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JMJDevotee
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| Joined: | Wed Dec 20th, 2006 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 6 |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Proud to Roman Catholic!!! |
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Posted: Wed Dec 20th, 2006 10:33 pm |
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Hi. Well here goes!
I was raised by fairly conservative parents in the South. I was Christened in the same Methodist church as my mom. Both sets of my grandparents attended that church. As a kid my dad worked in city government and we moved 26 times before I was 14. Some of those were house to house in the same town, most were different cities. As a young child we stayed in the Methodist church, then went to a Presby and Baptist but finally settled in the Christian Missionary Alliance when I was 13.
At the ripe old age of 15, I became "saved". I was baptized in the CMA church by my parents best friend, the pastor. I struggled thru my teen years. I was told that I was "young in my journey" or I needed to pray harder, read the Bible more, spend more time in a Bible study. Still, as hard as I tried, I never felt "full", you know? I really thought that maybe my "salvation" did not work. Then I left home to go to a small bible college in NE Georgia. I learned a lot about how to study the bible and defend Christianity but never learned how to succeed as a Christian. I was trained to think that Catholics were idolaters for praying to Mary and the Saints, that they actually believed the simple rememberance of communion was the body of Christ. I was so misled but thought I had the truth even though I never felt whole. I would watch Catholics make the sign of the cross and wonder if they had it wrong, why did their actions protray what was in my heart.
While at college I met my first husband. One would think he would be grounded in his faith and a good man, but one would be wrong. He was an abusive monster that totally separated me from my family and friends. It was the most painful 5 years of my life. The only blessings from that marriage were the 3 kids. They are still the joys of my life. After I got out of that horrid situation, I felt like God had abandoned me. I was miserable and alone. I went to church with my folks because they expected it. After a while, I dated because my parents expected it. On one of those dates, I was sexually assaulted and that resulted in a pregnancy. I made the worst mistake of my life and chose to terminate that pregnancy. I was scared, worried because I could barely take care of the kids I had. I realize now that none of them were valid reasons. After that I did stop going to church.
When I moved back home to NC, my parents introduced me to my DH. He was from a big Italian Catholic family. God gave me an incredible gift in this. This family accepted me and my kids from day one. The first time my kids met his family was at the 5th birthday party for our niece. The kids had asked me what to call his family (we were engaged) and I told them we would figure that out. Well, we arrived and I thought we had walked into a mad-house, there were a ton of people all talking loudly, smiling. It was great. DH introduced the kids to his grandparents and parents and they said, "Call us Grandma and Grandpa." It was Aunt so& so, Uncle so& so. It was wonderful. We got married 5 monthes later. My parents disapproved and refused to come to the wedding. My DMIL was a big comfort and help and planned and paid for everything. We got pregnant immediately. A year & 1/2 later, on my DD 13 birthday, my mom (in-law) had a 3rd major heart attack. She was in the hospital most of the summer. One about 45 min away and the other right down the road. We went to see her everyday. I would go in the morning and feed her breakfast when she was close to us. Then I would go back at night and give her the personal care the nurses could not give her. She always had her rosary in her hand. I learned the rosary while she was sick.
One night she asked me to have our DS baptized. Now my DH and I had not considered religion bc neither of us were active. I did nto understand that she meant the Catholic Church. I was hesitant but she was dying and I just could not refuse. We found a parish and talked to the priest. He agreed to waive the 3 month waiting period so mom could attend. We did attend Mass regularly from that point on. His Baptism was set for the Sunday after Labor day, but she died on Labor day. It was the saddest thing. We could not have him baptized that day bc it was her funeral. I kept my promise though, and the first Sunday in Oct. he was baptized and she was there. I know bc the church smelled like her favorite scented lotion. The whole family could smell it.
My older kids and I discussed it and we decided to convert. I began RCIA and learned so much and my DSIL, we jokingly call her "Popette", taught me so much. I really began to understand what I had been lacking my entire life. I fell in love with the Church. My DH brother and wife were our sponsors. My DH and I had our "practice" marriages annulled, and our marriage was validated by the Church on 3/27/04. Two weeks later I received my First Holy Communion and the kids received their Baptism and First Holy Communion. It was great! No one in my family came. My best friends from Jr high were there, my in-laws, but not my family. It has taken them this long to even ask what obligations we have so they can plan holiday get togethers. I had to make a point of missing or arriving late to events due to Holy obligations. I pray for them daily. One of my sisters is in a deeply fundamental Baptist church, who has told her she needs to get us converted or she will spend eternity in hell. It is a tense situation.
