I suspect because Catholicism offers a full-orbed robust world view. Most evangelical protestant denominations provide rather anemic, thin gruel for believers after conversion. And i write as a protestant convert from catholicism. There is too little emphasis on the objective application of the faith, too much navel-gazing. An aversion to "legalism" translates into a faith dominated by morbid introspection.
Hard-core Reformed (calvinist) believers enjoy the same sense of fitting into the world for God's purposes. Both families of faith stress infant baptism and the cultivation of the mind through subsequent catechisms and Christian (parochial) education.
I'm glad you mentioned Calvinism becaue I don't find that anemic at all. I grew up Southern Baptist, but found it unsatisfying in college. That's when I found the reformed Presbyterians and I was transfixed with the depth of teaching I found there. It truly fed my soul. For a number of reasons, I've been back at a Baptist church (thought not S. Baptist) and although this church has a robust faith-centered community life, I'm finding the teaching short of the depth of Calvinism. As soon as my daughter leaves home, I will search for a reformed Presbyterian church again.
"Most evangelical protestant denominations provide rather anemic, thin gruel for believers after conversion."
What do you mean? Too much "feeling", not enough "thinking"?
Our priest says, "Entertainment substitutes for doctrine."
He is referring to the "contemporary" services, the show-like atmosphere in some of these pole-building churches that are springing up everywhere with names like "River of Life" church.
When I was studying and considering converting from being a Southern Baptist to a Seventh-day Adventist, I studied my Bible like I never studied it before but I wanted to be sure so I discussed what I was learning w/ my Southern Baptist pastor. I showed him the scripture texts about the "state of the dead" and the ultimate annihiliation of the wicked at the end of time. Since he had no coherent defence of the traditional SBC interpreation of everlasiting hell-fire and the fact that people don't go to heaven right afte death, I left the SBC gladly.
Then when I went onto study the merits of Messianic Judaism, I also went into an intense mode of Bible study. As far as I am concerned, the intellectual appeal of a particular denomination depends far more on the person than the religion.
This lady is NOT an example of an intellectual conversion to Catholicism, she converted based on emotion, which I could never do.