Topic: RC to Orthodox converts...share your stories here!

[JR]

Welcome on board Ivanov,

There are many of us that come from the RCC background, But don't live in the past and hold grudges, Let go, move on and learn from your experiences, only then will you be able to grow spiritually in Holy Orthodoxy.

Peace be with you.

Thank you for your response, Biro. I was asked by another post-er what made me "look East"... so I answered, albeit analogously, using MY experience (context) of 60 years living in the West in order to emphasize that the spiritual wounds, (some mortal) and grave scandal and error perpetuated by those who call themselves 'shepherds' in the Western Roman universe, is a kind of violence (spiritual genocide) as was/is the Western bloodletting in the MidEast...one spiritual, the other physical. The harm done by the innovators and heterodoctors cannot be overstated. I was in no way implying innocence on the part of the 'East'... which had nothing to do with the analogy. I know, as I'm sure you do, that "the WHOLE world lies under the sway of the wicked one." I John 5:19 . I can only speak from my lived context. I "looked East" with the heart of a refugee, and God surprised me with joy and the prospect of a true homecoming as the Ancient New Testament Church came into view. When you have believed over 25 years that your conversion to the "Roman Catholic" church, outside of which there is no salvation (ie. the Roman dogma "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus") was THE homecoming, the surprise of learning otherwise takes on a whole new life-shaking impact.

 I could have written more clearly, so please forgive any misunderstanding I may have caused on your part. If I am guilty of anger or a hidden prejudice, then I ask God's forgiveness... here and now. We must look to one another's edification. Each of us has gathered many wounds and 'shoulder-chips' along the way. May God have mercy on us both! I believe He will...

 

Sincerely yours, in Christ The Lord,

 

I

[KShaft]

Welcome on board Ivanov,

There are many of us that come from the RCC background, But don't live in the past and hold grudges, Let go, move on and learn from your experiences, only then will you be able to grow spiritually in Holy Orthodoxy.

Peace be with you.

Thank you for your response, Biro. I was asked by another post-er what made me "look East"... so I answered, albeit analogously, using MY experience (context) of 60 years living in the West in order to emphasize that the spiritual wounds, (some mortal) and grave scandal and error perpetuated by those who call themselves 'shepherds' in the Western Roman universe, is a kind of violence (spiritual genocide) as was/is the Western bloodletting in the MidEast...one spiritual, the other physical. The harm done by the innovators and heterodoctors cannot be overstated. I was in no way implying innocence on the part of the 'East'... which had nothing to do with the analogy. I know, as I'm sure you do, that "the WHOLE world lies under the sway of the wicked one." I John 5:19 . I can only speak from my lived context. I "looked East" with the heart of a refugee, and God surprised me with joy and the prospect of a true homecoming as the Ancient New Testament Church came into view. When you have believed over 25 years that your conversion to the "Roman Catholic" church, outside of which there is no salvation (ie. the Roman dogma "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus") was THE homecoming, the surprise of learning otherwise takes on a whole new life-shaking impact.

 I could have written more clearly, so please forgive any misunderstanding I may have caused on your part. If I am guilty of anger or a hidden prejudice, then I ask God's forgiveness... here and now. We must look to one another's edification. Each of us has gathered many wounds and 'shoulder-chips' along the way. May God have mercy on us both! I believe He will...

 

Sincerely yours, in Christ The Lord,

 

I

Yes. Let us pray and fight for the reorienting of the Carolingian hijacked Church (and now more so with other worldly/demonic forces)  which in spite of that  still at times had wonderful fruits of the spirit in liturature, music, and art, and martyrs for the faith and for the most part orthodox and devout saints. It is time for us to "Withstand him (Peter) to his face, because he is to be blamed." But as Paul was stern he was loving and did so for righteousness sake and for the sake Peter and his flock. Not to point a finger.

For the longest time in the West, that was the only Apostolic Church there was. I doubt grace left it entirely for the sake of the faithful, but its in a very bad way now. Good thing the Orthodox Catholic church is readily available these days to set it straight, or perhaps embrace those who from it truly seek with discerning minds and open hearts.