As time has gone by, I have never felt more complete love and joy as I have in the last 2 1/2 years. I love my faith!! I have found that as I have grown and learned, I am more fond of the older Traditions, even though I never participated in them prior to conversion. I kneel, even though we don't have kneelers, I wear a veil (only one who does), I love going to Adoration, I am learning the Rosary in Latin (which sounds hysterical with my southern accent)  , I am going to my first Tridentine Latin Mass in January and my Bishop is the celebrant.
It is so good to be home!!!
Pax Vobiscum
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AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
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Ruthie
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| First Name: | Ruthie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nominal Presbyterian, aetheist, evangelical Christian/Episcopalian, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Dec 20th, 2006 11:49 pm |
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I'm so glad you posted your story! I'm happy for you that you are now home in the Catholic Church. But it is sad about your family. I can identify with so many parts of your story. I copied the Ave Maria since I don't have it in print anywhere. Thanks for that. I've always wanted to know the Latin words. I hope you post often.
I hope this isn't too personal, but have you heard of Rachel's Vineyard?
Ruthie
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Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (NRSV, Luke 18:17)
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JMJDevotee
Member
| Joined: | Wed Dec 20th, 2006 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 6 |
| First Name: | | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Proud to Roman Catholic!!! |
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Posted: Thu Dec 21st, 2006 07:21 am |
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Here is a website which has the Rosary in Latin!! My pronunciation is really weak and twangy but I love it!!!
http://www.unavoce.org/ltrose.htm
Pax Vobiscum
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AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
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susiedear
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| 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: Fri Dec 22nd, 2006 02:32 pm |
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Dear JMJ, thank you for writing your story! Like others have written, all of us who are converts or who are converting have much in common. My mother, a Pentecostal, also told me that I am an adolator headed for eternal damnation. I pray that some day she will be open to learning the truth and will at least have an inkling of all that is beautiful, sacred and holy in the Catholic Church.
I'm so glad for you that you are able to worship with your husband and your children -- what a blessing! Stories like yours give me hope that some day my husband and children will be joining me at Mass. With God, all things are possible!
God bless you and yours, and Merry Christmas!
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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Talithacumi
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| Joined: | Sat Sep 30th, 2006 |
| Location: | Eastern Ohio, USA |
| Posts: | 268 |
| First Name: | Cheri | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic - Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu Jan 4th, 2007 06:20 pm |
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JMJDevotee,
Hi! When I was going down the list of topics and saw "JMJDevotee" as an author, I gave a start! That is my username on another website, and I sort of did a double-take and wondered if there was some mistake  . Oh well. I'm sure there are others out there, too. So many times I've tried putting in a username for some site or other, thinking "surely no one will have this name!" - only to be surprised that yes, it, too, was taken.
OK, enough about nothing... but since we share a name (at least a username) I feel a little connection perhaps  . But mostly I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your story. As a Cradle Catholic, I love conversion stories. Maybe it's because I have to live the "prodigal son" excitement of coming home vicariously through all of you who have "come home" to the Catholic Church. Don't get me wrong. I know conversion isn't just a one-time thing. Even as Catholics we must continually be on the road of conversion. We never "arrive" as some people seem to think - not until we "arrive" in Heaven. So in that sense I'm every bit as much of a convert as anyone else.
Still... there seems to be something special about being from another faith and then finally finding the one you can call "home." Of course, there's also a beauty in being rooted in it all of one's life. I say we all complement each other in our various experiences.
Anyway, I'm just rambling. But welcome Home!
JMJ
- Cheri
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“We do not want a Church that will move with the world; we want a Church that will move the world.”
- G.K. Chesterton
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roxyorthodoxy
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| Joined: | Tue Jan 16th, 2007 |
| Location: | New Jersey USA |
| Posts: | 46 |
| First Name: | Rox | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Revert |
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Posted: Tue Jan 16th, 2007 08:00 pm |
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| I loved that!! Thanx so much for sharing!!
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Darlene
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Tue Jan 16th, 2007 09:18 pm |
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Hello Cheri and all,
I think reverts have the advantage of having been raised in the Catholic faith and so it doesn't seem so foreign to them when returning. And there are probably other Catholics in your immediate or extended family who won't go "bonkers" (for lack of a better word at the moment) when you tell them of your reversion.
I am at a place of dreading to tell my Christian friends. I think one of them knows already in that she did not call me over the holidays. We have known each other MANY years and have been very close. But about 6 weeks ago, or thereabouts, I had a discussion in our home with her husband and mine about Catholicism. Both her husband and mine were in union with each other against the Catholic Church. I posted the conversation somewhere on this forum. So I wouldn't be surprised if my friend heard from her husband about my interest in the Catholic faith.
