Mom plans on becoming Catholic, but there is a catch

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mrsdizzyd

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So, my mother blindsided me by saying out of the clear blue sky that she plans on becoming Catholic and has already contacted a local parish. Now, I should be jumping for joy, but I’m a little concerned to be honest.

She is Baptist. Has always been Baptist, and has no intention of being or believing any other way. She just likes Catholic mass and the Catholic people she has interacted with. In fact, she has been attending Catholic mass off and on for years and sent me to Catholic school. So, she has never been opposed to the Catholic Church.

Lately, she has had a few bad experiences with some of the local Baptist congregations. So, basically, she is looking at this not as an actual conversion, but more an escape from controversy and an opportunity to just “join” another church.

I’m not sure what if anything I should say. I’m concerned about her soul. She has no intention of living or believing as a Catholic.

I’m feeling conflicted. Any advice welcome.
 
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I would not be so concerned. God works in mysterious ways, she may be joining for the wrong reasons but convert along the way. Pray for her heart to be open to the truth.
 
Not knowing your relationship with your mom, I might suggest a couple of ways to go: leave it up to the priest to discern her commitment and desire, or say something like, Mom, I’m so happy you are wanting to join the Catholic Church, but a little surprised since you’ve been Baptist your whole life. I know you enjoy the Mass and did send me to Catholic school, can we talk about it sometime?
 
Leave her conversion between your mom, her priest and the Holy Spirit. Pray for her, encourage her.
 
Not everyone starts their conversion in the same way. Trust that the Holy Spirit will guide her and give thanks to God she is working her way to the Church He gave us.
 
My advice would be to give your mom your full support and encouragement now, but at the same time be ready to give her your full support all over again in the event that, in the course of her RCIA, she realizes she is making a mistake and changes her mind.
 
I would just invite her to come to mass when she visits, and leave her conversion up to God. He knows what is happening, and he may just convert her heart in ways you cannot imagine. Just pray for her. 🙂
 
Yes be there to support her on her journey, It sounds like it will be a slow one. For whatever reason people move churches, we cannot discount the Holy Spirit is moving with in them.

Your mother’s conversion is in my prayers
 
She may be fully ready to convert to Catholicism by the time she completes RCIA. If not, you might remind her at some point to not make an affirmation of total fidelity to the Catholic Church if she does not believe it. That affirmation is how candidates join the Church, assuming they are already baptized.
 
umm… I go to mass every week and I can assure you, often it is for the wrong reason. If the only people in the Cathocli church always were there for 100% the right reasons, it would be empty
 
My own journey to Catholicism began with my dissatisfaction at my Baptist Church and much drama that went along with it. It led me to pray for the Holy Spirit to direct me - and after a couple years, I believed everything the Catholic Church taught. RCIA was an amazing process. Give your mom over to the Holy Spirit.
 
Will someone please explain what happened after the 2nd post???

After discussing details regarding the possibility of her mother possibly converting, @mrsdizzyd added:

“I’m not sure what if anything I should say. I’m concerned about her soul. She has no intentions of living or believing as a Catholic.

“I’m feeling conflicted. Any advice welcome.”

THEN, @VanitasVanitatum advises her not to say anything:

VanitasVanitatum: “It wouldn’t do her any good so I would advise against it.”

and is flagged??? Why???

We trust mrsdizzyd to be telling us the truth, so why should she risk damaging communications with her mother by saying something about her own reservations now? Especially, since we know God works in mysterious ways, and, given time to discover our faith on her own, her mother might become a very staunch Catholic convert.

So, WHY, when VanitasVanitatum merely answered mrsdizzyd’s question, was the post flagged?

This scenario is repeated ad nauseum. With the almost constant, short-sighted venom displayed by spiteful flaggers, I see little reason to stay on CAF.
 
@mrsdizzyd

Your yearning to become fully Catholic and receive the Holy Eucharist was beautiful to read about here on CAF, so maybe your mother was able to see the changes in you, too, even if you may have thought that they were subtle or invisible to others. Then, too, you seem to have a positivity and inner peace, although you’ve been facing serious health issues, and your mother must have noticed that, too.

So, maybe—just maybe—the recent incidents within her current church have merely served as the catalyst for your mother to check out your church more fully. My prayers for your mother’s full conversion and better health for you and those whom you love.
 
Minks said:
This scenario is repeated ad nauseum. With the almost constant, short-sighted venom displayed by spiteful flaggers, I see little reason to stay on CAF.
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My flagging experience is that some people flag as a reaction to a strong emotional response. When we write without the caveats necessary to blunt the emotions impact of what we say, flagging becomes likely. I’m aware that as soon as I say that I don’t believe in God, some people on CAF hear me say ‘I hate God’ or ‘You are a fool’. To take part here I have to take this into account. As with all things I try to see it as just a part of the way people are. Back to the OP: imagine there were no protestant churches.
 
Like the others say, pray for her and let Gods will be done. It’s not easy to convert on a whim, so if it’s trivial reasons (and bear in mind it may be that that is just what she has been saying all these years to hide the real deeper reasons - which she may not feel up to sharing as they are the last thing we share with people or even ourselves) it’ll either be strengthened or fade away. I’d suggest you be supportive and don’t suppress that initial impulse to jump for joy. She’s likely to need a little sign of joy. God bless you both
 
Wow. Thank you for that response. If it is my example that has led her to this place that is quite humbling. I had not even considered that.

As to your other comment on flagging. I don’t know why the post was flagged. I said any advice was welcome, and that is what I meant. It wasn’t an offensive reply. I don’t see any rules broken by it. I don’t know.
 
One thing that I do know: If she goes before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament; if she remains in silence, contemplating what appears to be bread but which is in substance her Savior; if she is as patient with Him as He has been with her, she will receive her consolation.

And, as Fr. Benedict Groeschel C.F.R. taught:
“when you become aware that He is there, you will be changed.”
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