Were You a Cradle Catholic or a Convert?
Cradle Catholic
Why I Left the Catholic Church
I am not a convert, but my faith in God was recently renewed. I was born, raised, and educated in the Catholic religion, but at an early age, I believed there were too many unanswerable questions. I didn't understand I needed to find the answers within myself. As a result my faith became fragmented.
Why I Returned to Catholicism
My father recently passed away. I found myself in a time of deep reflection on his life and his subtle but profound influence on mine. This is a man who, by pure example, continually showed me his unyielding faith in God. Right up until he took his last breath, I was a witness to my father's faith in God and Catholic doctrine.
My journey until now was rather like being a passenger traveling alone as a spectator, not as a participant. It’s taken quite some time for me to understand, but all through my life there were the subtle signs of my father's prayers on my behalf. On some unspoken level, I knew he was aware of my lost faith. I know too, he continues to guide me.
Long ago, a scrappy little girl was looking on top of her father's dresser for pennies to buy bubble gum, and instead she discovered his Rosary beads. That little tomboy, who loved to pretend she was Annie Oakley, had no idea then what discovering her father’s Rosary beads would mean to her today. She had no idea it would lead her to the rediscovery of her faith in God.
Throughout all of my life, I was unknowingly a witness to my father's faith. He gave me the the most beautiful treasure a father can bestow upon his daughter . . . his uncompromising faith in God.
I am now currently active in the Church and participating in several ministries. I am so thankful I found Him again!
Advice
- Never, never stop searching. If you ask Him, He will always help you.
- Here's a quote from Pope John Paul II that might help: “Is it too late to reverse the tide? I think not! It is never too late for us to be renewed, as long as man turns to the true sources of what makes him human. For Christians, the moment has arrived to free themselves from false truths. It is time to become valiant witnesses for Christ. For this to be fruitful for mankind as a whole, we must cease our passive acceptance of the ghettoization of conscience. Our valiant witness must be active in both private and public life.”
