If You're a Convert, How Did You Cope?--Adjusting, Learning, and Becoming

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TeresaElizabeth

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Converts can have a rough time of it, and here are some “for instances”:

Protestants: integrating your Sunday School image of Jesus with all of the “new” (rather, “old”) teachings (for example, His Actual Presence in the Eucharist).

Reading Bible verses that you haven’t read since your conversion and going, “Whoa! How long did that verse say that?”

Wishing that you had grown up in a Catholic family so you could know all of the cool family/cultural things (like writing JMJ on test papers, etc.)

Tell me about yours!
Tiber Swim Team of '08:nun2:
 
I converted to Catholicism after being raised as a United Methodist. When I first started on my journey I don’t suppose I actually had any intention of ending up Catholic. I just wanted to learn more about what Catholics actually believed so I started reading Catholic literature and other articles. That sense of discovery at first was wonderful because I was learning so much I hadn’t known and it was clearing up certain misconceptions about Church teachings. Then after a while I started to feel confused and a little panicky – even a little distressed. I realized that the Church was right about many of the beliefs I had previously considered wrong. For a long time I tried to put it out of my head by this nagging feeling came back around telling me if the Church is right then I can’t remain a Methodist. I then entered an RCIA program to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

One of the “wow” Bible passages for me was 1 Timothy 3:15 “the church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of truth.” I’m sure I never heard that preached on as a protestant. Before I converted I would’ve answered that the “pillar and foundation of truth” had to be the Bible, no other answer would’ve made sense. When I saw what the verse actually said and understood it I wanted to know how I could’ve missed something that obvious for so many years.

ChadS
 
Protestants: integrating your Sunday School image of Jesus with all of the “new” (rather, “old”) teachings (for example, His Actual Presence in the Eucharist)
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I know what you mean here. Catholic perspective on Our Lord is much more of a humble, servant/master, we-look-upon-you-with-reverence, wheras as a Protestant I would’ve been perfectly fine with saying “Christ is my buddy!” and much more lovey-dovey. As I read Scripture and Church teaching, I felt that The Church’s perspective was much more in line with Scripture.
Reading Bible verses that you haven’t read since your conversion and going, “Whoa! How long did that verse say that?”
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I know what you mean exactly! The Bible suddenly contains a bunch of things that it never had before! John 6 which I had heard many times suddenly was very, very different, and made much more sense.
Wishing that you had grown up in a Catholic family so you could know all of the cool family/cultural things (like writing JMJ on test papers, etc.)
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Sigh, I know what you mean here too. The sad thing is I should’ve grown up Catholic. My parents were raised Catholic, married Catholic, my two older sisters were both baptised Catholic, but they’d left The Church by the time I was born (ironic, the one child who would’ve benefited from being baptised specifically Catholic is the one they stop on). I might be a little overboard now in wanting to experience all the old traditions. I write JMJ on bills I have to send through the mail, my room is full of statues. I have plans to do an advent wreath and a Christ Crib this advent, and I’m going to be giving them all shoes with goodies for St. Nicholas’s day. I visited a cemetery on All Souls Day to pray for the dead. Basically, this year when I’m going to start living the Liturgical Year, and I love all these celebrations, but I wish my sisters and parents would get as much out of them as I will. As it is I’m just going to be dragging them along.
 
Congratulations, and welcome home! One of the best books I have ever read about the Catholic faith is “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” by David Currie. It is brilliant in its simplicity and if you read this relatively short, easy to read book, you will know more than 90 percent of what cradle Catholics know about their faith. I am a cradle Catholic and spent years going to CCD and Legion of Mary and charismatic conferences etc, and yet I didn’t truly understand my faith (and fall in love with it) until I was over 40. Another book that really jumpstarted my conversion, (and changed my life), is a book about Medjugorje called “The Visions of The Children”.
 
I’m a convert as of this past Easter as well, and I find myself wishing a lot that I’d had the opportunity of being raised Catholic. I think it would be nice not to feel like such a bad son when my family asks me where I’m going on Sunday almost every week.

By the way, what in the world does writing JMJ on tests mean?
 
I will hopefully be received into the church this Easter.

As for Jesus Christ being present in the Eucharist, I have a lot to say. It is part of why I am converting. I found the Protestant idea of communion just being a memorial meal to be lacking meaning. I knew there had to be more to it than it just being a memorial.

During one RCIA meeting, the deacon let us put our hands on the tabernacle and pray. It was extremely moving and amazing. I felt as if Christ was standing right next to me.

The rosary has been a life changing prayer/ devotion for me.

All of what I find in the church makes me wish I had grown up Catholic, but I know that coming in from the outside, I appreciate having come in contact with the fullness of truth all the more than if I had grown up with it.
 