[greek_yogurt]

I am going to be made a catechumen very soon. I come from a Roman Catholic background with very traditional and Tridentine leanings. I originally was brought up in a church that had formed a schism within the Catholic Church after Vatican II. They also celebrated the Latin Mass. This is what I grew up with. They believe all post-Vatican II popes as not true popes. I came into full communion with the Catholic Church a couple of months before I got married. I ended up meeting someone at the new church I was attending. He was very dissatisfied with contemporary Catholicism as was I. We decided to research and find the truth. We bounced around quite a bit looking into anything from the Charismatic movement, back to the traditional movement, and finally to Byzantine Catholicism. We got very well acquainted with Eastern spirituality and felt very much at home. We would spend hours talking with the priest. He is actually the one that got me to start questioning Catholicism believe it or not. He was Catholic, but did not believe in the papacy, purgatory, original sin, etc, etc, etc. I asked myself on numerous occasions, "why is he not Orthodox?". I started my quest into Orthodoxy after spending some time within Eastern Catholicism. I have been researching off and on for a couple of years and very intensely of the last 8 months or so. I sincerely ask that you all keep me in your prayers on this journey.

[JR]

I am going to be made a catechumen very soon. I come from a Roman Catholic background with very traditional and Tridentine leanings. I originally was brought up in a church that had formed a schism within the Catholic Church after Vatican II. They also celebrated the Latin Mass. This is what I grew up with. They believe all post-Vatican II popes as not true popes. I came into full communion with the Catholic Church a couple of months before I got married. I ended up meeting someone at the new church I was attending. He was very dissatisfied with contemporary Catholicism as was I. We decided to research and find the truth. We bounced around quite a bit looking into anything from the Charismatic movement, back to the traditional movement, and finally to Byzantine Catholicism. We got very well acquainted with Eastern spirituality and felt very much at home. We would spend hours talking with the priest. He is actually the one that got me to start questioning Catholicism believe it or not. He was Catholic, but did not believe in the papacy, purgatory, original sin, etc, etc, etc. I asked myself on numerous occasions, "why is he not Orthodox?". I started my quest into Orthodoxy after spending some time within Eastern Catholicism. I have been researching off and on for a couple of years and very intensely of the last 8 months or so. I sincerely ask that you all keep me in your prayers on this journey.

Χριστος Ανεστη

Welcome to The OC forum Greek-yogurt.

I will pray for your Journey,

I am also a catechumen and it seems we have made a very similar journey, as in I come from the tradition Catholic background.

Peace in Christ

JR

[Wieliczkowski]

Christ is in our midst.

I was baptised the 24th of June 2011, on the birth of St John the Baptist feast day. I was recieved in a bulgarian local church, being baptised by a russian priest from the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe(very canonical situation, indeed).
My family originaly comes from Romania, an orthodox mother and jew from Romania father. I was not baptised as a baby. I had to research myself, between the Vatican Church and the Catholic Church, and chose the Catholic Church. So i guess i'm a convert.

Slava lui Dumnezeu pentru toate!

[mabsoota]

yes, may God be praised!
there are several romanian speakers here...
 

[Peter J]

Yes. Let us pray and fight for the reorienting of the Carolingian hijacked Church (and now more so with other worldly/demonic forces)  which in spite of that  still at times had wonderful fruits of the spirit in liturature, music, and art, and martyrs for the faith and for the most part orthodox and devout saints. It is time for us to "Withstand him (Peter) to his face, because he is to be blamed." But as Paul was stern he was loving and did so for righteousness sake and for the sake Peter and his flock. Not to point a finger.

I think some of your fellow Orthodox here would take issue with your referring to the Pope as "Peter". 

[Peter J]

I am going to be made a catechumen very soon. I come from a Roman Catholic background with very traditional and Tridentine leanings. I originally was brought up in a church that had formed a schism within the Catholic Church after Vatican II. They also celebrated the Latin Mass. This is what I grew up with. They believe all post-Vatican II popes as not true popes. I came into full communion with the Catholic Church a couple of months before I got married. I ended up meeting someone at the new church I was attending. He was very dissatisfied with contemporary Catholicism as was I. We decided to research and find the truth. We bounced around quite a bit looking into anything from the Charismatic movement, back to the traditional movement, and finally to Byzantine Catholicism. We got very well acquainted with Eastern spirituality and felt very much at home. We would spend hours talking with the priest. He is actually the one that got me to start questioning Catholicism believe it or not. He was Catholic, but did not believe in the papacy, purgatory, original sin, etc, etc, etc. I asked myself on numerous occasions, "why is he not Orthodox?". I started my quest into Orthodoxy after spending some time within Eastern Catholicism. I have been researching off and on for a couple of years and very intensely of the last 8 months or so. I sincerely ask that you all keep me in your prayers on this journey.

Χριστος Ανεστη

Welcome to The OC forum Greek-yogurt.

I will pray for your Journey,

I am also a catechumen and it seems we have made a very similar journey, as in I come from the tradition Catholic background.

