I am 15 years old thinking about converting

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Hi I am 15 years old and last year I started thinking about converting to catholicism. I’ve been learning a lot about the faith and I am certain I want to convert. None of my family is catholic and I have only ever gotten to go to mass once. I was just wondering if there are any good tips as to what I should do. Thanks
 
The fact you are a minor makes it difficult for me to help you. I’m sorry.
 
Hello. I was (and still am) in the same situation as you. I don’t know how your parents feel about Catholicism but mine hated it since they believe all the lies associated with it. When I first learned about Catholicism I was 16 and it didn’t go over well with my parents. At first they told me I could never go to mass again! After about a year of waiting they finally gave in and I got to go to the Midnight mass on Christmas Eve (best night of my life). I’ve been going ever since, and even though I’m not officially baptized and confirmed into the church I still claim the Catholic Faith. My best advice for you is to pray and subtlety push on it. I prayed the novena to the Holy Spirit quite a bit and it was fruitful, because the Holy Spirit is the one who softens hardened hearts. I would ask on special occasion (like my birthday, Easter, and Christmas) if I could go to mass. Please do not get discouraged though, because it’s very heard not having that fellowship of other people at the church. I don’t know if you have any Catholic friends, but If there are any Catholics in your area make friends with them (like in your school). Also remember to be respectful to your parents and their beliefs. I know you want to follow God’s will, but sometimes it’s better to just ride it out until you get older than disobey your parents. Anyways I hope everything gets better and always know that God, the angels and saints are always at your side with compassion and care!
 
So glad to hear this. I would say that if you want to convert, RCIA is a great place to start however you are not an adult. I would still talk to a priest if possible and make friends who would gladly take you to mass.

The Catholic Church is the One True Church and I would just say that there are many sources to help you grow in your faith: this website, all of the catholic youtubers (Trent Horn, Matt Fradd, Coming Home Network, Catholic Answers, and so much more), and many other catholic websites.

Learn everything that Catholicism has to offer, prepare yourself to convert, ask questions, look for answers, and when the time comes you will be more than ready to convert and serve out your faith. That being said, there is nothing preventing you from going to mass, saying the rosary, learning about the saints, reading the catholic bible, reading the catechism, praying daily, going to holy adoration.

Though you cannot receive the sacraments just yet, just start living like a Catholic and the Lord will surely help you. Don’t forget about asking the Mary the Mother of God, the Angels and Saints for their intercession on your behalf. Pray for the souls in purgatory, pray for your family to understand, etc.

You put in the work, God will make it happen. Be patient, and trust in God’s plan. Whether it takes a couple years, or sooner.
 
My mom is actually quite supportive and was the one who let me go to mass on Christmas eve and it to was one of the best experiences of my life and I’ve been wanting to go back ever since. I’ve talked with her about going back and she said she would take me but Covid-19 has kinda made that difficult. As for my dad he has a disdain for all religion but he seems to at least tolerate me becoming catholic. As for catholic friends I have a few but they only attend mass because their parents make them and don’t seem to be near as interested in it as I am. Where I live is mostly Mormons so it’s pretty hard to find very devout Catholics which is why i’m grateful for this website.
 
I plan to start going to mass once I am 16 and get my license as there aren’t many Catholics around me and none of my family is intirested in attending mass. As for now I do a lot of praying of the rosary and divine mercy chaplet and reading the bible.
 
That’s awesome! maybe potentially joining a catholic youth group (to make Catholic friends) or, and you may be able to swing this depending on your parish (and whenever COVID 19 ends), but its possible you could “attend” an RCIA class without being enrolled in the class itself (since you’re underage) just to learn about it.

Is there anything in the Catholic Faith that you have a hard time reconciling? Believing, etc.?
 
I am a 17 year old Catholic revert(I left the Church, then came back again).
I was a Protestant for about 2 years. But, I left Protestantism after researching Church history, Catholic theology and doctrine, lives of the saints, and examining my anti-Catholic arguments, all combined with prayer and thinking.

It is an indescribable joy to be back, even though I never formally left the Church. It is the true Church of Jesus Christ, and has a rich history. Look at the saints and blesseds, look at all the good and miracles in the Church. Do whatever you can to become a Catholic, pray to the Lord, pray for all of us. I say to you, dear friend, the Church holds the fulness of the truth, and it is Christ’s flock. No salvation is outside the Church.
Because, if you are not in the flock of Christ, then you are left to the wolves outside the Shepherd’s care. Therefore, come to the Church, and when you come to Her, you come to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray, hope, believe and love. Trust in the Lord.
Peace!
 
Well the big thing I’m confused about is papal infallibility. And although I love to pray the rosary sometimes I worry that praying to the saints is unbiblical it takes attention away from Christ just because I am surrounded by people who believe that.
 
Ok.

Besides the great answer that has been given on this website, (see the magnifying glass at the top right). This is a topic that is absolutely essential to the Catholic faith and one you must believe to become Catholic, given that the Authority of the Pope is connected to many different issues, Confession, the Canon of the Bible, The Marian Dogmas, essentially all of Catholic teaching is established on the fact that Simon who’s name was changed to Peter (“Petros” in Greek or “Cephas” in Aramaic), by Jesus himself which means “Rock.”

In Matt 16 we see that Peter is the “Rock” that Christ establishes his whole Church upon which the gates of Hell will not prevail against. This is critically important, because if Peter himself is the rock, than whatever he says is going to be very important. Infallibility, does not mean that the coffee Peter drinks is the “infallibly best brand” or that when he says he likes to go on a run at 6pm that is "the perfectly infallibly best time to go on a run. Instead, when he makes a statement regarding faith and morals that he deems is infallible (or “Ex Cathedra” - “from the chair” of the Pope) that statement is true and has been true and will be true forever.

To give you an example “The Perpetual Virginity of Mary” is a Marian Dogma, and is an infallible statement of our Faith. You can look up why they came to this conclusion, how it is biblical, etc. in your research.

The reason this is so important, is because the office of the Pope has been passed down from generation to generation and has withstood all of the heresies, schisms, disagreements, wars, famines, plagues, etc since Jesus made Peter the 1st Pope. The Catholic Church can trace is roots, every step of the way all the way back to Peter himself. This is the reason why the Catholic Church is the very Church that Christ Himself founded. Many have broken from the Catholic Church and formed their own beliefs and theologies, but the fact of the matter is that the Catholic Church is not only the oldest form of Christianity but it is fact the Original and the extension or fulfillment of the Jewish faith. Making it the continuation of the People of God since the time of Abraham and beyond. I’d have to explain in further detail elsewhere as to why the Catholic faith is essentially the continuation of Ancient Judaism but the point is that you don’t have to put your trust in man made doctrines because through the promise of Christ the Holy Spirit which is at work in the world today is leading the Catholic Church through the ages and will not let us down until the 2nd Coming of Christ.
 
ok that clears things up a little bit. Does this mean that everything the pope says is infallible? I’m sorry if that sounds dumb
 
No, the opposite, only teachings on Faith and Morals which he specifically says is infallible.
 
This website is one of the best sources of information though, just search whatever comes up. Questioning your faith is never a crime and should be encouraged, but its up to you to find the answers. I am confident the Catholic Church has the right ones.
 
Well all prayers to the Saints are ultimately directed to Christ. We don’t pray to the Saints just to pray to them and give them complete glory, although that is part of it, but it is ultimately directed towards union with Christ. Sure we could pray to just Our Lord, but the Saints give us quite a bit of help in reaching our Beatific goal.
 
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