Read Cajunrick's post on "Blessed are the persecuted." I think those of us who are drawn to the Catholic faith, in the midst of hard-core resistance, must be willing to accept rejection. This is what I am dreading but I know that it will happen.
Love in Christ,
Darlene
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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roxyorthodoxy
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jan 16th, 2007 |
| Location: | New Jersey USA |
| Posts: | 46 |
| First Name: | Rox | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Revert |
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Posted: Tue Jan 16th, 2007 11:06 pm |
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Hi, Darlene,
Since my reversion back to the Church...I have had people get angry at me also because they hated the Catholic Church...I was searching for the True Church, the way Jesus and God the Father wanted to be worshipped and He led me back to the Church...however, my step brother was very disappointed and had plenty of animosity towards me because I had reverted. There were many other friends, non-practicing Catholics as well as Protestants who did not understand my strong conversion...so reverted Catholics go through similar experiences, perhaps not as strong but the experiences of revulsion (for lack of a better term) does still occur.
How can they call themselves Christians and be so intolerant??
You will be in my prayers.
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Talithacumi
Member
| Joined: | Sat Sep 30th, 2006 |
| Location: | Eastern Ohio, USA |
| Posts: | 268 |
| First Name: | Cheri | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic - Latin Rite |
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Posted: Wed Jan 17th, 2007 01:45 am |
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Darlene wrote: Hello Cheri and all,
I think reverts have the advantage of having been raised in the Catholic faith and so it doesn't seem so foreign to them when returning. And there are probably other Catholics in your immediate or extended family who won't go "bonkers" (for lack of a better word at the moment) when you tell them of your reversion.
Darlene,
I think I didn't explain myself very well... I myself am not a "revert". I am a "Cradle Catholic". I guess I was trying to say that since I've been Catholic all my life, I can't relate so much to the "coming home" feeling and sometimes I wish I could. Sometimes I feel more like the Elder Brother in the Prodigal Son story...
One nice thing about being a Cradle Catholic, of course, is that I don't have to worry about springing the "Going-Home-to-Mama" surprise on everybody that I'm close to, since I've always been here.
Read Cajunrick's post on "Blessed are the persecuted." I think those of us who are drawn to the Catholic faith, in the midst of hard-core resistance, must be willing to accept rejection. This is what I am dreading but I know that it will happen.
Despite what I wrote above, Cradle Catholics, too, do get to experience the "Persecuted for Christ" syndrome. As I've mentioned in other posts, I dated a Protestant for many years and sadly, our religious differences were too much to contend with and I lost a person that I loved very much because of those differences. I couldn't leave my Catholic faith - it would have been idolatry to prefer him over my Faith. He married someone else who was willing to "cleave" to him and follow him into his church. It still hurts even after two years.
But enough of that. Basically, in my last post, I was speaking of conversion as being an on-going thing, whether one is a Cradle Catholic, a convert, or a revert - or anyone who is seeking Truth no matter what religion they currently claim. All of us are on the road to conversion because it never ends until we reach Heaven. We must all continually strive to perfect ourselves and draw closer to God as long as we live. And that's what I meant when I said that in that sense I am a convert as much as anyone else.
Love in Christ,
Darlene
JMJ
- Cheri
____________________
“We do not want a Church that will move with the world; we want a Church that will move the world.”
- G.K. Chesterton
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Juan
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Texas USA |
| Posts: | 247 |
| First Name: | unregister | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | unregister |
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Posted: Sun Jan 28th, 2007 09:36 am |
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I think reverts have the advantage of having been raised in the Catholic faith
I know it helped me in one sense. Although I wanted to believe the hype, deep down, I knew that we didn't worship Mary or the Saints and that I had been taught that the Eucharist was the Body and Blood of the Lord.
Probably, the most important thing which kept me from ever fully embracing Protestantism is faith alone. That really seemed foreign because even secular society says "practice what you preach." I had been an athlete in high school and I could still hear the coach yelling, "practice! practice! practice!" And my teachers, none of whom were Catholic as far as I know, all echoed the same words. The Catholic emphasis on faith and works simply made sense.
The second most important thing which kept me from ever fully embracing Protestantism is the doctrine of the Bible alone. I knew that I had never understood the Bible. Therefore, I always relied on people, Catholic or Protestant, to interpret it for me. Therefore, how could I say that the "Bible alone" saved me?
What a beautiful witness JMJdevotee.
sincerely,
Juan
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thestickman
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| Joined: | Sun Dec 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Taylors, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | Brett | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Church of Christ, now Roman Catholic by the Grace of ... |
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Posted: Tue Feb 27th, 2007 01:09 pm |
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Welcome Home!
May the Peace of Our Lord be with you always!
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