Cradle Or Convert

[tobinatorstark]

Born and raised Catholic. Both Mom and Dad were both born and raised Catholic. Both Grandfathers were born and raised Catholic. Dad’s dad left the church in 1972. Grandpa Stark’s parents were both born and raised Catholic. Great-Great grandparents were born and raised Catholic, Great-Great-Great Grandparents were born and raised Catholic. Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents were born and raised Catholic. My Great-Grandmother’s parents were born and raised Catholic and my Great-Great-Grandfather’s parents were born and raised Catholic. That is just on my dad’s side. On Mom’s side her dad was born and raised Catholic and his parents were born and raised Catholic as well as my Great-Grandfather’s parents. I guess I am pretty much cradle Catholic all around.

 

[CradleCath]

Thank you for your kindness. The process took about three years and was mostly a “dark night” experience of disillusionment at the shallow ranting of the evangelicals and the total lack of any contemplative sensitivity. It is highly unpleasant to lose a sense of calling. Retrospectively I can see that the path was well in God’s hands. I was finding solace in Thomas Merton, Therese of Liseaux, St. Francis of Assisi but it didn’t actually occur to me that I might convert.

To make a long story short I did a retreat at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky two years later where, **oddly enough, the parish priest from the university that I was on my way to for graduate school was also on retreat. ** I told Father Charlie about my struggles and he simply accepted me as I was and said that I would be welcome at his parish.

Just accepted and welcomed.

T.C.

Odd, yes…surprising no. God puts the right people in our path, when He’s ready. I’m so happy for you. Are you still a member of Father Charlie’s parish?

 

[CradleCath]

Grateful convert to the True Faith! It has been a rocky, twisting, turning, road but I finally made it home to the true Church of Christ, which is Catholic. Both sets of grandparents remained members of the Church of Christ denomination until they departed this world. My parents, when they attended church which was not very often at all, went to the same. I was “saved” when I was about eight years old at a Baptist Church with my then best friend. We were both driven to tears by the preacher talking about the suffering that Jesus endured for us. I never went back to that church though.

Fast forward to age 19. Fresh out of school, no direction, no plan, no clue. At a wild party at my bachelor pad a buddy of mine had borrowed my truck to make a beer run and accidentally ran into the bikers car next door and didn’t bother telling anyone about it. After everyone except my sister left, a knock comes on the door. I opened the door and was dragged outside and slammed up against the wall with a knife up to my throat for the incident that I knew nothing about. I have never been a violent person and always avoided conflict (my Dad never was around enough to let any manliness rub off on me) so I prayed the stereotypical prayer: “Dear God, please help me out of this alive and I swear I will change my ways!” My 16 yr. old sister is jumping on them and swinging at them to protect me while I am praying for God’s mercy and examining myself to determine if I am ready to meet my maker. The bikers start laughing so hard they finally just left us alone.
Next day these Baptists come knocking on my door. I’m home alone still trying to understand what happened last night. They come in and I take that as a sign that God is still answering my prayer for help. I was converted that day and joined another Baptist Church. My new friends gave me a Bible and told me to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to reveal all truth to me as I read the New Testament. This I did. Then I started asking questions like, “What ever became of Jesus’ Mother, Mary?” and “Where are the successors to the Apostles?”. No one could answer these questions for me and I started felling like an outcast. The straw that broke the camels back was when I told my new friend, when we were taking communion that day,“We are about to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion!” He corrected me on the spot rather harshly and said that Catholics believe that and proceeded to tell me other things that he thought the Church taught.

I left the Baptist church and fell in with some charismatic evangelicals. I tried several churches and came out felling so empty. I gave up and told God “I have tried to find Your church but it doesn’t seem to exist anymore so what am I supposed to do? I quit! If I find it along the way I will return.” I was 21, still no direction, no plan, no clue.

9 yrs later I have a wife and two children. I have always had a guilt ridden conscience. I knew that I was responsible for my children’s souls so I HAD to find the True Church. An old evangelist friend of mine had become disillusioned with the Faith Movement and was searching. He was having a book study at his house and the name of the book was “Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up?” written by an ex JW who became an Anglican priest. Within this book he examines some of the early Church Fathers. St Ignatius of Antioch, St Justin Martyr, St Polycarp of Smyrna! I began attending the local Episcopal church and even praying the divine office with the priest. He gets me praying the Hail Mary and the Hail Holy Queen.

Against the priests advice, I join an independent Catholic group who split from Rome because of the changes, but they have nuns and all of the trappings. Besides, when I went to the local diocesan church the priest had no interest in speaking to me and the Mass just seemed like a catholicized protestant service, in my mind.

Well after dealing with scandal after scandal and never knowing when the "board’ was going to discard the priest like a piece of trash and an ever diminishing “parish” membership it occurred to me that that tree was never going to bear good fruit, so this year, back in April, I brought my family into the One and Only, True and Authentic, Holy, Roman, Catholic Church and we submit ourselves to the authority and teaching of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and his Successors for the remainder of our lives.

Sometimes it takes some time for God to direct our stubborn heads in the direction He wants us to go. That is one thing I have learned from all of this. The Church was right in front of me all of this time and I did not see it! What a numskull I am!

God Bless you all and please pray for on another!

I don’t think you’re a “numskull” at all. You may have taken the long way home, but you’re here. Think of those who never arrive.
From Bikers to Benedict!!! You should write a book!!!

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

From the time I was little I always wanted to be Catholic. Maybe because I was raised without beliefs, but lived in a neighborhood filled with Catholics, and I wanted to be part of SOMETHING.

I would give up stuff for Lent without knowing what Lent was, or why. When other kids spoke of having to go to Catechism, I wanted to go, too.

Our whole school attended a Catholic school for about three weeks. I was afraid the nuns would hit us with rulers, but there was none of that.

When I became an adult, I noticed someone on another internet forum. His posts were always funny and bright, and when he stopped posting there, I sort of followed him to his new forum, where I learned about Terri Schiavo and the court system, and a whole slew of other pro-life issues.

I believe God put the right people in my path at the right time. This man (along with two others whom I called my Three Wise Men) helped lend me a hand and steer me across the Tiber. I don’t think I even realized you could BECOME Catholic!

Little by little, I went from attending Mass (seated way in back, not going up for Communion) for about a year, and then ‘parish-shopping,’ and then looking for an RCIA class.

Again, God put the right people into my path! I may still be soaking wet but here I am, giving up stuff for Lent, for real—and understanding why.