Anyone converted to Catholicism?

[hpygrll]

Currently a non church attending Methodist - thinking of converting for a couple of reasons. Mainly I'm attracted to the ritual and history and would love to have this basis and the education for my two boys (2 and 3). Also would love to have them go to Catholic School as I feel they would get a good education and we don't live in a good public school district.

Has anyone converted? Pros, cons? Hard to do?

Thanks
Jenny

 

[Crankyshank]

I'm a cradle Catholic, so I can't help you out regarding the conversion. I can tell you as someone who's been to Catholic school from K all the way through to even attending a Dominican College, you don't have to be Catholic to attend Catholic schools. I had several Protestant friends of varying denominations that attended school with me.

 

[hpygrll]

Jenn

Good to know - I'm also afraid of two things - that they won't get in as it's very popular but most importantly that I may not know what they are talking about and I might feel weird about that...

Jenny

 

[lovemygoofy]

I'm married to a Catholic but was Assembly of God. I've been going to mass and studying the Catholic ways but the whole thing is very hard for me because I don't want to be a pick and choose Catholic or that's what I call it. I have my ideas of what is right and wrong and I don't see how asking forgiveness everyweek and doing pennance will change my thinking. All my dh's family went to Catholic school and if we have children I'm sure that they are expected to go as well, which I don't have a problem with. I guess my answer is that I'm not ready to convert even though I do like the rituals and the history also but not the closeminded ideas.

 

[mom2boys]

My husband converted about 12 years ago. As all converts do, he went through Rite of Christian Initiation (RICA). We went to a meeting/class about once a week for several months. RICA is a process. There are certain things that you will do at various points throughout that period - for example, you will be introduced to the congregation at a Mass. RICA is always timed so that you would actually become Catholic at the Easter Vigil Mass - which our pastor describes as "the Mother of all Masses". WE didn't mind the classes and I actually found them interesting & informative even after 12 yrs of Catholic school. It's been a while since I went through RICA with DH but feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

 

[chrissyk]

I'm married to a Catholic but was Assembly of God. I've been going to mass and studying the Catholic ways but the whole thing is very hard for me because I don't want to be a pick and choose Catholic or that's what I call it. I have my ideas of what is right and wrong and I don't see how asking forgiveness everyweek and doing pennance will change my thinking. All my dh's family went to Catholic school and if we have children I'm sure that they are expected to go as well, which I don't have a problem with. I guess my answer is that I'm not ready to convert even though I do like the rituals and the history also but not the closeminded ideas.

Lovemygoofy, my sister and I were raised Catholic (Catholic dad), but my mom never converted. She still went to church with us and all, and her actual religion was not important to any of us. You don't have to convert to raise your children Catholic, send them to Catholic school, go to Mass with them, etc. if those are things that you want to do.

 

[barkley]

have you considered taking a comparative religions class (offered alot at community/jr. colleges)? you can learn about the catholic faith, but in discussing how it is similar/differs from other christian based faiths you may learn more about how it would "fit" with your own personal beliefs.

p.s. i echo that the kids do not have to be catholic to attend catholic schools, in fact most of our local catholic high schools serve a majority of non catholic students. my kids attend a seventh day adventist school and we are not s.d.a., if they have theological questions i go on the internet to the official church site and research or refer to church materials i have collected over the years.

 

[Living with the Land]

My daughter goes to catholic school and we are not catholic. i love the religion for the same reasons you do but we also have some different feelings. i think i am giving my daughter the best education possible and exposing her to a wonderful church. This way if she chooses to join the church she can and she will have a catholic foundation since they teach religion in the school. It can be hard to get in the school but the way it works here is once your child is in they have a spot for the remainder of their time in school.

Holly

 

[jel0511]

I went to Catholic school and am not Catholic. My mother worked at the school I went to and there was no preference on what religion you were, hey the girl behind me in homeroom was Jewish. As long as you're a good student and willing to pay, they'll take you. There sometimes a preference if your family is a member of the school's parish, but that doesn't guarantee admission. My sister converted when she got married, and the process was exactly as described above, except you need a currently practicing Catholic to sponsor you, for her it was her fiancee.

 

[mom2boys]

My sister converted when she got married, and the process was exactly as described above, except you need a currently practicing Catholic to sponsor you, for her it was her fiancee.

Don't worry if you don't have someone in mind who you would feel comfortable asking to sponsor you. The parish can probably hook you up with someone willing to "sponsor" you, if you decide to go that route.

 

[disneylizzy]

I went through RCIA about 8 years ago. We were going to Mass every week with the children and I wanted to participate fully and take communion. It took about 8 months of once a week classes. Best thing I ever did. I was a non-practicing Protestant (Congregational).

 

[hpygrll]

I appreciate all the responses and I'm encouraged by the amount of people who have been to Catholic school and aren't Catholic. That could be a good solve. I also like the idea of the comparative religion class.

Thank you so much for all the responses
Jenny

 

[iggbees]

my boyfriend was baptized methodist, doesn't attend church, and went to catholic grade school after his graduation from montessori school.

i'm catholic (not practicing though) and am interested in how the mixed faith marriages happen in catholic churches, since my extended family is VERY catholic. i don't want my boyfriend to have to convert, because to me it's too much trouble for him, especially since neither he or i are very religious and he's going to be in graduate school for 3 more years, which is a lot of work for him, he's hardly ever home anymore.

 

[Lil_Tink]

I dont know, My dad went from Catholic to Methodist.