Peace in Christ

JR

It's interesting how many traditional Catholics look East -- that is to say, on OCnet I see a lot of signs of traditional Catholics looking East. There's another forum a participate on, which is for traditional Catholics but it's about as anti-Orthodox as you can get. 

[primuspilus]

There's another forum a participate on, which is for traditional Catholics but it's about as anti-Orthodox as you can get.

Meh, nobody's perfect

PP

[William]

Slava lui Dumnezeu pentru toate!

Does that mean "Glory to the Lord for all things"?

[Aindriú]

Slava lui Dumnezeu pentru toate!

Does that mean "Glory to the Lord for all things"?

I think it means "I want a can of hash and a cup of joe."

[Wieliczkowski]

Slava lui Dumnezeu pentru toate!

Does that mean "Glory to the Lord for all things"?

I think it means "I want a can of hash and a cup of joe."

 
Yes William; that is what it means.

[Frederic]

Hello,

I am a former Roman Catholic who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy two months ago. I had been pondering over the issue for about ten years and took the plunge only recently.

What made me join Orthodoxy? It is not very clear. A sense that Orthodoxy has kept the greatest continuity with Ancient Christianity.

Another reason (but not a good one): I was appalled by Benedict XVI's encyclical Caritas in Veritate. But this happened to be a strong argument in favour of a conversion.

[JR]

Hello,

I am a former Roman Catholic who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy two months ago. I had been pondering over the issue for about ten years and took the plunge only recently.

What made me join Orthodoxy? It is not very clear. A sense that Orthodoxy has kept the greatest continuity with Ancient Christianity.

Another reason (but not a good one): I was appalled by Benedict XVI's encyclical Caritas in Veritate. But this happened to be a strong argument in favour of a conversion.

Why are you appalled with the Benedict XVI's encyclical Caritas in Veritate?

[Frederic]

I was appalled at his stance on globalization (emphasis mine):

« 67. In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations Organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth. One also senses the urgent need to find innovative ways of implementing the principle of the responsibility to protect and of giving poorer nations an effective voice in shared decision-making. This seems necessary in order to arrive at a political, juridical and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity. To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago. Such an authority would need to be regulated by law, to observe consistently the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, to seek to establish the common good, and to make a commitment to securing authentic integral human development inspired by the values of charity in truth. Furthermore, such an authority would need to be universally recognized and to be vested with the effective power to ensure security for all, regard for justice, and respect for rights. Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties, and also with the coordinated measures adopted in various international forums. Without this, despite the great progress accomplished in various sectors, international law would risk being conditioned by the balance of power among the strongest nations. The integral development of peoples and international cooperation require the establishment of a greater degree of international ordering, marked by subsidiarity, for the management of globalization[149]. They also require the construction of a social order that at last conforms to the moral order, to the interconnection between moral and social spheres, and to the link between politics and the economic and civil spheres, as envisaged by the Charter of the United Nations. »

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html

[Cyrillic]

Oh my, its the NWO!

 

[WPM]

You can get your books & reading materials online at www.bn.com, or www.amazon.com...

[Basil Haddad]

Hi, My Name
was Bassam mohamad farouk Haddad, I was Born in Lebanon 27/03/1966 as a Muslim, my mother was christian Orthodox. I am one of 8 brothers and sisters 3 of us been to the same mother and the rest half brothers and sisters,  my Father was abusive, an alcoholic, a womanizer and used to bash my mother, I also was afraid of him.

