How long have you been Catholic?

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I´m not a catholic. My hubby is a cradle catholic and I want convert.
 
Cradle Catholic, born & raised, but the folks never agreed on whether or not to put my brother & I through First Communion, Confirmation, etc. Now I’m in RCIA as a College student & growing in my faith more than ever. Kind of a funky situation. Definitely fun to explain.
 
All my life. Practicing Catholic since I was born. Raised strictly according to the Church teachings. I grew to accept it, believe it and love it. 😃
 
It will be 3 years in April since I received all three Sacraments of Initiation. I’m 14 ]
 
It will be two years at Pentacost since you helped me find the church on this forum 🙂 I’m doing great, just got back from helping at a youth retreat last weekend. Thanks again for your help fish…
 
I converted from evangelical/non-denominational on Christ the King, November 20, 2011, so I have been Catholic for only 3 months. As I counted, it seems much longer…I started RCIA in August 2010 so maybe that’s why.
Raedar said:
I can’t vote yet but I’ve been Catholic since April 23, 2011, confirmed at the Easter Vigil Mass this year.

My conversion story begins with an agnostic, liberal, tomboy meeting a devout Catholic, conservative, man while doing undergraduate research in the field of photovoltaic materials (solar cells). In walks this Jesus fish wearing home schooled Catholic guy and my first thought was “oh boy, he’s going to hate me.” I mistakenly thought that all Catholics are judgmental people who hate anyone who isn’t Catholic (and for some reason also thought you had to be born Catholic or they didn’t let you in :confused:. I was very misinformed somehow). Instead of finding out that he hated me, I found out that we both have a love for Captain America comics, that he is just as geeky as I am, and that we had far more in common than we had in differences.

Long story short we were best friends for two years and he’d subtly drop hints about his faith and wanting to share it with me. At first I’d have nothing to do with it, I refused to hear anything about institutionalized religion, but gradually he was convincing me through his lifestyle and his earnest commitment to his faith that there was more to life than maybe when it came to God. I was in a long distance relationship with an abusive boyfriend (emotionally, not physically) at the time and had never really had luck with men in the past and truthfully didn’t think I deserved to be treated with respect until I met this Jesus fish boy. When I realized I was falling for him I knew I couldn’t have two relationships going on at once so I broke off the detrimental one I was in and waited a month to see if I really felt the way I thought I might be feeling for this Catholic and wonderful man.

I knew I had to first tell him the most painful thing from my past that I’m still trying to forgive myself for (really it shouldn’t be so hard. If God already has in confession then what power do I have to do otherwise? I wish it was that easy) and when I did I half expected him to hate me and push me away. Instead he took me to Mass the next day. I can’t adequately describe the emotions that came over me during Mass. First it was awe and respect for the traditions going on around me, confusion for when people would respond or kneel and I had no idea what I was doing, and then something like confused anger when the Priest began the preparation for the Eucharist. I remember clearly what went through my mind was this: “Why? Why would you ever come down to this earth and let yourself get beaten and murdered for someone as messed up and irresponsible as me? I didn’t ask you to do it! I never asked for any of this!” During the time for reflection just after I got done screaming at God in my head I had an answer and it floored me. My own voice came back quietly with “That’s the beauty of it, Rae, you never had to. It’s a gift.” I’m sobbing now just thinking about it, but I was an utter mess on the floor then. My poor soon to be boyfriend had no idea what to do so he just put his hand on my back and comforted me. I’ll never forget that answer. I cried at every Mass after that for months. First out of shame for my sins against God and Jesus, then out of sorrow for His suffering and death, and then out of joy for the glorious gift he has given us all.

After I learned that anyone can become Catholic (duh!) I threw myself into the RCIA classes right in the middle of the ‘year’ but they let me in and I did a whole bunch of reading and personal one on one with the Priest to catch up so that I could be confirmed this year. I feel so blessed by God. He took my life that was heading down a dark path and He reached out His hand to me through my fiance, picked me up, dusted me off, and gave me new life and new hope. I just wish I wasn’t always so sloppy in giving Him my thanks. I’m working on developing a better prayer life but old lazy habits are hard to break. This site has drawn my attention back to how I felt when it first began and I really can’t thank you all enough.

-Rae.
Sorry if this was long or not the right place for it…I just felt moved to share.
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Thanks for sharing.
Regina78 said:
I´m not a catholic. My hubby is a cradle catholic and I want convert.
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Welcome! Have you contacted a parish yet? It was the best decision I ever made, in addition to marrying my husband of course. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would even be a Christian at all, or at least not practicing.
 
Raedar said:
I can’t vote yet but I’ve been Catholic since April 23, 2011, confirmed at the Easter Vigil Mass this year.

