Why did you become Catholic?

[Rising_Suns]

Heya guys,

Long time no talk.

Well I'm just curious as to the reasons why people have converted (or was reborn) to the Catholic faith. I'm looking forward to hearing your answers. Thanks guys.

-dave

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

I was baptized in the Catholic Church shortly after I was born, but I began to fully embrace my Catholic heritage after being invited by a friend to a meeting of a club called Caritas (Latin for charity or love). The group, which mainly consists of Catholic Studies majors/minors, focuses on the Catholic Church's history, the lives of the saints, and the Rosary as well as general Christian life. I realized this fall that I have completely changed in my experience with the Mass, and I credit my experiences with this group for this change.

 

[Subtilis]

Howdy, y'all.

I was baptized as an infant, but that was about as far as I pursued my faith until a few years ago.  At the time, I felt like I was missing something important.  Most glaringly, I had lost a sense of awe at the world that I felt as a child, something that had been swallowed up in the mundane.  God (and the Church) called me with a flyer for a series of lectures called "Basic Beliefs."  The first lecture was on the Trinity, and when the priest taught about perichoresis, the motion of love between Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I knew in that instant that I had found the mystery, the depth, and the truth that was inexhaustible.  Two years later, God favored me by joining my life to my beautiful and faithful wife in the Sacrament of Marriage.  Last Easter, I was finally confirmed and sealed with the Holy Spirit, and my zeal became something far beyond what it had ever been.  If anything, in less than a year of enthusiasm, I have already moved past the previous quarter-century of sloth.  And I am amazed.  More than anything, I am so amazed to see the works of God, His creation, His providence, no matter how simple, no matter how great.

 

[Lady Grace]

I was raised as a Methodist, didn't attend much because they scared me to death and didn't like Sunday school. I went to school all week,,,why did I have to go to school on Sunday too, and the teacher was mean.

In my teen years, all my friends were catholic,,,and I attended mass with them quite frequently. I found MY GOD in the Catholic faith, and as a child, at the age of 10 I found out I was blessed with a very special relationship with the Blessed Mother.I mean when we would play dolls or house like little girls did, I was always a NUN or MARY......never the mommy with the babies. And coming from a very Protestant family and town,,,,,don't think many understood it ,,,,,I guess I really didnt' either , but I loved Mary,and what she represented.

So, one day my youngest son came to me and said, "Mom I thought you said one day we would get baptized and become Catholic(see my sons and I attended mass from the day they were born,but we were not converted),I never really knew how to find out about doing that, or who to ask,,,,I felt as a non-Catholic, I had no right to ask the priest any questions.  So, in 1992, after mass one Sunday at this small parish we had been attending(since by this time I was more knowledgeable)I asked the priest how we could get baptized and become Catholic. Well, he was delighted,I think he knew this would happen. He was an old Italian priest, and we had 18 (yes 18) months of private instruction from him,,,it was wonderful. And he left no questions in our minds about anything. So, June 4,1994, at a private mass ,my youngest son and I were baptized, confirmed , and received our "first" Holy Communion. I was so so at peace, and so happy I cried through the entire celebration. But , a part of me was sad too, because i had missed all of those years of being able to receive the sacraments.

I am home, the True Home Of God. I always thougth a lot of the  other faiths were a bit lost.and now I know they are. Now, my life is complete, heart if full of the love of the Holy Spirit. I no longer feel a void or emptiness that i felt before.I feel so blessed to be a part of the one, true Church. And no matter when I pray I always thank God placing me in the Catholic Church.I am very active in my parish, I cannot get enough of it,,,,,I am still thirsting for all that is out there concerning my Catholic faith.And like the saying goes,"A little child shall lead them" well it was very true in my case, if it were not for my son pursuing what he had heard me talk about maybe we would not have been led to be converted.

The end of my long story, sorry abuot it,,,,,,,,but I so love my Catholic faith , my parish , my ministeries I am involved with, that I tend to go on and on. Again I apologize.

Peace and Love

Lady Grace

     

 

[panterapat]

RisingSons,

I was born into a Catholic family.
My faith was reaffirmed through making a Cursillo Weekend.
The Eucharist draws me in and holds me close to my Lord.  There is no experience so sublime as receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist.  

In Christ, Patrick

 

[Vijaykyu]

In a word; DEPTH. I was baptised as an infant Catholic, had a loose association with the church, never made the sacraments,drifted wound up attending a United church many years later. Over the past several years, I've had opportunity to attend Mass a couple of times. The difference astounded me, Catholics don't just speak of kneeling before God, they do it every weekend. While very involved in ministry in the United church, the overall feeling at worship became that of audience member, I was bored, restless, starting to drift away again. Going to Mass has recharged my faith, my faith is not just an idea, it is very real. The eucharist is not a symbol, we recieve the very real Body and Blood of Jesus. I am attending RCIA now so I'm not there yet, but come Easter..........
In Christ
Vincent

 

[ZooMom]

Well I'm just curious as to the reasons why people have converted (or was reborn) to the Catholic faith.

The truth is, I'm addicted to Bingo and I've been banned for life from the Moose Lodge. Where else was I supposed to turn?




Seriously...*ahem*, I've got my conversion posted around here somewhere...I'll dig it up for you.

 

[ZooMom]

Ok. I found it.

I am a convert. I had my first 'anniversary' this past Easter.

I was born and raised Methodist. My husband was born and raised S.Baptist, and although we both believed in God and Christ and considered ourselves Christian, we weren't really 'church' people. If you know what I mean. My husband is the one who 'discovered' the Catholic Church first. He was going through a pretty bad spiritual crisis (because of his job, I think), and was looking hard for answers. And this always tickles me, because it's so like him, the place he went to look was the library. He researched, and read, and researched some more. Then he came to me and said, "I'm going to join the Catholic Church." I blinked a couple of times and said, "Ok."

He was Baptised and Confirmed in 1993, and we started going to Mass every Sunday. This went on for several years without me being touched by any of it in any kind of a spiritual way. Then, through a book series that will remain nameless, I discovered message boards. TBTSNBM was where my interest was finally piqued. I was amazed at the absolute venom being spewed about over the Catholic Church. What struck me the most was the calm, reasonable, educated tone (for the most part) of the Catholic posters, as opposed to the frothing, vituperative, ignorant attacks (for the most part) of the opponents of Catholicism. So, I started reading up for myself. I enrolled in the RCIA class at my parish. At first I thought I would join the Church for my family's sake. To avoid confusion for the children. The more I learned, however, the more personal my seeking became.

Then it happened. I was at Mass with my family. The same thing I had been blind and deaf to for the last few years, and it was like a veil had been lifted. I heard every word. I heard and saw and understood what it was all about, and I felt so many things I couldn't name them all. That was the first time I wept during the Consecration. The rest of RCIA couldn't go by fast enough after that. I couldn't read enough, the Early Fathers especially facinated me. When I would read their thoughts and teachings, I could feel the connection linking me to them all down through the history of the Church. Especially regarding our Lady and the True Presence. Which, BTW, are the things I love most within the Church.

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Because God gifted me with the ability to comprehend simple logic with an open mind. I wasn't told what to believe for years, so by the grace of God, I could look at things with an objective view.

 

[your_quagga]

i was baptized Catholic...i too stayed on for the bingo...

ha...and to serve God with my whole being.

God bless you ZooMom. your story has inspired me today...and i needed it.

pax et caritas.

 

[ZooMom]

Thank you, your_quagga. And may God bless you as well. The Peace of our Lord be with you.