Methodist converting to Catholic?

[Bob_Crowley]

I’m afraid to say that we don’t very often eat meals together or do much together which is why I am concerned about bringing it up. I have emailed the priest saying that it may be difficult to see whether my eldest sister would be ok, or maybe a letter of consent from my parents would suffice. I d hope this works out as I feel this is where I am meant to be but many of my peers who are not religious don’t agree with my decision and question why I cant just stay Methodist Thank you very much

First of all your parents must surely be aware you believe in God, so it shouldn’t be too much of a shock to their system that you want to change churches. So you’ve got one foot in the door to start with.

As for your peers who are not religious, what’s their opinion worth when it comes to spiritual things? It’s your decision - not theirs.

You’ll probably find, in the end, the most difficult part will be the alienation you might get from those people you currently worship with in the Methodist Church, and fellow Brigaders. I think that will be the biggest hurdle.

If you can’t get your parents to agree, then you might just have to wait till you’re old enough, whatever the age of consent is in your state or nation. I mean if it’s 18, then that’s only 2 years away. In the meantime you could do a bit more research on the Catholic Church, so that when you do “cross the Tiber” as some call it, you’re a bit better informed as to what the Church believes.

One of the virtues is patience, and you might just have to be patient for a couple of years. Hang in there.

 

[Edmundus1581]

…
For this reason I feel as though I want to start afresh with my faith, and the Catholic church sticks out as a church which really focuses on Gods love.
…

• “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.* Matt 16:17

 

[Roy5]

I have read somewhere that a third of all new Protestants in the USA are former Catholics. I assume this would include mainline Protestants (among them Methodists) and evangelical Protestants. At least two Protestant ministers in this community were raised Catholic.

  Yes, there are Protestants who become Catholic, also, of course. I watch Journey Home often on EWTN. But I've heard that 30,000,000 Americans are ex-Catholics and the only reason the Catholic population is maintained at about 70,000,000 is because American Catholicism today if roughly 1/3 Latino, most of them recent immigrants or their offspring.

  Catholic or Protestant? I suspect God looks at our hearts (see Matt.25) and not at our church affiliation.

 

[zz912]

Welcome to the Church! Learn a lot, read and study much, pray more, and ask a BUNCH of questions!

And asking if you are too old? That’s just crazy talk. I’m old enough to be your father and converted a couple years ago.

Other good books to read include anything by Scott Hahn. If you are tight on cash, I recommend your local library (most now have county-wide systems so that you are able to check out any book in the county through your local library.) Chances are they have at least a couple of his books. They are deep theologically, but in a very conversational tone. Very pleasant and easy to read.

You will need to study the faith in detail and depth. You will soon be entering a very trying and tumultous time in your life. Late teens and early twenties can be tough, especially on your spiritual life.

God bless you on your journey!

 

[KarenElissa]

I don;t mean this to sound offensive, but was that fact that you were older ever frowned upon by the church as I’m concerned that some people might look down on me due ot my parents not bringing me up in a religion? Thanks again

I didn’t grow up in any church and started going to a protestant church on my own in high school. I floated around a bit, landing as a Methodist. I became Catholic when I was 25. All that background to say that no, I’ve never felt looked down on because I didn’t grow up in the Catholic Church. It has actually been the opposite experience. Generally people are quite happy that I converted and fascinated that I discovered the Church on my own.

 

[ccl239]

Thank you for your reply. I think this is what I;m being called to do. I think at least trying the RCIA course will allow me to see whether this is the real path. I don;t mean this to sound offensive, but was that fact that you were older ever frowned upon by the church as I’m concerned that some people might look down on me due ot my parents not bringing me up in a religion? Thanks again

lolz1411 - sorry it took me so long to respond directly to your question! No, no one has ever looked down upon me for converting when I was 16 and not being raised in any religion (as far as I know)! I don’t know how RCIA is handled at your church but at mine, the year I converted I was the youngest adult thinking about converting in our class. The other people and our priest were very nice to me. I think initially it was a little difficult for me because I didn’t know any other Catholic people my age who were taking their faith seriously and my new found faith was very important to me. Once I moved out of my parents house a few years later, it was a lot easier for me to make friends who were faithful Catholics.

I think you will find in the Catholic church that converts are seen as a wonderful thing to be celebrated, not looked down upon! At least that has been my experience. If you have more questions about converting when you are a teenager, please feel free to personal message me. I will keep you in my prayers.

 

[lolz1411]

lolz1411 - God Bless you on your journey of faith! If you are concerned about your age, you don’t need to be. You can become Catholic at any age. I have never seen people look down on anyone because they are a convert as opposed to a “cradle Catholic.” In most of the Catholic circles I’ve been in, converts are actually seen as having interesting faith stories compared to those of us who came into the faith as babies.

You also asked someone else earlier in this thread

It gives me a feeling of being settled. Frankly, I’m not holy enough or smart enough to figure all of this stuff out on my own. It gives me a sense of peace and security knowing that if I have a question about something, people have thought, prayed, and written about it already, often hundreds of years ago. This faith has stood the test of time, so I see more credibility than just what I can come up with by myself.

