I Wish To Become Catholic

  • Thread starter Thread starter Iwesshome
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I

Iwesshome

Guest
My name is Ian and I am 25 years old currently residing in Florida with my family. I have never been one to consider myself a religious follower but more of a spiritual believer. As I have gotten older I have felt that there has been a crossroad presented to me in which I must choose to continue on my current path or began a new chapter by accepting God and Christ into my life. I would say that I have lived a very good life so far but I feel that there is a void that has been eating away at me for a few years. I have looked at several religions and wish to follow the Christian path and feel that Catholic is the direction in which I want to go.

But to be honest with all I do not really know enough about the Catholic religion except maybe what you hear from word of mouth or TV. What needs to be done? I have read that I must be baptized, have communion and be accepted into the church but how does one go about this? Is there any books, internet sites, etc that can provide me with a good understanding of the Catholic faith and when should I look into talking to a Priest? I know I might seem to be getting ahead of myself but I am not sure what questions to ask.

Side Information
  • I am divorced
  • I was not married in a church
  • I am not baptized
  • I do not belong to any other religious organization
    Any help you may provide will be greatly appreciated. :tiphat:
 
40.png
Iwesshome:
My name is Ian and I am 25 years old currently residing in Florida with my family. I have never been one to consider myself a religious follower but more of a spiritual believer. As I have gotten older I have felt that there has been a crossroad presented to me in which I must choose to continue on my current path or began a new chapter by accepting God and Christ into my life. I would say that I have lived a very good life so far but I feel that there is a void that has been eating away at me for a few years. I have looked at several religions and wish to follow the Christian path and feel that Catholic is the direction in which I want to go.

But to be honest with all I do not really know enough about the Catholic religion except maybe what you hear from word of mouth or TV. What needs to be done? I have read that I must be baptized, have communion and be accepted into the church but how does one go about this? Is there any books, internet sites, etc that can provide me with a good understanding of the Catholic faith and when should I look into talking to a Priest? I know I might seem to be getting ahead of myself but I am not sure what questions to ask.

Side Information
  • I am divorced
  • I was not married in a church
  • I am not baptized
  • I do not belong to any other religious organization
    Any help you may provide will be greatly appreciated. :tiphat:
Click to expand...
Go see a priest first, God Bless
 
Dear Ian,
Praise God. The best thing you can do right now is go to your local Catholic Church and ask the same questions. The marriage should not be a problem since it was not sacramentalized (in church). The rest can be taken cared of in time. There is nothing to fear. Ask about a RCIA program (Catholic Training). The person at the Church can help you. Congratz and Welcome.
 
You need to contact a Catholic Church near your home, and ask about RCIA classes.

It’s a good idea to go and talk to a priest at the Church- they are a wonderful blessing.
The RCIA classes are designed for people interested in learning about the church, then later, is intensified for those who decide they want to join the church. It’s generally a year long, once a week, and a person is accepted into the Church at Easter. Several members here are instructors- they can probably give a better idea of what if encompasses for you :). If you ask, some of the members may be able to suggest a specific church, if you don’t have one in mind!
 
I agree with Stephen - Maguire. See a preist first, he will guide you as necessary. Start attending Mass on Sundays also. Then when you are ready, join the parish RCIA. I believe it is a little too late in the year to join the RCIA program (I am in the Baltimore archdiocese). I had to go to two different Catholic churches before I finally found home. Thankfully in Florida there are many Catholic churches. I have attended several in the Orlando area while on vacation. Good luck and God bless.

🙂
 
I would also suggest praying for God to guide you to a good and holy Priest. Unfortunately, not all priests are saints.

Good luck with your journey and God Bless.

Robert

One more thing: Maybe everyone on these boards can make a resolution to begin praying for you.
 
As my screen name suggests, I am a convert and went through the same thing. All of respondents have given you the right advice except for reading materials. To learn what Catholics believe, read the Catechism along with the Bible. Get a good one. I like the Navarre Bible because it comes with commentaries. They explain what you are reading in light of what was revealed to the Church. Others may be able to direct you to a less costly translation.

We hope you join us in 2005.
 
Thank you all for your feedback.

I do have one question though… the RCIA program. I understand that this is a once a week program and within a certain timeframe for Easter but I have a job that does require me to travel a good amount. Will this prevent me from becoming Catholic? I understand that it might take me longer but I shouldn’t be looked down upon for trying to make a living?

