A Baptist's Search For Historical Proof of St. Patrick Takes Her To Rome

CH Network ^ | Patty Patrick Bonds

[NYer]

What a moment. I stood in the aisle of St. Helen's Catholic Church with one hand on the shoulder of each of my new friends. Pete and Rose were converts from a Protestant faith and I was sponsoring them as they came home to the Catholic Church. It was the 5th Sunday of Lent and our OCIA class' third scrutiny. Over the shoulder of my friends I could see my own sponsor praying over our daughter Kimberly and another candidate. Next to me stood my husband, Richard. His sponsor was out of town, but standing in for him were Steve and Janet Ray. Steve wrote a book and made several tapes that were instrumental in my husband's decision to become Catholic. I had to close my eyes and concentrate on the prayer because if I looked around any longer at this unbelievable sight I knew I would begin to cry for joy. My heart sang with praise to God. If someone had told me two years earlier that I would be a Catholic, I would have laughed out loud. How unthinkable. Now here I was, not only a Catholic, but praying over other's who were crossing the Tiber. But the most unbelievable part for me was the unflinching conviction of my husband as he stood there receiving his blessing with his eyes set on the crucifix. God had heard my prayer. The impossible intention of my Rosaries for the past year was coming to pass before my eyes. Blessed be God, forever.

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[NYer]

Later in our discussion he mentioned that he had received an email that contained a Catholic document that apparently came out of the Vatican that made it clear that the Catholic Church had not changed their position on soteriology in two thousand years.

What an inspirational story! A long but worthwhile read.

Patty Bonds writes for the EnvoyMagazine blog site.

EnvoyMagazine

[NYer]

Later in our discussion he mentioned that he had received an email that contained a Catholic document that apparently came out of the Vatican that made it clear that the Catholic Church had not changed their position on soteriology in two thousand years.

What an inspirational story! A long but worthwhile read.

Patty Bonds writes for the EnvoyMagazine blog site.

EnvoyMagazine

[drstevej]

***Too quickly the Mass was over and I told my friend goodbye and walked to the parking lot. I could not feel my feet on the ground. My spirit was still resonating with the bliss of that moment in his Presence. I was praying frantically. O Lord, was that you? But Lord, I didn't think you even attended Catholic Church, let alone fill the place like that? I need answers Father. There are so many issues to tackle. What about Mary, Saints, Purgatory, salvation by works, etc. Where do I begin? His answer came back clear and unmistakable. "Start with what draws you, start with the Eucharist."***

Experience trumps doctrine.

[drstevej]

My above post is not to start an argument, but it is an honest reaction to reading the testimony. I have heard similar ones from Mormons, New Agers, etc. They have a profound experience which causes them to reallign doctrine to fit.

The real issue is whether the doctrine is true, not how stong the experience is. I don't intend to debate doctrine here but I did want to make an obesrvation on the process.

[wideawake]

Explain.

[Saint Athanasius]

Man... I love reading these stories...

I was raised Catholic, fell away from the faith, then came back as an Evangelical... but getting involved in my local Catholic Church... I remember reading Lewis- Mere Christianity while my friend was reading Surprise by Truth!

I asked him what his book was about, and he said people converting to the Catholic Church... I was like who in their right mind would do that... He suggested Rome Sweet Home... and the rest is pretty much History!

[wideawake]

A few observations:

(1) She was apparently drawn to investigate Catholicism by reading the Confession of St. Patrick and agreeing with the doctrine he expressed therein.

It seems as if intellectual curiosity preceded emotion in this case.If her conversion was a purely emotional one based on "happy warm fuzzies", then it wouldn't really have been sustainable in the face of her mother's melodrama.

(3) She seems to have been raised in a home (and I in fact know she was raised in a home) where fairly sophisticated doctrinal discourse was a part of her upbringing.

She had a well-articulated doctrinal background and she wouldn't be able to consider Catholicism without having strong doctrinal conviction.

[wideawake]

It's a pretty disturbing comment on Catholic education in this country when young Catholics actually have to leave the Church in order to get basic Scriptural instruction.

Welcome back. I'm sorry you ever had to leave.

[american colleen]

The real issue is whether the doctrine is true, not how stong the experience is.

I dunno... thinking of St. Paul here. Had the experience and then learned the doctrine.

[sitetest]

Dear drstevej,

Yes, I understand exactly what you're saying. Folks have an experience, and they let it guide them as to what they will believe, how they will think, etc.

I remember one story like this. Completely shocking. This fellow named Saul was on his way to Damascus...


;-)


sitetest

[Desdemona]

I love stories like this. Thanks for posting it.

[Saint Athanasius]

I am sorry I left too... I missed so much... and I regret not seeing all the cool things our Holy Father did in the 80s.

But I have to say it was more my parents than the Catholic Education.(not to say Catholic Education doesn't need improvement)

My Mom (who is a nominal Catholic) married my Dad (who does not practice anything)

The only prayers we did were grace before meals... and we never read the Scriptures... I remember being a teenager and looking up John 3:16 after watching NFL Football on TV with my dad because of one of those signs in the stands.

That probably was the first time I had opened the Bible.

[.45MAN]

Just Wonderful!

[Hermann the Cherusker]

I'd agree with that partially. Generally, the reaction experience starts from a linch-pin doctrine suddenly being overturned in your mind by a flash of truth. Its like someone kicks your legs out from under you. In my case, it was a sudden blinding understanding of the Immaculate Conception and then a realization that Catholic Mariology in general was true because of a few simple words in a talk from a Priest about Genesis and the Fall.

After the shock of this sudden awakening wore off, a second one came along a few days later, with me realizing that with True Faith, I now had the power to conquer my major sins. So I stopped, cold turkey, the profanity, lies, and lust, I had been a slave to before.

"Who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners." (Hewbrews 11.33-34)

[Romulus]

Oh Pat, why Catholic?

Beautiful.

[drstevej]

Paul's case was one of conversion. I certainly did not take this to be a conversion experience.

[drstevej]

Do you consider this sudden awakening a conversion experience? Sure reads like it.

[ACAC]

This is the type of posting that just begs to start a flame war. Anyone can post stories of people leaving one church for another. I read somewhere that 1.5 million Protestants became Catholics last year and 1.5 million CAtholics became Protestants last year. I just think these threads tend to devolve into flame wars. I don't see the point.