For Converts and Reverts, What were you before you became Catholic

[adawgj]

For those of us who are converts and reverts. What were you before converting to the Catholic Church?

 

[chero23]

This is an interesting thread, I hope people answer. I’m a cradle Catholic and the last 3 yrs. I have grown in my faith. For all those converts and reverts know that my prayers are with you guys and hopefully your story is able to touch at least one person.

 

[Took2Long]

I was an atheist. I was, at one time, quite outspoken about my atheism. I was convinced I was right and knew better then any Christian about the origins and meaning of life. Then, a little more than a year ago, a funny thing happened. I said the words, “Come Holy Spirit…” and I didn’t have to ask twice. Like the old saying goes, I no longer need to be convinced that God works miracles because I am one! I asked, He came, and my life changed. I came into the church at last week’s Vigil Mass. A week later and I still can’t find the words to explain how amazing it has been.

 

[robwar]

United Methodist when growing up, then I went to two very different non-denominational Charismatic Churches before becoming Catholic.

 

[ClearWater]

I left the Church for about 10 years. I tried all kinds of things. For a time, I don’t know I was really anything, but I did believe in God.

I went to a New Age church for a time, went to Unitarian Fellowship for a time. I got into environmentalism, vegetarianism, the peace movement to a point they were my religion, took the place of my faith.

I tried Methodist and just different things. I got into astrology. For a time, I read Neale Donald Walsh’s books, guess I was that for a time.

I also read David Hawkins, even went to see him speak. I came back through some of its books, because it got me reconsidering Catholicism.

Also, I began to have 3 people of faith near me. Two of those were Catholic, and their example helped also bring me back. One of them later said she had basically written me off as a lost cause!

Finally, to everyone’s surprise, I came back.

 

[Jon_S_1]

For those of us who are converts and reverts. What were you before converting to the Catholic Church?

Devout Evangelical Protestant.

 

[Miguelmdza]

For those of us who are converts and reverts. What were you before converting to the Catholic Church?

I was a devout Jehovah’s Witness. It was amazing what the Lord did for me! I, like St. Paul and the Early Christians, was against the Catholic Church (as all JW were). I even accussed the Holy Church of being the Whore of Babylon. I claimed that the Holy Church followed man’s doctrines and I would even insult the Blessed Mother (still hurts me today). But, one day, I remember seeing a picture of soon-to-be St. John Paul II and of St. Michael the Archangel and that completly changed my life. I felt called to the priesthood from that moment and began going to church (Catholic Church) and soon decided to be baptized. I was baptized last year in March (Easter Vigil). Now, I love Our Lady, and have a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, I am active in my parish, and, since I am a Neophyte, I have to wait two years to go into the Seminary. How great is the Lord! Pray for me and for my vocation

 

[Jon_S_1]

Devout Evangelical Protestant.

Here is my story…

To many it may seem odd that I am becoming Catholic. They might say, “Who becomes Catholic? I thought people leave the Catholic Church?” I thought that myself at one point. I was literally the only person I knew who was becoming Catholic, at least prior to starting the process. I know plenty of people born in the Catholic Church, practicing and non practicing. But the vast majority of the people I know are Evangelical Protestant types. My own Family being almost entirely Baptist/Evangelical, the Catholic Church was very foreign to me.

There was no chance of me ever becoming Catholic, other than by God’s guiding hand…

Finish reading on my blog: findingthecatholicchurch.blogspot.com/2014/04/why-am-i-becoming-catholic-personal.html?m=1

 

[jobo3743]

Raised minimally United Methodist but hardly taken to church. I had an out of body experience when I was about 9 years old. I knew from that point on that a spirit could exist outside a body and wanted to know what came next. I went to the city library and searched the card catalog (1980s) and it didnt take me long to end up with the occult, astrology, and wiccan. I never was comfortable with anything occult and did stay away from that. Periodically, I would pull out the family Bible and read it. Fast forward about 18 years and I was at a very low point, depressed, recovering from pneuomnia and had broken up with my boyfriend whom I really thought I couldn’t live without. I began praying and reading the Bible in earnest. I realized how unfaithful I had been to God worshiping other things essentially and I felt adulterous. I began to notice the various protestant ministers I would listen to or read said different things. I was clinging to the Bible (but was still confused) because I didn’t actually trust what I was hearing as an interpretation. I was sure I was going to have to learn Greek, Hebrew, and become my own expert and was not happy with it. One night I had a locution and God said, “He is coming back to you.” Before I could say, “When?” He said, “Soon.” All I could think was of the verse, “My sheep know my voice,” and the other that says, “before the words are on my tongue you answer.” The interior voice was so authoritative I almost stood and saluted! That was about 10pm. At 06:00 my exboyfriend (now husband, a lapsed Catholic) knocked on my door and wanted to get back together. We got married about 1.5 years later. I have had a few “encounters” like that and I cling to those because I know God is alive and real. I know that when I “practiced” other religions nothing ever happened. Nada. We had never really gotten around to attending a church regularly. My husband couldn’t stand any protestant church I took him to. I figured the path of least resistance was the Catholic Church. I thought I knew more than my husband about Christianity. My husband and I went through RCIA together when our 4th child was born because I wanted to feel close to God again and I hadn’t in a long time. When I finished RCIA though, I couldn’t believe my luck. I felt like I had wandered in the dark forest my whole life and come out on the other side. It was a miracle. I loved pretty much everything about the Catholic Church. I loved the Magisterium! Here was the ONE TRUTH. The best kept secret in the world was that the Catholic Church is the TRUE CHURCH and the only one that Jesus Christ began. I continued to learn more and more, my faith growing by leaps and bounds. God is so good!

