You should share your conversion story with “Coming Home” both a program aired on EWTN Radio and TV, but also an organization: https://chnetwork.org. Converts to the Catholic faith bring much joy and enthusiasm to Holy Mother Church and to her people. You could probably submit your story as is from this article to be published in their newsletter.
I would say that your spiritual background was preparing you for the journey to the Catholic Church. I wouldn’t be surprised if you begin a movement in your family. However, it sounds as though your family is supporting you in your journey, and that’s so wonderful. I was baptized “High Church” Methodist and confirmed, then due to alarming circumstances, which I won’t go into here, I was reconfirmed in the Presbyterian Church a year later. I discovered Catholicism as a freshman in college when my RA invited me to attend Mass with her one Sunday. I had such peace come over me during my first Mass. I felt I had come home, and I immediately fell in love not knowing anything about the Catholic Church. After much prayer and study, I told my mother that I wanted to convert, and she exploded. What she said was not pretty using words I didn’t know she had. “Don’t you know that everything that is wrong with this world is because of the blankety-blank Catholics??!!”
So for the next twenty years I was a closet Catholic attending Mass every single opportunity I could and crying that I couldn’t receive communion. I knew nothing about Spiritual Communion then, but communion had always been very important to me and the longing for Jesus in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity nearly destroyed me. At the age of 37 four years after my divorce my ex-husband filed to obtain sole custody of our son. I’m skipping a lot of details, but this was the defining moment. I knew that I couldn’t go through this legal battle without Jesus and without the Catholic Church, so I went to Mass the Sunday after I was served. Across the way from where I parked my best friend in all the world was exiting her car. I took it as a sign, and she was my sponsor through RCIA, as it was called then. And when I told my mother, she said “what took you so long?” YOU, I screamed in my head, you. And yet she was there for the Triduum when we came into the church, and she processed up the aisle to venerate the Cross at the Good Friday Liturgy.
I have been a Catholic now for 35 years not including the twenty years of being a closet Catholic. I am every day thrilled and delighted to be a part of Holy Mother Church. And I’m so excited for you because your journey is really just beginning, and the vastness of the Catholic world stretching not just back the two thousand years to Jesus but also all our ancestry of the Jewish people, all of this now belongs to you! What a blessing, what a treasure, what joy! Welcome, welcome, little Sister-in-Christ!
Oh my goodness, so much to say but what a BEAUTIFUL story Suzanne! Thank you so much for sharing! I absolutely love to hear conversion stories! I hadn’t thought to submit this to the Coming Home Network but I will definitely consider it now that you have mentioned it! Thank you!
Please tell this beautiful story often! Please also consider recording it in short and full versions to share. My story was on a show called Catholics Come Home around ten years ago. Every time it comes up in reruns, I hear from someone I used to know who wants to talk about faith!
So beautiful! It also brings me back - it was difficult moving from the Protestant community I was in to Catholicism. And I won’t lie that I have yet to be at a Catholic parish where community came as easily as at Protestant churches I have attended. But what I have gained in relationship and depth with God through His Church is nothing next to what I left behind. So instead, I focus on praying and working to build the vibrant community in the parishes I’m in. I’m extremely under qualified for that… so God has a lot of work to do!
The fact that the Church DOES have the answers is one of the things that draws me to it as well. I was raised Southern Baptist very solo scriptura. And I was told not to ask questions.
I love that The Catholic Church wants us to ask questions and grow in our understanding of the faith.
I went from fifth generation RLDS to Lutheran, so while our stories aren't identical, this resonated with me in many ways. (And I'm happy to admit that probably 90% of what I love about the Lutheran Church are what Luther kept in common with Catholicism.)
Your story did remind me of a line from a friend. His wife went to a Methodist seminary. "When you go to a Methodist seminary, you come out an atheist or a Catholic." He and his wife went the Catholic route.
What a wonderful testimony! I just wondered why you didn’t come in at the Easter Vigil ? But earlier ? When I joined the Church 20 years ago at the Easter Vigil , it was an experience I will never forget . But glad you came onboard however it happened !