My Mother was kicked out several times and ended living my her mother brother and sisters, she would take us to the church sometimes and I was very fond of the virgin Mary and Jesus and the cross, there is a little cave near my uncles house and I use to visit it with my untie and she said If I believe in god the coins will stick to the icons and she would try and they wouldn't stick, then I tried and they stuck, she hit me in a fun way just playing around around.
A lot of things happened to me in Lebanon including sin even though I was 6 or so and the coin will not sick for me after that
My dad died when I was 7 and in Lebanon the women dont have rights the their children especially in Islam even if the father passes away.
Well my dad passed away in an accident and my dads brothers came looking for us me first as they take the children away from the mother when they turn 7 years old but my mother told them to let me finish school and they can have all 3 of us, they agreed, in that time my mother made up passports in her maiden name, apparently a judge knew my dad and didnt like the way he was and let my mother go ahead with papers/passports and she took of to Australia with us.
we arrived in Australia in 1974 were sin continued to eat away at me but I always prayed for Jesus to take me to heaven, my sin grew so bad and rapidly it was frightening, at the age of 19 I met a Greek girl she was 21 at the time and we fell in love but in sin, and I told her about my pas sins, she looked at me and walked away got about 30 meters from me and came back and she said will you ever go back to you sinful ways and I said no, she kissed me and said I cant leave you and want to help you, we got married in 1990 after I got baptized in the Greek orthodox church and changed my name to Vasilios Basil Daaboul.
when my wifes grandmother passed away I went into depression knowing is my turn one day and needed help from our church, I went to confession regularly and in that time I met my dads brother for the first time and spoke with my half siblings for the first time in 20 years I again got confused frightened and continued going to confession about my confusion in religion but never doubted my love for Christianity but just confused all the same,  I ended up going to Jerusalem were we stayed one night in Telaviv , we had no were else to stay after that night, we had our 2 year old son Dimitri with us and we made our way to Jafa gate were we met a deacon named farther arristovolelas , not sure of the spelling, he gave us his room next to mt Golgotha and we seen many great wonders, all the holy sites and I broke down inside Christs tomb.
Wen it was time to leave for Greece the deacon asked if we can drop of a letter in Katterini in Greece to his sister and my wife happily agreed, when we got to Greece my wife went to the deacons sisters house to deliver the letter and was blown away to find the deacons sister is one of her relatives
we went to Jerusalem with faith and our god Jesus Christ puts us with Family <3 I came back to Australia a new person and sadly drifted away into sin, today I continue to fight and walk and  to confession holy communion , Last year I ended up going to Lebanon and met my Brothers and sisters for the first time in 38 years, I broke down and cried only with the younger of my two older sisters, yes they are Muslim and I made it clear to them we will not speak about religion although my older sister tried, I just walked away, I love them and continue to speak to them, I even took my wife to meet them this year, but in Christ I live and die whether I go to heaven or not its up to our lord Jesus Christ, I have learned a lot about Islam and was shocked to know how it came to be and sad for my Brothers sisters cousins, uncles all of them but Ive never tried talking to them about my faith, I know it wont go down well.
I cant thank Jesus Christ enough for the Angel I married to were her faith is strong and her love for me and our two boys Dimitri and Christo is just amazing, my two older boys are still alter boys at the age of 19 and 16.
I continue to fall and get back up but Im finding more strength to stay away from sin these days and fighting the good fight.
I have seen many wonders and seen things I dont want to speak about, I have so much more to tell and can take up days to wright about them but I wont, I hope you enjoy reading this and this is the first time I shared it publicly .

My New Name since meeting my Brothers and sisters is Vasilios Bassam Haddad I kept my baptized name and my previosn name Bassam Haddad as my middle and last name.

God Bless

[dzheremi]

Very powerful testimony! Thank you for sharing it, Vasilios! (or do you prefer Bassam?)

May God continue to guide you. There are many times when our conversions create tension with our families (it happened to me too, between me and my father and grandmother), but through continuing to love them and trying to be good examples of our faith without being harsh toward their belief, we might with much patience see good results. It has been over a year now since I began attending the Coptic Orthodox Church, but my father has recently said "maybe" to going to liturgy sometime...I know it still means "no" (this is one of those things that a son just knows from years of being told "maybe" as a child, when it always meant "no" ), but at least it's not saying "no", so it is a little softer than before when he would yell and tell me that I don't know what I'm doing, and that the Church is stupid, and all manner of terrible things. I thank God for even this little bit of improvement, and I pray that you will experience even better with your own family.

[Basil Haddad]

HI dzheremi Vasilios Or Basil is Fine, my mum and imidiate family still call me Bassam but im used to it.
Im afraid Im not very good at examples but Today Im better than yesterday and learning everyday

[JR]

Hi, My Name
was Bassam mohamad farouk Haddad, I was Born in Lebanon 27/03/1966 as a Muslim, my mother was christian Orthodox. I am one of 8 brothers and sisters 3 of us been to the same mother and the rest half brothers and sisters,  my Father was abusive, an alcoholic, a womanizer and used to bash my mother, I also was afraid of him.

