Question for converts: What's your story?

[Sillara]

My story is not as involved as some here, but here you go!

I was raised by devoutly Protestant parents. (They are, in fact, missionaries, and have been since I was 8 years old.) They are also actively pro-life, and there was always pro-life literature lying around my house as I grew up. That literature was, of course, mostly Catholic. My parents also had many books by the Anglican C. S. Lewis and by the Catholics J. R. R. Tolkien and G. K. Chesterton around.

As a child I even considered whether I had a vocation to the religious life, knowing full well that that would entail converting to Catholicism. I began to say to my parents, “One day I will be Catholic. You know that, right?” They never believed me.

I stayed at my Protestant church as long as I possibly could, for my parents’ sake. I married, had children, and was still Protestant. Finally, I could not remain intellectually honest and still be Protestant. I was starving to death spiritually. So I said to my Protestant husband, “I want to become Catholic.” He said, “That’s fine. I’ll stay Protestant.” I said, “I want the children to be Catholic, too.” He said, “That’s fine. I’ll go with you to Mass, too, but I won’t convert.”

So we all went to our first Mass. When we left, my husband said, “I want to become Catholic, too.”

That was in early 2005. We live in Japan, and our area has no English-language RCIA. Instead we had private meetings with a priest. After a couple of months, we were deemed sufficiently far along to be allowed to enter the Church.

We were admitted to the Church in September of 2005, and my husband and I were both Confirmed that day. Our three children were baptized that day, too.

We follow the Church’s teachings on birth control, and now our children number 5!

 

[skeyes]

My parents were Baptist missionaries until they retired in 1985. My mother has passed, 2002, but she knew I had converted to the Church. I was five when we arrived on the mission field in Honduras and was there until I was fourteen and went away to a Baptist boarding school for highschool. I must say that even as a child I felt an attraction to go inside a Catholic Cathedral. This attractionhappen me times and my mothe would always stop me from entering the Cathedral and tell me that the Catholics were pagans.
Twenty years ago I asked many questions to a friend of mine who is Catholic. He was able to answer them all. I received provate instruction and was conditionally baptized, confirmed and received my first communion on September 3, 1988, the day of my rebirth.
As the years passed I realized that it was always Jesus calling me from the tabernacle that brought me home. I especially appreciate the ritual in the Church as the Baptist faith has so little ritual.
Isn’t this an awesome Church we belong to and isn’t God awesome for bringing us home? Oh and by the way, Dad is fine with me being Catholic.
In His service,
Stan

 

[survive]

So, the church I was going to had some loving, kindly, generous, peaceful folks, but I was dissatisfied with the opportunities for service, theological help, enthusiasm level, especially during musical worship, and connection to the street-level needs of the world. These all were happening, but not nearly on the level I was hoping for. Also, some things bothered me about our Bible interpretation and evangelistic methods. I hardly knew the words for what was wrong, the whole subject was so new, but sitting in that soft padded pew reading through the Gospels, I grew frustrated trying to find an altar call or a run-through of any Prayer of Salvation, and the pastor, nice and sincere though he was, never did tell us why Jesus let those people walk away over the subject of his body being real food and his blood real drink. Weren’t we supposed to go after people? But Jesus himself actually let the majority go over that, so it sounded possibly like a big issue.
We believed all Christians should visit one anothers’ churches. One newish little storefront church I’d heard mentioned as a place of great evangelism and social service was near where my GM had business to do, so I swung by and saw a man washing its window. We talked. He said I should visit. Later I learned that they had a lot of good outreach opportunities I wanted in on, and I decided I should drop in. They had outgrown the storefront. They had become a new megachurch, in fact, overnight. I liked some things about it – the multicontinental arts and styles, the rocking gospel music, the excitement, the extreme faith of the people. Other things disturbed me a little – the store upfront, the uniformity of dancing (I believed in choreography, but I didn’t always want to dance so fast) – but the women welcoming visitors showed such concern for my spiritual state and my opinion of the church, I felt I knew them after one or two brief conversations.
I went a few times. I still went back to my old church, and wrestled inside over what to do.
Then I was in the middle of nowhere and hanging out in a park, due to a job and a long break, long story. A man sat and chatted with me. It was a normal conversation, but I liked the ease I felt in talking with him about my faith and the fact that he wasn’t perfect and he knew the real world as well as I did. He went to that new megachurch. he advocated going there, sayng it was full of faith. I said I kind of did like it, I guessed. He seemed humble, sweet and funny, and I took his number. I didn’t know whether I’d ever call.
I became homeless. I needed to get cleaned up and employable again, soon, and was short on places to do that. I called around. I ended up calling the guy from the park. He called around and soon a family from the megachurch wa showering me with clothes, a room of my own, help getting on my feet, affection (nothing inappropriate of course) and spiritual encouragement. I felt drawn to their schedule of Bible study and prayer and meetings, though I didn’t want to do quite that much. I stayed with them awhile, got a job, an apartment, which people from church (of course I was in that church by then) stuffed with every kind of furnishings and house supplies and clothes and groceries. During that time I went on outreach (street evangelism and helping people with clothing and so on), read notebooks they studied on bringing revival and on door-to-door evangelism, which we never did, and collected all kinds of Evangelical literature, tracts, books, stationery, magazines, everything.
To be continued.

