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a46geo
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| Joined: | Tue Apr 3rd, 2007 |
| Location: | New Baltimore, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 18 |
| First Name: | George | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | pentecostal / baptist / Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Apr 4th, 2007 07:28 pm |
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When I first complied "My Story" it was 11 pages long. I will keep it much shorter here, just please know that my brevity is not due to any lack of excitement on my part.
I was born into a whole family of Pentecostals but to parents who, at the time, were referred as being “back-slidden”. I was outside of any church environment for the first 14 years of my life. However my saint of a grandmother instilled in me a strong God-consciousness and Bible verse memorization drills that are the basis for my Catholic faith today.
At age 14 I entered into worship in a church setting when my parents rededicated themselves to the Lord. They then lived out the rest of their days as Pentecostal Christians. For those of you who know anything about that faith, it is very anti-Catholic, and that is putting it mildly.
I followed my parents lead and stopped going to church when my children were still pre-school age. Upon returning to church, I entered the Baptist faith but by that time my 4 children were grown and gone. Without going into the details, I can just say I became as disenchanted with the lack of answers from the Baptist faith as I did the Pentecostals.
This time however, instead of leaving organized worship altogether, I searched the internet looking for a home church movement in my area. By God’s grace I landed on a few Catholic apologetic web sites and was presented with the answers to the questions I had had for years plus the answers to the questions I didn’t know were questions and it was all topped off with a whole new set of questions for me about Protestantism in general. Like sola scriptura.
I entered the Catholic Church at the age of 55 during the Easter Vigil of 2002 and I haven’t looked back. Last summer I became the Adult Faith Formation Coordinator at the very Catholic Church where, as a young boy, I used to wonder how those people across the street could be so blind. My office today is 300 feet from the church where my parents met as teenagers.
My anti-Catholic (evangelical) wife of 40 years was not happy about what I had done. But, by God’s grace, she entered the Church last Easter and is now more Catholic than I am. My oldest (evangelical) daughter who consistently refused to discuss spiritual things with me will be entering the RCIA this fall.
Well there you have it in a nut shell. God in His infinite mercy looked down on this poor anti-Catholic guy and guided me to reconciliation with the Church founded by His Son and my Savior. I have a lot of making up to do, but I am preparing to do just that. I am in my second year at the Seminary and discerning the call to the Diaconate. At the ripe old age of 60 I have to get moving. For anyone contemplating a similar move, every day you wait may be a day you will one day regret.
I’ll close with where I started. “My Story” was written as the penance for my first confession. Fr. Prince instructed me to write it to my family. I took about six weeks to organize and edit down to 11 pages. When I completed and dated it, I brought it downstairs to show my wife. It was then that I realized the significance of the date I had just typed 10 minutes earlier. It was my long since deceased, saintly grandmother’s 100th birthday, April 23, 2002. I knew then at that moment she was still praying for me, only this time, as a Catholic herself.
Last edited on Wed Apr 4th, 2007 07:31 pm by a46geo
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George
1 Peter 5:7 Place all of your cares on him, for he cares about you.
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wmschrader
Member
| Joined: | Fri Dec 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Fort Myers, Florida USA |
| Posts: | 94 |
| First Name: | Bill | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Apr 4th, 2007 09:34 pm |
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| Welcome to the Forum! Thanks for your story. I am originally from Michigan (Ludington) - where is New Baltimore?
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Bill
Glory be to God for all things
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a46geo
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 3rd, 2007 |
| Location: | New Baltimore, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 18 |
| First Name: | George | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | pentecostal / baptist / Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Apr 5th, 2007 09:06 am |
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Hi Bill,
New Baltimore is a sleepy little town about 30 miles north of down town Detroit nestled along the north shore of Lake St Clair. I am a born and bred New Balti-moron.
It is kind of like Ludington minus the beauty, but I love it here anyway - except in the winter which usually runs September through May. We got up this morning to a couple of inches of fresh snow and 23 whole degrees.
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George
1 Peter 5:7 Place all of your cares on him, for he cares about you.
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Steven Barrett
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 14th, 2006 |
| Location: | Hadley, Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 930 |
| First Name: | Steven | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Episcopal communicant, Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Apr 5th, 2007 10:47 am |
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 Good morning and welcome to the gang and, of course, the Catholic Church.
Sometimes we Catholics, especially up here in the more frigid and gritty northeastern states have a tendency to be a little standoffish. It must be the weather and the challenges of living in a dying region. Or, maybe it's the water or acid rain.