My Mother was kicked out several times and ended living my her mother brother and sisters, she would take us to the church sometimes and I was very fond of the virgin Mary and Jesus and the cross, there is a little cave near my uncles house and I use to visit it with my untie and she said If I believe in god the coins will stick to the icons and she would try and they wouldn't stick, then I tried and they stuck, she hit me in a fun way just playing around around.
A lot of things happened to me in Lebanon including sin even though I was 6 or so and the coin will not sick for me after that
My dad died when I was 7 and in Lebanon the women dont have rights the their children especially in Islam even if the father passes away.
Well my dad passed away in an accident and my dads brothers came looking for us me first as they take the children away from the mother when they turn 7 years old but my mother told them to let me finish school and they can have all 3 of us, they agreed, in that time my mother made up passports in her maiden name, apparently a judge knew my dad and didnt like the way he was and let my mother go ahead with papers/passports and she took of to Australia with us.
we arrived in Australia in 1974 were sin continued to eat away at me but I always prayed for Jesus to take me to heaven, my sin grew so bad and rapidly it was frightening, at the age of 19 I met a Greek girl she was 21 at the time and we fell in love but in sin, and I told her about my pas sins, she looked at me and walked away got about 30 meters from me and came back and she said will you ever go back to you sinful ways and I said no, she kissed me and said I cant leave you and want to help you, we got married in 1990 after I got baptized in the Greek orthodox church and changed my name to Vasilios Basil Daaboul.
when my wifes grandmother passed away I went into depression knowing is my turn one day and needed help from our church, I went to confession regularly and in that time I met my dads brother for the first time and spoke with my half siblings for the first time in 20 years I again got confused frightened and continued going to confession about my confusion in religion but never doubted my love for Christianity but just confused all the same,  I ended up going to Jerusalem were we stayed one night in Telaviv , we had no were else to stay after that night, we had our 2 year old son Dimitri with us and we made our way to Jafa gate were we met a deacon named farther arristovolelas , not sure of the spelling, he gave us his room next to mt Golgotha and we seen many great wonders, all the holy sites and I broke down inside Christs tomb.
Wen it was time to leave for Greece the deacon asked if we can drop of a letter in Katterini in Greece to his sister and my wife happily agreed, when we got to Greece my wife went to the deacons sisters house to deliver the letter and was blown away to find the deacons sister is one of her relatives
we went to Jerusalem with faith and our god Jesus Christ puts us with Family <3 I came back to Australia a new person and sadly drifted away into sin, today I continue to fight and walk and  to confession holy communion , Last year I ended up going to Lebanon and met my Brothers and sisters for the first time in 38 years, I broke down and cried only with the younger of my two older sisters, yes they are Muslim and I made it clear to them we will not speak about religion although my older sister tried, I just walked away, I love them and continue to speak to them, I even took my wife to meet them this year, but in Christ I live and die whether I go to heaven or not its up to our lord Jesus Christ, I have learned a lot about Islam and was shocked to know how it came to be and sad for my Brothers sisters cousins, uncles all of them but Ive never tried talking to them about my faith, I know it wont go down well.
I cant thank Jesus Christ enough for the Angel I married to were her faith is strong and her love for me and our two boys Dimitri and Christo is just amazing, my two older boys are still alter boys at the age of 19 and 16.
I continue to fall and get back up but Im finding more strength to stay away from sin these days and fighting the good fight.
I have seen many wonders and seen things I dont want to speak about, I have so much more to tell and can take up days to wright about them but I wont, I hope you enjoy reading this and this is the first time I shared it publicly .

My New Name since meeting my Brothers and sisters is Vasilios Bassam Haddad I kept my baptized name and my previosn name Bassam Haddad as my middle and last name.

God Bless

Vasilios Bassam Haddad your testimony is an inspiration to us all.

Thank you for sharing and may God bless and guide you always.

JR

[Wilma]

Hi everyone!

I'm new on this site and also Newly Illumined Orthodox. I was Chrismated this last weekend along my husband and children. I had been RC for 35 years and always felt there was something wrong. Since I was a little child, and then a young Catechist, I had many questions that were always replied with a slap from my Catholic priest. He was Spanish and apparently children are not allowed to ask questions about God in his country. I'd always ask why the Pope was infalible, why the Filioque, where in the Bible (or apocrypha) was the Immaculate Conception, why the schism, etc. He would tell me that I should believe as children do, without questions...but even since I was a child, I had questions 

My husband and became pregnant before we married, and having studied at a Roman Catholic University, that made us sinners. Soon after we married by the civil law, we tried to have our "wedding" by the church, but I was yelled at and called a concubine at the priest's office.

My husband was in active duty (US Army) so we traveled a lot and never got the chance to settle down in a place. I tried to visit different churches, but it never felt right. In a desperate attempt for belonging I let Jehova Witnesses into my house...big mistake! My mind and heart were Orthodox, but I didn't know yet. They came to teach me and left confused and angry at me because I spoke the "devil's lies" and was trying to "weaken" their faith.

When somebody asked what religion we were, we would always reply, we are Jesus Christ followers so we are pre-denomination :-) I never knew this was actually one of the many descriptions of the EO church! 

