Conversion Stories

Talmek

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Out of interest, is there anybody here that has converted to Catholicism?

I, myself, am in the process of converting to the Catholic Church from the Anglican Communion and was really wondering whether others have had similar experiences...

Recent convert here from the American Episcopal church - I'm a new forums member and came across this thread and decided to share my experience over the last couple of years.

In 2013 I converted from Episcopalian to Roman Catholic after years of worship in that denomination. However, it wasn't because I found anything "wrong" with the Episcopal faith, only that I knew that the structure of the Catholic faith was something that I had desired all my life. My mom was a strayed Catholic, so everything I had learned about God and faith as a child was from a non-denominational perspective.

Fast-forward to adulthood and marriage/divorce. I was in the military for a number of years, and wanted to become a Catholic after one of my deployments (having no idea what the process was, I simply walked in and asked a priest at a local parish outside my base). He informed me that, because of my marriage and subsequent divorce that I couldn't convert. This was devastating news as I had been looking for something to reestablish my faith after so much that had broken it down.

Rather like the proverbial lost sheep, I began to research other faiths that had similarities to the Catholic faith and discovered "high church" Episcopalianism. From the moment I walked in I had never felt so welcomed, or so loved in all the years of attending different churches through my life. The particular (Episcopalian) parish that I attended was also where my daughter and I were baptized. I can say that their message was one that still strongly resounds with me and one that I try to emulate. Said to me by their pastor, "We don't care what you've done in your life that has made you stray. It's not our job to condemn you or to judge you - we're here to love you anyway."

For years I attended that church, paid tithes and was an active part of the community there; however, something still felt missing from the overall journey. Talking unknowingly to a Catholic coworker one day about how I had become an Episcopalian, they were rather upset when I had told them that I had become so out of rejection by the Catholic Church. They advised me that if I was still interested in becoming Catholic that I should speak to a (now local, thousands of miles away from the original) parish priest. I did so, and learned much in that initial conversation with him (primarily how much one priest's opinions can influence and do harm to a prospective convert - but I digress...)

I began the conversion process through RCIA with my coworker as my sponsor and completed the process during Easter vigil, 2013. It has been one of the biggest events in my life, and one that I wouldn't trade for anything. In a sentence - After so much searching for God and the right way to do things (for me - not a generalized statement) it felt like I finally walked in the door and found home.
 
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paul becke

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Recent convert here from the American Episcopal church - I'm a new forums member and came across this thread and decided to share my experience over the last couple of years.

In 2013 I converted from Episcopalian to Roman Catholic after years of worship in that denomination. However, it wasn't because I found anything "wrong" with the Episcopal faith, only that I knew that the structure of the Catholic faith was something that I had desired all my life. My mom was a strayed Catholic, so everything I had learned about God and faith as a child was from a non-denominational perspective.

Fast-forward to adulthood and marriage/divorce. I was in the military for a number of years, and wanted to become a Catholic after one of my deployments (having no idea what the process was, I simply walked in and asked a priest at a local parish outside my base). He informed me that, because of my marriage and subsequent divorce that I couldn't convert. This was devastating news as I had been looking for something to reestablish my faith after so much that had broken it down.

Rather like the proverbial lost sheep, I began to research other faiths that had similarities to the Catholic faith and discovered "high church" Episcopalianism. From the moment I walked in I had never felt so welcomed, or so loved in all the years of attending different churches through my life. The particular (Episcopalian) parish that I attended was also where my daughter and I were baptized. I can say that their message was one that still strongly resounds with me and one that I try to emulate. Said to me by their pastor, "We don't care what you've done in your life that has made you stray. It's not our job to condemn you or to judge you - we're here to love you anyway."

For years I attended that church, paid tithes and was an active part of the community there; however, something still felt missing from the overall journey. Talking unknowingly to a Catholic coworker one day about how I had become an Episcopalian, they were rather upset when I had told them that I had become so out of rejection by the Catholic Church. They advised me that if I was still interested in becoming Catholic that I should speak to a (now local, thousands of miles away from the original) parish priest. I did so, and learned much in that initial conversation with him (primarily how much one priest's opinions can influence and do harm to a prospective convert - but I digress...)

