Posted on 12/26/2013 8:33:22 AM PST by mlizzy
I was 19 years old and was back home in Georgia following my first year away at college. It had been a transformative year for me in many ways. I had left my family to go to school in Dallas, with all the adjustments a teenager endures living in a dorm and being on their own for the first time. Back at home with my family I was anxious to share my new experiences with them. My mom and I talked for hours about my roommate and my classes, the new friends I’d made and my excitement about the coming year. I was going to study in Rome and we were both anticipating my trip. But I hadn’t told my family everything about that first college year. In fact, the most important thing that had happened to me was something I found difficult to share with them.
I wanted to become Catholic. I was afraid my parents would disapprove. I was afraid to tell my mother, most of all. She was a woman of strong opinions who was never shy about sharing them—a kind of force of nature. And though I’d never heard her voice anything at all against the Catholic Church, I also couldn’t imagine her embracing my decision. For us and our Baptist background, being a Catholic was so foreign that it just didn’t exist as an option. Until I was in high school, I’d never even met a Catholic. I’d certainly never been drawn to explore Catholicism. But I’d also never formally joined our Baptist church either. My college was a Catholic one and my experience of the Church was life-changing. I was torn between my joy and my hesitation to talk about it with my family. Finally, my best friend tired of me talking to her about it, told my parents for me. What a relief! They were supportive and wanted my happiness, as good parents always do. Unfortunately, none of us knew what to do next. In those years before google, there was no easy place to go for answers.
So the next morning, I looked in the phone book and called the nearest Catholic Church. I must have called twenty times that day without getting an answer. I drove to the church, determined to find out how a person could become Catholic. But the doors were locked and the only information I could find was the Mass schedule on a sign outside. That evening I showed up for Mass and told the pastor what I wanted to do. He was kind and soft-spoken and suggested we meet in his office the next afternoon to talk things over. We did. And over the course of just a few weeks of reading and conversation with him, we scheduled my Baptism. With my family around me, I was baptized and confirmed on a Saturday afternoon. The next day I made my First Holy Communion. It was the presence of Christ in the Eucharist that drew me to the Catholic Church and 33 years later, the Eucharist remains the heart of my faith. Thankfully, becoming Catholic nowadays is a bit more transparent. Like most parishes, our church has a program for people wanting to explore the Catholic faith. Called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) it’s both a learning experience and a spiritual journey. But whether you “cross the Tiber” in an RCIA group, or through personal instruction like me, the destination remains the same–coming home to the Church founded by Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!
It was the presence of Christ in the Eucharist that drew me to the Catholic Church and 33 years later, the Eucharist remains the heart of my faith...But whether you “cross the Tiber” in an RCIA group, or through personal instruction like me, the destination remains the same–coming home to the Church founded by Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!From one convert to another..... Amen!
ping worthy
I had a similar path to conversion, except the church at my university offered classes. I went with a sorority sister who was a Catholic already but who had not had much in the way of Catholic education. We asked questions of the Catholic Church together while other sorority sisters were exploring the lessons of Billy Graham who was conducting one of his Crusades in SF at the time.
BUT (and that is the big “but”) when I decided to convert at age 19, my instuctor refused to allow me to do it since I was single and not engaged to be married. I had to wait until I was 20 and engaged to a Catholic in order to be Baptized. Confirmation followed 6 years later after 3 moves, 2 children, and more classes. That was 55 years ago, and I have never looked back.
Interesting. What was your instructor’s motive in that? But a very inspiring story regardless.
Because I was young & single. His thought was that I might wind up marrying a Protestant and would then be at odds with my newly declared Catholic faith. It made sense at the time, although I was engaged to a Catholic and Baptised within 4 months of his refusal! I just went to a different church for the Sacrament.
Fr. Sullivan later wound up leaving the Priesthood and marrying and fathering at least 3 children himself. So, I suppose he was struggling with the idea of changing his mind on his own vows.
Because I was young & single. His thought was that I might wind up marrying a Protestant and would then be at odds with my newly declared Catholic faith. It made sense at the time, although I was engaged to a Catholic and Baptised within 4 months of his refusal! I just went to a different church for the Sacrament.
Fr. Sullivan later wound up leaving the Priesthood and marrying and fathering at least 3 children himself. So, I suppose he was struggling with the idea of changing his mind on his own vows.
Guess the priest wasn't called nor received special super duper orders to be a priest after all...Funny religion is that...
What a lovely story. Thank you for posting this.
Could you relieve some of my ignorance by explaining what drew you to Catholicism and away from being a Baptist?
Could you relieve some of my ignorance by explaining what drew you to Catholicism and away from being a Baptist?Actually that was Tiber Judy (the woman who wrote the post) who left her family's Baptist faith. But I will put your question on her Twitter, and maybe she will answer more thoroughly through another post. I don't believe she is a FReeper.
Ha! I thought that might be the reason why but didn’t want to assume. And it never dawned on me that the priest doing the suggesting might then leave the priesthood himself. Again, interesting story.
What a lovely story. Thank you for posting this.You're welcome! I really enjoy Tiber Judy's writings. So smooth, easy to read, and comforting.
I'd be happy to hear any opinions you might have as to why a person might make such a change. You obviously have enough interest to post such an article. I know some about Catholics and nothing about Baptists.
The priest was a wonderful priest, and I hope that he became a wonderful husband and father. He was a Paulist and he left during that period after Vatican 2 when so many religious left and became layicized.
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