 

[JPatton]

My conversion has been on going for a little over a year. It all started while studying the history of Irish/English conflicts. I began to really be interested in why Catholics were hated so much. So I began to check out the CC starting with Catholic.com. My studying of Catholicism took off from there. Digging deeper into the bible, and reading book after book. Books on history, apologetics, conversions, the ECFs, and theology. Finally one day it hit me that I was already Catholic in my faith but just not in full communion with the church. I delt with the fears and struggles of converting because my wife is a devout non-denom Evangelical and is very skeptical toward the CC. Even with her being upset I knew where I was headed. Trust me it hasn’t been easy. Then one day I thought, I should just go and talk to a priest. Here I was studying Catholicism and debating others and defending a church that I wasn’t officially a part of. So I did, and since then we have become friends who regularly share our faith with each other. After a tour in Iraq, which was the true turning point in conversion, I came home and called up Father and he told me he had been praying for me and has a spot reserved for me in RCIA. In Iraq I was very close to God, the closest I have ever been. I read the entire NT and prayed, prayed, prayed. I studied scripture more than I ever had and by the time I came home I was, in my heart, Catholic with no doubts or fears. I gave it all up to God and began attending RCIA. I basically told my wife that even if I don’t become Catholic my beliefs will still differ some from yours but most importantly, Jesus is at the center of our marriage so we must trust in His plan, even if it’s uncomfortable. So far things are not that bad. I attend Mass then RCIA and then go to her church and worship with her. I no longer receive communion at her church. And best of all we just had a little boy, Liam Ryan on Jan 5th. Our first child! March 1st I’ll be attending a special ceramony at the Archdiocese here in my home town and soon in April I’ll be crossing the Tiber myself. I know there will be bumps in the road ahead with a Catholic/Evangelical marriage and all but I honestly think I can be a small light that reflects the CC to those who are confused about it - all by God’s grace of course!

 

[NMHS]

Here is my story, a little long but definitely worth the read. The AH HA moment.

I had a real hard childhood and my parents never took me to church or talked to me about God. I knew He existed and I knew of a man named Jesus that was special but that is far as it went. Well at the age of 15 I was living with my brother and he sent me to a Assembly of God church camp and that is where I found God. If you have ever had one of those ah ha moments then you can relate, I had the AH HA moment. Years of a troubled childhood, strong emotions were lifted in a second and I felt this warm peacefull, forgiveness come over me. Praise God for this!