I began the conversion process through RCIA with my coworker as my sponsor and completed the process during Easter vigil, 2013. It has been one of the biggest events in my life, and one that I wouldn't trade for anything. In a sentence - After so much searching for God and the right way to do things (for me - not a generalized statement) it felt like I finally walked in the door and found home.

Funny, Talmek, but I was only thinking the other day, how our Catholic faith gives a shape to our lives, from baptism to, God willing, the last rites. Nice word for the latter : 'viaticum', 'provision for the journey'.
 
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Talmek

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Yes - I first heard of the faith/spiritual "journey" during my conversion process. It is a perfectly fitting word for such and event, as "the walk" doesn't end when the process is complete; rather, it's the learning to walk for the remainder of that person's life.
 
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BroIgnatius

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Out of interest, is there anybody here that has converted to Catholicism?

I, myself, am in the process of converting to the Catholic Church from the Anglican Communion and was really wondering whether others have had similar experiences. My own reasons were that there was no real faith anymore and that leaders were wasting there time trying to make the Church look "cool" and "modern" by pandering to atheistic and hedonistic ideals.

Yes, I was a Baptist (Southern and then independent) clergy for some 15 years before I saw the light and found the truth of the Catholic Church as the true and only fully "biblical" Church that Jesus Himself founded. I came into full communion at the Easter Vigil 1993. The primary influence to my conversion was Scott Hahn and personal study.

It was the bible and the bible alone that proved the papacy and the real presence in the Eucharist that lead me to convert. How could I not?
 
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gabbi0408

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I came into the Church, Easter Vigil, 1997.

I was raised Methodist. My family was fairly active in the Methodist church. I attended youth group, my mother held bible studies in our home, etc. In 1979, at 19 years old, I married a boy (I say boy because we were so young) who was Baptist. We intended to go to services together as a married couple. We tried the local churches, both Methodist and Baptist, but couldn't find one we liked. Eventually it was just easier not to go at all.

In 1983 we had our first child, then 1986 our second. In 1988 we separated and were divorced by 1990.

From then on I lived a very secular life. I had 2 young children, little to no child support, a live-in boyfriend and a feminist agenda. My boyfriend and I broke up after 4 years, I moved into a rental home. Started dating again and moved that next guy in. We broke up after about 3 years. I met another man, started dating. We moved in together in late 1995. During this fallen away time I would still consider myself Christian, however God was not a part of my life in any way.

In the process of this third relationship, I had to opportunity to buy a home of my own. I prayed for the first time in many years asking God to help me achieve this dream, and I made him a promise. "If I got this house I would take my children to church." Things progressed and I was able to purchase the home. As I was moving in, unpacking boxes and such, I came across a pamphlet in one of my boxes. It had a nun on the front, and was written in a foreign language. I had no recollection of ever seeing it, did not know where it came from or how it came to be in my things. I didn't think much of it. However, I showed it to my mother, she had never seen it either but took it to a Catholic bookstore near her to ask about it. The clerk told her it was St. Rita of Cascia. So my mom bought me a book about her.

I had totally forgotten my promise to God and thought perhaps he was reminding me in this way, to keep my promise. I was not Catholic though, and so I began looking for a Methodist church. There were a couple in the area, my children and I went but didn't feel very connected. I then tried the Baptist churches, again...same thing. It occurred to me that since St. Rita was Catholic, perhaps I should try the Catholic parish near me.

So we went to Mass. I felt totally lost during the service, kind of like you do when you attend your first aerobics class (everyone else knows what to do except you). We tried to keep up with the service, they said the Lord's Prayer differently than I was taught, and they had wafers and wine...I was raised on pieces of Wonder Bread and grape juice. But as we were leaving my 12 year old son genuflected as he saw others doing, turned to me and said "Mom this is the rightest religion." Hmmmm....

I began to wonder...was it? I started to pray asking God to lead me. I also asked St. Rita, often, why she had been made herself known to me. Nothing. I waited, unsure what to do. Attended Mass a few more times, but continued to go to Protestant churches as well.

