Why did you convert?

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AServantofGod

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I’m always curious to why people choose to convert whether to Catholocism, away from Catholocism, to another Christian faith, away from Christianity, to Christianity, etc.

Why did you convert?

I’m not here to condemn or convert so I hope this thread doesn’t go in that direction.
 
I converted to Catholicism because the more I came to Mass, the more I fell in love with it. I feel at home!
 
Once I realized God existed (i was an atheist), I needed to know where to “find” Him. I researched every possible Christian faith on the internet.

Bottom line, it was history that led me to the Catholic Church. 1500’s was as far back as Protestants could go in there history, but Holy Mother Church dates to the Apostols and Jesus Himself.

There are many many more reasons, but this is the short version of my conversion.
 
My RE-conversion was the result of an attack on the Virgin Mary’s place in Catholic teaching. I “came home” because I am now convinced that the Church is all it claims to be…& being a hard headed Irishman/Polish who’s Probably Catholic down to my DNA, I have studied the faith very heavily for the last 2 1/2 years to be very sure.
 
The Real Presence of Christ. I realized where I belonged when I sat in church with tears running down my face and knew I couldn’t take communion with my brothers and sisters in Christ because they only thought it was symbolic.
 
I heard the “cafeteria Catholic” homily (accept it all or leave) one time too many. So I left.
 
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I heard the “cafeteria Catholic” homily (accept it all or leave) one time too many. So I left.
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All of the Church’s teachings rest on the same authority – the Trinity, the Eucharist, her moral teaching, everything. the Church speaks for Christ (Luke 10:16, Mt 10:40). So if you don’t accept the authority of the Church, it’s best to leave her.

Perhaps one day you’ll chage your mind. My mother did – she was out of the Church more than 30 years, but returned and died at peace in the arms of the Church. Thanks be to God.

Peace be with you. JMJ Jay
 
I became a Catholic because it’s true.

I LOVE THIS CHURCH!

JMJ Jay
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!
 
The power of The Holy Spirit compelled me. I ignored It as long as I could until the day my feet took me to the door of The One, Holy, Apostolic, Roman Catholic Church. My soul has found it’s rest and my joy is boundless! :dancing:
 
  • Baptised as in infant in the Presbyterian Church.
  • Raised Pentacostal. Church was on a Sunday evening and the hootin’ and hollerin’ went on sometimes until the wee hours of the morning which made going to school on Monday really hard, so I talked my mom into letting me skip church completely.
  • Attended Catholic High School as a Protestant. Didn’t dig it 'cause it was the '70s and New Age stuff had infected that school’s parish. (Heard “Leavin on a Jet Plane” being sung at a weekday mass once.)
  • Grew up, became a non-denom, non-church-going “Christian,” but led a very secular and sinful life. But, hey… so what! Once saved, always saved - or so I thought.
  • In and out of disasterous relationships. Engaed a couple of times, but never married.
  • Brother died from cancer.
  • Four months later mother died from an infection. (I was devoted to her so this was particularly hard on me.)
  • Six months later my father developed dementia.
  • Sister blames me for “everything” so I became estranged from her (she’s was diagnosed bi-polar, but never does anything about it).
  • Suffered through a year-long period of grief which almost killed me. (I now feel it was a type of earthly purgatory.)
  • Had no one left to turn to but Jesus.
  • Started looking for him in “end-times” literature. Discovered that the Pope was the anti-Christ and that Catholics were really pagan idolators. :rolleyes: This was far different from some of the end-times stuff I learned as a kid. And to think I attended high school with these heathens!
  • Wanted to go to Church, but couldn’t figure out all the differences between the Protestant denominations. Felt a distrust of churches. Decided to just be a “do-it-myself” Christian.
  • Saw “The Passion of the Christ.” Thought it was good, but “too Catholic.” Still, it got me thinking.
  • The more anti-Catholic end-times literature I read, the more curious I became about the Catholic Church… (the “forbidden fruit” syndrome?)
  • Saw “The Passion of the Christ” again. Because of it, I finally understood relationship between Jesus and Mary. The movie no longer seemed “too Catholic” but “just right.”
  • Stumbled upon EWTN. I never even noticed before that it was part of my cable TV package. Watched it every evening and started to get good catechesis from Mother Angelica, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Fr. Mary Francis, Fr. John Corapi, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Raymond Aroyo, Marcus Grodi… etc, etc.
  • Started visiting Catholic churches and shines. Made 100-mile+ round trips to attend Eucharistic adoration at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in DC. Found Jesus physically present there; body, blood, soul & divinity!!!
  • Started praying the Rosary, heard one of the priests on EWTN recommend learning it in Latin… so I did. Began praying for the souls in purgatory, espcially my loved ones.
  • Got to know Jesus’ mother. Found out she was as nice as my own Mom. :love:
  • Found a very faithful Catholic church right near where I live. It had been under my nose all the time!
  • I’m now in RCIA.
It has been a tough row to hoe, but there is no resentment, no grief, no bitterness… just the feeling of love that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus!
 