Tarwater: JMJ means Jesus Mary and Joseph.
Yes, I started putting it on everything from kindergarten to 12th grade Catholic School, and I still put it on many things.
Just a reminder to say hello, help, I love you. Test time I wish I could have filled the whole page with JMJ’s!
Prague
 
TeresaElizabeth said:
Wishing that you had grown up in a Catholic family so you could know all of the cool family/cultural things (like writing JMJ on test papers, etc.)
Tiber Swim Team of '08:nun2:
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Don’t worry about it. I grew up as a Catholic in a devout family, and we never did this.
 
Both of my parents grew up Catholic, but converted to mormonism and all 6 of us kids were brought up in that setting But in the meantime, I went to Catholic school (talk about confusion). When I was about 7 or 8, one of my sisters converted to Catholicism and she showed me a picture of the Blessed Mother - that stayed with me for a long time.

When I was a teenager we didn’t go to church, and I knew I needed Jesus in my life, so I decided to go back. But I went to a mormon church and I was an absolute nervous wreck during that time. I was panicking and dreading Sundays. Needless to say I only went once or twice.

Fast forward to when I was 20 or 21 - again I got the feeling that I needed to have God in my life and I kept remembering when my sister showed me the picture of the Blessed Mother. I knew in my heart that this is the one true Church and I needed to follow this calling. So I signed up for RCIA, but at this time of year, the class was just ending, so I had to wait for the next one, so I met with a nun who gave me a Catholic Bible and we met weekly for lessons in the meantime and we would often talk to the priest. I knew I had to at least go to Mass, although I knew I could not receive Communion. Well based on my past church experiences, I was a nervous wreck. But the second I walked through the door of my new parish, all anxiety and nervousness was GONE. I never looked back and I am thankful to have had this calling to be Catholic. 🙂
 
I’m a convert of sorts who had no formal church attendance in the first 50 years of my life. The first year when I was a bright shiny penny fresh out of RCIA, my enthusiasm was very high. The second year has been harder. The Catholic church does not spoon feed its members religious education. You have to seek it out and at times that is difficult. I’ve spent well over $1,000 in books ranging from Bible commentary to the Catechism of the Catholic church. It has been very frustrating in finding a good Bible study course that gives me the enthusiasm I felt in RCIA. I’ve come to the conclusion, I going to have to educate myself with the books I’ve purchased. This website was a good resourse in the beginning, but now I’m finding that the topics discussed are very basic or waaay over my head.

The most difficult aspect for me is that I’m on this journey alone. My mother is my only living relative and she decided she didn’t want to convert. Although the people in my parish are very friendly, there is a gap between the retired people and the young families. I’m a fiftysomething professional and there are very few of us. It’s rather lonely, but I keep working at it because I love Catholicism. I wouldn’t be anything else.
 
LeahInancsi said:
I’m a convert of sorts who had no formal church attendance in the first 50 years of my life. The first year when I was a bright shiny penny fresh out of RCIA, my enthusiasm was very high. The second year has been harder. The Catholic church does not spoon feed its members religious education. You have to seek it out and at times that is difficult. I’ve spent well over $1,000 in books ranging from Bible commentary to the Catechism of the Catholic church. It has been very frustrating in finding a good Bible study course that gives me the enthusiasm I felt in RCIA.

Yes, there is a gap right now in the Church.I would advise you to keep reading. There are so many great books out there (Catholic Answers is a good source). Also, look into starting your own bible study group. What is lacking in our Church is people taking the initiative. Put a notice in the bulletin. People will respond.
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Going it alone has been my biggest challenge. I’m divorced with no children, and I come from a family of agnostics. I went through RCIA in a different city where I had a decent-sized group of fellow Catholics to associate with, plus I was working in a Catholic hospital. But when I moved back to my hometown, I found myself truly alone in my faith journey. I was blessed to find a reverent, prayerful parish home where I am involved in the music ministry. Outside of church, the biggest influences in helping me to cope, adjust, and learn have been Catholic websites such as this, EWTN, Our Lady’s Warriors, etc.
 
My story is much more mundane. My protestant church was much more “catholic” than my run-of-the-mill Catholic parish. We sing Marty Haugen & David Haas. I miss the Gregorian chant (in Latin) and the Mozart, Boccherini, and Beethoven.

How ironic is THAT?

I still writhe in agony on the rare occasions when we chance to sing a familiar hymn that has been politically eviscerated to accommodate political correctness.

Sigh. But I LOVE the Church. My answer to being part of the solution rather than just whining, is to teach CCD. I’m teaching my kids “JMJ” and prayers in Latin!
 