Well, time goes on and I drift away and I meet my future wife a Catholic. I attend mass for several years although I never quite understand it, nor am I taught about it much. Yeah, I still believe in God and remember the day I got saved but for me going to the Catholic Church was just something to please my wife. The way my wife and I got to know each other and how we made it through some real tough times was nothing short of God willing it for us to be together! It’s amazing every time I reflect on it. I knew one day I would come back to God but it would not be through the Catholic Church.

In 2005 she took a job in another state and I followed suit. We are dual career government employees. That year was the most trying time I have had in my life compared to my childhood. The things that I had to deal with at work were so trying, I was going crazy, the only thing that kept me sane was putting all of my faith into God and asking for his peace and guidance during this time in my life. Well it was during this time that I started to take RCIA classes. I was baptized and confirmed that year, and my wife and I were able to move back to where we had originally left and take our original jobs back which is a miracle in itself. This trying time of my life was Gods way of pulling me back to Him. Words cannot explain how God worked in our lives during the one year in our life. Praise God for His love and Grace. I can attest that God works in both the Protestant and Catholic Churches. There were a lot of details left out of my story but I hope this helps someone. Thanks for reading. NMHS

 

[eric_sammons]

The story of my conversion in two words: the Rosary.

I was an Evangelical in college and very active in my prolife group. I was, however, the only non-Catholic in the group, which led to many discussions (i.e. arguments) about theological topics. After about two years, I had come to accept intellectually the teachings of the Church, but was adamant that I would “never” become Catholic.

Then one Sunday morning, I picked up my roommate’s Rosary and decided to pray it (actually, I read the prayers from the Rosary booklet he suspiciously left on his desk). It was a dare to myself: I would pray the Rosary every day for a week and see what happens.

Two days later, I decided to become Catholic. I told my Catholic friends: you guys had two years and couldn’t get me to convert. Mary had two days and did it.

 

[survive]

Two days later, I decided to become Catholic. I told my Catholic friends: you guys had two years and couldn’t get me to convert. Mary had two days and did it.

 

[Jay53]

The story of my conversion in two words: the Rosary.

I was an Evangelical in college and very active in my prolife group. I was, however, the only non-Catholic in the group, which led to many discussions (i.e. arguments) about theological topics. After about two years, I had come to accept intellectually the teachings of the Church, but was adamant that I would “never” become Catholic.

Then one Sunday morning, I picked up my roommate’s Rosary and decided to pray it (actually, I read the prayers from the Rosary booklet he suspiciously left on his desk). It was a dare to myself: I would pray the Rosary every day for a week and see what happens.

Two days later, I decided to become Catholic. I told my Catholic friends: you guys had two years and couldn’t get me to convert. Mary had two days and did it.

What a fantastic story! Thank you for sharing!
Actually, I must say I really like this thread! It is very inspiring!

 

[ericka1701]

Wow! There are some great stories here, and great testimonies to God being at work in all of us, sometimes by Himself, and sometimes through others (I especially like the story of Our Lady leading someone to the church in 2 days ). These stories are a great reminder to me to try and show the face of Christ no matter who I meet.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories!

God Bless!
Ericka

 

[Memaw]

Wow! There are some great stories here, and great testimonies to God being at work in all of us, sometimes by Himself, and sometimes through others (I especially like the story of Our Lady leading someone to the church in 2 days ). These stories are a great reminder to me to try and show the face of Christ no matter who I meet.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories!

God Bless!
Ericka

God works in Mysterious ways, His wonders to perform! In my 72 years, I have heard some wonderful and even miraculous conversion stories. Both my husbands were converts and I consider one a miracle of grace. MY mother was a great influence on my first husbands conversion just a year before he died. He came into the Church with heart and arms wide open.

