Any advice on converting to Catholicism? Please...?

Question

I am seriously considering the Catholic Church. I need any support and/or ANY open advice I can get....even if its blunt and/or negative. Thanx a bunch!

Answer 1

Pray about it.

If you are interested in joining or just learning more about the Catholic Church, contact your local parish and ask about information about their RCIA Inquiry group.

Pray about it.

You can go and ask any questions you want.

Pray about it.

This is the first step in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) but you can stop at any time. There is no obligation to become a Catholic.

Pray about it.

With love and prayers in Christ.

Answer 2

The Roman Catholic church is the only church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ in the year 33 and is the only church that has withstood the test of time. It is the church founded on the Rock of Peter (St.Peter, first Pope) and is the only ark of salvation. There cannot be salvation in any other religion because all other religions or Christian denominations are man-made and do not have the authority of Christ.

Please pray about it, research church history to see if the above facts are true and make your decision. The following intersting link will give you more information about the Catholic faith versus other denominations and help you with your decision.
http://www.olrl.org/apologetics/

Answer 3

I don't know what you are converting from, but my general opinion is, don't convert to Catholicism. It really is not the best denomination when it comes to Biblical teaching. Many people claim that it was the Catholic church which decided which books would be in the Bible, but the fact of the matter is, the Catholic Bible has 13 more books than the Protestant Bible, and the Catholic religion has several practices which are not supported by scripture. Now if they decided which books to include in the Bible, why are their practices not mentioned in the Bible? If the scriptures supported the practices, they surely would have included those books which showed the support. But since the practices are not supported by scripture, why do the practice them? Keep looking.

Answer 4

Hi. I am a Catholic and I have been so all my life. The Catholic Faith is like our mother. We call her Holy Mother the Church. The Catholic Faith is universal. It is for all people of all races. Sister was right, you need a good friend you really trust to help you. You can look for a Catholic friend or you may ask a friend of yours to recommend you to a good friend. The sisters or brothers or priests or laity are good friends. They usually treat you like one of their sisters or brothers. Ask them to help you learn some important questions about the Catechism. You will have to attend Mass on Sundays, but this is a real joy and privilege. Being in the Catholic Church is already a foretaste of heaven. God will be with you every step of the way. You will trully find Him there. He will be a real Father to you. You will become a child of God, a child of the King of the Universe. You will have Mary as your mother, the Queen of Heaven and Earth. You will have the angels and the saints as your helpers, brothers and sisters. Your guardian angel will be assisting you every step of the way. You will be in the company of angels and saints. You will get to know the saints better. Your eyes will be opened. You will discover God's love for you. You will not always be free from suffering as it is a part of life, but if you are faithful, the Church will help to lead you to heaven - your true home. I hope you decide to convert. Maybe God is knocking at your heart. It is a privilege and a responsibility to become part of the Church. You will be called to be holy. But holiness will lead to your happiness. The Pope will be your holy pastor. God will come to you everyday if you want. It is one great journey home. Check out the EWTN and Vatican websites for more Catholic information.

Answer 5

Why do you want to join this church?
Do you think they have the whole truth?
Are they God's church?
Have you prayed about it?
Have you received a witness thought the Holy Ghost that it is true?
Do the leaders of the church Preach for money?
Do they love their congregation or is it all show?

Are you filled with a desire to draw closer to God and obey His commandments when you attend? Does it make you want to be a better person? Do you feel loved and welcome?
Do the members love each other? Do they believe what they're taught and generally live it?(on the whole)


If you answer these questions and are satisfied with your answers then go ahead and join.

If not, KEEP LOOKING, God's True Church is on the earth.

Answer 6

I was born and raised a Catholic. I went to a Jesuit (catholic) high school and a Jesuit university. I got the finest education money could buy. What did I learn? Shed your religion. God, and your sense of right and wrong, fairness and justice, lives in your heart and your conscience. Only the weak sheep need a shepherd. Think for yourself and act according to your conscience. If you do good because someone told you to, or because you were afraid of being punished if you didn't, then you really don't deserve the credit. Be a good person by acting on YOUR OWN FREE WILL. God will appreciate it more.

Answer 7

Somebody do an intervention!

It's not for me to instruct you as to where God is leading you, and I also hope you aren't going to make such an important decision based on what you read on this page. I took the RCIA classes, and you might want to do that just for a taste. I had no intention to become Catholic, but I wanted to learn about them from them. Out of a class of two dozen people, I was the only one there (apart from the priest who visited twice) who had read the entire Bible. Not even the teachers had read it all. I was struck by the focus on Catholicism, tradition and the catechism above scripture. One teacher mentioned that when she saw the Pope in person once, she wanted to bow down and worship him. This was a very sweet lady. The others there, most of whom were meeting requirements for marriage or communion, were nodding their assent. I believe Catholics can be just as saved or just as lost as anyone else, depending on the genuineness of their relationship with Jesus Christ, but I would strongly suggest careful, prayerful and extensive research before submitting to papal authority. Just remember that we are saved by grace through faith, and that is the gift of God, not of works. Works are a response to salvation, not the means by which we are saved.

Answer 8

Before converting to any religion, make sure that you understand their core beliefs. Most Priests will be happy to talk to you and many will be able to refer you to classes that will explain them in more detail.

Not being Roman Catholic myself, I cannot give you a complete background in their faith, although they share most of the important points of all Christian denominations.

One important question would be why you are choosing that particular denomination. Find that answer (through prayer and self-examination) and you will have taken the correct first step.

Any faith and any denomination will have both good people and bad people that profess to believe what it teaches. They will also have both good and bad things that those people have done.

Pray, learn and examine. Talk to people that are actually living their faith. Then decide.

Answer 9

I am Catholic and enjoy. Sucks being catholic and living in the South because a lot of people are Anti-Catholic down here. When I used to live in Pennsylvania there were a lot more catholics. I felt more comfortable there.

Answer 10

there is nothing wrong w/catholicism. I grew up catholic and it is a very fulfilling religion. some people say we worship idols or statues...that is not true. take some classes at your church and you will learn a lot. i hate it when people think they know a lot about a religion and just start spouting out random things. people need to think before they speak. i wish you well!

Answer 11

Stacy, I am a sister in a religious community and am delighted that you are doing something so positive to nourish your spiritual side. First of all, you will be in my prayers as you begin this journey...and it is a journey.
I don't know where you are located, but hopefully, a member of your local church would probably be happy to assist you. But you need to find someone you are really comfortable with and who is willing to take time to explain things. Sometimes the Priests are so busy they are not the right ones to ask.
If you don't find someone, please feel free to email me at anytime and I'll be happy to answer questions or assist you in any way I can.
Again, God's blessing on your journey.