Why Did You Revert Back to Catholicism?

[Dennis2R]

I married my college sweetheart, who was not a Catholic, but who agreed to be married in the Catholic Church. When we located in the town in which we were going to raise our children, far from the big cities in which we were educated, I could not get her interested in attending the Catholic Church. She was looking for “better music” and “fellowship.” So, together we found better music in the Methodist church. Fast fwd 33 years to the time our daughter announced from another town thousands of miles away from home, that she has a girlfriend, and she was “born that way.” I embarked on a search through the teachings of our Methodist church, and found there was none on homosexuality. Ditto in all the other protestant churches in our town. Then I walked into the Catholic Church and found exactly what I needed. I came roaring back home, into the Catholic Church. It took twelve long years, countless hours of prayer, the sacraments, total immersion in the teachings of our church, commitment to the RCIA program and gentle prodding to reach our daughter. Two years ago we were blessed with our daughter’s completion of her RCIA program at the Easter Vigil, her reception of the Sacraments and entry into the Church. She left the lifestyle she was leading, and has embraced all the Church teaches. My sweetheart of 43 years is still a Methodist, but she has a new understanding of my Roman Catholic faith.

Dennis2R

 

[Hamlet123]

Hello there…

I just had a question for all of the reverts who were born into a Catholic family, left to go to another denomination (became a “born again” christian), and then reverted back to Catholicism at a later time.

First this is an excellent question and I hope the Bishops get all the responses.

1. What were some of the things that led you back to the Catholic Church? Were they things that were good in the Catholic Church that caused you to go or things that were bad in the church to which you had gone when leaving the Catholic church?

One evening at Barnes and Nobles I was preparing for the Sunday School class that I taught. We were to discuss the verses in Acts where Paul had shared the Gospel without the use of Scriptures. Paul was talking to (apparently) Stoics and Epicureans and other philosophers. While milling around in the store I ran across a set of CDs that Barnes and Nobles used to put out. One was entitled What Would Socrates Do?

, by Peter Kreeft. I was entriqued by its subject, the history of Ethics. I bought it and became addicted to Kreeft. The course was not a direct (or should I say, agressive) evangalization of the Faith; in fact, unless one investigated he would not know Kreeft is a Catholic. I bought a number of his books Soccrates meets Machavilli, Socraties meets Freud, Virtue (I forgot the name - a must must must read), and a number of others he forced me to read The Republic every year and I feel in love with Aristotle’s Nicomean Ethics; was blessed with Kreefts Socratic Logic - this text is a must and should be a part of every students curriculum (especially a Spelliing book) staring in the eighth grade. Kreeft enticed me into CS Lewis, GK Chesterton. Finally reading Newman forced me to look closer at Mother Church. Soon I was reading the history of the church. As Chesterton said, “a good protestant that knows history is condemned to be a Catholic.”

As I read it became obvious the problems I was having with my current protestant beliefs were answered by the Catholic faith.
There were so many different interpretations of the bible - it drove me crazy
How do I really know Scriptures are infallible
How can it be that anyone could be a leader; all that was required is that members FEEL you are given the “call”
What about the ordinances; were they really only a symbol, so why do we place so much emphasis
And I could not feel comfortable with the idea that there so many denominations
As time progressed, I wanted all of God and as much of Him that I could get: if communion was REALLY the REAL presence than I needed to find out how to get it

But I (just) could not leave.

I had such a good relationship with my church and its people. Well, I have written way too much…

1. Were there things that you still disliked about the Catholic Church when you reverted back?

I was shocked at how many Catholic - even practicing Catholics - do not believe some of the basic tenants of the faith. And their lack of basic knowledge of the Faith. Lastly, when I was a protestant if we had someone just remotey interested in our faith, we would be on him like stink on sulfur, not so with the One True Faith

Have they been resolved since?

I have accepted the idea that we (The True Faith) is a hospital not a home for the healthy. And I have recognized that I am being judgemental - a real eye-opener. And for that I have been forgiven.
It seems that there is some progress made in educating the FAithful, but I am surprised there is not a stronger effort put into education of the basis of the Catechism - a must

I am interested in hearing your answers.

Just an FYI, I was born Catholic and am now in a Baptist Church.

 

[peace2u2]

I am enjoying all of your conversion stories. I hope you will consider posting your story at:

whyimcatholic.com/

or pass it along to all your Protestant and Catholic friends and family.

Peace

 

[garn9173]

Just felt a tug inside of me to return and not to mention, my entire family (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.) on all sides of my family (mom, dad, and step-dad) are all Catholic.

The Catholics Come Home website and Facebook page really helped in returning to the Church.