Help in answering a question

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I am a convert to the Catholic church. I was talking with my brother and sister in law about the catholic faith and one question came up that kinda through me to answer. My sister in law asked if lots of people converted. I am aware of the Surprised by Truth books (very helpful). I really wasn’t sure how to answer the question and said that I didn’t have specific numbers, but yes people do convert. I tried to come up with some well known converts that they might be know. Any suggestions on a better answer?
 
each parish and diocese submit their statistics annually, usually in October, and a summary is available, I believed linked from the bishops website. as I recall the number was about 200,000 US adults entering the Church at Easter last year, but that is just from memory
 
I think what’s more interesting is WHY people convert. Usually people who convert away had bad experiences at one church, with one priest, or because they didn’t have the happy, loving community feeling they got when they visited a church of another denomination. These are things we need to remedy by stepping up in our own community to correct problems and lend our own support to the rest of the parish.

On the other hand, when people convert to Catholicism the stories you hear are overwhelmingly about research and study, and answering the hard questions. That to me is very encouraging.
 
That is what stumped me when my SIL asked. I was prepared with resources on why people do, but not how many. I’m thinking that both my brother and SIL haven’t really known anyone (before me) who converted. I didn’t before I started getting interested in the Catholic faith, had never really thought about it. Now if I can get them to come to Mass … .
 
joamy said:
That is what stumped me when my SIL asked. I was prepared with resources on why people do, but not how many. I’m thinking that both my brother and SIL haven’t really known anyone (before me) who converted. I didn’t before I started getting interested in the Catholic faith, had never really thought about it. Now if I can get them to come to Mass … .
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How many people were in your RCIA group, and how many were with you when you were presented to the Bishop? This will give them an indication of how many of their friends and neighbors are converting.

In our case, we had to have two groups going to the Cathedral, since there were more than 2,000 people in our group. The RCIA at our parish had 12 people, and we were one of the smallest groups. There was one church with us at the Cathedral that had more than 60 people converting.
 
Have them watch Journey Home on EWTN this shows many many people who have converted and the whys.🙂
 
That is an excellent suggestion. I like that program myself as it shows the variety of backgrounds that people come from.
 
joamy said:
I am a convert to the Catholic church. I was talking with my brother and sister in law about the catholic faith and one question came up that kinda through me to answer. My sister in law asked if lots of people converted. I am aware of the Surprised by Truth books (very helpful). I really wasn’t sure how to answer the question and said that I didn’t have specific numbers, but yes people do convert. I tried to come up with some well known converts that they might be know. Any suggestions on a better answer?
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It really does not matter how important the people are, just the fact that over 10’s of thousands become full members of the Catholic Church from other Christian backgrounds in the United States alone should be enough. It’s most likely over 100’s of thousands world wide.
 
I converted last year and was shocked to learn that I was one of 500 adults going through RCIA and joining the church at Easter vigil in our Archdiocese! I hadn’t imagined the number was that large but was so happy that it was! I love that large numbers of people are coming home!!!
 
There were over 30 just in our parish last year. I believe there were over 150 overall in our diocese. I forget the statistic. You also have to remember that there have been over 900 Pulpit Ministers convert in the past 30 years I believe is the time frame and increasing. As more and more non-Catholic Christians study history they learn…not to mention the grace/peace. Also, something that bothered me for years was all these claims about ancient church documents that I never saw. But discovering them online opened up a can of worms that if one is seeking truth can’t deny that the early church was in fact one holy catholic and apostolic with the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine. That was important to me.

Another intersting statistic is the Anglican Church. Watch that I heard that about 600,000 were expected to convert sometime this year. The Coming Home Network - iroinically literally wearing the T-shirt now- is a good source for learning the numbers.
 
joamy said:
I tried to come up with some well known converts that they might be know. Any suggestions on a better answer?
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Tony Blair, the last PM of England, just converted last month.

Other famous converts:
Kit Carson
G. K. Chesterton
Gary Cooper
Dorothy Day
Faye Dunaway
Susan Hayward
Ernest Hemingway
Bob Hope
John Henry Newman
Ann Rice
Knute Rockne
Peter Paul Rubens
Elizabeth Ann Seton
William Tecumseh Sherman
Edith Stein
J. R. R. Tolkien
Johannes Vermeer
John Wayne
Oscar Wilde
Tennessee Williams
 
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