Two years ago my husband retired from active duty and we decided to settle. I love to read so I started reading about the local churches in order to find a spiritual home and somehow I came to an article about RC vs. EO and it all made sense. All my questions were finally answered in a way that made sense and was loyal to the scriptures, the tradition and to the HISTORY. We started visiting a Greek Orthodox parish, but it was hard to understand as 50%of the Liturgy is in Greek. A parishioner told us about a very small Russian church closer to our house and where all the services were in English. I contacted the fr. Nectarios and we found our spiritual home. His wife and him Chrismated us last weekend and they are also our Godparents. We feel like we have always belonged to the church...it was as if we were in a loooong trip and finally arrived home. The church is alive in us and is a constant part of our daily lives, I no longer feel the need to look for Jesus as I know I have found Him. My prayers are no longer a desperate call from a Father that seemed far away, but a personal conversation with the Father that called me unto being. I am home!

Wilmary

[mabsoota]

welcome, wilma and your family!
may God bless u all.
keep reading the Bible and praying and attending church and may God guide u.
 

[Peter J]

I'm new on this site and also Newly Illumined Orthodox. I was Chrismated this last weekend along my husband and children. I had been RC for 35 years and always felt there was something wrong. Since I was a little child, and then a young Catechist, I had many questions that were always replied with a slap from my Catholic priest.

 

Do you mean literally?

[Wilma]

I'm new on this site and also Newly Illumined Orthodox. I was Chrismated this last weekend along my husband and children. I had been RC for 35 years and always felt there was something wrong. Since I was a little child, and then a young Catechist, I had many questions that were always replied with a slap from my Catholic priest.

 

Do you mean literally?

Sadly, yes. Literally a slap on my face, sometimes ine on each side at the same time so I coulnt dodge. If he meant to hurt me he will respond to God.

[JR]

I'm new on this site and also Newly Illumined Orthodox. I was Chrismated this last weekend along my husband and children. I had been RC for 35 years and always felt there was something wrong. Since I was a little child, and then a young Catechist, I had many questions that were always replied with a slap from my Catholic priest.

 

Do you mean literally?

Sadly, yes. Literally a slap on my face, sometimes ine on each side at the same time so I coulnt dodge. If he meant to hurt me he will respond to God.

Lord have mercy, truly shocking behavior !

[Wilma]

 
[/quote]

Lord have mercy, truly shocking behavior !
[/quote]

I was told by a Spanish lady, whos father used to be a RC priest who decided to break his vow after meeting his now wife, that it was a common way for Spanish RC priests to treat "noisy" children.  Maybe he thought I asked too much?   I'm a mother now and wouldn't let anyone do something like that to my children. 

[St_Domnica]

Hi all,

This side of the forum looks a little dead, but I've been lurking on this website for several weeks and would like to finally say hello!

I am a Roman Catholic discerning a conversion to Orthodoxy. My family converted to Catholicism when I was nine or ten years old (I'm now 26) from the Episcopalian church. For years my view of the Catholic faith has gone up and down. Sometimes I didn't agree with their teachings, but I chalked it up to my misunderstanding of the faith and nothing more. Over the past few years, I've felt myself move farther away from Catholicism than I've ever been. My husband and I stopped attending mass for a couple of years (after our son was born in May 2010) and started attending again a couple of years later (after our daughter turned one in December 2012). We've kept going because, regardless of whatever we believe about the Catholic faith, my husband and I wanted show appreciation for our existence by going to Mass. We started taking a deistic view of God, and have become increasingly disillusioned by Catholicism.

I continued to feel something missing from my life. Even though I didn't believe God had anything to do with our lives other than to create the world, I prayed that if he did, intervene in our lives, to please lead me to what I need in my life. To please lead me where I need to be to so I won't be so lackluster about my faith anymore. Somehow, and I'm not even sure when or how it entered into my mind, Orthodoxy came up. Up to six months ago, I had very little bearing on what Orthodoxy was except that "they broke away from the Catholic church over 'and the Son' being in the Creed." I've read more and more about it, and I understand all the "hubbub" about the addition to the Creed by the Roman Catholic Church. The more I research, the more I love what I discover. I'm still not 100% about Orthodoxy, which saddens me, but my journey has only begun about three or four weeks ago. Sometimes I think "Yes, this is it. This is what I've been waiting for," then other times, "No, slow down. Wait. This is not right." I told my mother about considering a conversion, and while she didn't react horribly like I thought she would, she did tell me, "I can only say you might be being led astray. You'd have to understand that to join would be to mean that you believe the Catholic church to be in error." I explained to her that, well, yes, I understood the latter and that would be why I was converting. She did tell me, though, "Well, at least you're not telling me you want to become a Baptist."