One day, while at the gym working out, thinking of nothing in particular my mind was invaded with the words "for the children." This came through strong and purposeful and I immediately knew it was the answer and at that moment knew I had to become Catholic. I contacted the parish and signed us up for RCIA. My children and I came into the Church at Easter Vigil.

It has been 20 years and I'm blessed beyond words to have come home to the Catholic Church. I cannot thank God enough for his mercy and grace.
 
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rturner76

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I came into the Church, Easter Vigil, 1997.

I was raised Methodist. My family was fairly active in the Methodist church. I attended youth group, my mother held bible studies in our home, etc. In 1979, at 19 years old, I married a boy (I say boy because we were so young) who was Baptist. We intended to go to services together as a married couple. We tried the local churches, both Methodist and Baptist, but couldn't find one we liked. Eventually it was just easier not to go at all.

In 1983 we had our first child, then 1986 our second. In 1988 we separated and were divorced by 1990.

From then on I lived a very secular life. I had 2 young children, little to no child support, a live-in boyfriend and a feminist agenda. My boyfriend and I broke up after 4 years, I moved into a rental home. Started dating again and moved that next guy in. We broke up after about 3 years. I met another man, started dating. We moved in together in late 1995. During this fallen away time I would still consider myself Christian, however God was not a part of my life in any way.

In the process of this third relationship, I had to opportunity to buy a home of my own. I prayed for the first time in many years asking God to help me achieve this dream, and I made him a promise. "If I got this house I would take my children to church." Things progressed and I was able to purchase the home. As I was moving in, unpacking boxes and such, I came across a pamphlet in one of my boxes. It had a nun on the front, and was written in a foreign language. I had no recollection of ever seeing it, did not know where it came from or how it came to be in my things. I didn't think much of it. However, I showed it to my mother, she had never seen it either but took it to a Catholic bookstore near her to ask about it. The clerk told her it was St. Rita of Cascia. So my mom bought me a book about her.

I had totally forgotten my promise to God and thought perhaps he was reminding me in this way, to keep my promise. I was not Catholic though, and so I began looking for a Methodist church. There were a couple in the area, my children and I went but didn't feel very connected. I then tried the Baptist churches, again...same thing. It occurred to me that since St. Rita was Catholic, perhaps I should try the Catholic parish near me.

So we went to Mass. I felt totally lost during the service, kind of like you do when you attend your first aerobics class (everyone else knows what to do except you). We tried to keep up with the service, they said the Lord's Prayer differently than I was taught, and they had wafers and wine...I was raised on pieces of Wonder Bread and grape juice. But as we were leaving my 12 year old son genuflected as he saw others doing, turned to me and said "Mom this is the rightest religion." Hmmmm....

I began to wonder...was it? I started to pray asking God to lead me. I also asked St. Rita, often, why she had been made herself known to me. Nothing. I waited, unsure what to do. Attended Mass a few more times, but continued to go to Protestant churches as well.

One day, while at the gym working out, thinking of nothing in particular my mind was invaded with the words "for the children." This came through strong and purposeful and I immediately knew it was the answer and at that moment knew I had to become Catholic. I contacted the parish and signed us up for RCIA. My children and I came into the Church at Easter Vigil.

It has been 20 years and I'm blessed beyond words to have come home to the Catholic Church. I cannot thank God enough for his mercy and grace.
What a wonderful story! Did your children stay in the church? What did they end up doing with their lives if you don't mind me asking? Any college, career, or marriages?
 
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BroIgnatius

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I was a Baptist minister. Converted in 1992. Received into full communion Easter Vigil 1993. The following is an essay I wrote as an assignment in RCIA before I was confirmed. It is really short and could be expanded greatly, like with the story of how I came to believe in praying to Mary and the Saints, or how our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette had been leading me to the Catholic Church since I was four years old (my actually conversion was at 38), or how my conversion took only four days. There are many stories to add that fill in the picture of my conversion and my early days as a Catholic. This essay represents a few brief thoughts in those very early days in RCIA

Why Do I Want to be Catholic
The most accurate, albeit short, answer to the question, "Why do I want to be Catholic?", after growing up Protestant and serving as a Baptist minister for fifteen years, is that I have no choice but to be Catholic.

