What Was The Hook For You?

[Sojourner]

What first got you interested in looking into Catholicism? Was it a friend? Did you hear music wafting from the church one Sunday morning and find yourself drawn in? A book you read? Tell, do tell!

For me, it was a friend ... my friend Emily (a Protestant) and I were chatting one day about original sin. I'd been brought up Calvinist but had never truly been able to swallow the concept of total depravity ... when I expressed my views on it, Emily said, "That sounds very Catholic!"

Then she gave me a bunch of books she'd been given by a friend of hers, I started reading, and I was hooked.

[Iacobus]

I didn't attend Mass for a few years and what brought me back was a longing and a friend.

[Fiat_Voluntas_Tua]

The Holy Spirit working through a friend...He invited me to youth group...then the next week to Mass...then I was hooked. Once I saw Christ's Flesh and Blood (even though I didn't know it at the time) I was in Love.

Pax et Agape per Maria, Andy

[homeschoolmom]

We started arguing against it. Then some of it started to make sense Biblically to us. More and more things started to fit into place. The first thing that I LIKED about Catholicism were things I thought I would hate... for example, the litergy. I thought that I would get bored with it over and over... but I love knowing what to expect. And with the changing of the seasons, it's never quite the same.

The focus is so wonderful. I had already gotten fed up with our Baptist churches skewed focus-- worship team, offeratory soloist, children's choir, etc taking the focus for themselves... the focus shifted from Christ. That always bothered me. Can't say that the Catholic church has that problem... I just can't applaud in church easily. Too focus confused.

[PhatPhred]

Three of the men (me and two others) in my RCIA class were married to Catholics. The other two had children going for first communion, and were getting questions from their kids about why they weren't Catholic like the rest of the family.

[Caitlin]

Well, I'm a newbie here...but I figured I'd jump in.

I was actually writing an argumentative essay on the nature of God ... and found the CCC as a resource ... and realized as I browsed that the teachings of the Catholic Church were the ones that I'd been feeling for some time. It was great to know that I wasn't the only one who had those beliefs -- though doctrinally similar, the United Methodist Church is a far cry from Catholicism.

It took me a while to gather my miniscule amount of courage and get my butt to a Catholic Church for a chat with a priest.

I went to a Catholic Church the first time this Easter Vigil and again this past Sunday. Both times I have been welcomed lovingly amongst the parishioners. Both times I have been moved to tears by an event or two or more in the service. At first I was totally embarrassed by my tears ... but not so much so any longer! If it happens, it happens, and I'm sure there's a reason! I'll just have to find out what exactly that is.

[Fiat_Voluntas_Tua]

holy Cow...Caitlin...That is soooooo AMAZING. We have to talk! I converted to the Catholic Church from the united Methodist church. So I can relate to where you are from. (Really quick unlike the Methodist church 'service', Catholics call it Mass.) I probably know what you are feeling, the Mass seems kind of "Wierd." But I assure you that it is the most blessed, Holy thing we can experience while on Earth. Caitlin...I am going to start a Thread in the Convert's Anonymous section (this section) and we can discuss the Church is you want...and how I came about converting. Let me know if this interests you. I would be more than happy to share my Faith journey to the Catholic with you. Let me know if I can help...

Pax et Agape per Maria, Andy e-mail: In_need_of_mercy@hotmail.com

[Mickey's_Girl]

What got me interested? I'm not sure...it's been a while...as I said in my intro, my parents grew up Catholic, and I was raised to respect the Church. Both my grandmothers are devout Catholics...I think it was two things: a friend of mine's father was murdered in an armed robbery. Their family was Catholic, and I went to the funeral. It was the most moving funeral I'd ever been to, and when I left I realized that this man had been as good a Christian as anyone I'd ever known.

Around the same time, I'd read a book by Peter Kreeft about Heaven, which was an INSANELY cool book...and then I found out he was Catholic. And I was like, Hmm.

Lots of different incidents since then, until recently, when I just started all-out reading and talking about it.

MG

[Dave]

With me, I read an article about a Catholic family once, and judging from that article, it seemed like Catholics were so much more devout than everyone else. The idea of crossing yourself, the rosary, holy water, etc. all seemed especially appealing too. Now at the time I was a lukewarm Presbyterian who hated church (I was about 12 at the time). Yet that picture of Catholicism really appealed to me, and it started an attraction that never left. And now that I'm Catholic, I know it was no accident that I got attracted to the Church!

[photosynthesis]

I fell away from the Catholic Church after I was confirmed and stayed out for a couple of years...during that time I wasn't very pure and had a boyfriend with an "Abortion fund" just in case he were to ever get a girlfriend pregnant (so much for choice). something inside me knew that I deserved better than the life I was living, that I wasn't living the life I was made to live.

my friend gave me a tape called "contraception, why not?" and at first I thought it was lame, and wouldn't listen to it...but later on I was starting to think "hey, maybe saving sex for marriage is a good idea" and I was more open to it so I listened to the tape and it introduced me to a philosophy that I was never taught in CCD or church or by my family. I think the Theology of the Body was what really drew me back to the Catholic Church, because I stopped going to Mass because I thought the Catholic Church was sexist and had nothing to offer me as a woman. the Theology of the Body was what led me to believe that the Church not only respects women but holds us in high esteem.

[NeWeStCoNvErT]

I was hooked when the first time I went to a catholic church with my boyfriend we meet each other over the Internet i normally wouldn't have met some one so as religious as he was but i decided hey what the heck we get a long great and i started going to church with him and reading about catholicism then when RCIA cam around I was like jack I wanna be catholic and then I did I never had any doubts that did wanna be catholic ,You would have never thought that someone as bad as I was would have become catholic

Pax,
Joyce

[crusader1234]

I got into it in the cradle. I got interested again at Confirmation... then I got back into it again with more interest than ever thanks to Crusader_4. If anyone evangelizes... its him.

[Crusader_4]

Aww thanks Cruasader1234 ( i am indebted to u for that comment).

[theculturewarrior]

I had always been interested in the Catholic Church. My grandparents were all Catholic. That wasn't enough to clinch the deal though. About one year after a "born again" experience, I moved to the Mexican border, where almost every church is Catholic. That still wasn't enough to clinch the deal. I watched EWTN (without understanding it), and I read my NAB Bible (likewise without understanding). The clincher was when I moved away for a semester of college. I realized that I (as is everybody) was ill equipt to live the faith without a Church. I just couldn't do it by myself. When I asked myself which Church, of course, I would walk past the seven Catholic churches and go to the one Methodist church. But I didn't feel at home until I gave Catholicism a shot. Praise God!

[OpusDei]

I know this might sound stupid, but here goes:

I just knew it was the truth. You know that feeling you get when you just know something is true?

I don't know whether anyone else had that experience, but that was what got me.