Young Catholic converts/potential converts

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jon190
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jon190

Guest
Hello everyone,

I am a seventeen-year-old English Christian who has been seriously considering converting to Catholicism for a long time, and now I’m very close to converting. My understanding of Catholicism has grown a lot in the last two years, and I’ve found my heart directing me towards the Catholic faith, and myself thinking more and more like a Catholic rather than a Protestant.

When I first told my mother about it, she reacted rather angrily and said she would be very upset if I became Catholic. That was two years ago, and I put the decision on hold for a while after that, but I still haven’t told her that for the past year I have again been considering converting. She’s against Catholicism from a secular standpoint, as well as for a personal reason she won’t tell me about (she was raised in the Catholic Church).

She said that if I really am considering it, I should talk to some particular people - particularly I have Protestant relatives and people in my Anglican church who were raised in the church - so I can make an informed decision. Stupidly, I haven’t done that. I’ve procrastinated about contacting these people for ages. I am fairly familiar with Protestant arguments, and have read a lot about Catholicism, but I feel that it’s now too late to talk to my Protestant relatives and fellow church members, because I’ve got to the point where they’re unlikely to sway my decision. So when I do tell my mother, we’ll be in the position of me having kept this a secret from her for nearly a year and not having done the stuff she said I should do.

I’d appreciate support from anyone, but are there any other young people out there who are Catholic converts or are seriously considering converting? Anyone who has faced opposition from your family over your decision? I would really appreciate your support. There are so few in my particular position, since most faithful Catholics were raised Catholic, or converted during adulthood.

Thank you and God bless.
 
Hi there!
It is encouraging to hear you’re considering conversion to Catholicism. I’m 19, UK ex-Anglican and have recently been received into the church.It also took me a long time to eventually get to ‘swimming the Tiber’ to Rome. It was also difficult for me as my family were also anglican, and, having moved out of home a few years ago, I now live with 2 Anglican priests, female, so the opposition is quite interesting, but they got used to it fairly fast and get more understanding as time goes by and you explain things a bit more.

I hope what I say helps you in your decision. Because of the nature of England’s history with Catholicism and the un-churched generation that we have; opposition to Catholicism (especially in your social and familial circles as an Anglican) won’t be an uncommon thing, but I say and think that no-one hates what the Catholic church is, they only misunderstand what they think it is. My advice is to go with what your heart says, if it has stuck around this long, you’ll only drift into it more and more and if you put it off, it’s more likely to make relations with people that don’t understand your call to conversion a bit more difficult.

Are there any questions you have particularly?

Hatter…
 
Hi Jon,
How wonderful you have received and responded to God’s grace in this way.

I would suggest you contact at least a few of thise your mother suggested, and talk with them. *Do not feel that you have to justify your decision to them or persuade them of anything. *Just have a nice conversation with them, maybe ask them a couple of specific questions with limited answers to cover the idea of having a conversation along the lines your mother was thinking.

Then you will have a clear conscience wrt your mother, and will be able to freely move on to the next phase. Soon you will be 18 and able to make your own decisions–many catholic churches would require parental permission before receiving you until you were 18.

Welcome 🙂
 
I started down that path when I was round 14 and was received into the Church at 18…

(I had discovered the early Christians…Church was Catholic…)

Then later went for a degree in Theology at Steubenville…(many young faithful there -and from other places in the world)

Now I am 43 (time goes fast…) …I encourage you in your heading towards full Communion with the Catholic Church!

Be sure to read the messages from world youth day with Pope Benedict XVI 🙂 (I am sure Pope Francis has wonderful ones too- I am just know these and he is my favorite after Peter personally) Here are some…

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2011/august/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20110820_veglia-madrid_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2011/august/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20110818_accoglienza-giovani2-madrid_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20110821_xxvi-gmg-madrid_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2011/index_madrid_en.html
 
Praying to the Holy Spirit to give you guidance, direction, strength, fortitude & wisdom in journey home to the Catholic Church.
 
I can sort of relate in some ways, although my situation is quite different. I was raised in a “Catholic” family (my dad’s a non-practicing cradle Catholic, and my mom’s an unconvinced and non-practicing convert from Protestantism). I took ownership of my Catholic faith at the age of 16, and it’s always been a struggle ever since because my parents don’t really get it. I’m 19 now, and I think they think I’m a bit weird for how zealous I am. Oh well.

I think your mom would eventually get used to the idea of your becoming Catholic. My mom has certainly come a long way in the past three years to accepting my Catholic-ness. I think that my mom, anyway, thought that I was in a phase; perhaps your mom, too, didn’t realize how serious you were. No one, even parents, likes change… but they get used to it eventually, just like anyone else.

If you do decide to talk to your ex-Catholic relatives, remember that they could be biased. After all, they aren’t Catholic anymore.

And WELCOME!!!
 
I would be very careful in speaking to those who have abandoned the Faith - they have nothing of value to say (But we may learn from their bad example) and they are terribly mistaken. I say that as someone who abandoned the Faith himself. You will find it hard being a sincere Catholic in our apostate country but the Catholic Church is the true Church and we must enter into and remain in it. I would not delay in entering for anyone’s sake as that is putting humans before God.
St_Francis said:
Hi Jon,
Soon you will be 18 and able to make your own decisions–many catholic churches would require parental permission before receiving you until you were 18.

Welcome 🙂
Click to expand...
I very much hope that is not the case. Jesus said to let the little ones come to Him and died for the salvation of all - not just those who have reached the age of majority. What if a child were to die without the sacraments because the priest would not receive him into the Church? Wouldn’t refusing to receive under 18s into the Church be a serious sin?
 
I’m not a convert, but I guess I’m young. 😃 I did have to discover the faith for myself because my family was pretty lukewarm (although, I am grateful for the small seeds they planted).
I just want to encourage you…its pretty tough being a Catholic/Christian/religious in our increasingly secularized and hostile world. I’ll say a prayer for you! I’m not sure what kind of youth groups might be available in your area, but you should contact the local diocese or nearest parish if you can. Yes, its important to have faithful friends. Saints seem to come in groups or pairs. Feel free to PM me if you like. 🙂
 
Thanks for all your words of advice and encouragement. I’ve had an email exchange with one of my relatives and hopefully we’ll talk on the phone sometime reasonably soon. I also now have several Catholic friends/acquaintances with whom I can talk or otherwise correspond. I’ll be away for two weeks from tomorrow but I’m bringing with me two books on Catholicism: “Catholicism” by Peter Stanford and “Why I Am Still a Catholic” edited by Peter Stanford (and the Bible). I hope to read some of the early church fathers at some point, as someone suggested I did. I kind of feel I’d like to just tell Mum now because it’s been so long, but I’ll take the advice to wait till I’ve talked to everyone.

I hope to correspond with some of you by PM when I’m back.

God bless,
Jonathan
 
Johnathon,
God bless you for your courage and openness to Him! I’m so glad that you are responding to His call to be Catholic. Don’t let fear get in the way. Do what God has asked of you, and He will see to it that your decision benefits your parents etc. Perhaps your conversation will lead to a conversion for them also- with time. I’m sure their will be initial resistance- just keep praying and relying on the Lord. Do as He asks, and all will be well in the end.

I’ll be keeping you in my prayers.

Sincerely,
A fellow young Catholic
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top