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looks like. But the one who peers into the prefect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does. —(James 1:22-25)​

I “peered” into the perfect law of freedom and found Catholicism. The Scripture lead me to the Church, and history confirmed it. Since I try to be a doer, once I saw the truth I had no choice but to follow it—even if that lead to the Catholic Church. To do anything else would have made me a hypocrite and a fool like the man in the mirror in the verse above.

Matthew 16:13-19, confirmed by Isaiah 22:15-22, proves that Christ established His church on earth with Peter as the first Prime Minister of the kingdom and historical facts confirm the line of succession that leads to our present Pope.

Matthew 23:1-2 establishes that Jesus expected his disciples to submit themselves to a Magisterium. Matthew 16 establishes that the “Chair” of authority was transferred from the “Chair of Moses” to the “Chair of Peter.”

Many verses of Scripture, and a thorough analysis of the history of the first 300-400 years of the church, prove the validity of the authority of both Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as opposed to the Protestant idea of Sola Scriptura. Several passages of Scripture refer to oral tradition (2 Tim. 2:2; 2 Thess. 2:15; 1 Peter 1:25; and others). New Testament Scripture even records revelation and information that was “not” previously inscripturated but was passed down by oral traditions. Two examples: (1) 1 Cor. 10:1-4 (the rock that followed them around is never mentioned in the Scripture before); (2) 2 Tim. 3:1-8 (the names of the magicians are never mentioned in Scripture). How were these things known? By oral tradition!

John 6 clearly shows the doctrine of transubstantiation and tradition shows the validity of the devotion to Mary, etc. I could go on.

In addition to Scripture, I looked carefully at the documents of people like St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107-110), who was the first to call the Church Catholic, and other early Church Fathers. Since the Christians who lived in the first and second centuries were closer to the horse's mouth, as it were, what they said and believed is thus authoritative in the quest of knowing what interpretations and practices were sanctioned by the Apostles. The conclusion from that study is that the early Church understood the life of the Church in a way that is fundamentally the same as Catholics understand it today. Thus, it is true that the doctrine of the Church is traceable to the 1st Century; and where Peter is, there is the Church. I didn't believe that before.

At first, when these insights were beginning to come to me, I thought to myself “I must be going crazy—I'm a Baptist and I'm beginning to think Catholic!” But, the truth could not be ignored. History cannot be ignored. As Bishop Newman once said: “To immerse oneself in history is to cease to be Protestant.”

I don't know why I didn't see these things before. Actually I think I did see it, I just didn't quite accept the logical conclusion. Though, in reality I know now that I have been a closet Catholic since I was a child. Perhaps I always felt the truth written on my heart no matter where I was—even in the midst of Baptist fundamentalism.

Why do I want to be Catholic? Because the fullest depository of Truth, authority, and grace is with the Catholic Church alone; and my desire is to be in full fellowship and communion with my Lord and His Body, the Church.
 
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Gnarwhal

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I was born and raised into a small evangelical denomination called the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Most of it's members are outside of the U.S. since it focuses so much of it's efforts on missionary work, though there is still a presence here in the states. My family attended the same church for decades, my mother having joined them when she was 15 in 1968 and remained there until our family departed in 2009. She met my father there in 1979 and they married there in 1980. I was one of the first kids dedicated in that church's new building in 1987, and my younger sister and I attended the church's PreK-6th grade elementary school. We also were part of the Jr. High School ministry and the High School ministry. It was an enjoyable time.

After I started college I joined our church's on-campus ministry and that's when I started studying theology. Around 2006 I had my first brush with doubt as to whether or not evangelicalism was an accurate expression of the faith Christ intended us to practice. So I remained evangelical for the time being, but kept studying. I read authors ranging from Rob Bell (who I credit with forming me in a way that made me confident enough to ask questions and understand that Christianity has a history that needs to be embraced) to N.T. Wright, J.I. Packer and C.S. Lewis.

