Protestant on the way to Rome

  • Thread starter Thread starter patricia
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
40.png
patricia:
I find myself in an awkward position right now because I’m in between Protestantism and Catholicism. I have come to the point where Protestantism has crumbled before my very eyes and I have almost fully accepted Catholicism.

I am also at a point where I am losing friends. I am a member at a Fundamentalist chat room and have many dear friends there but I can’t talk about the Catholic faith or I will be permanently kicked out. I am running out of things to talk about with them and I find myself feeling very lonely because I am not yet ‘in’ at the Catholic parish where I’ve been going to Mass. The parishioners seem to dart out the door so fast after the Mass that I can’t meet anyone. This is something I am not accustom to, coming from a Protestant background.

I hope to start RCIA very soon and so perhaps I will make some friends through this program. My family is not supportive at all except for my husband who respects my wishes. I haven’t been able to tell the rest of my family as I truly believe they will never speak to me again.

Anyone got any suggestions on how to handle the loneliness at this transitional time in my journey?
Click to expand...
Hello Patricia, I was kicked off an x-Christian website, and a Christian website, all I’m saying is if you believe in the faith your in, then why are other Christian denomations afraid to hear the Catholic point of view. ???
There are other denomations on here and as yet I don’t know if any have been kicked off,— if you believe in your faith then you shouldn’t feel treathened by other faiths if your faith is strong enough.:confused:
 
40.png
patricia:
Anyone got any suggestions on how to handle the loneliness at this transitional time in my journey?
Click to expand...
Hi Patricia!

I have been there. I think I understand what you mean. Be patient and pray to God for help every day on the rest of your journey HOME!

I don’t know if you have started to pray to God through intersessors, yet. Usually that is some of the last brics that fall on their rigth place when somone converts from protestantism to chatholosism. If you have started, I will recomand a prayer to your gardian angle every day:

Angel of God, My Guardian Dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

(CCC 336: "From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.202 "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.“203 Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God”).

Generally: Pray, keep faith, go to mass regularly, read catholic books or online cathechism.

You will find new friends at RICA-class! Try to go to church-coffee together with them (or something else).

(Please excuse any spellingmistaces. English is not my first language).

Best wishes and God Bless!
 
40.png
patricia:
I find myself in an awkward position right now because I’m in between Protestantism and Catholicism. I have come to the point where Protestantism has crumbled before my very eyes and I have almost fully accepted Catholicism.

I am also at a point where I am losing friends. I am a member at a Fundamentalist chat room and have many dear friends there but I can’t talk about the Catholic faith or I will be permanently kicked out. I am running out of things to talk about with them and I find myself feeling very lonely because I am not yet ‘in’ at the Catholic parish where I’ve been going to Mass. The parishioners seem to dart out the door so fast after the Mass that I can’t meet anyone. This is something I am not accustom to, coming from a Protestant background.

I hope to start RCIA very soon and so perhaps I will make some friends through this program. My family is not supportive at all except for my husband who respects my wishes. I haven’t been able to tell the rest of my family as I truly believe they will never speak to me again.

Anyone got any suggestions on how to handle the loneliness at this transitional time in my journey?
Click to expand...
Hey Patricia!..look in the Church bulletin…I’m sure there are opportunities to get together…wither it’s a church BBQ…bingo…etc.
 
Hello Patricia
I am from Calgary and am also a convert from Anglicanism. I entered the Catholic Church on Easter vigil of 2003.
My wife did not come with me and that was difficult.She thought I had lost my marbles.
It was the best decision I have ever made even though I left my family behind.
God Bless and keep perservering.
walter 👍
 
Hello, I was in your shoes about three years ago. I attended Mass on my own without meeting a soul for a long time, but generally you just need to volunteer for something to meet people. This is sometimes difficult because most Catholic parishes have very few opportunities for volunteers and new people in comparison to what we were used to as Protestants. Try joining a prayer group to learn the Rosary. It might only be full of people a few decades older than you but maybe not. Try going to Eucharistic Adoration and see who shows up. They are probably the people you want to meet. Volunteer to be a teacher’s aide in Religious Education. This is a job you can do even if you are not yet Catholic. Just explain that you can’t teach, but you sure can photocopy worksheets and set out markers and crayons real good. 🙂 Sign up to volunteer in the nursery. Help decorate the church for the next Holy Day. Find out if there is coffee and donuts after Mass. Sometimes you even get to chat with the priest this way. He usually doesn’t have time as people are leaving the Mass.

Most of all, I made friends once I signed up for RCIA. Our group of 12 or so became very close as we met weekly for over a year! One thing I will never understand about the Catholic church is that religious education only occurs during the school year, so mostly RCIA starts in September and ends in June, which is a long time to wait if you are ready to start learning in May!

Hang in there! I am the only Catholic in my entire family, not even my spouse is Catholic. I have some relatives that are bemused, some that are hostile and some that are concerned I have been brainwashed.

Once you join RCIA, be patient. A well-educated convert is not what most RCIA facilitators are prepared for. I kept telling myself, the purpose of RCIA is to graft myself into the life of the church. Truly, I knew more about the heart of Catholicism than all the RCIA leaders in the room, most of which were the “pick-and-choose” kind of Catholics. It is hard not to be strident but you have to realize that your fellow catechumens or candidates all have to start somewhere and that hopefully by the time you all reach Easter Vigil you will have reach the same destination.