My second husband, while he went to Mass every Sunday, he wouldn’t go to Confession and Communion, He was what I called a non-convinced convert. Even after almost 20 years, his heart wasn’t really in it. but just 3 weeks before he died he had a complete change of heart and even asked Father. to go to Confession and be Confirmed. He died very peacefully of a heart attack at age 47, three weeks later with the Anointing of the Sick. I thank God for all his Blessings. Always pray constantly for your loved ones. I started going to daily Mass to pray for my husband seven years before he died,( he died on Ash Wednesday 1983) and have continued now for almost 35 years. Never give up even when it seems God is not listening. HE is and HE answers.
I love watching Journey Home On EWTN, on Monday nights at 7 pm, CST. Very interesting conversion stories. God Bless, Memaw

 

[htk553]

I used to be “uneducated about God”. What I mean by that is I was never really exposed to God by my parents. My mother believed in God but never really “taught” me about him when I was young. Most of what I heard about God was from other people and I had, at best, a very basic understanding. We had bibles around our house but they were KJV and that isn’t something a young child is going to read and understand.

Over the years I heard more and more about God and Jesus, but I never really thought they were much more than characters in a “feel good” story and that the bible was just an unread book that most people and hotels had lying around to make them “look good”.

Most of the Christians I had been exposed to thought that just believing in God and having Jesus as their savior was good enough to save them. Some even thought “well I can raise hell Monday thru Saturday and then repent on Sunday and everything will be fine”.

I had been asked by Christians if I believed in God and I said I don’t know. “What?!! We have got to get you saved brother!!”. Saved from what? Hell? Hate to tell you this but if I don’t subscribe to God, I don’t subscribe to Hell either. They made it their life’s goal to have me saved. One Christian would say go to my church, it’s the right one. Another Christian would say my church is the best don’t go to theirs they are wrong. They played tug of war with me and tried to get me to swallow their beliefs and attend their churches. It seemed like no matter which church I went to it was wrong in someone’s eyes.

They didn’t try to educate me, they were too busy trying to save me. I kept thinking “Why do they want to save me so bad? Do they get a commission?” They were pushy. Very pushy. Almost like a used car salesman trying to unload a lemon on someone. Finally, I rejected it all. I rejected any possibility of becoming Christian. If being a Christian meant being pushy, egotistical, and talking about others behind their backs then I don’t want any part of it. I rejected God.

I lived the atheist life for a number of years. Happy and carefree. No sin to worry about. You don’t worry about sin when you don’t believe in God. Mind you I wasn’t a lunatic running around with a “get out of jail free card”, but I didn’t worry that I would offend God either. No sin. No God. No problem.

Until…

If you are expecting to read about how Jesus appeared to me in my kitchen and slapped me back to right, you are going to be disappointed. It didn’t happen that way.

Instead, it was one little, simple statement I read, while trying to debunk the bible and Christianity, that changed my thinking. “All creation must have a creator”. Hmmm…that’s true. Now I didn’t jump up and start running around going “Yeehaw!!! I believe in God now!!!”. Nope. It happened slowly. I kept thinking about that statement. Even if we came from a single cell organism, something had to create that organism. It kept eating at me about how there are somethings in this old world that can’t be explained no matter how hard you try. Did I chalk it all up to God? Not yet, but I didn’t count him out either. I began doing research about God online. He doesn’t have his own website btw. There are as many websites saying there isn’t a God as there is saying God does exist. What to do? What to do?

So I did what any person doing serious research would do…I went to Wal-mart. I bought a $10 NIV bible. I needed to read what God had to say. I needed his side of the story. I thought it was cool because I could actually read and understand this thing unlike the KJV. I started reading it. I got hooked. I kept reading daily. It became something I looked forward to doing. The more I read, the more things made sense. I did this for quite a while. God is sneaky. He was in my life now.

Hello God? Long time listener. First time caller…

Ok, now that I am understanding that God does exist, I need to worship this being that gave me life. I need to show God that I love him.

Let’s go shopping…

Time to find a faith. Let’s do some research online. OH MAN!!! Why are there so many??? Which one is right??? What if I choose the wrong one? I don’t have time to read through all of these search results! Oh NO!!! What language is that webpage in?? What if that is the right faith and I can’t follow it because I don’t speak that language?
Pressure makes diamonds but this is ridiculous!