Thank you! And our priests are more of the mindset that if someone wants to join the Church we shouldn’t stop them! We have people joining the Church even through the season of lent!
Madison, thank you so much for sharing your journey! I’ve been going through the process of swimming (being dragged across?!) the Tiber the last few months (although looking back God has been slowly working to draw me here for years) and I’ve finally found myself on the other side. I’ll be confirmed at the Easter Vigil! Your posts have been so encouraging and providentially timed for me - thank you for writing! I hope you’re able to enjoy exploring and enjoying practicing the faith as you settle more and more deeply into the place God has led you 💙
Hi, Emily! I am so beyond grateful my words have impacted you! The Lord has been so kind to me in that. I am so excited you are joining the Church! What a joy! Praying this Lenten season blesses you as you prepare to join!
I especially appreciated this part of the essay: "In my first and second semesters, in a class on classic literature, we read works by Martin Luther and John Calvin. I found myself disenchanted.
'These are the men we look up to?' I seemed to ask myself."
I just finished a book of what is supposedly Martin Luther's best works and I was unimpressed, so to read that in your essay made me feel like that thought wasn't just coming from my own bias!
Hi Jamie! Thank you so much! And no, we are totally in agreement. One of the things I found most troubling about Luther was his increasing radicalism over his lifespan (in many ways it remind me of Mohammad when you track the increase of violence in his works). Most poignant to me was Luther’s “On the Jews and Their Lies” which is frankly a very upsetting read.
You should share your conversion story with “Coming Home” both a program aired on EWTN Radio and TV, but also an organization: https://chnetwork.org. Converts to the Catholic faith bring much joy and enthusiasm to Holy Mother Church and to her people. You could probably submit your story as is from this article to be published in their newsletter.
I would say that your spiritual background was preparing you for the journey to the Catholic Church. I wouldn’t be surprised if you begin a movement in your family. However, it sounds as though your family is supporting you in your journey, and that’s so wonderful. I was baptized “High Church” Methodist and confirmed, then due to alarming circumstances, which I won’t go into here, I was reconfirmed in the Presbyterian Church a year later. I discovered Catholicism as a freshman in college when my RA invited me to attend Mass with her one Sunday. I had such peace come over me during my first Mass. I felt I had come home, and I immediately fell in love not knowing anything about the Catholic Church. After much prayer and study, I told my mother that I wanted to convert, and she exploded. What she said was not pretty using words I didn’t know she had. “Don’t you know that everything that is wrong with this world is because of the blankety-blank Catholics??!!”
So for the next twenty years I was a closet Catholic attending Mass every single opportunity I could and crying that I couldn’t receive communion. I knew nothing about Spiritual Communion then, but communion had always been very important to me and the longing for Jesus in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity nearly destroyed me. At the age of 37 four years after my divorce my ex-husband filed to obtain sole custody of our son. I’m skipping a lot of details, but this was the defining moment. I knew that I couldn’t go through this legal battle without Jesus and without the Catholic Church, so I went to Mass the Sunday after I was served. Across the way from where I parked my best friend in all the world was exiting her car. I took it as a sign, and she was my sponsor through RCIA, as it was called then. And when I told my mother, she said “what took you so long?” YOU, I screamed in my head, you. And yet she was there for the Triduum when we came into the church, and she processed up the aisle to venerate the Cross at the Good Friday Liturgy.
I have been a Catholic now for 35 years not including the twenty years of being a closet Catholic. I am every day thrilled and delighted to be a part of Holy Mother Church. And I’m so excited for you because your journey is really just beginning, and the vastness of the Catholic world stretching not just back the two thousand years to Jesus but also all our ancestry of the Jewish people, all of this now belongs to you! What a blessing, what a treasure, what joy! Welcome, welcome, little Sister-in-Christ!
Peace 🕊️
Oh my goodness, so much to say but what a BEAUTIFUL story Suzanne! Thank you so much for sharing! I absolutely love to hear conversion stories! I hadn’t thought to submit this to the Coming Home Network but I will definitely consider it now that you have mentioned it! Thank you!