I hope to see more of you on CAF!

Thank you for your reply, it’s definitely reassuring to know, as one of my biggest worries is that I will be expected to know everything about Catholicism and rituals, which I don’t at the moment.

It will definitely be very different being given a definite meaning for something, but I can see from your perspective that this can be more useful as I tend not to understand a passage if I am left to try and decipher it!

Thank you very much for your time, this has really helped

 

[lolz1411]

Welcome to the Church! Learn a lot, read and study much, pray more, and ask a BUNCH of questions!

And asking if you are too old? That’s just crazy talk. I’m old enough to be your father and converted a couple years ago.

Other good books to read include anything by Scott Hahn. If you are tight on cash, I recommend your local library (most now have county-wide systems so that you are able to check out any book in the county through your local library.) Chances are they have at least a couple of his books. They are deep theologically, but in a very conversational tone. Very pleasant and easy to read.

You will need to study the faith in detail and depth. You will soon be entering a very trying and tumultous time in your life. Late teens and early twenties can be tough, especially on your spiritual life.

God bless you on your journey!

Thank you for your support. I may have a trip down to my local library, thank you for giving me the idea. I definitely agree that these have been the hardest years so far, and will continue to be, but I hope renewing my faith in God will help me through these times

Thank you, god bless you too!

 

[lolz1411]

I didn’t grow up in any church and started going to a protestant church on my own in high school. I floated around a bit, landing as a Methodist. I became Catholic when I was 25. All that background to say that no, I’ve never felt looked down on because I didn’t grow up in the Catholic Church. It has actually been the opposite experience. Generally people are quite happy that I converted and fascinated that I discovered the Church on my own.

Thank you for sharing your story with me, it sounds so similar to mine which is very reassuring. I hope that this is the case at my church, I should hopefully be going to visit the Fr. soon so I will soon find out

Thanks again!

 

[lolz1411]

lolz1411 - sorry it took me so long to respond directly to your question! No, no one has ever looked down upon me for converting when I was 16 and not being raised in any religion (as far as I know)! I don’t know how RCIA is handled at your church but at mine, the year I converted I was the youngest adult thinking about converting in our class. The other people and our priest were very nice to me. I think initially it was a little difficult for me because I didn’t know any other Catholic people my age who were taking their faith seriously and my new found faith was very important to me. Once I moved out of my parents house a few years later, it was a lot easier for me to make friends who were faithful Catholics.

I think you will find in the Catholic church that converts are seen as a wonderful thing to be celebrated, not looked down upon! At least that has been my experience. If you have more questions about converting when you are a teenager, please feel free to personal message me. I will keep you in my prayers.

That’s okay, thank you for taking the time to reply! I’m hopefully going to see the priest soon, but the RCIA programme does not start until summer and is at a different church to the one I will attend if I do get confirmed. I do think it can be a little bit difficult, even at the moment being on of two Methodists (and Christians!) among my peers I do worry that becoming the only Catholic will make me stick out. But then I guess your true friends would’t act like that and will appreciate you for who you are! Thank you for your kind words, I may PM you when I work out how to do that :L

Thank you once again, you have been so helpful and kind

 

[lolz1411]

Just a message to everyone!

Thank you all so much for being so kind and giving me a balanced perspective on what it will mean to convert. Just an update- I have contacted my local Catholic church to ask whether they run the RCIA programme and unfortunately they don’t, but another local one does which they are linked to. The course begins in the summer so I am using the time before that to explore the faith. I am also arranging to meet with the local Fr. to speak about the course and whether this is the right thing for me to be doing.

I cannot express how grateful I am for all your help, it has definitely been reassuring to know that you don’t have to be 8 years old to be brought into the faith. I will try to keep you updated, but thank you once more for your time

 

[GaryTaylor]

Sounds Great!

Peace

 

[hannajomar]

Thank you for your reply, it’s definitely reassuring to know, as one of my biggest worries is that I will be expected to know everything about Catholicism and rituals, which I don’t at the moment.

It will definitely be very different being given a definite meaning for something, but I can see from your perspective that this can be more useful as I tend not to understand a passage if I am left to try and decipher it!

Thank you very much for your time, this has really helped

I just hope I’m not giving you the impression that we don’t think and understand things. It’s just that Catholic teachings tend to be more structured than other faiths. Many Catholics who leave their practice of the faith do so because they don’t* understand* a lot of things, or simply see them as arbitrary rules. I used to be one of those people myself, before I really dug into this beautiful faith! God Bless you on your discoveries

 

[ForTheChurch]

Hello,

This is my first post so I’ll explain a little bit about my situation. Up until I moved to Kent at 10 years old, I did not believe in a God as parents did not and I was never brought up in a church. When I moved I became interested in Christianity and was encouraged to join the Girls Brigade and my local Methodist church by a school friend.After being offered (and nagged) to be baptised/confirmed I was in the February of 2010 without having really thought about it.