Can I also pick up this Catholic Bible at a bookstore or do I need to order one online?
 
40.png
Iwesshome:
Thank you all for your feedback.

I do have one question though… the RCIA program. I understand that this is a once a week program and within a certain timeframe for Easter but I have a job that does require me to travel a good amount. Will this prevent me from becoming Catholic? I understand that it might take me longer but I shouldn’t be looked down upon for trying to make a living?

Can I also pick up this Catholic Bible at a bookstore or do I need to order one online?
Click to expand...
When I converted, I was able to find a priest to give me instructions one on one. It was always the highlight of my week. If you can find a priest that will do that, you can probably have a flexible schedule.

Regarding the Catholic Bible: You can probably find one at a Catholic book store. I use the Douay Rheims version. It is an older version that I find very good.

God Bless
 
Hi Iwesshome,

Congratulations on your decision! I’m a convert myself. I can tell you that, even though it isn’t easy, it’s certainly worth being Catholic.

If you like, you can read a couple of tracts from Catholic Answers:
Also, as a more long-term process, I recommend the following resources:
  • Envoy Magazine; a Catholic apologetics magazine. Informative, but very fun to read.
  • Peter Kreeft; website featuring the famous Catholic philosopher’s featured writings and audio lectures. Excellent stuff.
  • Catholic Answers; and of course, this website. The Library and the This Rock magazine are very good resources.
  • The Catechism of the Catholic Church; as others have mentioned already, this is the most authoritive resource on the Catholic doctrines and beliefs. Worth studying.
God bless,
TTM
 
Can I also pick up this Catholic Bible at a bookstore or do I need to order one online?
Click to expand...
I use the New Jerusalem Bible, which I find very good.

You can also download a free bible software and a whole host of bibles from The Sword Project.
  • The software
  • Bible modules
    These are Protestant bibles, so a few books are missing, but it’s very handy to have a searchable bible on the computer.
God bless,
TTM
 
40.png
Iwesshome:
My name is Ian and I am 25 years old currently residing in Florida with my family. I have never been one to consider myself a religious follower but more of a spiritual believer. As I have gotten older I have felt that there has been a crossroad presented to me in which I must choose to continue on my current path or began a new chapter by accepting God and Christ into my life. I would say that I have lived a very good life so far but I feel that there is a void that has been eating away at me for a few years. I have looked at several religions and wish to follow the Christian path and feel that Catholic is the direction in which I want to go.

But to be honest with all I do not really know enough about the Catholic religion except maybe what you hear from word of mouth or TV. What needs to be done? I have read that I must be baptized, have communion and be accepted into the church but how does one go about this? Is there any books, internet sites, etc that can provide me with a good understanding of the Catholic faith and when should I look into talking to a Priest? I know I might seem to be getting ahead of myself but I am not sure what questions to ask.

Side Information
  • I am divorced
  • I was not married in a church
  • I am not baptized
  • I do not belong to any other religious organization
    Any help you may provide will be greatly appreciated. :tiphat:
Click to expand...
Hello Ian…thank you for sharing your heart with us ! Many have stories much like your own so do not feel alone ! I hear them nearly every day. I believe that God is calling many to a deeper understanding and closer relationship with Him. I can not offer much more than what the folks before me have…you have received good advice but I would like to add several web links and direct you to Karl Keating or one of the apologist at this forum. They are very supportive and knowledgeable ! Just go to forum jump at the bottom of your page and send a brief message. They may take several days to respond… they can get extremely busy but you will hear from them. Most problems have a solution and your work etc.can be taken care of in some manner. The RCIA journey is just great !** Do not give up :nope: !** God is close and will provide you with what you need…especially community…of this I am certain. On your travels feel free to visit a Catholic Church to just sit and ponder things and ask God to direct your paths.:yup: .** May He richly bless you on your journey.**
Shalom,
Catherine

Web links informative and inspirational !
catholic.com/library/Pillar.asp

catholic.com/radio/calive.asp

catholic.com/thisrock/2004/2004_ann.asp

Tapes of others who have made the journey!
ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?pgnu=1&SeriesID=-6892289

salvationhistory.com/library/apologetics/index.cfm?PID=1194
 
Much thanks for the continued support on this topic. I tried posting a message on the AAA section but didn’t realize that the posts would not show up till reviewed so I posted 2 more times before giving up and read the Forum FAQ - So I will wait a few days for I am sure they will delete those posts now. The links are wonderful and I will review them further when I get home tonight. Thank you all for the suggestions on the bibles and pointing me into the right direction. Now I must try to pick the right church for me. There are several around but from your personal experiences what should I look for in general?

