Where did you learn what you know about Catholicism?

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I picked all of them since my Catholic education includes Mother Angelica and EWTN, RCIA classes I took about 14 years ago, the “re-membering” class I took when I rejoined the church about a year ago, more recently this site, and some of the homilies I heard at the masses I went to.

I also have read some good books and listened to some good tapes too.
 
I voted for the first three. I feel very blessed for it. We have a GREAT RCIA team. Our Deacon can just stand up and start talking on a subject, and he explains it in such a way that makes total sense. He answers our questions very thoroughly, even bringing in materials the next week to elaborate on questions asked the previous week.

Our Priest gives very lengthy and in depth homilies. I think we all learn something every week.

And since I joined RCIA, I’ve read several books, found tons of info from Catholic websites, and just really enjoyed all the stuff I’ve found. We have a Catholic Bookstore in town which I have yet to get to, but when I’m on that side of town I’ll definately stop in.
 
Being only a convert of 7years, I learnt from the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’a sisters) and you cannot fault them, they are as orthodox as JP the great. Also the Arcbishop at that time is now Cardinal George Pell (future Pope) and boy he gives great Homilies and sermons.
God bless and Mary protect you all
 
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theMutant:
This is an offshoot of the poll, “Why are Catholics so reserved, generally speaking, about sharing their faith?” (forum.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=16057). It struck me that the overwhelming vote was that Catholics are poorly catechized. I wish the bishops would see that poll and take it as a wake-up call regarding Catholic education and catechesis.

However, if the average Catholic is poorly catechized, from where did you learn what you know about the Catholic Faith?
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I checked all of the above. Had great CCD as a kid, and since I was a pious nerd I kept going in junior high and high school when my classmates dropped out after Confirmation. I was hooked on the stapled booklets of the Council Documents and Encyclicals with the study questions. I was such a pious nerd that I kept studying as an adult, and studied theology and philosophy in university. My parishes have had good preachers, and for over two decades I’ve been in the habit of getting up early to listen to our Archbishop’s homily on Sunday. Since the Cathedral’s been rehabbed and made handicapped-accessable, I go in person.

But the most important of all is the “other” — my parents and kin, especially my maternal grandmother, who taught and encouraged me as a child, and my professors in university, and the teaching and good example of our now-retired archbishop, who, like the new archbishop, is worth waking up before the dawn to hear.

karen marie
 
I almost selected the next to last, but this one fits better, and my precise answer is:

Pure curiosity on my part!!!

Why? Because from the pulpit of my former Christian community, it seemed that a Sunday did not go by that the good pastor (and may he now rest in peace) could not abstain from saying something derisive about the Catholic Church!

That got my curiosity up, wondering why this Church was so bad…

Of course, self-study and reading, plus the witness of good Catholic friends in the Navy are responsible as well, followed by what was then the equivilent of RCIA, a Navy Catholic C’haplain (Fr. Raymond F. Govern OFM) , and here I am! (Which took place in 1953)

Praise God!

God bless,

PAX

Bill+†+

*Give me that REAL old time religion!
The CATHOLIC CHURCH, 2,000 years of history! *
 
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DWilde:
Fr. John Corapi! He is on EWTN Sunday’s 8p-9p. He taugh the entire Catholic Cathechism to a University in CA back in 1998. He went through the entire book. It took 1 hr a week for an entire year to complete all the teachings. He is an excellent speaker and it is so obvious that the Holy Spirt talks straight through him. Check out his website. www.Fathercorapi We just purchased the DVD’s of the teachings and it is truly amazing. Has anyone else heard of him? -Donielle : >
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Yes, and I hope to be able to afford his Cathechism on CD soon. I do not own a TV, so the DVDs would not be a very good choice for me.😃
 
Baptised as an infant at the Gate of Heaven Church; then Three years of Catholic School, the Gate of Heaven; first communion then confirmation; then Sunday School, then catechism classes; plus attending the Gate of Heaven Church every Sunday for several years straight.

Then in college while in graduate school for history. Now I study on my own, attend Mass, and pester the bewillickers out of the Franciscan Friars with all sorts of questions.
 
I learned most through a weekly study formulated by the women’s group (Military Council of Catholic Women) at our parish. We studied indepth the 12 articles of the Apolstle’s Creed, in conjunction with apologetics and the Catechesis of the Catholic Church. Quite an awesome journey of understanding our faith!
 
From Catholic radio mostly – I started listening about a year ago, and have learned a LOT. I am not a Catholic, but the programs have corrected many misunderstandings I held about the Catholic faith. Shows like Catholic Answers, Coming Home, and Father Corapi’s lectures on the Catechism really changed my perspective. Maybe I’ll start RCIA next year…?
 
my parents, 12 years of Catholic education, Sisters of Notre Dame, lived one H.S. year at Fransiscan Convent in Tiffin, Ohio in 1970. I am still in contact with those good Sisters.

