I converted to Islam for marriage, how can I come home?

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butterfly221

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Hi, this is my first post here so I’m sorry if I don’t tag things right or follow correct etiquette.

Some background; I was raised in a very devoted family. If I wasn’t at school, I was doing something church related. We regularly had priests over for dinner, we prayed the roasary daily, my parents involved us in all the youth organizations available. I went to an all girls Catholic high school, as well. Through all this, I never felt God. I want to be clear, I never rejected God, I truly never felt him. I remember as a child begging him to let me feel his presence because I truly wanted to believe. By 14, I didn’t believe anymore. My parents struggled to get me to participate in church in anyway until I was 18, when I stopped going completely.

When I was 22, I moved to a country where 99% of the population is Muslim. I met my husband, who also isn’t religious. However, his family are extremely devoted Muslims. When we decided to get married, his family expressed that they couldn’t accept our marriage unless I converted (despite this not being required by the Islamic faith). I love my husband and at the time, religion wasn’t a concern in my life, so I agreed. The moment when I spoke the words that made me Muslim was painful for me and I remember being surprised about this. I felt like the world was spinning. But after that, my husband and I continued to live our lives without religion. Starting about a year and a half ago, I began to feel a pull back towards the Church. I started watching videos, reading articles, and I just kept feeling something on my heart. 6 months ago, my husband and I moved back to the United States. We’ve been talking about the idea of going to church, just to try it, since we moved back. 3 weeks ago we started going every Saturday night. I can’t put into words yet what I feel when I’m at church and I can’t say that it’s all good, but I do know that throughout the week I look forward to Saturday night. My husband is so supportive and welcoming of this in our life. My problem is that I don’t know how to reconcile my conversion with what I’m always been taught, that I’ll always be Catholic. I have a strong pull towards communion, but I know that I’m not in a place to receive it.

I’d welcome any suggestions on how to reconcile the conversion (“forgive me father for I have sinned, it’s been 10 years since my last confession. I converted to Islam…somehow doesn’t seem enough or right). What are some good resources for people coming back to the Church and also people new to the Church (my husband is open to learning). Also, any advice for my husband and I as a young couple who are basically just coming to the Church. The whole basis of our relationship is atheism and we have no idea how to talk about spirituality or God in our life/marriage.

Thank you all in advance!
 
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I would say a good first step would be meeting with your parish priest and explaining the situation to him. No one here on CAF can fully answer your questions. That being said, may your second swimming of the Tiber be quick and easy - Welcome Home!
 
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Excellent advice! I will pray for you. Remember we share the One God.
 
have you & your husband considered having a private conversation w/ your pastor?
 
Thank you! The idea of talking to your priest can be hard when you’ve been away for a decade, but solid advice.
 
good luck, God Bless you on your journey home to Mother Church
 
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I think that’s the next step that I need to take personally. My husband is just being introduced to the Church and isn’t there yet.
 
butterfly221 said:
The idea of talking to your priest can be hard when you’ve been away for a decade, but solid advice.
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Don’t worry about that. Priests have heard it all. Your priest will administer God’s forgiveness through Confession and you will be as holy and new as you could ever be! There is nothing you could have done he can’t or won’t forgive. Go see one and make an act of contrition. Don’t wait a minute! You will feel like a great weight has been lifted from your shoulders. All you are worried about will melt away.
 
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Reading your words just now was seriously such a blessing to me, thank you.
 
Go to the sacrement of reconciliation aka confession and make a good confession. Welcome home!
 
Since you are Catholic, you can go for Confession. Remember that there is no sin that God cannot forgive.

Your problem (both you and your husband) does not seem to be insurmountable, since as you said, you want to come back and your husband is open to it. The other matter would be your in-laws and what they think about it.

If you can navigate your way through that, the rest seems to be straight forward.

Yes. you would feel like a stranger to come back to the church after a long absent, that’s to be expected, but once you are there you would find that everybody is just doing their own thing in the church, you would not be too conspicuous.

Sit down with the priest. He will direct you on what to do. These kind of thngs will make it easier for you, not to mention making you feel at home, which is very important for you at this moment.

Welcome home and may God bless you.
 
As Reuben_J notes, I believe all you personally have to do is go to confession. Then you’re good. Pretty simple there. The reason being is that you have had all the sacraments (Communion, Confirmation). You probably will have to get your marriage blessed or something since you were married outside of the Church but you can ask the priest during confession about that. He won’t bat an eye (And I really mean that. If he has been around for at least a year, he has already heard of marriage problems. And you two don’t seem to have serious marriage problems).

Yeah, but getting back into the Church is pretty easy in your case. Just show up to confession and then have a short, intimate marriage blessing on a Saturday morning. Then you are all good.

Now your husband might take a little longer since he never grew up a Catholic. He would have to go through RCIA but you can always talk to your priest about that.

Good luck!!!
 
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As others have said, go the speak to your local parish priest. You could go straight to Confession and tell him there, if you are already a baptised Catholic who has already made their first Confession as a child.

You are already a Catholic, but like the prodigal son you have strayed and are coming back home. I think any priest would be delighted for you to turn up and tell him all this. Don’t hold anything back when you tell him about what has happened and what you have done and said, tell it all to him.

Welcome home!
 
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Your parish priest can take care of your coming back into the Church. In the case of your husband however, more work may have to be done. Somebody mentioned him going through RCIA. Agreed, but Moslems need a lot of “tutoring” to cleanse them of the unhealthy teachings of Islam which they have been brainwashed into believing since childhood. So I will suggest he read up on former muslims who converted to christianity. Just google “muslims who converted to christianity” and you will find tons of videos and testimonials; I think these will help him.

God bless both of you and you have our prayers.
 
If you took the shahadah without believing it sincerely, then you must consider as a matter between you and God whether you ever truly were a convert. Your husband’s family, if they are very conservative, may not like your decision, but living honestly is best and more pleasing to Allah than living a lie. Whatever you decide to do, dear sister, I will pray for you to find peace.
 
Your 1st Responder is CORRECT

Go to Confession and start practicing the RC Faith. It MAY be necessary for your husband to agree to allow the children to be raised in the CC.

Pray very Much
 
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