Lucky for me I found a website that can help narrow down the choices. You answer a few questions and it gives you faiths that are in tune with your thinking. Cool!!

Catholic? What? Let’s take this test again. Catholic again. Ok, let’s research Catholicism. Interesting. Interesting. I agree. Yep, I believe that too. Ok. Catholic it is. Called up the local RCC and started RCIA class and that’s where I’m at now. Glad I did it

 

[fabricdragon]

i was a Preachers Kid, raised Episcopalian. and like most PKs i ended up leaving the church searching for … something.

wound up pagan, specifically Wiccan… (which is no more a problem , nor any less, than any other non Christian religion. just so that is clear.) but was always greatly drawn to the Rosary.

since i make jewelry i ended up making prayer beads, chaplets, Rosaries, and so on for a number of people… a number of faiths… but i would always find myself drawn back to the Rosary. I picked up a lot of books about it, ended up learning a lot …

i had been told the Hail Mary prayer by a non practicing Catholic when i was … 16? and never, EVER could forget it… odd, since it was not part of my upbringing like the Our Father was.

two times the Rosary , as a Rosary, specifically came into my life:
i was sold some Rosaries that turned out to be blessed by one of my Jewelry suppliers, and being unwilling to disrespect anyone’s religious items, i put them out for sale with the restriction that they go to people who would use them as intended… i met a surprising number of Catholics at a Science Fiction convention i was selling at…
Then a dear friend in the SCA (a medieval recreation group) who was a devout catholic, and very welcoming to anyone of any faith, told me she was battling cancer… and how much she wished she could take a Rosary into the MRI with her…
so i found instructions for making a knotted cord Rosary (www.rosaryarmy.com) and made her some. After that i made knotted cord Rosaries for her, and for others… and felt more and more than i was supposed to be in the Church.

I did some research, read a lot of Scott Hahn’s books… read more about the Rosary… and took all my nerves to walk into a local church and ask about converting.

RCIA graduate, Easter Vigil 2008

 

[luminoushope]

Thank you, Ericka, for sharing and for asking. I’m going to have to give the Cliff Notes version. I was born almost 60 years ago into a secular New York Jewish family. Starting at about eight years old, I very much wanted to know about God. At 33 I gave my life to Jesus Christ in a Protestant sort of way and attended “Jesus Movement” type churches for the next 26 years. My husband still attends Calvary Chapel.

My transition to Catholicism started in the early 1990s when I noticed that my Catholic women friends were luminous. (Check my username; this is how I feel about being Catholic.) They were not striving, they were not seeking to control others, they were settled in their faith and had great love and charity. I finally concluded that the difference was being Catholic. Every few years I would have a “Catholic outbreak” where I would atttend Mass a couple times, but feeling I couldn’t aspire to be Catholic. However, the pull toward the Catholic Church kept increasing. I had deep conversations with several of those luminous women friends. Most important, there were people praying for me.

Last December, I purchased a little book by Mother Teresa called “Jesus Is My All In All.” That book changed my life. I had never read anything like that in all my Protestant reading. Then I began to read and think about the Eucharist. I was a goner then, for I realized that the Catholics are right about this, and then the question became, what else are they right about? I knew that I needed to be in the Catholic Church to come closer to Jesus and be the Christian I longed to be. I have been going to the Catholic Church since around Christmas time and am absolutely planning to become a Catholic. The excitement I feel reminds me of when I was engaged and about to be married.

Since both my husband and I were both previously married, we will need two annulments. I completely support this as the Protestant church has become a nightmare of easy divorce and remarriage. I don’t know how long it will take. The parish priest has started to give me instruction weekly; I am the only aspiring Catholic in this small rural church at the moment. So this may take some time, as your process did, but I don’t care. Please keep me in your prayers, and again, thank you so much for asking.