 

[Stillsosola]

Well my dad’s family took me to church on sundays they were pentecostals, my mom’s family her mom’s side at least weren’t religious but I did start fortune telling at an early age then by 11 had began dabbling with traditional witch craft, by the time I was 20 I had became very involved with paganism and the occult. I also attended a baptist private school for 3 yrs between ages 11 and 14 where I was physically and emotionally abused which had me harboring hard feelings towards all christians.

Well I went through RCIA and got baptised at 21 at my husband’s urging and well I suppose since the RCIA was so vague and didn’t educate me well in the faith I became entrapped in the pseudo catholic cult of the Santa Muerte it was everything catholicism and witch craft so I was heavily involved for about 2 years then I had an experience that led me back to the church

So as you can see I had a confusing childhood and a long twisted journey home but thanks to Our Lord’s mercy I am free of the occult for 2 yrs now no fortune telling no witchcraft, and I have become a devoted catholic with some help from a great lady who helped educate me deeper on the catholic faith.

 

[adawgj]

I considered myself a Deist for about a year until Fr. Barron’s Catholicism series helped me understand the faith I knew so little about.

 

[Pilgrim_333]

Here is my story…

To many it may seem odd that I am becoming Catholic. They might say, “Who becomes Catholic? I thought people leave the Catholic Church?” I thought that myself at one point. I was literally the only person I knew who was becoming Catholic, at least prior to starting the process. I know plenty of people born in the Catholic Church, practicing and non practicing. But the vast majority of the people I know are Evangelical Protestant types. My own Family being almost entirely Baptist/Evangelical, the Catholic Church was very foreign to me.

There was no chance of me ever becoming Catholic, other than by God’s guiding hand…

Finish reading on my blog: findingthecatholicchurch.blogspot.com/2014/04/why-am-i-becoming-catholic-personal.html?m=1

My background is similar. I grew up in an Evangelical Protestant church (Free-Will Baptist). The story is long, and odd, but in the end I have found my long-awaited home in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I was brought into full communion last Easter Vigil (2013) and my brother came into the Church this Easter Vigil (2014). I had always heard, growing up, and had even said so myself that “God works in mysterious ways”; but I never truly appreciated just how mysterious and ineffable the LORD God is. He is truly working wonders in my life and in my family’s life and things are beginning to happen that I could have never dreamed of. Praise to Our Lord Jesus Christ! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

 

[Jon_S_1]

My background is similar. I grew up in an Evangelical Protestant church (Free-Will Baptist). The story is long, and odd, but in the end I have found my long-awaited home in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I was brought into full communion last Easter Vigil (2013) and my brother came into the Church this Easter Vigil (2014). I had always heard, growing up, and had even said so myself that “God works in mysterious ways”; but I never truly appreciated just how mysterious and ineffable the LORD God is. He is truly working wonders in my life and in my family’s life and things are beginning to happen that I could have never dreamed of. Praise to Our Lord Jesus Christ! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

I am so thrilled to be in the Catholic Church. I am counting down the mins until Sunday mass, love going to confession, adoration, etc.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

I was Church of Nazarene, then joined Hillsong for a while, then Baptist.

Whilst attending Australian Catholic University I attended World Youth Day in Sydney with some college friends and had an amazing encounter with the Holy Spirit during the Papal Mass and converted the following Easter.

I think the Holy Spirit was always working within me as I was always fascinated by Saint Pope JP II. His example of faith drew me to ask questions and I don’t think it was an accident when I chose the Catholic University when I was also offered a place at 3 secular Universities.

It’s good to be finally home.

 

[Avila123]

Started out Catholic but did not learn the faith either at home or in a Catholic School (it was the wacky time). When I was 10, my mother stopped going to Church and my brother (a recent convert to Evangelical former Brethren group) took me to their Sunday School. They were (and are) sincere loving people but it seemed (and still does to me) to be lacking. I left at 18 turning my back on God. Every so often in following 20 years odd years, I would tell Him that I didn’t believe in Him.

