What Was the Moment...

[Maraleah]

I was “born” Catholic or born into a Catholic family. I did not go to Catholic schools and received my only instruction in the faith through CCD classes. Unfortunately, about the time I made my Confirmation, my parents quit the Church, my dad first and then my mother soon afterward. I will say as an aside that our family life really suffered and basically crumbled after we quit going to Church together.

**I was a teenager in the late 60’s and early 70’s. At this time, the Jesus People Movement took place. I went to Jesus rallies (yes…they were like pep rallies for Jesus!) and received many tracts denouncing the Catholic Church written by Jack Chick and his compatriots. Since my understanding of my faith was limited and not at all reinforced at home, I was easily lured away from the Church. I “got saved” and was “born again” and baptized, even though I had already received the Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church. **

**I eventually joined the Southern Baptist church and spent the next 30 years in various Southern Baptist churches. I credit them with my extensive knowledge of the Bible since they stressed Bible study above all else. **

**In April of 2001, I became medically disabled due to chronic pancreatitis as well as several other digestive tract disorders. I went from working 50-60 hours each week to being homebound. I began to spend time online and set up my own website. I also stumbled into online chat rooms, beginning with Paltalk **and eventually discovering Yahoo Catholic Chat. A trip to visit my Catholic aunts and uncles (my parents passed away in 1992 and 1993) got me thinking about what the Catholic Church really is since I know these family members to be very devoted to Christ and His Church.

I discovered Paltalk shortly after I came home from visiting my family. I went into several of the “Christian” rooms but everyone was fighting with everyone else over what the correct interpretation of Scripture was. I say “fighting” because it was just that…verbally abusive arguing. I began to see how very many denominations of “Christian” churches there are in Protestantism. Research taught me that there are over 30,000 denominations in Protestantism. That was amazing to me. Each was claiming that the Holy Spirit was leading them but they were all disagreeing with one another. It made no sense. Would God allow such confusion? Was the Holy Spirit confused? I didn’t think so.

**Finally, fed up with the bickering, I went into the only Catholic chat room open in Paltalk. There was a calm, gracious demeanor in the room. They were so gentle with me and gave me many references for my research into the Catholic faith, which I felt God may have been leading me to. No one tried to “convert” me to their way of believing…they just answered my questions and helped me in my search. **

It was not always a smooth return…with the scandal hitting the front page, I really didn’t want to come home! I even looked into the Orthodox Church but God made it perfectly clear to me that He wanted me in the Catholic Church. Each question and/or reservation I encountered on my way home, God answered and helped me to understand His truth. I became good at apologetics because I had to convince myself that this was the right way…God’s way…for me.

I guess my “ah ha” moment was while reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which God gave me the grace and desire to read from cover to cover. I realized that nothing I had been told about the Catholic faith was true and that they were, indeed, very much Christian and Christ-centered. I was so overjoyed, I wanted to shout and tell everyone what I had learned. I found that everything in the Catechism was in perfect harmony with the Bible I had studied for so many years. After a year of research, I went to confession and, after working out a marriage situation, was able to return to full communion with the Church. And my hubby and I had our marriage formally convalidated on our 10th civil anniversary.

**I don’t say this to put down Baptists or any other Protestant group. I merely tell you how and why I am Catholic again…because God wants me to be. One of the benefits I have discovered is the peace and joy I had heard about all my life, yet never experienced on a long-term basis. This peace and joy are mine since I followed God’s leading in my life into the Catholic Church. **

**I am so grateful to God for His wonderful blessings! And May God bless all who are on their journey back home. **

(sorry for the length! )

 

[Lillith]

Please don’t apologize…that was a beautiful and entertaining read!

 

[ProudArmyWife]

What wonderful stories everyone! My heart leaps with joy for all of you!

I’m also a convert, but I didn’t have any “ah-ha” moment. I married a Catholic - and through his actions of love I began looking into the Church. I was brought up anti-Catholic so I had a lot of misconceptions to get over. Once I realized they were misconceptions and not truths, conversion was so easy. Now just pray that my mother understands these misconceptions and re-verts!

 

[eirepinkie]

deerenan:

I am an evangelical that attends a very loving nondenominational church. I love the people but have become convinced that there must be much more to worshipping God. I am leaning very much toward the Catholic Church, something that will shock and disappoint many of my dear friends at my current church.
My question is, for those of you who have converted, what was the moment or event that made you know for sure that the Catholic Church is where you belong? I am longing for the Truth you have, but leaving the church I grew up in and that all of my family attends is so painful. Each day that I think I will leave, I always lose courage. If you could share what finally helped you make the choice, it would be great!

Well, I don’t remember the exact moment- I think it was more a series of moments and then the light bulb got a little brighter…

My fiance (dating for over 3 years now) was born and raised Catholic. After going to a few Masses with him, I started getting curious and his mom suggested the RCIA classes (she’s a convert too). I went, and started learning so much. A lot of it made sense to me, and I found myself excited to go through initiation and sending and all that! It’s just…a feeling I had then, I still do. Can’t explain it. Maybe God was really reaching out to me then. I don’t regret it, that’s for sure!

~Stacey

 

[LittleDeb]

I’ll post Hubby’s moment since he’s the convert.

Raised with no religious background, he was drawn to The Church his whole life, but never had the courage to just take the step. He went to Mass with childhood friends but never had his questions answered by them, like why he couldn’t take Communion.