 

[imcarol]

I have not converted yet. I am a baptist, and I have been reading alot on the catholic church. I am at a point in my life where I feel I have one arm in the baptist church and the other in the catholic church. I was told about the RCIA classes, but was told you do not gain alot from them. I do have a very dear friend that is a good catholic, and he has been helping me to understand the catholic beliefs…Is the RCIA classes really necessary??.

 

[umamei]

**Why did you convert to the Catholic Church? **

My first forays into researching Christianity were riddled with questions about which denomination to choose, why they all believe such different things, etc. It was the wholeness of the Catholic Church that eventually made me decide I wanted to convert, and now I’m starting RCIA classes.

**Did you have a big “ah ha!” moment, or was it alot of seeds planted and watered over the years? **

I think it was both. I had a number of Catholics in my life growing up who had a positive impact on me. They spoke of how much their religion meant to them, how important it was to them. But they didn’t say it in that way that so many other Christians did, with a tone of bragging. It was more like an attitude of solemnity, or reverence, and that really stuck with me.

The “ah ha” moments for me were when I realized that in all my searching I’d never been open-minded enough to consider Christianity, and that even in my searches through Christianity, I hadn’t been open-minded enough to consider Catholicism. Once I did, it just opened the flood gates, so to speak. Suddenly, everything about Christian belief made sense. And suddenly, I found myself attending worship services that made me feel “at home”. It was like I had finally come home again after a really long trip away.

What were your biggest fears/hangups in the process of converting (ie, my family will think I’m crazy, I don’t really agree with this specific doctrine, etc…)?

My fears and hangups are the same now as when I started this process. I’ve just begun RCIA, but I haven’t told many of my friends. I think most of them won’t care that I’m converting, but they also will really want me to NOT talk about it at all. I guess it’s not a hangup as much as just a major disappointment for me. I don’t really have a lot of faithful friends to talk to about religion, and those I do know are Protestant and they all say the same thing to me “You don’t have to be Catholic to be a good Christian,” which just shows you how much they don’t get it. I’m not becoming Catholic because I want to prove to everyone how good a Christian I am, I’m becoming Catholic because Mass is the first place I ever felt truly “at home” spiritually, and because more than anything in the world, I want to be able take part in Communion.

Did you go through RCIA more than once?

The first RCIA class I attended was a joke. It was led by a layman who just disregarded all the effort and time I’ve put into researching the Catholic Church, Christianity, the bible, Jesus, and everything. I didn’t walk in on a whim, I did it after 4 years of active research. But he treated me like I was an idiot, insisted that RCIA would take me at least two years to go through, probably more, and there was simply no way around that.

But tomorrow I have an appointment at a different church with the nun who is leading the RCIA program there, and she seems much more promising as a teacher for me. Also, as weird as it is to talk about sensitive subjects with a nun, I feel much more comfortable talking about private matters with her than I would have with the other teacher. And while I’m sure my conversion is not going to happen at this year’s Easter, I’m hoping it won’t take more than two years like the guy at the other church told me.

 

[fabricdragon]

I have not converted yet. I am a baptist, and I have been reading alot on the catholic church. I am at a point in my life where I feel I have one arm in the baptist church and the other in the catholic church. I was told about the RCIA classes, but was told you do not gain alot from them. I do have a very dear friend that is a good catholic, and he has been helping me to understand the catholic beliefs…Is the RCIA classes really necessary??.

sorry to say that in my case, they were something i had to endure to become Catholic. The problem is that RCIA is usually pitched to reach the “average” convert. and i was much more educated about the faith than that. Also the RCIA can vary greatly depending on how good the teacher is! there are poor ones, and great ones.

the main thing is that in my diocese the RCIA is a structure to make sure no one joins the church without at LEAST the basic understanding, and also frankly, to see if you bother to show up when you are asked to make a little time every week.

go and ask at your local church about what is involved with Converting… YOUR diocese may be able to skip the RCIA and have you get lessons with a priest . or may require RCIA. your class may be good, or bad… but rest assured, its worth it.

