When my husband and I decided to try for our second child we didn’t care if we were having a boy or a girl. When we found out my lil bundle in my belly was a boy, we were both thrilled! One of each! I was nervous if I would know what to do and how to care for a boy. I grew up with all girls. I figured we would manage just fine.
About two months before Andrew was born I got the idea that now was the time to convert to Catholicism. I was born and raised Lutheran and had pretty strong beliefs. When my husband and I married I wasn’t ready to convert. We were married in a Catholic Church and did Pre-Cana classes together. I just was not ready or even considering converting just because we were getting married. I felt firmly that I didn’t know enough about Catholicism and was not going to just change what I believed all of my life just because I was getting married. I felt that was in some way putting a man in front of God. At least that’s how I felt then.
I grew up living next door to my church. We attended church every Sunday. It was a small church. My step-dad was a well-liked member and very strong Christian and my mother a Sunday school teacher and Youth Group Leader. We never missed church. If for any reason I didn’t show, my friends from church would run over my house to see where I was. It was like family. I was very close to my Pastor. After school, I would often stop by the church and visit with my Pastor. I would grab him a Pepsi from the upstairs fridge, crack open some peanuts and we would have long chats about life and all of my questions I pondered about God. He was very influential on the person I am today and I am so grateful to have had him in my life. After I graduated college I taught Sunday school for a bit and even had the privilege to teach his daughter. Growing up our church was like a 2nd home for me.
My husband and I searched and attended several churches before we settled on one that suited us both. It was a Catholic Church that we chose and I felt at home there even though I was a Lutheran. I found there to be many similarities between our worship services and I enjoyed what I took away with me in my heart as I left church each Sunday. The church we chose had a cry room in the balcony but at the front of the church. You could actually still hear and participate in the mass while being in the cry room. I thought this was genius!
At this time I was working part time for my husband’s Senior Care Company streamlining his Recruiting process and Recruiting Caregivers. I had been an IT Recruiter when I was working full time but wanted to scale back a bit now that I had kids. My husband was also working a ton as the owner of a growing company. At the time we had a lot on our plates with a 2 year old, baby on the way and a small business. I really didn’t need anything else on my plate but when we are the busiest is when we are the most productive right?
I remember waddling down the hall to the ladies room at 7 or 8 months pregnant at my lunch break and after toying with the thoughts of converting for a while now was the time I was going to do it. I called Sister at our church to get more information. It was from there I started taking weekly RCIA classes every Sunday.
As we were a growing family it was important to me to provide a strong faith based foundation to our family like I had been provided. I don’t know why I felt so strongly to convert only weeks away from having a 2nd child but it was time. There were so many things I didn’t know about being Catholic. I wanted to be able to answer all of my kids questions as they grow up, for example: why do we kneel before we sit down or why do we dip our fingers in the water before we enter or leave the church. I wanted us to be one with God as a family as we attended church. I wanted to be the one that could answer their questions and I wanted to learn for myself. I also wanted to be able to participate in the Eucharist with my family. So I began my journey. From September to February I attended RCIA classes. Andrew was born in November and he then attended classes with me until I completed them. I became a Catholic in February of 2014. I had no idea the impact it would have on me at that time in my life.
Attending the weekly RCIA classes was like renewing my Faith. The classes were not at all what I expected. It wasn’t about enforcing certain Catholic beliefs but rather explaining the beauty behind why Catholics believe the way they do. It was about bringing God back into the basic fundamentals of your life. I felt welcomed in this wonderful group of people. We all shared and respected each other’s backgrounds. There are lessons on forgiveness and judgment that I took away from that class that I will hold in my heart forever. It didn’t replace my beliefs however it built upon the strong foundation that I already had. I learned to pray and believe again in a way that I somehow had lost a bit in my young adult life.
I had no idea why then it was so important but looking back it saved me that year. That renewed sense of faith is what gave me strength to endure the road ahead. I am so glad I listened to that inner voice and made time that year for my faith. It was one of the best decisions that I have ever made for myself and as a mother and I am so very proud to now call myself a Catholic. I am very thankful to God for all of the many blessings he has given our family and to that beautiful RCIA class for encouraging me to be “all in!”