This direction even though a right one is still very weird still to me. I mean I am going from 1 road traveled for 25 years, avoiding all the exits for change and now I am making a U-turn right there in the highway heading back to the exits. Change can sure be scary. I am glad that I have your support.
 
hey ian. i’m a convert, too. congrats on your movement toward the church. i pray for you. let me give you a little warning: the enemy doesn’t want you to become a Christian, and will (probably) throw up some obstacles to your conversion. i recommend that you daily ask for God’s mercy and grace in making this move into His church, as the road is not an easy one.

but the joy!!! of being a catholic christian is beyond words. what you’re moving to is infinitely worth the difficulty in getting there. be encouraged.

i suggest that you also read books by scott hahn, especially ‘rome sweet home’, but ‘lamb’s supper’ and ‘father who keeps His promises’ are also very good.

may God bless your journey, my friend.
 
40.png
Iwesshome:
Thank you all for the suggestions on the bibles and pointing me into the right direction. Now I must try to pick the right church for me. There are several around but from your personal experiences what should I look for in general?

This direction even though a right one is still very weird still to me. I mean I am going from 1 road traveled for 25 years, avoiding all the exits for change and now I am making a U-turn right there in the highway heading back to the exits. Change can sure be scary. I am glad that I have your support.
Click to expand...
Praise GOD!!! Congratulations on wanting to come home!!!

Everyone here has given good suggestions on Bibles, however, I strongly suggest getting a New American Bible. It’s the Bible that all of the Sunday readings are done in at Mass. And you don’t have to worry about it not containing all of the books. You can get this Bible from Catholic Answers, Amazon, or your local Catholic Bookstore.

The most important thing to look for is a parish (church) that teaches the true Catholic teachings. Obviously being brand new to this you will have to do some research with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the General Instruction on the Roman Missal. Try out some different parishes in your area. See which one works best for you. That’s really the only way to do this.

I have no doubt that this is a wierd, confusing, possibly scary change in your life! Keep going though, it’s worth it in the end!!! We will be praying for you!!!
 
Another good book, that I don’t think was mentioned, for good basic information is “Catholicism for Dummies” at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or most other bookstores that carry the “for Dummies” books.
 
I would suggest that you get two books: The Bible and The Catechism. That is al you will need.

After that if you are more curious and want to get deeper into the faith I would suggest reading something by Aquinas like his Summa Theologica or Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Dr. Ott.
 
lwesshome,

God bless you and your family!

As others have suggested, get a Catechism as well as a Bible. I like the Ignatius Bible, RSV Catholic Edition (the “RSV” stands for “revised standard version”). Whatever Bible you get, make sure it’s Catholic (Protestants took out seven books).

It will be important to find a good, orthodox (that’s a small “o”) parish. Perhpas the first step will be to call your diocese and, well, tell them that you want to go to a parish that is known to be orthodox and faithful to the teaching of the Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church). Sad to say, not all parishes meet this criterion: think of the Catholic Church as a big, but messy, family: there are black sheep within the family, as well as other less than stellar types. Protestants typically break off and form new churches when confronted with interior divisions, while we Catholics sort of have to put up with each other!

What town or city do you live in? Perhaps someone here on the forum can suggest a good parish and good priest.

Also, go to Catholic.com and look around. Some have already posted links to items on that website. It has a wealth of information, plus you can pick up good reading materials there on line. Another good source of books is Ignatius Press at ignatius.com.

I would also recommend reading G.K. Chesterton! If you’re not familiar with this great thinker, you should be! Try a taste at chesterton.org

Keep us posted!
 
Don’t Forget Fellowship.

At the Age of 25 you should also fin yourself a Group to get involved in. Even at a marginal level.

If you live here in South Florida / Dade, Broward / I could recommend some Catholic Young Adult Groups.

OR check you local Parish for Prayer Meetings, Life in the Spirit Seminars, Retreats, Serivce Ministries.

Your Social Relationship into the Church is just as important as your doctirnal one.

todd
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top