For the past few years I have had quite a rough time, with my closest friend attempting suicide and helping her out of severe depression. This made me question God massively and as a result I don’t really have a relationship with him. For this reason I feel as though I want to start afresh with my faith, and the Catholic church sticks out as a church which really focuses on Gods love. I have been in contact with a local Fr. about doing the RCIA programme and it is possible.

What I wanted to ask is this change possible, and whether anyone has done it? I realise this time that it s a much bigger commitment and I need to take it much more seriously than I did last time. Also I am 16 years old, which I know is not that old, but I do feel anxious as most of those taking their first communion are around 8 years old?

Thank you for your time

Thanks be to God that you are open to his love and grace despite all the things that have happened you in your life. It’s truly a miracle!

In my opinion, you should definitely talk to you parents about conversion and continue to talk to your priest about joining RCIA. I myself am a convert. I converted just over three years ago, when I was 16 years old, and, honestly, I have never looked back. Now, as a Catholic at one of the most secular universities in the world, UC Berkeley, I have learned to embrace my faith to the point that I am seriously considering entering the seminary for formation as a priest. The interesting thing, though, is, in retrospect, I can honestly say that my formation was not the best in the world; in fact, I knew very little about Catholicism. Now, however, after quite a bit of self-study and frequently listening to Catholic Answers Live, I am more than doctrinally prepared to defend and grow in my faith in a place and during an age that ultimately despises religious conviction.

Our Lord wants you to come into full communion with the Church he founded on St. Peter the Rock! We need people like you who, out of your own volition, are seeking truth and solidly forming your faith on it!

Blessings.

 

[lolz1411]

I just hope I’m not giving you the impression that we don’t think and understand things. It’s just that Catholic teachings tend to be more structured than other faiths. Many Catholics who leave their practice of the faith do so because they don’t* understand* a lot of things, or simply see them as arbitrary rules. I used to be one of those people myself, before I really dug into this beautiful faith! God Bless you on your discoveries

I think I will prefer a much more structured practice, it might just be difficult in the beginning not knowing the structure well enough. Thank you very much!

 

[lolz1411]

Thanks be to God that you are open to his love and grace despite all the things that have happened you in your life. It’s truly a miracle!

In my opinion, you should definitely talk to you parents about conversion and continue to talk to your priest about joining RCIA. I myself am a convert. I converted just over three years ago, when I was 16 years old, and, honestly, I have never looked back. Now, as a Catholic at one of the most secular universities in the world, UC Berkeley, I have learned to embrace my faith to the point that I am seriously considering entering the seminary for formation as a priest. The interesting thing, though, is, in retrospect, I can honestly say that my formation was not the best in the world; in fact, I knew very little about Catholicism. Now, however, after quite a bit of self-study and frequently listening to Catholic Answers Live, I am more than doctrinally prepared to defend and grow in my faith in a place and during an age that ultimately despises religious conviction.

Our Lord wants you to come into full communion with the Church he founded on St. Peter the Rock! We need people like you who, out of your own volition, are seeking truth and solidly forming your faith on it!

Blessings.

Thank you for your kind words, I am intending to meet with my local Fr (and another member of the parish for child protection) at some time. I am a little bit nervous about this meeting as I feel he might expect me to know more than I do and maybe have ‘more of a reason’ if you like to why I want to convert. It’s lovely to know that you were able to convert and I congratulate you on that Thanks

 

[Roy5]

Everybody should find a version of Christianity that brings a deep faith and plenty of inner peace.

 Some want a more structured faith in which they are expected to believe the doctrines as defined by the Church. Such is Catholicism. Some need to more sponatenous and expressive and even emotional faith. Many evangelicals apparently want that. Then there are those of us who may have been raised in a mixed-religion family. I found over the years an increasing need to have plenty of intellectual freedom to question this or that belief, to ponder various teachings, to have doubts about certain Bible passages, to reserve the right to think for myself, etc. That is the attraction of mainline Protestantism - Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, UCC, etc.

  I am well aware that this is not for everyone, apparently not for most Christians who are ready to follow loyally a church or a preacher or the Bible. That's not for me. But we all are different, and I believe that God made us that way. I'm sure that in God's mercy there is no punishment for diverging views as long as we abide by the answer Christ gave to the man who wanted to know how to inherit eternal life. Jesus made no reference to dogma or church affiliation. He said to love God and one another, and illustrated that by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritans, remember, were despised outcasts who rejected the ecclesiastical system of that era. 

 When anyone decides to be a priest or a pastor, Catholic or Protestant (or Orthodox) - God bless you. Have a full and rewarding life as you serve God and his children. May the Lord bless people of every creed, color, culture and country. Let us make religion a bridge and not a barrier.

 

[MartinJordan]

It is great you’re trying to look into the Catholic Church and here at CAF is one of the best places to learn about this wonderful and loving Church that was started by Jesus our Loving Saviour himself!

Im praying through Mother Mary’s intercession that her son will make your Journey a fruitful and blessed one to HIS Church.

I also think you will see how important it is to keep life a Sacred one which can be learned from our Catholic faith.

Godbless you on your journey HOME! :extrahappy:

MJ