One day it seemed as if the whole Halleluiah chorus was singing inside me. I barely thought “Father” and it felt as if a finger gently tapped me on the back of the head and I heard the words “Here I am”. The prodigal daughter had returned, however, it was just the start. For me, this is a love story beyond any romantic novel. I finally became reconciled to my perfect one and only true love. The added joy is that knowledge that it has, is and will happen uniquely to others. That adds to the loving relationship because when something is that wonderful it is something to share, nurture and cherish in others. I didn’t intent to return to the Catholic Church, but found myself at the front door of the church of my childhood, scared about being admonished or turned away. I discovered that they were simply glad I had come home and had saved me a place in the pews.

I saw a sign on another church once saying “Church made easy” and chuckled, because God knows I need a “Church that is difficult and sometimes uncomfortable”. Besides Jesus said it wouldn’t be easy and in my experience, nothing worthwhile is easy. So loving it all - even in the hard and dark times.

 

[Nelka]

Salvation Army at the beginning.

 

[Blue_Rose]

Anglican

 

[Kal2012]

Let’s see…My grandparents were in the Salvation Army. My parents weren’t practicing anything. I got sent to the fundamentalist Baptist church through their bus ministry. Decided that brand of Christianity was nuts (and so were my parents to ever think that this was a good idea). Still id’d as a Baptist for years, no regular church. Went to a synagogue for a while, interested in knowing my roots as a Christian. Then, went “non-denominational.” Then, I went to a Evangelical Presbyterian Church for awhile.

Thankfully, I married a Catholic and the Holy Spirit worked on my heart and I joined the RCC Easter 2013. I joined RCIA to see if I could go along with being Catholic and raising my son Catholic. (I’m the church goer in the family) We needed a church home and as much as hubby doesn’t care about church, he would never go to a Protestant church with me…unless it was Lutheran. I didn’t want to try another Protestant “brand” and figure out that they were nutters too. I was just tired of wasting my time. So, I started focusing on “could I become Catholic?” “Is that a realistic option for me?” Church/denomination shopping is exhausting.

Once my roadblocks to Catholicism came down, it just made sense to be Catholic. I can’t believe that I didn’t understand before because the truth is just so clear. However, you have to get to the point where you see and accept Catholic teaching. I’ve always wrestled with God on the important stuff, so it’s not a surprise that it took me a long time to stop wrestling God on being Catholic.

My husband still doesn’t go to church with us, (but will go to the annual Christmas party), but we are on the same page on a lot of things now. It makes things easier, even if he doesn’t go to church. He’ll ask how church was and try to talk to our son about Sunday School. I like that he tries - even a little bit.

Conversion wasn’t weird because my husband is also a convert (I met him just after ‘his’ Easter Vigil experience in 2001) and one of my dearest Catholic friends is also a convert. Still, I won’t forget the day I said, “honey, you’ll need to watch E. on Weds. evenings because I’m going to do RCIA this year.” sums up his expression.

(That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. )

 

[firead]

Independent Fundamental Baptist, with some time in Pentecostal Holiness and Methodist churches while growing up. I rejected Christianity for several years and came back to Christ through the IFB denomination I was involved in, but had many problems with its teachings and practices.

Through blogs and such, I later got involved with some people who were part of various sects that pattered themselves on the Messianic movement and/or embraced Anabaptists customs and teachings, all of them claiming they were trying to emulate or restore the early church that Jesus founded.

I never could accept those groups because I found too many flaws in their supposed history and in their theology, but I did move from fundamentalist to a more Reformed/Calvinist view of things as I started studying theology and the church, in part because of friends getting caught up in what seemed to me to be cult-like ideologies and groups.

Long story short, the more I studied the Reformation and Reformed theology, the more I started leaning toward Luther and away from Calvin. I had other things going on to that kept nudging me toward the Catholic Church, including a strong desire from out of nowhere to start praying the rosary. I had to learn more about the Cathlioc Church to understand the roots of the Reformation, and that included looking at Cathlic beliefs and history and reading the Church Fathers and early Christian writers. I became convinced of the Real Presence through the writings of Justin Martyr and other early works on the Eucharist, and of apostolic succession and realized that the Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ and that He is still present at each Mass, so I had to go where He is.

 

[oldhamconvert]

I was a member of the Church of England. The longer I was a part of the church the more I realised that I was being called to be in communion with Rome.
The journey took a few years to come to fruition, but with the grace of the Lord, I became a Roman Catholic at the Easter Vigil.
For myself, I have not felt this at home and comfortable in a church a universal one at that !!

In Christ

Darren