In 2008 I met my [now ex-] wife, we dated for a couple months and got engaged really young (we were 21). At that same time I was caught up in a whirlwind of transitions happening with my home church. They went from your garden variety 1990s evangelical makeup, to the horrifyingly disgusting charismatic trend that got really popular in the late 2000s. Bethel Church in Redding, CA and the International House of Prayer were how they tried to model themselves. I had no prior experience with charismaticism or pentecostalism, and as a 21-year-old I didn't really have fully developed discernment faculties yet. I got caught up in that until early 2010 when I had a "moment of clarity" and sort of "returned to my roots" studying theology, and reapproaching my faith pragmatically and logically once again.

Sadly, I had married into a matriarchal pentecostal family, and the matriarch was an eschatological lunatic who ended up causing a lot of emotional and spiritual damage that took me a while to recover from. This sort of caused me to overcorrect spiritually, and I went into hyper-rationalism where I denied almost any spiritual aspect of Christianity, even declaring myself a cessationist.

Around that same time I also when to a bible study where the [protestant] pastor actually taught that the Catholic and Orthodox Churches are the original churches, and he did so in a very positive and compelling way. He never said they were corrupt or any of the usual tropes, rather he implicitly expressed the value of ancient tradition.

So I doubled down my efforts studying theology and church history. I tried to prompt my wife to come along for the ride but she wouldn't budge, she was (and still is) a committed charismatic evangelical. This sadly lead to our divorce in 2013, and she's now married to a pentecostal pastor in a nearby town (don't worry, I the Church reviewed my marriage and issued a declaration of nullity).

After the divorce I took several steps back in the wrong direction. My head was swimming with what was true and what wasn't, questioning everything I had ever professed, declared, believed, been taught, etc. At one point I thought of myself as a deist, and then an agnostic. Eventually, by the grace of God, I climbed out of that hole.

Because of my job, I was working six days a week including Sundays. So I never had time to visit any churches or parishes. In October, 2014 that finally came to an end and I started off just by going back to my old CMA church. I felt like I was starting from square one since I had been through the ringer the previous 1-2 years. I only visited there briefly before remembering why I had left in the first place. A few months later I joined my parents at what had become their new church home: a PCUSA church. I was a little overcommitted and in the spring of 2015 I took their membership courses, in hindsight I think I just wanted to be a part of a community. However, I still noted some theological red flags.

In the six months that followed I kept studying, kept dialoguing with people, kept asking myself questions and doing my best to research things. I still had this splinter in my mind from five years prior in 2012 when my ex-wife and I had attended our first Mass. To me, that was sublime, and I never shook the feeling thereafter.

So in October, 2015 I decided to go back to Mass and as soon as it ended I knew where I needed to be. That following Wednesday I contacted my parish's RCIA coordinator, who responded to my e-mail within an hour. That afternoon I met with her at the parish office and she had me ready to go that night for the first RCIA classes. The classes were incredible. Impeccable teaching, full of a wide variety of people, well administered and of course, EXTREMELY edifying. I learned everything I needed to learn and then some. We had instructors from all kinds of backgrounds, some had been teachers for Catholic schools, others are lawyers, doctors, and of course our priests guest taught when they were available. All of our lay catechists are formed by the catechetical studies program at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio and their training shone through in their instruction.

18 enjoyable months later, I received my first Sacraments at Easter Vigil in 2017 and now here I am!
 
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BroIgnatius

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18 enjoyable months later, I received my first Sacraments at Easter Vigil in 2017 and now here I am!

Hey, welcome to the Church Jesus founded. You have a great story and journey. Praise God for that journey and leading you to the Church.

I spent a little time with the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Iowa City, Iowa before going to the Evangelical Free, then back to Baptist, and then to the Catholic Church.

It is always interesting to see the path we all take to get back home to mamma.
 
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Gnarwhal

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Hey, welcome to the Church Jesus founded. You have a great story and journey. Praise God for that journey and leading you to the Church.

Thanks!