My conversion story begins with an agnostic, liberal, tomboy meeting a devout Catholic, conservative, man while doing undergraduate research in the field of photovoltaic materials (solar cells). In walks this Jesus fish wearing home schooled Catholic guy and my first thought was “oh boy, he’s going to hate me.” I mistakenly thought that all Catholics are judgmental people who hate anyone who isn’t Catholic (and for some reason also thought you had to be born Catholic or they didn’t let you in :confused:. I was very misinformed somehow). Instead of finding out that he hated me, I found out that we both have a love for Captain America comics, that he is just as geeky as I am, and that we had far more in common than we had in differences.

Long story short we were best friends for two years and he’d subtly drop hints about his faith and wanting to share it with me. At first I’d have nothing to do with it, I refused to hear anything about institutionalized religion, but gradually he was convincing me through his lifestyle and his earnest commitment to his faith that there was more to life than maybe when it came to God. I was in a long distance relationship with an abusive boyfriend (emotionally, not physically) at the time and had never really had luck with men in the past and truthfully didn’t think I deserved to be treated with respect until I met this Jesus fish boy. When I realized I was falling for him I knew I couldn’t have two relationships going on at once so I broke off the detrimental one I was in and waited a month to see if I really felt the way I thought I might be feeling for this Catholic and wonderful man.

I knew I had to first tell him the most painful thing from my past that I’m still trying to forgive myself for (really it shouldn’t be so hard. If God already has in confession then what power do I have to do otherwise? I wish it was that easy) and when I did I half expected him to hate me and push me away. Instead he took me to Mass the next day. I can’t adequately describe the emotions that came over me during Mass. First it was awe and respect for the traditions going on around me, confusion for when people would respond or kneel and I had no idea what I was doing, and then something like confused anger when the Priest began the preparation for the Eucharist. I remember clearly what went through my mind was this: “Why? Why would you ever come down to this earth and let yourself get beaten and murdered for someone as messed up and irresponsible as me? I didn’t ask you to do it! I never asked for any of this!” During the time for reflection just after I got done screaming at God in my head I had an answer and it floored me. My own voice came back quietly with “That’s the beauty of it, Rae, you never had to. It’s a gift.” I’m sobbing now just thinking about it, but I was an utter mess on the floor then. My poor soon to be boyfriend had no idea what to do so he just put his hand on my back and comforted me. I’ll never forget that answer. I cried at every Mass after that for months. First out of shame for my sins against God and Jesus, then out of sorrow for His suffering and death, and then out of joy for the glorious gift he has given us all.

After I learned that anyone can become Catholic (duh!) I threw myself into the RCIA classes right in the middle of the ‘year’ but they let me in and I did a whole bunch of reading and personal one on one with the Priest to catch up so that I could be confirmed this year. I feel so blessed by God. He took my life that was heading down a dark path and He reached out His hand to me through my fiance, picked me up, dusted me off, and gave me new life and new hope. I just wish I wasn’t always so sloppy in giving Him my thanks. I’m working on developing a better prayer life but old lazy habits are hard to break. This site has drawn my attention back to how I felt when it first began and I really can’t thank you all enough.

-Rae.
Sorry if this was long or not the right place for it…I just felt moved to share.
Click to expand...
I had to reach back and bump this story to the front again…I loved reading it the first time and I’m sitting here in tears all over again. I hope Rae and her “Jesus fish” guy are happy!
 
Since Saturday! I was confirmed at the Easter Vigil, although I have been involved with the church for over 3 years! xxx
 
Can’t decide which of the first two to answer. How many of us have never strayed? Yet I never quit calling myself Catholic, or never doubted the Catholic Faith was the one true faith.
 
I have an interesting history…

I was baptized Catholic, but was not raised in any faith at all. My parents occasionally sent us kids to “Good News Club” so we could know about God. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I received my first communion on my wedding day 12 years ago and was confirmed 7 years ago.
 
USS_Nostromo said:
I did not see an option “cradle catholic and still strayed from the church”. I am 53 and still not back to church. Have drifted in and out. Have not been to church since my mother passed away in September, 2010. I am the only catholic left in the family. Wife not catholic and the boys want nothing to do with the church. Guess I am a failure as a catholic. 🤷
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Yet here you are, spending your free time on Catholic Answers, perhaps God is calling you back…
:hug3:
 
I´m not a catholic. My hubby is a cradle catholic and I want convert.
 
For some reason, there isn’t a poll option for me.

I converted to Catholicism from another religion (Protestantism) more than five years ago, but fewer than 10.
 
You really didn’t have an option to choose from. It was either less than 1 year ago, between 1-5 years ago, or more than 10 years ago. I converted to Catholicism 6 years ago. I was a Southern Baptist before I became Catholic. I had also experimented with Pentecostalism.
 
I took the second option, though I wasn’t the one who strayed - my mother strayed, and when she left she took me with her (I was 11 at the time). Still, once I turned 18 I became responsible for the fact that I wasn’t practicing my faith. It would take several more years before I would do so.

Came back in 1996. Mom followed in 2008. :yeah_me:
 
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