Disentanglement

[linusmom]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone who is a convert could share his or her story of extricating him or herself from their former place of worship. This seems to be one of the biggest problem areas for people converting.

 

[Agape_Thom]

This is probably not the response you were looking for, since I assume you are asking people who converted to Catholicism from some other faith. In my case, I took the opposite path, from Catholicism to a more personal and fulfilling faith in Jesus. I did this by joining what most would consider to be a main-line Protestant denomination: United Methodism. However, the particular congregation that I belong to, while part of the great denomination, is somewhat more conservative than most other UM churches (at least in New England).
But to answer your question, not one person, officially or unofficially from the two Roman Catholic congregations that I was a part of earlier in life, including priests and nuns that I had as teachers through 12 years of parochial school, have ever questioned or criticized my decision.

 

[Della]

This is probably not the response you were looking for, since I assume you are asking people who converted to Catholicism from some other faith. In my case, I took the opposite path, from Catholicism to a more personal and fulfilling faith in Jesus. I did this by joining what most would consider to be a main-line Protestant denomination: United Methodism. However, the particular congregation that I belong to, while part of the great denomination, is somewhat more conservative than most other UM churches (at least in New England).
But to answer your question, not one person, officially or unofficially from the two Roman Catholic congregations that I was a part of earlier in life, including priests and nuns that I had as teachers through 12 years of parochial school, have ever questioned or criticized my decision.

While I am truly happy you have a fulfilling faith in Christ, I think the fact that no one has questioned or criticized you for leaving the Church ought to be a point in favor of the Church not against it, if that is what you meant to imply. Those priests and nuns don’t want to nag you and so put you off even more, if they even know about your new choice of faith communities. If they do know be sure they are praying for you.

As for me, I left the Assemblies of God by just returning to the Episcopal Church in which I was brought up. There was a charismatic group in the Episcopal parish, so all I had to tell my AoG friends was I that I wanted to encourage my fellow Episcopalians in their gifts of the Spirit. And at first I tried that but quickly found myself drawn away from all the emotionalism and back to reverent corporate worship.

A few years later I enter RCIA and was received into the Catholic Church. I wrote a note to the pastor of the Episcopal parish explaining my decision and never heard a word from him about it. I took his inaction as tacit approval of my decision. A lady who was a pillar of his parish literally came roaring up to my door to ask me, surprised and breathless why I was leaving the parish. I explained calmly that I had researched the teachings of the Catholic Church and believed them, that my husband wished to return to the Church, and so we were now going to the Catholic parish near us. She never said a word more but just left puzzled. And that’s all the disentanglement I ever had to go through, really. My family didn’t care nor did they attend Easter Vigil when I was received.

 

[kage_ar]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone who is a convert could share his or her story of extricating him or herself from their former place of worship. This seems to be one of the biggest problem areas for people converting.

When you announce that you are becoming Catholic, you will quickly find out who your real friends are there - many WILL walk away from you. Some will, out of love, try to “love bomb” you to keep you from being Catholic, a few will remain your friends.

Pray for all of them, be very open and talk about your reasons - you may be the beacon of light that leads others HOME!!!

 

[SC_Peach]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone who is a convert could share his or her story of extricating him or herself from their former place of worship. This seems to be one of the biggest problem areas for people converting.

I wasn’t a member of any church when I was called to the Catholic faith. The biggest problem area for me was my family, mostly my mom, aunt and uncle. My husband wasn’t thrilled either, but he’s more accepting than they are. I was raised in a pentecostal-holiness church and Catholics (or any other religion for that matter) were to be converted.

I followed the Holy Spirit and was Confirmed Nov.22. Haven’t looked back since the day I went to my first mass.

Just my experience.

Love in Christ
Kathy

 

[Miss_Linda]

My entry into the Church was a bit, well, complicated. My parents are staunch Seventh-day Adventists, in fact I was baptized SDA when I was 16. In my 20’s I began reading and studying a little more independently (including reading commentaries that were not written by SDA authors). This journey led me to the One True Faith. Unfortunately, Adventists openly teach that the papacy is the anti-christ, and that the Church is the Whore of Babylon identified in Revelation 17 and 18. When I finally mustered up the courage to tell them I was joining the Catholic faith, they severed all ties with me. That was many years ago, and they have maintained their ostracization. I pray for them, and know that God can work miracles of conversion in His own time.

For quite some time after my joining the Church I was contacted by various members of the SDA church that I had attended for so many years. The pastor there, a very good man, kept calling and asking if I was okay and assuring me that if I ever had any questions he would be happy to try to explain things to me. I believe he really felt I was being led astray. With the exception of my immediate family, no one among the congregation received this news with any anger. Eventually they stopped calling altogether.

Interestingly enough, I have had many opportunities to invite Protestants and agnostics to join me in attending either daily Mass, or an Advent or Christmas service, or Ash Wednesday services. In fact, I took a small group from my office to an Ash Wednesday service a couple of years ago. The only Catholic among the group was a lapsed Catholic who hadn’t set foot in a Catholic church for several years. I explained they would not be able to receive communion but encouraged them all to go up to receive a blessing. Two of those people asked me a lot of questions about the Catholic faith after that service, and expressed a real interest in learning more. I am enthusiastic about my faith, and delight in sharing the beauty of Catholicism with people who know very little about it. Once the misconceptions are stripped away, and the truth of the Faith is explained with kindness and love, people are inexorably drawn to the Catholic Church.

Sometimes following the truth requires a break from family or friends. Jesus declared emphatically that anyone who was not willing to give up their mother or father was not worthy to follow Him (Matthew 10:37). During these sad years knowing that my family utterly rejects me, I hold fast to the promise of 2 Corinthians 6:18: “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters”.