God bless you and persevere!
The Hidden Wife
 
Good Evening Patricia (From New Zealand)

I was touched by your candid sharing with us and felt that God must be very close to you right now and that he loves you very much.

I too am a convert and have some understanding of the risks you are taking. I found the RCIA most helpful and by the time I was half way through the programme I had all the support I could handle.

I pray that it will be the same for you.

May God bless and keep you in the way you have chosen.

Tom Drummond
 
The first lot of good people that I met were in the RCIA course. They even accepted all my excitment and zealousness.
As soon as I became a Catholic at the 2003 Easter vigil and was accepted as an extraordinary eucharistic minister right away. Then was asked to join the Knights of Columbus.
I also help the priest at funerals - count the offerings - help cut the grass.
I continued on this year to assist with the RCIA and enjoy watching new converts come into the Church.
The priest asked me to go on the Church council next year.
So you see that there are may things that you can get involved in -of course with the exception of the Knights
Forgive me - I don’t mean to brag about this I am just pointing to the fact that there are lots of things that a person can get involed in. Lecturer for eg.
We do have coffee and cookies in the hall after the Mass and I have met may people ther also.
God Bless :tiphat: :tiphat:
Walter :tiphat:
 
40.png
patricia:
I hope to start RCIA very soon and so perhaps I will make some friends through this program. My family is not supportive at all except for my husband who respects my wishes. I haven’t been able to tell the rest of my family as I truly believe they will never speak to me again.

Anyone got any suggestions on how to handle the loneliness at this transitional time in my journey?
Click to expand...
You will meet great people in RCIA, until then I suggest you look in the bulletin for specific groups you might get involved in that will allow you to meet people. Is there a bible study group, a women’s club, food pantry, pro-life group, parish bazaar… etc?

I went through the same thing, I got involved in a couple of social ministry groups and began to meet people. You do not have to be Catholic to join these groups-- there are certain things you can’t do like serve at Mass… but other than that, go for it! It takes time, but you will meet people and begin to form a Catholic circle of friends. At one time I knew almost no Catholics, now it is the opposite! I entered the church in 1992.

Be faithful to God and he will reward that! You will be blessed with many new friends!

Best wishes!
 
Turris Fortis:
I think one reason Catholic may have a reputation for not being friendly is this cultural difference between the Catholic Mass and Protestant services. Many Protestant services are all about fellowship. The Catholic Mass is not. We don’t come to Mass to fellowship – we come to worship the One True God, sacramentally present in the Eucharist, and to participate in the Sacrifice of Calvary. We do this as a community of believers, yes. But that community is not the focus.

Out of resepect for the Mass, most Catholics are taught to site quietly and pray before Mass, and to quietly leave afterwards (or stay and pray).
Click to expand...
I’ve heard this on EWTN, maybe in the Journey Home program. One of the biggest misconceptions between Catholics and Protestants. Protestants don’t understand the nature of the Mass and most think it to be cold and uninviting. So that’s probably where a lot of your frustration may come from.

I too though am frustrated with the lack of fellowship in many parishes. I’ve found that getting involved, whether in prayer groups, youth ministry, etc., helps ease the lonliness! Having said that, please pray for me as we’ve moved to a new area, and my closest parish (within a walk so I feel blessed in that aspect) has very little fellowship to offer. Thinking of asking Father to start a young mothers group or something!!!
 
Patricia,

Welcome home!

I can’t remember the exact quote, but Chesterton said that the last hurdle he had to overcome in becoming Catholics was—Catholics.

Let me warn you right up front: when you join the Catholic Church, you will be joining a group of sinners. Many (most?) of us have been poorly catechized, and may not share your reverence and awe for Our Lord’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. Some of your neighbors in the pews may strike you as bored, only coming, perhaps, out of a sense of obligation. You will find priests who are in dissent; who conduct Masses with banal music and forced “community”; who experiment with the liturgy in defiance of the Church; or who deliver bland platitudes at each and every homily. You may find RCIA instructors who don’t know what it is they’re supposed to be teaching. If you get good RCIA instruction, you may well find that you will know far more about your new faith than the cradle Catholics in the pews.

What some earlier posts stated was correct: the Catholic Mass is not primarily about fellowship. This will seem very strange and perhaps even sterile coming from the background that you do. However, there should be opportunities for fellowship outside of Mass, and if there aren’t, perhaps you can bring the positive fellowship experience of your Baptist background to bear on the problem—you may be a great gift to your parish!

I would recommend a book “What to do if Your Mind Wanders at Mass” by Thomas Howard, an excellent book about the Mass written by an ex-Protestant. There are other fine books as well that others have already mentioned. Also, see if there is Catholic radio in your area—that would be a great blessing!

Through all of this, remember: this is the Church that Our Lord founded. It contains saints and sinners; has done great deeds and stupid ones; and through it all Jesus has lived up to His end of the bargain: He has never left her. That is a great comfort, and will see you through so much.

I hope you will be blessed with many Catholic friends; a vibrant and faithful parish, and knowledgeable RCIA instructors. You’ll be in my prayers.

Sherlock
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top