Reverting vs Converting to Catholicism, the steps of the process?

[joanofarc2008]

Congratulations!! Welcome back!

Congrats and welcome home!!

 

[Lost_Again]

First, a little bit of context (my two questions come at the end).

My mom is Catholic, as is her side of the family, and I was baptized in the Catholic Church. I did my First Communion the summer I turned nine.

I have not been Confirmed.

Also, I would like to know if and how, what I would need to do differs from those who were never part of the Church to begin with and desire to convert to Catholicism.

As someone who returned home after a 15 year absence, and returned from a Baptist church I hope this helps…

I was a cradle Catholic so I did receive all of the sacraments. However even though I had 8 years of Catholic school and 3 years of High School Catechism, like a lot of catholics I didn’t really understand my faith, and was just going through the motions.

What brought me back was the study of apologetics (Especially John Martignoni) because they made me question what the Baptists were teaching me.
For the first time I had an opposing view to all of the things that I was told were “man-made traditions” and “un-biblical”. Thank God in heaven for John Martignoni!

My point? Learn the Catholic faith and learn what you probably didn’t learn the first time around. That way you can be sure in your heart that this is what you truly want to do, before breaking the news to your Dad. Its not easy leaving a church especially one that you’ve developed deep ties to. I was in that Baptist church for 7 years, made a lot of close friends (still have most of them). The friends I kept were the ones who supported my decision to “Come home”. The others were just typical bigots who bash the Catholic faith without learning anything about it. Baptists are especially good at that!

As for your Dad, the apologetics will help with that as well as you’ll be able to do as 1 peter 3:15 commands “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”,

Trust me … I know… my newfound knowledge of the faith helped ease a lot of tensions with my Baptist friends and family.

Once I was sure I wanted to come back, I met with our Religious Education Instructor (less intimidating than meeting with a priest). He answered most of my questions/concerns and since I had already received all of the sacraments, he said I wouldn’t have to go the RCIA route. He also stated after asking me some routine questions that I knew more than 90% of his RCIA people (because of my apologetics studies) that he might ask me to tell my reversion story. (And I later did)

I then met with our priest, told my story and he welcomed me back with open arms. I made my first confession in over 20 years without killing the priest or calling down lighting bolts upon myself and have been a faithful servant ever since. I even returned to the Knights of Columbus!

As has been pointed out here by many people, check with a local parish. And please ask many questions… As someone who’s been trhough it if I can help ease your transition, please feel free to email me.

WELCOME HOME!

 

[steve_b]

As someone who returned home after a 15 year absence, and returned from a Baptist church I hope this helps…

I was a cradle Catholic so I did receive all of the sacraments. However even though I had 8 years of Catholic school and 3 years of High School Catechism, like a lot of catholics I didn’t really understand my faith, and was just going through the motions.

What brought me back was the study of apologetics (Especially John Martignoni) because they made me question what the Baptists were teaching me.
For the first time I had an opposing view to all of the things that I was told were “man-made traditions” and “un-biblical”. Thank God in heaven for John Martignoni!

My point? Learn the Catholic faith and learn what you probably didn’t learn the first time around. That way you can be sure in your heart that this is what you truly want to do, before breaking the news to your Dad. Its not easy leaving a church especially one that you’ve developed deep ties to. I was in that Baptist church for 7 years, made a lot of close friends (still have most of them). The friends I kept were the ones who supported my decision to “Come home”. The others were just typical bigots who bash the Catholic faith without learning anything about it. Baptists are especially good at that!

As for your Dad, the apologetics will help with that as well as you’ll be able to do as 1 peter 3:15 commands “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”,

Trust me … I know… my newfound knowledge of the faith helped ease a lot of tensions with my Baptist friends and family.

Once I was sure I wanted to come back, I met with our Religious Education Instructor (less intimidating than meeting with a priest). He answered most of my questions/concerns and since I had already received all of the sacraments, he said I wouldn’t have to go the RCIA route. He also stated after asking me some routine questions that I knew more than 90% of his RCIA people (because of my apologetics studies) that he might ask me to tell my reversion story. (And I later did)

I then met with our priest, told my story and he welcomed me back with open arms. I made my first confession in over 20 years without killing the priest or calling down lighting bolts upon myself and have been a faithful servant ever since. I even returned to the Knights of Columbus!

As has been pointed out here by many people, check with a local parish. And please ask many questions… As someone who’s been trhough it if I can help ease your transition, please feel free to email me.

WELCOME HOME!

Iratus Angelus,
Tiber Swim Team 1954, Swam to the Protestant side 1996, swam back for good 2010

Sounds like quite a swim th254.photobucket.com/albums/hh93/kizzLe819/emoticons/th_zwemmen.gif

 

[crazzeto]

First, a little bit of context (my two questions come at the end).

My mom is Catholic, as is her side of the family, and I was baptized in the Catholic Church. I did my First Communion the summer I turned nine.

I have not been Confirmed.

My dad is Protestant, and right around the above age I became “born-again” (I’m using the Protestant sense of the word) and as I had more talks with my dad, I came to reject the Catholic teachings that my mom was imparting on me, and thus theologically followed my dad, as well as where he went to church (Baptist, but afterwards joined a non-denominational church). However, if there is such a process, I never worked with the Catholic Church in a process of formally disassociating myself from it. I just simply, in my own conscience, rejected the Church.

So, from the latter part of my preteen years through my teenage years (up until some months ago actually), I embraced Protestantism.

Now that I have rejected it ( though I have not yet told my dad – I’m not sure how to approach telling him, but I have told my mom), and am very seriously considering Catholicism, I would like to know what I need to do if I decide to come back to the Church?

Also, I would like to know if and how, what I would need to do differs from those who were never part of the Church to begin with and desire to convert to Catholicism.

You’ll want to find a local parish with which you are comfortable, then talk to the pastor (or office) about who to get intouch with about their RCIA program. You’ve gotten most of the sacraments of initiation, but you still lack confirmation and this is required for you to become “fully catholic”.

You will probably find the experience very enlightening, challenging and enjoyable. God bless, and welcome home!