On the subject of my husband, he'd either convert with me stop going entirely. He hasn't done any research into Orthodoxy, but what I've told him, he likes the sound of. We live an hour away from the closest Orthodox church (Houston), and to be honest, there are so many options, we don't know which one to choose from! I have not yet gotten in touch with an Orthodox priest yet either. That "wait" part of me is holding me back to be honest.

In any case, I'm very happy to have found this forum!

[finbar]

St Dominica its great to hear your posting....I converted to Orthodoxy from RC, and being an Irish Catholic living in Ireland it was a large cultural as well as religious step. However, I found after a while my relations have come to deeply respect Orthodox Christianity, especially the calibre of the Priests and other Orthodox believers they have inevitably met. Of course the primary thing to do is to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer, and further to that seek the counsel of an Orthodox priest or monastic ( male or female ) about your discernment.
I can only relate my own experience, I was very concerned that I was in error at first, because you leave behind all the comfortable niceties of the familiar. However, as I attended Divine Liturgy more regularly before Chrismation, I began to experience an awareness of the real presence of the Holy Spirit in a way which I have not experienced in an RC mass for decades. I always felt uncomfortable at the brevity and the emphasis upon making the Mass as " user friendly" as possible over the last two decades, I felt it was missing the point, weren't we here to engage in profound and heartfelt worship? How can this pitch be achieved in a mere 40 minutes at most? In the years after Chrismation I can honestly say that I have been so blessed to have been guided into Orthodoxy, it may be a cliche, but I really feel that I had come " home" at last.
I occasionally attend RC  Mass with my wife, who remains RC, (though she does not attend regularly and says Orthodox daily prayers now, and lights the Icon lampada if she's up before me ) , all I am left with is a sense of sadness that the people around me have never experienced the profound beauty of the Orthodox mystical supper, and I just KNOW that the majority  would absolutely recognise its beauty and sacred profundity were they ever given the chance to experience it. Like a man who has visited and exulted in the fragrance and wealth of growth and blooms in  the hanging gardens of Babylon, it is frustrating to know so many will only ever witness a faded picture of its splendour.
Please persevere with your journey to Orthodoxy, God will guide you if you take the first faltering fearful steps, and you will definitely experience an abundance of coincidences or " God Incidences" that will signal you are on the path to the Church, our Saviour established on Earth. I promise you that you will experience quite remarkable coincidences and providential happen chance events or conversations...I was told I would encounter them in Orthodoxy, now they occur with such frequency that I have rather come to anticipate them. This sense of God being there in my every day life was the thing which " felt " most different about being Orthodox as opposed to RC. I do hope you continue on this wonderful wonderful journey, you will never regret it, so long as you continually pray for the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

[mabsoota]

welcome st dominica, i hope you will find some answers here, as i have done (i was previously protestant).
choose a church that has a website in english (i see u are in usa) and that has spiritual activities advertised, such as Bible study after coffee time (after liturgy) or weekend spiritual retreats etc.

if it is only advertising cultural activities, then look for another. (maybe it will turn out to be an amazing church, but as you are only able to 'judge the book by it's cover' before you visit, then choose one with a spiritual 'cover'!)
check the service times (may not be on the website, don't let this bother you, you can telephone and check if not) and go. if you are the only one interested, then go alone, and report back to your family; hopefully to take them with you next time.
you won't know till you try it!
may God guide u.

finbar, it's good to read your post too, i am glad to hear you are telling your friends and relatives about orthodox Christianity. i didn't hear of my irish catholics becoming orthodox, though i do know of one priest in our church from this background.
may God bless your family and give you much patience.

[St_Domnica]

Thank you both very much! I feel as though I'm getting closer and closer to where I'm supposed to be as each day passes. I'm attending my first Divine Liturgy this Sunday, and I'm really looking forward to it! My husband is even softening to the idea of converting which I am very thankful for.

I've contacted a church about converting, and I received an email from the priest (who seemed very affable) stating that we can meet after Liturgy!

[Peter J]

Hi St_Domnica. Welcome to the forum. I'm Catholic too.

I don't post much on the Converts Issues forum; but if you read other sections of OCnet, you've perhaps heard me say before that, if I were Orthodox, I wouldn't leave Orthodoxy. In other words, I can understand where you're coming from.