Welcome home! God bless you, Madison.
This was really beautiful. I see myself in bits and parts of this story, but I don't yet have the whole picture.
Thanks for taking the time to share the story - may God bless you in this new season.
I’m so glad to hear this resonated with you, Haley. Thank you so much for your kind words💗
Madison, seeing young people like you coming into the church gives me hope for the future!!
Aww, thank you Deb! Truly, I find so much hope in the Church!
I loved reading this, thank you for sharing ❤️
Welcome home, Madison! Know of my prayers.
Please tell this beautiful story often! Please also consider recording it in short and full versions to share. My story was on a show called Catholics Come Home around ten years ago. Every time it comes up in reruns, I hear from someone I used to know who wants to talk about faith!
https://open.substack.com/pub/bridgetograce/p/jesus-has-left-the-building?r=5h8n5b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Welcome Home!
So beautiful! It also brings me back - it was difficult moving from the Protestant community I was in to Catholicism. And I won’t lie that I have yet to be at a Catholic parish where community came as easily as at Protestant churches I have attended. But what I have gained in relationship and depth with God through His Church is nothing next to what I left behind. So instead, I focus on praying and working to build the vibrant community in the parishes I’m in. I’m extremely under qualified for that… so God has a lot of work to do!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing this.
The fact that the Church DOES have the answers is one of the things that draws me to it as well. I was raised Southern Baptist very solo scriptura. And I was told not to ask questions.
I love that The Catholic Church wants us to ask questions and grow in our understanding of the faith.
God bless!
I went from fifth generation RLDS to Lutheran, so while our stories aren't identical, this resonated with me in many ways. (And I'm happy to admit that probably 90% of what I love about the Lutheran Church are what Luther kept in common with Catholicism.)
Your story did remind me of a line from a friend. His wife went to a Methodist seminary. "When you go to a Methodist seminary, you come out an atheist or a Catholic." He and his wife went the Catholic route.
What a wonderful testimony! I just wondered why you didn’t come in at the Easter Vigil ? But earlier ? When I joined the Church 20 years ago at the Easter Vigil , it was an experience I will never forget . But glad you came onboard however it happened !
Thank you! And our priests are more of the mindset that if someone wants to join the Church we shouldn’t stop them! We have people joining the Church even through the season of lent!
Fabulous ! I don’t think we should be rigid with those who may need some flexibility . As long as there is good catechesis.
I so admire how beautifully you articulated your journey! I'm excited for your many years to come of abundant life and Eucharistic joy :)
Madison, thank you so much for sharing your journey! I’ve been going through the process of swimming (being dragged across?!) the Tiber the last few months (although looking back God has been slowly working to draw me here for years) and I’ve finally found myself on the other side. I’ll be confirmed at the Easter Vigil! Your posts have been so encouraging and providentially timed for me - thank you for writing! I hope you’re able to enjoy exploring and enjoying practicing the faith as you settle more and more deeply into the place God has led you 💙
Hi, Emily! I am so beyond grateful my words have impacted you! The Lord has been so kind to me in that. I am so excited you are joining the Church! What a joy! Praying this Lenten season blesses you as you prepare to join!
Thanks for sharing your story, Madison!
I especially appreciated this part of the essay: "In my first and second semesters, in a class on classic literature, we read works by Martin Luther and John Calvin. I found myself disenchanted.
'These are the men we look up to?' I seemed to ask myself."
I just finished a book of what is supposedly Martin Luther's best works and I was unimpressed, so to read that in your essay made me feel like that thought wasn't just coming from my own bias!
Hi Jamie! Thank you so much! And no, we are totally in agreement. One of the things I found most troubling about Luther was his increasing radicalism over his lifespan (in many ways it remind me of Mohammad when you track the increase of violence in his works). Most poignant to me was Luther’s “On the Jews and Their Lies” which is frankly a very upsetting read.
That one was not in the volume I read, but from what I did read from him, he was…intense…especially in insulting those he disagreed with.
Welcome home, from an RCIA Class of 2018 alum!