 

[we3disneygo]

I go to a Methodist church and we have a couple of people who were catholic, grew up ,married, kids, then became methodist. I started out Baptist and am now Methodist.

 

[Lil_Tink]

I am a methodist but go to a Non dominational church, AKA All christian, any christian.

 

[golfgal]

my boyfriend was baptized methodist, doesn't attend church, and went to catholic grade school after his graduation from montessori school.

i'm catholic (not practicing though) and am interested in how the mixed faith marriages happen in catholic churches, since my extended family is VERY catholic. i don't want my boyfriend to have to convert, because to me it's too much trouble for him, especially since neither he or i are very religious and he's going to be in graduate school for 3 more years, which is a lot of work for him, he's hardly ever home anymore.

He won't have to convert. He may or may not have to get a "release" letter from his own church to get married in the Catholic Church, although that doesn't always happen these days. You will be asked to raise your children in the Catholic faith and that is about it. Some mixed faith marriages don't have a full Mass for their wedding, basically no Communion, but you can have a full Mass if you want.

 

[goofygirl]

A friend of mine is in RCIA. He is converting for his fiancee who is Catholic. He's a non-practicing Jew. So far, its going great, and I am always eager to hear from him about how its going.

I am also a non-practicing Jew, with Catholic heritage on my paternal side.

I actually find a lot about the Catholic religion attractive- the cathedrals, Rome, Gregorian chants, communion, incense, saints, mass, rosaries and Mary (I like the idea of praying to a woman!). I even watch Mass on ETWN on occasion, but I can't see myself converting because I have real issues with the RCC's views on abortion, homosexuality and women in the priesthood. The sex abuse scandal doesn't help, either, its really hard for me to overlook that. But I can see how people are still devoted to the faith, it helps them somehow.

 

[Crankyshank]

My husband was baptised Northern Baptist, raised Southern Baptist, and is non practicing. I am Catholic and we had a "vow renewal" in the Catholic Church. DH did not have to convert - he just had to agree to have any children we have baptised Catholic

 

[momsgoofy]

I am a 4 year old Catholic...but really can't say that I converted since I'd never belonged (read been baptized) to any other church. DH is a cradle Catholic and I started attending mass with him a few months after we started dating in 1997. I had been to services at many different churches (i.e. Lutheran, Methodist, Mormon, Pentecost, Charismatic, Baptist, etc.) throughout my life...what I've always called "church shopping". I found DH's parish to be very warm and inviting...everything I knew about the Catholic church was intriguing, I admit, but it was the peace I found there that really drew me.

I began instruction (RCIA in September 2000, which involved weekly classes, attendance at mass, and discussion about the liturgy. The part about needing a sponsor is correct; you need an active member from the parish to sponsor you...I thought mine might be my future MIL, but the RCIA team told me someone who wasn't family was preferred, so I asked my future MIL to be my Godmother and another woman from the church was my sponsor. They both attended RCIA with me for the second two thirds of the classes.

RCIA has 3 main parts, the first is more general (IMO), then the second is when you receive a sponsor and are introduced to the parish family, the third part is when you become a Catecumen (not sure if I spelled that correctly...I'm still working on all those Latin words). At the beginning of this portion, our RCIA class went to the Diocese with all the other RCIA participants and declared our intentions in front of the Bishop...it was a very moving service. After completition of instruction, at the Easter Vigil, which is the only time an adult may become a member of the Catholic church, and is also the highest of holy times in the church you become a member of the church. In my case, I was baptized, received confirmation and first communion (eucharist) at Easter Vigil.

For me, personally, there were other factors involved in my "conversion". My mother died in September 1999, and struggled with the fact that she did not have me baptized as a child...she thought she had failed me. The morning before she died, I spoke to her at length on this subject despite her being in a "non-responsive" state I know she heard me. I know that she did not fail me, but rather gave me the best opportunity...to find my path when the time was right for me. Additionally, when DH and I began to talk about marriage I knew that I wanted us to be married in the church and having been previously married I knew that I would have to have that marriage annulled by the Catholic church. So, while I was in RCIA I completed the paperwork needed for that and prayed that it would be granted. I wanted to be able to partake of the sacrement of marriage in the same capacity as my future husband...with a full nuptial mass. The annullment was granted and DH and I were married with the full rites of the sacrement. I also have a child from that previous marriage, who has not been declared illegitimate because of the anullment and we included him in our ceremony. Now, DS has at times expressed an interest in becoming Catholic, but he too will have to go through instruction (RCIA since he's 13 now), but IF he choses to do so, he will only receive confirmation and first communion as he was baptized as a Lutheran when he was a baby. (It was his biological father's denomination.) I was able to have DS's membership from his grandmother's Lutheran church switched to our Catholic church, so he's still a part of the parish family even though he's not Catholic.

Well, now that I've said quite a bit on this topic, I will just add...

- You may be able to participate in the RCIA classes (first portion) without becoming Catholic (if memory serves me on this)
- Those comparative religion classes may or may not offer you the assistance you are looking for. I say this because I'm currently interpreting in a World Religions class and it's listed under the philosphy department and it really is more philosophy than anything else...so check into the class before you spend the money.
- IF you do decide to convert, be sure you are doing it for the right reasons...the Catholic church has some very different opinions about matters than other Christian groups.
- If you just want your children to go to Catholic school...as other posters have said, they don't need to be Catholic...it just may cost more and there may be some other aspects...just check with the Catholic school system you are interested in sending your children.