Chickamauga said:
- Baptised as in infant in the Presbyterian Church.
  • Raised Pentacostal. Church was on a Sunday evening and the hootin’ and hollerin’ went on sometimes until the wee hours of the morning which made going to school on Monday really hard, so I talked my mom into letting me skip church completely.
  • Attended Catholic High School as a Protestant. Didn’t dig it 'cause it was the '70s and New Age stuff had infected that school’s parish. (Heard “Leavin on a Jet Plane” being sung at a weekday mass once.)
  • Grew up, became a non-denom, non-church-going “Christian,” but led a very secular and sinful life. But, hey… so what! Once saved, always saved - or so I thought.
  • In and out of disasterous relationships. Engaed a couple of times, but never married.
  • Brother died from cancer.
  • Four months later mother died from an infection. (I was devoted to her so this was particularly hard on me.)
  • Six months later my father developed dementia.
  • Sister blames me for “everything” so I became estranged from her (she’s was diagnosed bi-polar, but never does anything about it).
  • Suffered through a year-long period of grief which almost killed me. (I now feel it was a type of earthly purgatory.)
  • Had no one left to turn to but Jesus.
  • Started looking for him in “end-times” literature. Discovered that the Pope was the anti-Christ and that Catholics were really pagan idolators. :rolleyes: This was far different from some of the end-times stuff I learned as a kid. And to think I attended high school with these heathens!
  • Wanted to go to Church, but couldn’t figure out all the differences between the Protestant denominations. Felt a distrust of churches. Decided to just be a “do-it-myself” Christian.
  • Saw “The Passion of the Christ.” Thought it was good, but “too Catholic.” Still, it got me thinking.
  • The more anti-Catholic end-times literature I read, the more curious I became about the Catholic Church… (the “forbidden fruit” syndrome?)
  • Saw “The Passion of the Christ” again. Because of it, I finally understood relationship between Jesus and Mary. The movie no longer seemed “too Catholic” but “just right.”
  • Stumbled upon EWTN. I never even noticed before that it was part of my cable TV package. Watched it every evening and started to get good catechesis from Mother Angelica, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Fr. Mary Francis, Fr. John Corapi, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Raymond Aroyo, Marcus Grodi… etc, etc.
  • Started visiting Catholic churches and shines. Made 100-mile+ round trips to attend Eucharistic adoration at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in DC. Found Jesus physically present there; body, blood, soul & divinity!!!
  • Started praying the Rosary, heard one of the priests on EWTN recommend learning it in Latin… so I did. Began praying for the souls in purgatory, espcially my loved ones.
  • Got to know Jesus’ mother. Found out she was as nice as my own Mom. :love:
  • Found a very faithful Catholic church right near where I live. It had been under my nose all the time!
  • I’m now in RCIA.
It has been a tough row to hoe, but there is no resentment, no grief, no bitterness… just the feeling of love that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus!
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What a story. Thanks for sharing. It seems like a long journey but a recent realization. Good luck & God Bless you!
 
I was raised in a part Catholic part Methodist home. Because of what I learned from each side of the family about Faith, what I believed was quite different from my classmates that I was in the Fellowship of Christian Students with, and for that I was told I was wrong. Then I lost most of my “Christian” friends my senior year of high school, because I refused to accept their interpretation of a scripture passage (it differed dramatically from what my Catholic Granny had taught me about that passage, God Bless her Soul!)

I went off to college thinking I was a methodist, but it just didn’t feel right. I roomed with a Catholic girl (seriously, the best roommate I ever had), met a Catholic guy, fell in love, started dating, graduated, Married him a little over a year later…

Now I’m in RCIA, and feel so at home, I feel God’s prescence in my life, and I’m striving to set a good example for others (I fail miserably sometimes, but I’m still trying)

I feel like I’ve always been Catholic, but didn’t know it…It’s been an interesting experience and one that I will never regret!

Jamie
 
Thanks for responding. I’d love to hear more.

To all you in RCIA at present - Good luck & God bless your efforts.

To all you converts to Catholicism - Welcome even if it’s been many
years since you conversion.

To all you who’ve moved away from Catholicism - I hope God blesses your life abundantly.

To all you who are cradle Catholics like me in the words of that great anonymous 60s thinker - “Keep on keepin’ on”
 
I converted after my daughter decided to go to RCIA. Her fiance was Catholic and somehow I always thought he would convert to Protestantism. I was alarmed about her going to RCIA at first. She kept coming home and telling me little things about the Catholic faith and I would say “I didn’t know that” and “that’s not what I was always told about Catholics”. It was then that I decided to study the Catholic faith myself. I wondered why I never did it before and why I always took everyone’s word for what was truth. After studying the faith for several months and attending RCIA, I became Catholic in 2002. Praise God! I converted because I found the truth! I encourage anyone who thinks they know what Catholics do and what Catholics believe, but have never thoroughly studied the Cathlic faith to do so. You will be surprised at what you find out! Don’t just study books written by protestants about the Catholic faith and what their opinion is - you must study books and info. written by Catholics who are actually practicing their faith. Read the Catechism. Read the Catholic Answers tracts from their website.

God Bless!

Mrs. H.
 
**I asked God to show me a church were I could become a better christian. ”The Church” was not what I prayed for , but that’s what I got. I almost felt ”scared to death” when I started to understand that there could be a CHURCH that was ”The Church”. I had always learned that the catholic church was a church where they worshipped statues. I read and prayed and asked for Gods guidance.

To make a long story short: Jesus Christ invited me to his CHURCH and I answered with a big YES!**
 
Basically I would say because the Catholic Church is “the real thing.”
 
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