I spent a little time with the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Iowa City, Iowa before going to the Evangelical Free, then back to Baptist, and then to the Catholic Church.

Ha, small world. The CMA is an interesting denomination, I can appreciate some of the values it instilled it me, but like you said - the Catholic Church is THE Church, and I don't want anything less than the genuine article.

It is always interesting to see the path we all take to get back home to mamma.

It is, indeed!
 
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sponsachristi

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I converted 4.3.2016. Started praying the rosary. On 4.4.2016 I converted on divine Mercy Sunday. Saint Faustina is the patron saint of my conversion, my confirmation saint is private for now, I have not been confirmed. It was the divine Mercy chaplet that stopped a suicide and depressive mood. I took medicine it helped But I still felt the same every day. The divine Mercy chaplet was like a snap. On 6.6.2016 My mother found out I was Catholic, she is against it. I was 17 at my conversion. I am 18 now. I have better contact with my priest though. I am now discerning, I have decided to keep this private, I will not say right now what convent I want to enter but I feel God is calling me closer every day. What caused me to convert is private, one the healing of depression. Two answers. Over time I had questions and the Catholic Church is so beautiful, I researched Orthodox, Anglican. Something that was holding me back from the Catholic Church was purgatory, I understood in time. I was met with a lot of schism, Maria divine mercy still some conspiracy theories. I was protestant of different denominations. I was raised a Jehovah's Witness I was never baptized as one God bless every one!
 
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BroIgnatius

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I converted 4.3.2016.

Welcome to the Church. You made the right decision to be part of the Church that was founded by Jesus personally.

Our Society will be in prayer for your new beginning in the Church, and for your discernment to religious life.

May God bless you abundantly,
Bro. Ignatius Mary
 
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onetruechurch4

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Hello everyone, newbie here! :D I use to have an old account on here but I forgot its password and that was a long while back. Anyways, I suppose I'll give a brief summary on my conversion.

I wasn't raised in a religious family at all. My grandfather was a Polish Catholic and my grandmother had a long line of English ancestry so she belonged to the Episcopal Church (USA). She raised my mother as well as all of aunts and uncles Episcopalian. My mother was never very devout and when she had me she never even got me baptized. I know she is not an atheist though, and she has expressed on multiple occasions her belief in God.

When I was about 11 or so, I had a Baptist friend move across the street from me. He and his family just had to take me to church one night and I agreed to go with them. I had never really been to a church before besides maybe a marriage or two at an Episcopal church. It really wasn't what I was expecting, I had barely known anything about religion. The pastor saw me though, and I felt like the sermon he preached that night was aimed towards me. It really worked, and I began to feel a call towards God. After a few more months of my friend and the pastor teaching me about the scriptures I ultimately decided to get "saved." The pastor took me into a private room and congratulated me. He explained to me his testimony, and I have to say, it was very powerful. We then both recited a "prayer of salvation" together. Afterwards, we went out into the congregation and everyone congratulated me. I continued to go the church for three or four more years with my friend every Sunday and Wednesday. When I was 13, I finally got baptized. I remember it very clearly. The water was so chilly! They tried to warm it up but, needless to say, they failed. :p I sat in a bath like "pool", and everyone was staring at me eager to see me dunked under, as was my mother all ready to take a picture. The pastor looked at me, asked, "Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior?" "Yes" I replied. "Then upon your profession of faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen." He cupped one of his hands over my mouth and layed his other hand on my back and then proceeded to dunk me under the most freezing water I had ever been in. I heard everyone clap, and the cameras click. It was an amazing experience, and I felt so renewed. Little did I know, that was the actual moment I got "saved."