Fret not, Brother, there's lots of warmth here and elsewhere within the realm of the Coming Home Network.
You came to the right forum to help you and your missus along your spiritual journeys. I receive much encouragement just knowing that in many respects my situation was far from as dark as I thought it was, at least in comparison to other folks' difficulties.
I'm sure you've been made aware by now that some of the worst and snappish anti-Catholics are those lapsed small-c catholics who didn't just join the ranks of the back-sliders, but the ranks of catholic-baiters. Man, they're a piece of work. I happen to volunteer at a Baptist Church where the rest of my family worships. However, whenever a person's getting Baptized, I make it a point from now on to check out where the person is coming from. If it's a Catholic I've encountered in adult Sunday School who's made trashing the old church to gain favor with people in the new denomination, I'll just duck the whole thing because the last thing I want to hear is an anti-catholic "testimony" following the Baptism. It's the old "before I became a Christian" nonsense over and over that usually gets to me. But I've learned to humor them.
Moreover, much of what I've heard thus far is a lot of "suck up" rhetoric.
On the other hand, a lot more Catholics could stand to bone up on Scripture, and we have benefitted greatly from the infusion of converts from various Protestant denominations - who in all honesty - are much further ahead of so-called "cradle Catholics" when it comes to Scriptural literacy.
After all, what Church compiled the the Bible as we have come to know it today?
Protestants could also stand to understand the role of Tradition more. After all, in this country we have the benefit of being able to compare the roles the Federalist Letters and Oral/Written Tradition contributed to the formation of the Constitution and the New Testament, respectively.
Anyway, welcome. It's great to have you.
May God's Blessings be always with you and your family now and forever.
Steven
____________________
For anybody interested in reading commentary from a Catholic's socially conservative/fiscally liberal viewpoint, go to my new blog at http://www.politicsramble.com/ .
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susiedear
Member
| Joined: | Thu Oct 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | Twin Cities, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 186 |
| First Name: | Elizabeth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Pentecostal / Evangelical / Catholic! |
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Posted: Thu Apr 5th, 2007 04:56 pm |
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Dear George, thanks for writing your story! I was brought up in the Assemblies of God and my parents, my mom especially, are quite upset that I am becoming Catholic. Reading testimonies such as yours give me hope that maybe, hopefully, my folks will come to realize that Jesus is fully present in the Catholic Church.
Welcome to the Coming Home Network! My experience here has been hugely beneficial. I'm confident that you will find the same.
Elizabeth
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But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. St. Augustine
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BettyBoopToo
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Apr 5th, 2007 07:51 pm |
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George
Thank You so much for sharing with us. Funny how the lord picks one of us out of a family to begin the ball rolling toward Rome, for the rest of our families to join in the procession.
How exciting that your able to worship together with your wife now. That's very specail, I'm praying one day that my husband will join me in the Enthusiasm. He's a Cradle Catholic.
then next your daughter, You both must be thrilled.
God Bless, Welcome! Hope to see you more often.
Betty
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Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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a46geo
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 3rd, 2007 |
| Location: | New Baltimore, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 18 |
| First Name: | George | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | pentecostal / baptist / Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Apr 6th, 2007 09:59 am |
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Thank you all for your welcome and support. This awesome Church, I once thought I hated, turns out to be irresistible. God has put a hunger in every human being for truth. Virtually all of our friends and relatives are made from the same dust as we are and are just as susceptible to the same fire that burns in the most fervent Catholic you can name. How's that for an exciting thought? Well, it's true! The Holy Spirit is a mighty force indeed.
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George
1 Peter 5:7 Place all of your cares on him, for he cares about you.
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wmschrader
Member
| Joined: | Fri Dec 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Fort Myers, Florida USA |
| Posts: | 94 |
| First Name: | Bill | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Apr 6th, 2007 11:29 am |
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| I also have lived in Kalamazoo, Port Huron and Saginaw. I am surprised that while I was living in Port Huron I had not come across New Baltimore. Do you know why the town is named New Baltimore?
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Bill
Glory be to God for all things
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a46geo
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 3rd, 2007 |
| Location: | New Baltimore, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 18 |
| First Name: | George | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | pentecostal / baptist / Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Apr 6th, 2007 11:51 am |
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Hi Bill,
From Port Huron you head south along the water. Through Marysville, Marine City, Algonac, Pearl Beach, Fair Haven and Anchorville. If you don't blink and miss it, you will be in our fair city of New Baltimore.