 

[fabricdragon]

The story of my conversion in two words: the Rosary.
I would pray the Rosary every day for a week and see what happens.

Two days later, I decided to become Catholic. I told my Catholic friends: you guys had two years and couldn’t get me to convert. Mary had two days and did it.

“let me but put the Rosary around the neck of a sinner and he shall not escape me”
St. Dominic

you and me both… i was very VERY non Christian… and got dragged into the church by the Rosary…

 

[Casey56]

* *
Over the years,I’ve had many friends who were Catholic. At a Golf outing we discussed our religious views,(you know chit chat),but what it came down to was that our views wasn’t that different,and I found myself seeing along the line of the Catholic doctrine and teachings.
I guess,one thing that help me to make my decision that I didn’t like other churches downgrading the Catholic Church. It seemed to me that people who knew nothing of the church shouldn’t be saying things they knew nothing about.
Thirdly, I found out that my Mother grew up and even was baptize in the Catholic Church. I never knew why she left,and that wasn’t none of my business anyway. All she said was it eas my decision and she would back me all the way.
I have never felt better in my life spiritually as I do now. Even my sister and niece followed me into the Church a year later. How wonderful can Christ really be? To me this is our fullfillment because of him.

 

[Jerry_Parker]

Erika et alia,

I have not converted to Eastern Orthodoxy – yet – for reasons of proximity here in Rouyn-Noranda (QC.) where there is no active Orthodox parish, or to Roman Catholicism as an alternative – because of the disgust that I feel for liberal, New Age Roman Catholicism (which (I know is not the genuine article, but which dominates this diocese almost totally), but I have to do something. Protestantism (Lutheran, Anglican, or Reformed) or sectarianism (Baptist, Pentecostal, etc., yuck!) is simply unworkable, untenable, narrow, obsessively partial, and so on and on. There is no heart, no sufficient respect for continuity, no sacred mystery in Protestantism or sectarianism, and the idea of “church” as an endless debating forum with no definitive results is banal and undeserving of Christ’s Bride, the visible Church.

Can I learn to deal with the miasma of the Novus Ordo, post-Vat II R.C. Church? I suspect that I cannot go on with the available alternative any longer, and Eastern Orthodoxy remains beyond reach. It would help so much if the Church (meaning the R.C.C.) could overcome post-Vatican II silliness and infidelity, if the Pope would arise and clean the Augaean Stables (or, if not he, then other clergy, or even a disgusted and emboldened orthodox laity)! Pray for me as I struggle with this. I must decide soon; the lack of the sacraments – the sectarian or Protestant pseudo-sacraments being mere sacrilege – is spiritually too enervating for me, who am not really spiritually heroic enough to persist unaided by the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar – to continue in this predicament!

Well, perhaps I shall have a more edifying account to post here in the next two months; I think that I am on the verge of swimming the Tiber, however muddied its post-Vat II waters may be; the worst thing is spiritual isolation like this. You in large urban centres cannot imagine how difficult it is in such remote places as this, where the Orthodox alternative to the R.C.C. and the sects is not there and where the R.C. bishop is so irresponsible to his flock.

Jerry Parker

 

[jhcooper]

Hello, Jerry. I have read many of the stories of conversion but was drawn to yours. I converted to Catholicism almost 50 years ago and have been disturbed by the post-Vatican II reformers and unnecessary reforms. I have a great respect for the Orthodox churches. I have never regretted my decision to become a Catholic and consider myself to be passionately in love with the church even though I think many mistakes have been made since Vatican II. I look at the Orthodox Church and see a liturgical practice which is 2000 years old and the Novus Ordo of 40 years of age. Even the Latin Mass was only 400 years old when we trashed it. Regardless, I understand your quandry yet assure you that you will reach the right decision. Sometimes I feel like Tuvia of Fiddler on the Roof lamenting the loss of tradition. Best Wishes!

Jon Cooper
cooperjon@sbcglobal.net
El Paso, Tx.