I was “lost” for about 20 years and 5 years ago the seeds planted by my parents really took root.

Catholic Answers has helped with my renewal by refreshing my memory immensely.
 
Primarily self study.

Some from RCIA, but I also received a lot of flawed teaching there.

Bible
Catechism
EWTN
Catholic Answers
Knights of Columbus
Rule of St. Benedict

I’m a convert, so I’ve also had the opportunity to catechize my cradle-Catholic wife 🙂 . She is often surprised by what she doesn’t know, even though she attended Mass regularly growing up. I am making sure my kids know their Faith! They will not fall away due to ignorance.
 
I had to say other, because for me, it’s been all of the above and then some.

1.) Church study, when I returned to have my daughter prepared for the sacrament of Holy Communion, I took a class being offered through the Parish. It was the first of many that have helped me to learn my faith as an adult.

2.) Homilies - my pastor should issue PhD’s for those who regularly attend his Masses, especially if you are a daily communicant. 🙂

3.) Self Study - with the other two opportunities doing their bit, self-study was the natural outcome.

4.) I’ve now started a Masters Level class “Foundations of Catholic Thought” taught be Kenneth Howell. Yeah!!!

It’s great to also have a group of knowledgable friends, a local Catholic Radio station (can’t get reception in the house 😦 ), these forums, the internet and a personal library that growing every time I get near a used book store. I’ve also checked out books and tapes at a nearby Cathedral bookstore and am participating in study group as I discern a third order. These things work well together, hopefully to help form me according to His plan.

CARose
 
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Springtime:
Maybe I’ll start RCIA next year…?
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I know the founder of one of the first Catholic radio stations in the nation. I’ll tell him the good news.

It would be wonderful to have you participate in RCIA!

God Bless,

CARose
 
hi all: i learn it from my parents also i went to catholic school for 12 years. so that what i got must of it. the rest i thank scott hahn:bounce: :blessyou:
 
As a convert, I did not have any formal training in my youth, so I learned most of it from reading the Catechism…

Online sites and faithful Catholics were a great help in my education and my conversion process (THANKS SALMON!)

Peace,
Scott
 
Hi all!

Just thought I’d stop in on this thread and put my vote in.
I attended CCD classes as a child, but I honestly did not retain anything more than the most basic principles of our faith. Most of the more indepth doctrines that I’ve learned have been a result of personal exploration (i.e. reading) and research.

God Bless!
 
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theMutant:
I would ammend my original vote. There was a two-year span in which I received very good catechesis about the faith from the sermons at Mass. At St. Mary’s by the Sea in Huntintgon Beach, CA the Reverend Daniel Johnson (may God bless him in his retirement) and his associate (I want to say Eakin but that doesn’t sound right) gave very clear, precise, and informative sermons that taught the faith. Sadly, I have encountered few other examples that can come close in the rest of the 12 years I have been back in the Church.
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I have read about him and the magnificent numbers of converts he garnished for the Lord. God Bless him, and priests like him!!

I learned everything about the Faith through self-study of the Catechism and spiritual books by apologists.
 
I was a sponsor in an RCIA program at a very large parish in the same diocese as St. Mary’s by the Sea. After nine months of catechesis one of the catechumens did not know the correct answer to “Is Jesus God.” Please note, that I’m not saying he did not know what he himself believed, he did not know what the Catholic Church taught!!!

After discovering St. Mary’s by the Sea, I attended one of Fr. Johnson’s courses (I think it was six weeks) on the Faith. (He had special permission from the bishop not to use the RCIA program.) He taught every class himself (the priest at the other parish only attended one class in the entire nine months) and, when it was over, everyone there knew the fundamentals of what the Catholic Church believed. St. Mary’s by the Sea is one of the smallest parishes in the diocese but it regularly brought more people into the Church every year than the much larger parishes with many more resources than Fr. Johnson had at his disposal.

Would that more priests realize, as he did, that people want the Faith; plain, simple, and uncompromised! Strong preaching about what we are to believe as Catholics and the horrendous nature of sin; that is what people need and what ultimately brings them into the Church as faithful Catholics.
 
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SOGFPP:
As a convert, I did not have any formal training in my youth, so I learned most of it from reading the Catechism…

Online sites and faithful Catholics were a great help in my education and my conversion process (THANKS SALMON!)

Peace,
Scott
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The work that you do online far surpasses any small contribution that I ever made.

It was fun shutting down the anti-Catholics at RCO, wasn’t it?

Peace in Chist…Salmon
 
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