Just proudly announce it!

Wear your crucifix, carry your ‘Catholic’ Bible, put a rosary on the mirror in your car and some statues in your garden. Oh, and don’t forget, a crucifix on your wall.

Be proud of your Faith. The martyrs were and you will be too.
 
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Malachi4U:
The best way to announce your acceptance of Christ and His Church is to do what Jesus did. Just proudly announce it!

Wear your crucifix, carry your ‘Catholic’ Bible, put a rosary on the mirror in your car and some statues in your garden. Oh, and don’t forget, a crucifix on your wall.

Be proud of your Faith. The martyrs were and you will be too.
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:amen: , and :blessyou:
 
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kerbear:
I was working for the Christian Research Institute at the time of my conversion. CRI is a Protestant apologetics organization, best known for the Bible Answer Man radio broadcast hosted by Hank Hanegraaff.

In my letter of resignation, I said that I was leaving CRI, that I was becoming Catholic, and that I was going to work for Catholic Answers. I guess you could say that it shook 'em up. They took it well, though, and I’m still in touch with a few people who work there. They don’t agree with me, but to their credit everyone has treated me with kindness and respect. As for my family, they are nominally Lutheran and for them it was no big deal.
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Your conversion (and your wife’s) was the cause of great consternation to one James White, anti-Catholic apologist extraordinaire, who is affiliated with CRI. I have correspondence from JW relating to it (if I can find it). And your conversion was followed by that of White’s own sister (Patty Bonds) and her family. Poor James. He really went ballistic over that!

You can read Patty’s story at chnetwork.org/
Click on “conversion stories,” then scroll down to her name.

JMJ Jay
 
I simply said to my parents: “I’m going to become a Catholic. You might as well get used to it.”

My mother, who was a “fallen-away” Catholic and had not been through the door of a Catholic Church for some 30 years, and my radically anti-Catholic father, who were both VERY displeased, nevertheless came to my profession of faith. The Holy Spirit fell upon my hard-hearted, hate-those-Catholics, hard-shell Baptist father (I kid you not) and before it was over, my mother returned to the Church, my father became a Catholic, and my sister-in-law and brother were also converted. It was an avalanche of grace.

I have one brother who is not (yet) converted.

So, watch out for the Holy Spirit – He falls in the most unexpected places! Thank you God!
 
Amen and Amen…We should all remember to be proud of our Catholic faith…And…When we do these things, we might actually inspire someone to ask a question about our faith…We might spark some curiosity or encourage someone who just needed a nudge.
 
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Katholikos:
Your conversion (and your wife’s) was the cause of great consternation to one James White, anti-Catholic apologist extraordinaire, who is affiliated with CRI. I have correspondence from JW relating to it (if I can find it). And your conversion was followed by that of White’s own sister (Patty Bonds) and her family. Poor James. He really went ballistic over that!
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Maybe James White should get off his high horse and find out what we all know! I think he is so impressed with himself that he can’t see the truth. And you can tell him I said so!

Mary
Cradle Catholic
 
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Mary1973:
I think he is so impressed with himself that he can’t see the truth.
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I’m sure that James sincerely believes that he has the truth. I have no doubt of his love for Christ. I can only imagine how awful it must have been for him when his sister converted.
 
My father had left the Church and my mom was a Baptist. I was 19 and hadn’t yet met the man I was to marry…I broke the news before I had intended because I needed the car to get to my lesson and I had to ask Daddy for the car. He said he’d drop me off to wherever I was going and that’s when I told him…his eyes welled up w/ tears…he wasn’t one to ever show his emotions then he caught himself and said," You realize that this is going to hurt your mother?" I wouldn’t hurt my mother for anything…except this time. I went to her and I told her that I just know that is where I belong and that I might even want to be a nun…and to please not be hurt. She said, “I’m not hurt, I’m proud of you that you are going after what you believe in”. Several years later,(after Daddy died), Mom became a Catholic too! (Daddy did return before he died)🙂
 
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