He became an Evangelical but said “Church is not school and it’s not a stage show,” and left that. Loves to hear The Word but hates reading in general so he said he made a bad “Bible Christian.”

His real moment? He says it was when he met me! On our first date we talked about The Church from 11pm to 8am. I just answered every single question he posed, with references. He said he wanted to be Catholic all his life. He knew The Church was where he belonged because God kept pointing him to it and lo and behold, his wife was in there too!

Engaged four months later, took NFP class and Engaged Encounter, received into The Church a year after that, married a week after Easter.

BTW that former Evangelical who hates to read? Now gives NFP promotion talks at Engaged Encouter weekends!

 

[santaro75]

sea oat:

I sort of fell away from religion throughout my teenage years in pursuit of fun. I never stopped believing in God, but I was disillusioned with the typical, middle-class, protestant culture of the utterly fake, happy family sunday display

I can’t tell you how many times i have seen this! Some even say that if you aren’t “happy” you are not with God.

 

[Orionthehunter]

As a cradle Catholic, I want you to know that these stories are inspiring. This is why I love being involved in our RCIA program. Furthermore, it confirms one of my favorite lines when asked to say something good about Protestantism: “It often plants a seed that grows into some of the best Catholics.” May God continue to Bless you all.

 

[RCCDefender]

As I have posted in a couple of other threads, my church was one that called The Bride of Christ the Whore of Babylon, my Grandfather called The Bride of Christ the Whore of Babylon, my Sunday school teacher said being Catholic was a sin. I guess I was a rebel because this just pulled me toward the Church more.

I had to wait until I got to college, but once there I began my research of the supposed Whore of Babylon. The first book I ever read on Catholicism was “Why Do Catholics Do That?” by Kevin Orlin Johnson. It is an absolutely excellent guide. I have used it many time to show why the Catholic position is the Biblical position. The same is true for the aforementioned “Surprised By Truth” by Patrick Madrid. I was hooked on the One True Church.

Converting was a little trickier. I knew I wanted to be Catholic but Satan kept tempting me. I started RCIA, but dropped out at the weak urging of my roommates. I then went to an Episcopalian church (my mom was pleased as it was not only protestant but also a local news personality went there :ehh: ). I just knew, however that it wasn’t home.

I kept digging through the 2000 years of history, and the next year I joined RCIA again and stuck with it. I loved the people but was lonely… No one was my age and no one even came to my Easter Vigil. It was a night of mixed emotions. I was so happy to be home but at the same time I felt all alone.

I stayed and began teaching CCD. Now my husband (a former Quaker) is Catholic. I love defending the Faith. We live in an area where strangers come up off the street and tell me horrible things (if I am wearing one of my Catholic t-shirts). I hold my own thanks in large part to the two books I mentioned, and I even put one man at a loss for words in front of about a hundred college students went he said I was a cannibal.

I love the Faith I have and can’t understand why anyone would not want to be a part of the True Church. People so often want to form a church in their image, but we really need to form ourselves around God’s image.

Come home to the Catholic Faith! I’m not saying it is easy, but anything that is truly worth it never is easy!

God Bless! My prayers are with you!!

 

[exoflare]

RCCDefender:

I hold my own thanks in large part to the two books I mentioned, and I even put one man at a loss for words in front of about a hundred college students went he said I was a cannibal.

Wow, do you remember what you told him? I’ve never been faced with that accusation but I guess I’d be better off being ready if it ever does happen.

 

[RCCDefender]

exoflare,

Basically I ripped off “Surprised By Truth” page 225 & 226 and “Why Do Catholics Do That?” page 57 & 58.

John chapter 6 where Jesus is preaching to the crowds at Capernum and he tells them that he is the bread of Heaven and he will give his flesh for the world. I said how the Jews kept murmuring to themselves saying “How can he give us his flesh to eat?” That Jesus repeated himself over and over and over (which he rarely if ever did). Then the Jews said they couldn’t accept it and left.** And Jesus let them!** He didn’t whine, “Wait, wait you misunderstood me! I didn’t mean that LITERALLY!” He let them go, AND he turned to the Twelve and said, “Do you also want to leave?” Peter said, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” They had to take it on faith.

Then, at the last supper, the same theme came back up when Christ instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The Twelve understood how Christ would give us his flesh and blood.

Also, keep in your hearts what our dear bishop Fulton Sheen once said, “There are not a hundred people in the world who hate the Catholic Church, but there are thousands who hate what they mistakenly think the Catholic Church to be.”

 

[rayne89]

I’m a cradle catholic (though I did stray for a while not another church just not going to church at all.)

My hubby is a convert. He was raised pentecostal and JW and then pretty much was agnostic/atheist by the time I met him when he was 17.

I asked my husband (a few minutes ago) what made him decide to become Catholic. His answer was-
"Well I went (to Mass) for a while. (Because I was going with our daughter). It made sense and I stayed."
He went through the RCIA in 97.

 

[lovey2008]

Wow! This definitely brings back memories! I went to a non-denominational church for four years before deciding to leave this year. It was hard for me to leave because there are a lot of converts from the Catholic faith in that church, but the Truth compelled me to leave. I was worried about what others would think, but I got past that, and I don’t regret leaving to this day.

The moment when I decided I had to leave was when I learned about the Eucharist. You’re in my prayers.