I am not sure why the name other than is was a name picked after the post office demanded a change from "Ashleyville" back in the early 1800's. It seems there were two Ashleyvilles at the time.
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George
1 Peter 5:7 Place all of your cares on him, for he cares about you.
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Michael Wilson
Member
| Joined: | Sat Mar 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 3 |
| First Name: | Mike | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic D.G. |
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Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 02:26 pm |
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Dear George,
Welcome Home! I would love to read the whole elevntysevendy pages of
your conversion if you can share it with us one day! (the more the better)
Congratulations!
In the Immaculate Heart Of Mary,
Mike
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5350 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 02:34 pm |
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Michael Wilson wrote: Dear George,
Welcome Home! I would love to read the whole elevntysevendy pages of
your conversion if you can share it with us one day! (the more the better)
Congratulations!
In the Immaculate Heart Of Mary,
Mike
Mike, welcome to CHN. We're glad to have you here with us. Maybe someday when you get to know us a little better, you can share your own faith story with us. We'd love to hear it!
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Michael Wilson
Member
| Joined: | Sat Mar 10th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 3 |
| First Name: | Mike | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic D.G. |
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Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 04:00 pm |
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cajunrick wrote: Michael Wilson wrote: Dear George,
Welcome Home! I would love to read the whole elevntysevendy pages of
your conversion if you can share it with us one day! (the more the better)
Congratulations!
In the Immaculate Heart Of Mary,
Mike
Mike, welcome to CHN. We're glad to have you here with us. Maybe someday when you get to know us a little better, you can share your own faith story with us. We'd love to hear it!
Hey Rick!
Thanks for the Easter greetings and your welcome message; I am really enjoyinng these conversion stories and they really are inspirational; I don't have anything interesting to add except that what got me into studying my faith in a much deeper manner was the "progresive" teachers that I had at my nominaly Catholic High School and my inability to answer protestant people who "witnessed" to me and chanllenged me to prove my Faith. I still can't argue worth a darn and when I get into an antagonistic discussion my mind just goes blank; but I have to thank Divine Providence for those humiliating defeats for making me a more profund student of the Faith. Also thanks to you and all those responsible for this forum; I seem to get something profitable each time I log on.
God Bless Y'all
Mike
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5350 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 04:06 pm |
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Michael Wilson wrote: I seem to get something profitable each time I log on.
That means you need to log on more often!
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Steven Barrett
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 14th, 2006 |
| Location: | Hadley, Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 930 |
| First Name: | Steven | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Episcopal communicant, Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Apr 10th, 2007 01:06 pm |
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Michael,
Don't fret about it, and don't go out of your way to enter discussions with your Protestant quizzers and debaters. What should give you confidence and a peace of mind, should you find yourself in discussion with them, is the knowledge that we have The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in our Eucharist.
No matter how badly the Church has messed up in the long, or recent, past, Jesus has never left us. It's just as He promised. Now, I won't say God doesn't make Himself present (in albeit differing ways) during Protestant services. Far from it. God is there, but through the workings of the Holy Spirit. However, Roman Catholicism is the only faith where Jesus makes Himself fully present through the Eucharist.
No matter how badly the choir is, no matter how badly the priest gives his homilies, no matter how badly the priest fumbles and mumbles his way through the Mass -- he brings Christ to us so personally in a way not possible through any other individual. Ontologically, your local priest, became another person, an "alter Christus" upon his ordination, and even if he botches everything else (I'm not speaking of committing grave sins here), but he says the Eucharistic prayer correctly, he still has accomplished his duty of bringing Jesus Christ into your life, directly and personally. Jesus is fully there in St. Mary's of Podunk Woods, just as He was in the Holy Land 2000 years ago.
There are no gradations of Jesus' presence in the Catholic Eucharist as there are in several Protestant denominations. Jesus is completely there, in body and blood, whether you receive Him at Mass or (hopefully not soon) what we used to call "Last Rites."
There are many advantages to being Catholic. However, when I think of how much emphasis Protestants place on The Sermon every week, and The Sermon may or may not be given on the same topic in every church, (save for Episcopalians and Lutherans who, for the most part, follow the same liturgical year calendar.) - the more convinced I am of the granite-strong foundation of the Catholic Church. To this day, I'll never figure out why so many Protestant ministers knock themselves out developing special "series" that may have nothing to do with even the general calendar most churches use if for nothing else than making sure the colors of the vestments match the season. And, that's about it.
