Did any of you get nervous or have slight doubts before joining the Church?

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Newbie here. Lifetime Protestant, converting to Catholicism. I’ve gone through the RCIA process, and am scheduled to join the parish soon. This may be a silly question for some, but have any of you gotten nervous prior to coming into the Church (like “Oh my, this is getting real now!”, or have that little devil on your shoulder throwing the occasional thought of doubt at you?

Thanks for any and all replies, and God Bless.
 
I’m a cradle Catholic, but I think it’s actually a good sign that you are nervous. It’s a major step and commitment, and you realize it as such. The fact that you are nervous about that means that you are taking it seriously as you should. I would compare it to people being nervous about getting married or having their first child.

Do not be afraid, and welcome home.
 
I know I have been nervous and I was born a Catholic. But it’s like I only truly got to understand what it meant when I reverted after having been a stubborn atheïst for years.
It was threshold after threshold… First entering a church again, attending mass, praying the rosary, …
We don’t have RCIA in Europe. Some priests do guide people who want to convert individually, telling them which parts of the Bible they should start with and so on, but there’s no real official track you can follow.
My husband and I would have been on our own if it weren’t for the internet. Things like Catholic Answers and YouTube video’s from Father (now Bishop) Barron helpt us out a great deal! Lectures from Peter Kreeft and Ravi Zacharias … Thank God for the internet!
We’ve had doubts (and they still turn up every once in a while) and we got nervous. I was especially nervous about my first Confession after I can’t remember how many years… The first time my husband and I prayed together made me very nervous, now it’s a daily habit. I’ve always considered nervousness a sign that you’re headed in the right direction. Like they say… whenever you get out of your comfort zone, you get scared. But once you get past the fear, you know you’re making progress.
 
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Yeah, I was in the womb and heard my parents talking about me being baptized a Catholic. It scared the heck outta me!
 
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Oh yes. I was scheduled to be baptised at the Easter Vigil and I nearly walked away on Good Friday.

Your comment about “that little devil on your shoulder” is probably more accurate than you realize. The doubts don’t come from God, but from the one who wants to keep us away from God. Talk to your pastor or RCIA leader, be honest and open, and they can guide you through this.

And for what it’s worth, I’ve never had any regrets.
 
Yes, the closer it got I did have apprehensive thoughts. It is a commitment not to be taken lightly! Very serious. Like taking a wedding vow in a way.

I was received into the Catholic Church 9 1/2 years ago.
 
Convert here! I didn’t get nervous about my conversion until the day of my baptism, but I recognised it for what it was: a last, desperate attempt by the Devil to keep me from entering the fortress that is the Catholic church.
 
Well for me and my husband “hell broke out” the days before we were to be resieved into the Church. In Mass I suddenly felt so emty and sad and the whole thing felt unreal. Very scary feeling. And my husband felt very depressed and had many doubts and I almost thought he Wouldn’t go throug with it. We also got warning- emails from relatives, one of them that had had bad dreams about us and told us it was God that warned us not to become catholics. But we came trough all this and we are SO very happy now to be catholics! Don’t be afraid.
 
The nervous feelings struck last night. Hadn’t experienced them before. At the same time the “Don’t do it!” thoughts popped in. I recognized them as coming from the enemy. Having foolishly dabbled in the New Age for a bit back in the day, that part wasn’t a shocker. And to think I had doubts for years that God would accept or ever want me, since I’d walked away as a Protestant, or ‘backslid’. Thank you for your response.
 
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In Sweden we have “Faith and life” - courses in most Catholic parishes. Often it is two yrs, But in our parish it was only one year. I guess thats something like the Anerican RCIA.
 
For me I have really questioned if I am capable of following such a demanding and complex faith with no earthly support or would I be better off trying to follow a faith with only part of the truth but with support to help me stick with it.

I have chosen to have faith that if I pray and make myself go to mass I will be able to do it but a lot of the doubt remains.
 
Convert here too. During the two official years (+20 years) it took before I was received into the Catholic church (Easter 2014) I had several (every 4-6 weeks) individual conversations with one priest and then also with the deacon, who taught us during the second year. Some of the things I talked with them about were about me and my future and this was not something for everyone else in the group. These conversations were a lot more important than the two years of teaching.

I started writing a “Spiritual journal” early in the process and that has been a great help in getting down on paper what has been going on in my head and also a good help when talking with the priest or deacon. In a smaller note book, I wrote down a couple of words or sentences about issues that I needed to talk to them about. After I had done that, the “problem” eased and the same thing happened when I had phoned either of them and scheduled an appointment even though the appointment could be two weeks later.

The official Catholic teaching was what I already believed so nothing was new to me. What was important though, was to get to know other people both in the group and also in my parish. I am living on my own and am the only Catholic or even believer in my family and among friends.

My conversion process was a roller coaster ride that has mellowed down to a little kiddie´s ride after being Catholic for two years. (Not the Merry-go-round as they make me sick!). I still see the priest every six weeks and now it is more of making sure I walk forward steadily. What I really like about the Catholic church is that it is never “I and God” but instead “I, God and the whole Catholic church”, which means, I am never left on my own to figure thing out. Both my parish and the one I was received in make sure the converts are well taken care of as they know how important it is to have a solid foundation to stand on.
 
What is good about two years teaching is that during the first year you learn about it and practise living it, like fasting during lent. Second year is living the Catholic faith apart from receiving the sacraments until you are received into the Church. I was miserable and very hungry during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and was never ever going to become Catholic during the first year. Second year not a problem at all and I wasn’t even hungry.

Getting to know the parish and its customs also take time. My parish is unique in that it immediately recognises someone new and supports them while in the process of converting.
 
Oh, yeah sure. I am a protestant convert received into The Catholic Church in 2013. I was having doubts even up to the day of my Baptism. I was wondering if I was being deceived by Satan by all the info I had read that led me to believe that I needed to become Catholic. I think it is normal. Protestants may begin to challenge their beliefs in the reliability of a certain denomination but then they can go find a new denomination or choose to read the bible on their own and go to no church. But to question leaving their whole expression of Christianity that they grew up with, that would make anyone a bit uncomfortable even if they know the truth.

But ill tell you what happened. I was working on the day I was to be Baptized (Yes, I worked that day. I could not afford to take a day off) and as I was working I dropped a bag of linen on the floor. I worked at a industrial laundry service place. I reached down to pick it up and there was a beautiful golden rosary by my feet. Now, it was not uncommon to find a rosary every once in awhile at this job but it was never this nice and they were normally broken. I was comforted after that. I call that rosary my baptism gift from God because I did not get any other gift for my baptism in my journey like so many others who came from Catholic families.

You will be fine. Pray, study and trust in God that The Church He gave us The Bible through is guided by The Holy spirit.
 
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