What is the best course of action at this time?

[artphotographer]

Hello! This is my first post on this wonderful website! I will try to make it brief.

I was born and raised the the United Methodist church as my grandmother is a retired Methodist Pastor. I was baptized and confirmed in the church, but I fell away from the church in high school. I am now seriously dating a wonderful Catholic guy who has helped me get back to Christianity. He is with me every step of the way on my journey to accepting God and becoming active again in my church. We have lately been discussing marriage and having children and I am totally on board for raising our children Catholic and I am very open to the idea of joining the Catholic church.

However, as much as I would like to become Catholic, there are some major beliefs I am finding hard to accept, as it does not co-inside with what I have believed for so long, mostly because I was raised in a Protestant church. The belief about the Eucharist is my main barrier at this time. I have started praying with him and his family almost every night and I have been doing a lot of research so I know everything about Catholicism. I feel that it is only right to be as educated as I am if I am to one day devote my life to this.

I am planning to start RCIA when I move in a few months, as I have just graduated college. I was wondering if while I am still in my hometown, would it be better to only go to a Catholic church while I am learning things about this new faith, or if I should try to get back into the church I grew up in. I am finding it almost hard to be active in a Methodist church when I am trying to find my place in the Catholic church, but since I do not know anyone else Catholic in my area, I do not have the proper support that I would get at my home church.

Thank you for helping out a very confused Christian!!

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

If you think you are confused now, just start attending both churches and you will get VERY confused. If your interest is Catholicism, then the more you immerse yourself in things Catholic, the sooner you will understand what it is all about.
Focus on understanding what Catholics believe. You will make friends soon enough.

Also, you may have been doing a lot of research, but your do not “know everything about Catholicism” if you are having trouble with the Eucharist. The Methodist understanding of the Eucharist goes back to the sixteenth century and the Reformation. The Catholic understanding of the Eucharist goes back to the first century. I encourage you to read the following:

catholic.com/library/Real_Presence.asp

catholic.com/library/Christ_in_the_Eucharist.asp

catholic.com/library/Who_Can_Receive_Communion.asp

catholic.com/library/Sacrifice_of_the_Mass.asp

catholic.com/library/Institution_of_the_Mass.asp

You are in our prayers.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.