We were in San Diego on vacation, just my DH and I, and the news came through that the bishops of the Episcopal church (our church for twenty years, nearly) had consecrated a gay bishop. I remember the moment clearly. We were at breakfast in Little Italy in a nondescript diner and I said to my DH, “Well, looks like we’ll have to go Catholic now.” He resisted, saying there’s no way that the consecration would hold up. He was scared of swimming the Tiber!
A couple of years later, I started a M.A. in Theology through Catholic University. I started reading the Church Fathers, started reading the Catechism, etc. It all made perfect sense! There was no question left unanswered. I got my husband involved: “Listen to this, honey!” He was swept away. We both were. We read “Rome Sweet Home” and all our attempts to find some other church didn’t make sense. ROME was the perfect church!
We enrolled in RCIA at our local parish and the rest is history. We were made so welcome by our new parish. It was wonderful! WE thought we’d get a lot of flak from our Protestant family but no one said a word.
Now we’re zealous for the cause of evangelization and try to reach out to our Protestant family and friends. We couldn’t be happier!
 
RWMorris said:
We were in San Diego on vacation, just my DH and I, and the news came through that the bishops of the Episcopal church (our church for twenty years, nearly) had consecrated a gay bishop. !
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Everytime I hear of more problems in the Episcopal church, I can’t help thinking, “why don’t they just come back to the Catholic Church?” One of the most beautiful things about the Church is that it is indeed “The Rock” . The Catholic Church will never endorse homosexual behavior, or abortion, or euthanasia, or contraception, etc The Church will not compromise with the world!

Welcome Home!
 
LeahInancsi said:
The most difficult aspect for me is that I’m on this journey alone. My mother is my only living relative and she decided she didn’t want to convert. Although the people in my parish are very friendly, there is a gap between the retired people and the young families. I’m a fiftysomething professional and there are very few of us. It’s rather lonely, but I keep working at it because I love Catholicism. I wouldn’t be anything else.
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I know that the conversion process can be a lonely one too. I was the only one in my family too convert and when I began to attend my church I only knew one person. I sort of chose a similar route you did to learn about the faith. I started reading books and books and books. They were all very informative and helpful. If you are looking for people to discuss the faith with I’d suggest you join the RCIA team. I know you just went through the program, but I believe you can still learn much more by seeing it from the other side as a team member. That’s exactly what I did and I’ve found that I continue to learn, just as the other people on the team who have been lifelong Catholics.

Welcome home!
ChadS
 
ChadS said:
I know that the conversion process can be a lonely one too. I was the only one in my family too convert and when I began to attend my church I only knew one person. I sort of chose a similar route you did to learn about the faith. I started reading books and books and books. They were all very informative and helpful. If you are looking for people to discuss the faith with I’d suggest you join the RCIA team. I know you just went through the program, but I believe you can still learn much more by seeing it from the other side as a team member. That’s exactly what I did and I’ve found that I continue to learn, just as the other people on the team who have been lifelong Catholics.

Welcome home!
ChadS
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I’d like to reinforce this suggestion.
Join the RCIA team – help the leader set up, clean up, share your testimony when relevant. Offer to teach when you feel comfortable with a topic or part of the topic (the leader can provide the outlines and work with you). Sponsor one of the partipants so they won’t experience that loneliness. Give all the participants your phone #.
 
Do any of you who were raised with anti-Catholic prejudices ever experience times where you realize–I’m Catholic?!

Do you ever have to root out strange leftovers of those prejudices from your own mind–even now?
 
TeresaElizabeth said:
Do any of you who were raised with anti-Catholic prejudices ever experience times where you realize–I’m Catholic?!

Do you ever have to root out strange leftovers of those prejudices from your own mind–even now?
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Not for me, personally. My family didn’t really discuss religion at all.
 
I wish I had known all about mortal sin and what I was doing to my soul.

My OSAS upbringing made it okay to sin, cause all I had to do was say a quick prayer before bed that I was sorry and I was good to go!

I don’t care what anyone says, anyone with a full understanding of what mortal sin and confession is will think much more deeply about sin then someone who is just told “here pray this prayer once and you’re good for life”
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I wish I had been raised Catholic like my boyfriend. His upbringing was filled with so much tradition and culture. All mine was "No Halloween, its the devil's holiday!" and "A good Christian doesn't sin!"
If only I had experienced Mass as a child. If only someone had explained it all to me when I was younger. Maybe then I wouldn’t have wasted so much time trying to get all my Catholic friends “saved”
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Most of all about my conversion: I hope its merely a stepping stone in my family. I really hope I'm not the only one who jumps into this river.
 
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