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Hello everyone I have a question. To start out I have never been very religous person but I do believe in God. Lately I have been feeling like I need to be closer to out Lord and have been doing some reading. I don’t claim any denomination as my own but feel a strong pull to the Catholic Church. But while I may have a thousand questions I just want to start with one.

Would it be possible for me to join the Church even if my wife doesnt ? She doesn’t attend Church herself but grew up a Baptist and while not really against Catholics she just doesnt seem interested in attending Mass or going to any Church for that matter at this time.

I pray every night for us both and I know she will do nothing to stop me and won’t be negative about it but I would like her there too. But until she is ready on her own would her not attending or being Catholic prohibit me from joining the Church?

I have been researching the RCIA program and other things as well and I feel as if I am being called home. One step closer to finding what is missing.

Thank you all for any help and advice you can give me and please if you can recomend any books or articles to read to help me I would appreciate it.
 
The Church would welcome you, with or without your wife. This situation is not uncommon.

Hope to see you at Mass!
 
TCR74 said:
Hello everyone I have a question. To start out I have never been very religous person but I do believe in God. Lately I have been feeling like I need to be closer to out Lord and have been doing some reading.

I pray every night for us both and I know she will do nothing to stop me and won’t be negative about it but I would like her there too. But until she is ready on her own would her not attending or being Catholic prohibit me from joining the Church?

I have been researching the RCIA program and other things as well and I feel as if I am being called home. One step closer to finding what is missing.

Thank you all for any help and advice you can give me and please if you can recomend any books or articles to read to help me I would appreciate it.
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By all means…start going to Mass, attending adoration…and start inquiring about RCIA.

There is no other better witness to the faith and your growth in Christ than you…to your wife…let her see and witness Christ…in you.
 
Based on what you have written, I would say to proceed by all means.

Your wife sounds like a fine lady who wants what is best for you.
It is to be hoped that as you begin your journey into the Church are a learning and excited and wishing to share, that she will be interested and willing to listen. Then as time goes on - who knows what God might work in her heart…

All things in God’s time though…

I second the book recommendations.

Peace
James
 
Come to church and join the RCIA program

even if you wife doesn’t you are welcome 100%

try a few different Catholic churches all are slightly different and find one that fits you 😃
 
TCR74 said:
Hello everyone I have a question. To start out I have never been very religous person but I do believe in God. Lately I have been feeling like I need to be closer to out Lord and have been doing some reading. I don’t claim any denomination as my own but feel a strong pull to the Catholic Church. But while I may have a thousand questions I just want to start with one.

Would it be possible for me to join the Church even if my wife doesnt ? She doesn’t attend Church herself but grew up a Baptist and while not really against Catholics she just doesnt seem interested in attending Mass or going to any Church for that matter at this time.

I pray every night for us both and I know she will do nothing to stop me and won’t be negative about it but I would like her there too. But until she is ready on her own would her not attending or being Catholic prohibit me from joining the Church?

I have been researching the RCIA program and other things as well and I feel as if I am being called home. One step closer to finding what is missing.

Thank you all for any help and advice you can give me and please if you can recomend any books or articles to read to help me I would appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Let me say unequivocally and from personal experience - YES you can attend, go to RCIA and if you feel called, formally join.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

My wife is Baptist, I am Catholic. I wouldn’t say I stopped being Catholic…but was definitely non-practicing.

For a while and for the sake of my marriage, We alternated between attending each other’s churches. She wanted me to try this, to see if I could be ‘happy’ in her church - which I could not. She, ultimately, wasn’t happy attending the Catholic church.

So now we attend separate churches each Sunday. It is not best… but it works.
By no means it is ideal and I pray that my wife will one day join me, as I’m sure she does the same.

When I returned to Confession after 10 years of not going… you know what the Priest said to me? Did he say -shame on you! – NO he didn’t. He said “God bless you son for returning, you show great faith in giving confession. Take your time… when you are ready, just start talking, Jesus will help you find the words”
I will forever remember his mercy and love that he showed me, that day.
There is a recent Catholic TV ad which says: “You are Catholic… Welcome Home” - that day in the confessional… I FELT those words come true. The priest essentially welcomed me home… and I swear that I will never leave home again.
So absolutely you can attend and even invite your wife to check it out.