In one church you might hear a series about leadership, in another the importance of small groups and finally in the church down the street, a series on proper biblical interpretation. And of course, each church may be using its preferred version of the Bible, and three different kinds of readings are read by their respective congregants. There's nothing wrong with any of these topics, but are they really for Sunday mornings, or for an evening seminar instead? And, God help the poor pastor who delivers a so-so, or worse, such a boring sermon that even his congregation's worse insomniac manages to doze off right during the part that Pastor Bill worked on the most. I don't envy Protestant ministers having to deal with this kind of pressure; nor do I envy the people in the pews, who, look forward to hearing a good sermon, worthy of dragging themselves out of bed for a service they're not obligated to attend, only to find themselves bored to death by a long sermon that's chock full of extra explanatory comments about this or that Greek meaning of some otherwise obscure term.
And, don't get me going about power-point sermons and praise n' worship, (or even the Catholic variant, Kumbaya folk tunes!) Yet, even if Fr. Jones decides to allow such contemporary distractions, you will never "waste" your time at a Mass for one simple reason: The Eucharist.
In the Eucharist, you have Everything you could ask for, short of Heaven itself. In the Eucharist you have Jesus Christ, not only our Lord and Savior, personally or corporately, but also The Founder of the Only Christian Church He ever intended to found.
It's all there, no matter how badly everything else goes. Remember the Central Figure of Who the Eucharistic Sacrament brings to you, me and everyone else who walks up to receive Him in the Communion Host, and/or Wine.
Best of all, He's there for you every day of the week in the fullest sense possible. Church doesn't get any better than that, no matter how lousy the choir sings, and Fr. Jones delivers his homily. He's there primarily to give to, and share with, you, the Body and Blood of Jesus. Now we're talking about building a real "personal relationship" with no less than God Himself!
Your Protestant buddies may or may not ever "get it," and please don't try everything I gave you this morning on them. Your friendship and ability to take questions, and good natured ribbing will do you -- and them -- a lot more good than loading them up with theological points and distinctions that'll either bore them to death or unnecessarily rile them up. All you need to do is be (and remain) friends and (albeit separated) brother in Christ.
Oh, you might try steering 'em on to something less controversial, say, a Don Imus comment. No, just kidding!  Last edited on Tue Apr 10th, 2007 01:08 pm by Steven Barrett
____________________
For anybody interested in reading commentary from a Catholic's socially conservative/fiscally liberal viewpoint, go to my new blog at http://www.politicsramble.com/ .
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Michael Wilson
Member
| Joined: | Sat Mar 10th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 3 |
| First Name: | Mike | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic D.G. |
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Posted: Tue Apr 10th, 2007 09:56 pm |
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Dear Steve,
Thanks for taking the time to write up such a solid and thoughful letter; I agree with what you are saying; I don't try to argue with people anymore; I just try to be nice to them and pray for them and try to reflect Our Savior in my daily behavior(albetit throug a very muddy mirror). I admire peope like Scott Hahn or Dave Armstrong or Pat Madrid etc. Who can present the faith in such an interesting way and can refute the most obtuse arguments that an opponent can throw at them.
By the way I wasn't kidding about reading more or all of your story when you find that the time is right to share it with others.
I will pray for you and please keep me in your prayers,
in The Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Mike
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Steven Barrett
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 14th, 2006 |
| Location: | Hadley, Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 930 |
| First Name: | Steven | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Episcopal communicant, Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Apr 11th, 2007 03:07 pm |
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Dear Mike,
Thank you very much for your kind reply.
As for me getting around to writing my life story, well, the whole scenario of sitting down one day and say to myself, this is it, I'm going to bang it out -- well, that's probably not going to be my best route. Most likely I might patch together some previously published writings, etc. and connect them with some additional information to keep it all together.
Got too much on my plate for any major tomes. Might write about woodworking, building creches, etc. but that's a job when drawings are thrown into the mix.
Don't be shy about defending the Faith, but I'd refrain from discussing Catholicism with anymore than one Protestant, especially if they've had any experience in what I like to call "tag-team evangelism." You'll need a good helmet then.
Steven
PS: Keeping you in my prayers, too, friend.Last edited on Wed Apr 11th, 2007 03:08 pm by Steven Barrett
____________________
For anybody interested in reading commentary from a Catholic's socially conservative/fiscally liberal viewpoint, go to my new blog at http://www.politicsramble.com/ .
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