My friend ended up moving away, and so I ended up attending the church less and less. For a few years I didn't really continue my faith. I never stopped believing, it's just that I wasn't particularly active in it anymore. When I was around 19 though, I really began getting back into things. But this is when my anti-Catholic phase had also started. The Baptist church I had went to before always had a little bit of an "anit-Catholic" vibe to it. They were KJV only Independent Baptist after all. But they weren't necessarily the fire and brimstone kind of Fundamentalist. I never heard any negative sermon against any other Christian group given during my time in that particular church. But by this time I had started attending a Reformed Baptist church, and they were very anti-Catholic. I also became a very hard core Calvinist, at least in the sense of TULIP, but rejecting most of everything else Calvin taught, especially in regards to baptism. I started to really despise Catholicism as well as other Churches like that of the Eastern Orthodox and even mainline Protestants like Lutherans. I'd get in constant debated with these groups online in the years to come. For a good 8 years I was so convinced of Baptist doctrine. I really thought nothing could stand against it because I had the Bible and those silly Catholics didn't! Or so I thought...

Around 2012 I had discovered a few new Catholic apologetic sites that hadn't come to my attention before, and I really think that was the first time I had begun to doubt my faith. They used a good mix of scripture and the Church fathers to refute many typical Protestant arguments, arguments I had been giving in the past. I had encountered the Church Fathers before this, but I usually dismissed them and never gave too much thought to them. But the way they were being presented to me now changed my whole world. After about a year of constantly researching the early Church, I just couldn't stay a Baptist anymore. But I still wasn't completely convinced of the Catholic Church yet. At first, I had consider Lutheranism, and I attended a few Divine Services at an ELCA parish in my town and the pastor there even let me take communion since I had been validly baptized. It was nice, but I didn't feel completely at home. I still wanted something more ancient. I then began looking at the faith of my mother, Anglicanism. For a while I consider that but still just didn't feel fulfilled.

One day, I was driving past a Catholic Church in my town, and I was admiring its beauty. I thought, "Heh, you'd never see that kind of worship due to God in a Baptist church." I began to feel so pulled towards the Catholic faith that day. I couldn't help it. 2 weeks later I finally told myself, "You know what... I am going to become Catholic!" A week later, I found myself at a Catholic Mass, doing my best to try and mimic everyone else so as not to be seen as an outsider. After the Mass, I just up and approached the priest, shook his hand, and told him that I wanted to become Catholic. A smile ran across his face and he took me into his office where we talked about faith and my history for a little bit. This was really the best decision I had ever made in my life.

I underwent a month of private instruction, and my baptism was deemed valid by the priest as it was of course Trinitarian. I was allowed to go to confession and receive first communion and was received on an ordinary Sunday. I was not confirmed until about 6 or 7 month later. The day I received first communion, actually getting to receive Christ in the Eucharist, which is the very center of the Christian life I had been deprived of for so long, it was the absolute greatest day of my entire existence. I will never forget it. I am so happy to be a Catholic. I feel at home and closer to Christ than I have ever been.
 
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Out of interest, is there anybody here that has converted to Catholicism?

I, myself, am in the process of converting to the Catholic Church from the Anglican Communion and was really wondering whether others have had similar experiences. My own reasons were that there was no real faith anymore and that leaders were wasting there time trying to make the Church look "cool" and "modern" by pandering to atheistic and hedonistic ideals.

I was born and raised Catholic, however my fiance was not and came home this past Easter. For her it was the Church history and the reformation that brought her back. I recently was listening to a talk and the speaker escapes me.... but he likened the Church to Noah's ark. It's bring people to salvation and not all its occupants are going to be freindly to each other... in the case of Noah's ark they might eat each other... and the smell would have been pretty bad. But they were all saved together as one. Like our Church, it's had lots of up and downs (naturally going to happen when you've been around for 2000 years). But it has never taught error and we can see when fallible men have brought the Church to the edge of error the Holy Spirit flex's his muscles and rights the ship (the Arian heresy comes to mind).

As for you comment about looking cool and modern as being a focus... When my fiance was still a Protestant she attended an Alliance Church and I joined her for their Easter service. Their Easter service had NO mention of Jesus, NO mention of his sacrifice on the Cross and had NO mention of anything to do with the NT. It was a skit of a woman that was lost and found God which they used a light shining from above. Any other day of the year it would have been a great service and it did have a great message about being lost and God always there calling you back.

I've also been to Protestant services where people bring their coffees into the sanctuary. There seems to be a lack of reverence within some Protestant communities. Its too bad because for me at least and I get the impression from your post you as well, that we are there to first and foremost worship our Creator God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The rest is all secondary.