Inter-faith marriages or even a marriage where one spouse is more ‘relgioius’ (for lack of a better term) then the other… is not at all that uncommon.

I’m willing to bet that at any given Mass there is a good number who either attend alone because their spouse doesn’t believe the same OR are in some way, shape, or form, struggling with their own faith and maybe not sure they should be there.

REMEMBER – the Church is not a museum of Saints… it is a hospital for sinners. So as you look around the church… remember that we all have broken halos for one reason or another, yet it is a common belief in Christ that binds us together.

catholicscomehome.org/
catholicmass.org/english.html – don’t need to buy the DVD, just listen to the demos by clicking on ‘commentary’
 
All the other posters offered great advice. One thing to watch out for is there are churches who claim to be Catholic but are no longer in communion with Rome. I would check out www.masstimes.org to find churches in your area. They only list real Catholic Churches, not the schismatic ones.
 
Thank you everyone for all the great advice and help. I really do appreciate it. My father once said that everyone comes to a time where they make a great change in their life. But only they can decide if its for the better or worse. He was referring to his drinking days and when he stopped all the drinking and started being there for the family btu I feel that I am to at a crossroads and am looking down the right path. Maybe not the easiest path but the right one.
 
It’s a great encouragement to read about someone else making a journey to the Church. I’d like to give you a few warnings to keep in mind along the way, as they’re certainly problems I came across during my own journey!
  1. Don’t believe everything you hear in RCIA. While most if not all of the RCIA programs are well-intentioned, many of the teachers are not qualified to be teaching. I heard at least a few heretical teachings in my class which I’m sure were unintentional. Check everything you’re taught–a good place to check it is here, on the Catholic Answers forums!
  2. Get rooted to your local and univeral Church. While RCIA is great, you need to find a few people you can trust in your local Church. While nobody will have all the answers, find somebody who you think has a real passion for the faith and a generally good understanding. Maybe this will be one of the priests, a deacon, or one of the members of the men’s studies. Be sure to schedule frequent meetings with some of the priests at your local parish. After that, be sure to stay connected to the Church on a larger scale. A good way to do this is by reading some of our wonderful literature, listening to Catholic Answers radio (I still get excited when it comes on in my area!) and browsing Catholic websites. Again, this is one of the best!
  3. Question Church teachings. This might not seem like a good thing at first, but I found it was absolutely necessary for me. Having come from a Protestant background, I would be miserable in the Catholic Church had I not questioned some of the many teachings which I was not comfortable with. Of course, you should never keep your questions to yourself, but should always be sure you have somebody to share them with so that they can keep you on track. Be sure not to let your questioning pull you away from the truth, though–rather, use it to lead you to a better understand of Church teachings which is firmly grounded.
  4. Let yourself be amazed by the Church’s Tradition. Start reading books and scriptures and listening to chants and songs, even if you don’t fully understand them. Pray a rosary, study about the saints. Even if you’re not completely comfortable with it yet, allow yourself to wonder at the beauty of our traditions. I think you’ll soon find yourself drawn to one of our amazing saints, as I quickly did. And don’t forget our Eastern brethren! They have such a marvelous portion of the tradition to contribute, so don’t miss out! Like me, I think you’ll be glad you did. And, as always, seek guidance for the things you don’t understand so that you can appreciate them even more.
I hope these things are clear–I truly hope you come to appreciate the Church as much as I and so many others have and start to recognize its true beauty. We love to hear from you on these forums–nothing makes us happier! God bless you on your journey. :signofcross:
 
Similar boat to you. I was raised Southern Baptist, and my wife was only culturally Catholic. I converted, but my wife is still non-religious. It is very tough at times, but I persevere through. I keep praying for her and trying to be patient. I say prayers to St. Monica and St. Augustine for her conversion.

You can always invite your wife to RCIA as well. There is no requirement for her to go any further than she wishes, and can attend for just informational reasons only if she wishes.

In addition to the other recommendations, I would pick up anything by Scott Hahn, but I really like Hail Holy Queen, Rome Sweet Home, and The Lamb’s Supper.
 
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