Per usual, just my thoughts.
Cheers
 
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BroIgnatius

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I've also been to Protestant services where people bring their coffees into the sanctuary. There seems to be a lack of reverence within some Protestant communities. Its too bad because for me at least and I get the impression from your post you as well, that we are there to first and foremost worship our Creator God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The rest is all secondary.

Per usual, just my thoughts.
Cheers

Welcome back. Unfortunately, even among Catholics, here in the U.S. at least, there is a profound lack of reverence and lack of understanding of the Sacred. The U.S. is a Protestant country and thus we are all influenced by that. As such, the historical Protestant influence and worldview, couples with a history of rugged individualism, Americans in general have little understanding of the Sacred. It is sad.
 
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paul becke

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The best friend one can have. The one who loves you unconditionally. The one who is the wisest and the most qualified to answer, because HE knows you intimately.. The one who cares more than any human being. The ONe who bought and paid for me. The one to whom I am bone of His bone, and flesh of HIs flesh. The one who has the answer can show me the way. The one who shines a light unto my path. The one, who in a Word, can give me rest in any storm. The one who comforts me, and loves me as His own son...

That is who....friend, and His name is Jesus.

Bar-Elohim

The great thing I find about Catholic confession is the blessing of the Church through the ordained priest. That on its own is sufficient for me to love confession, irrespective of their tending to be of a venial nature. I believe there is a quite grossly-misplaced emphasis on the status of the ordained priest, with its obvious corollary in relation to the priestly status of the laity. However, it is undeniable that they were specially ordained by God to administer the sacraments and lead as the laity's representative before God in the liturgy.

The only status of his we rely on is his agency on our behalf in relation to the sacraments. Someone has to do it - practically-speaking, we can't all do it more or less permanently. Moreover, God deserves dedicated attention, with far less worldy distractions than a lay-person is subject to. Surely, God deserves no less. In addition, it should create a synergy, blessing him by such close association, if he is sincere and generous in spirit.
 
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paul becke

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I want to convert to the Catholicism, but many of my loved ones stand opposed. Some even feel it's impulsive. I was urged by a local priest and several protestants including my own family members to put my pursuit and investigation of catholicism on hold in order to deal with some pressing issues I'm facing in my life. So for now, it is on hold for up to a year.

I was thinking of attending RCIA classes this year, but I've since decided to delay it until next year in order to give it more time. I don't want anyone to accuse my decision to convert(if I do) of being impulsive and ill-thought out.

Take no notice of them ! Say, 'Impusive, schmilpulsive' ! Worse things happen at sea than being initially wrong about changing your Christian denomination. Catholics are very rough and ready ! You'll probably fit in better !

Don't necessarily take any notice of what I'm saying. It's just what I'd do, and I'm a bit cross-grained, in that I make up my own mind, unless I hear compelling advice to the contrary, or risk causing offence. Of course, inisting on learning by your own mistakes is normally part of the folly of youth, and I can't pretend I don't think it would have been kinder of God to give us the wisdom of old age when we are toddlers and let it gradually deteriorate after the age of, say, ninety!
 
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Pattimayo

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I am very interested in converting. About 10 years ago I left my job as an assistant pastor at a large nondenominational mega church because I discovered original Christianity - something I was surprised and delighted to find. But I found it in Eastern Orthodoxy. Its been 10 years and for me, something is still not quite right. I can't figure out Eastern Orthodoxy's claim to be ONE when each ethnic enclave has its own leader and many differences. I don't belong to any of the traditionally Orthodox ethnic groups and I don't feel as if I'm home yet. The Orthodox refuse to accept the primacy of the Pope, but I don't have a problem with that at all. I'm a little bit afraid to convert since I'll lose all Orthodox relationships and my current priest will probably be outraged. But I've been attending daily Mass and find so much peace in the Catholic church. Sometimes, when I go into the church to just quietly pray, I have heard God seem to speak to me about certain things in my life. These moments have always given me peace and strength. But in this journey I feel terribly alone.
 
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