[Nikolaos Greek]

I was an Old Calendarist since my birth. I had not religion in my life. Just then in the most difficult moment on my life God showed He loves me. Mother Mary the highest saint, our Mother sent me not at the Old Calendarist church which is two-three roads from my house but to an Eastern Orthodox Church further away. And there I began to go only at afternoons at the begin. Then the priest because he had no help asked me if I can help. And so I said yes. He instructed me and knew nothing. I believed that both churches were true. When He learned some months ago, we told him, he explained to us many things and I was sure from the first moment. At 6th April of 2013 I was baptized and so was my brother. At 10th August 2013 my father was baptized. And the proof I made the right choice? I was fought much more by the demons from then until now. God thank you.

[Cyrillic]

Old Calendarists are re-baptized in Greece?

[Nikolaos Greek]

Well here is the problem. Old calendarists is the name of a heresy in our country. They split from the church when the Church of Greece began using the New Julian Calendar. Their priests are fake. Old calendarists that are Eastern orthodox are not re-baptized( for example Russians). Those who belong at this heretic group are baptized if they had not been baptized at Eastern orthodox before. If they had and later converted and convert back they only need to say it at repentance.
P.S. I posted on wrong thread 

[Cyrillic]

Ah, thank you for explaining 

[Shieldmaiden4Christ]

I was born into a Methodist family, and I felt that Methodist worship was empty (so much of it is moving to contemporary worship), so upon discussion with my many Roman Catholic friends, I converted to Catholicism as soon as I left my parents' house. I had considered Orthodoxy, but was told that the Orthodox Church was too "ethnic" for a Scots Irish Czech like myself (from people outside of orthodoxy, of course)! When the previous Pope was elected, I began to have qualms with Catholic doctrine. The concept of the Immaculate Conception always bothered me, because to me it diminished Mary's love for God and her ability to accept His will. The more I reread what I had learned, the more problems that I had with the theology. I do not have problems with the doctrines that align with Orthodoxy, and so I've started looking for Orthodox Parishes in my area. Currently, I'm considering the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

[mabsoota]

welcome!
which country are u in?
i have been to a lovely antiochian church here in uk, and have a good friend who goes there regularly

[DanM]

I was raised Methodist and Evangelical.  I discovered the Apostolic Fathers and Eusebius of Caesarea in high school.  Once graduated, I started visiting different churches.  However, I also loved Dante, medieval philosophy and later on G. K. Chesterton.  I met up with some Orthodox Army folk in Germany and fell in love with the Vespers service (all I saw).  While living in Germany however I was enchanted by a lovely Catholic community on my father's Army post.  The relative poverty of Orthodox agit-prop and the superabundance of Catholic agit-prop helped ease me into the Catholic church.  Five years later, my Roman holiday was over.  I had seen too many loony Masses, had met too many loony religious and had utterly failed to find any literature which would lend any support to the trickiest dogma, papal infallibility.  (I had not even learned of Pope Honorius etc.).  I contacted an Orthodox priest I knew through a friend; he fought like a lion to make sure that we had a ride to church and were catechized.

[Shieldmaiden4Christ]

welcome!
which country are u in?
i have been to a lovely antiochian church here in uk, and have a good friend who goes there regularly

I lived in the U.S.

The Antiochian parish where I live is very small; but where I plan on moving there's a big one.

[Daniel Smith]

Greetings friends:

Wow, how to begin:

My name is Isaac. Or at least it will be when I am baptized. For now, my name on this side of regeneration is Daniel. I am a Catechumen in the GOAA and I have a wonderful and very traditional, but humble and moderate priest, Fr. Joseph Chafee.

I was raised Protestant, Southern Baptist, but Reformed Baptist, Calvinistic. My Pastor at the time was very much into fully informing his flock about the truths of their faith. So every Sermon was sort of like a mini-seminary event. I was homeschooled, and my mom read the Bible with us every day. Old Testament, Psalms, then Proverbs, then the letters of Paul. Then we would discuss what we read. So I grew up in a an environment constantly commenting on and ruminating passages of scripture and getting other peoples take on them. As a young man, I fell into darkness; The occult. From about the age of 15 to 20 for sure, and then off and on until about 22. After my deliverance from that (Through the prayer of my younger brother) I was on fire to be a real Christian, so I got back into Protestantism, and I wanted to know the inside out of it. I decided to go to the beginning and work forward. MISTAKE! lol. The historical record destroys Protestantism. However, All I knew was either Protestant or Catholic, the early church LOOKED Catholic, so I became Catholic. Mar. 19th 2004, the feast of St. Joseph the worker, I was "baptized" in the Roman Church. But I entered into Roman Catholicism with a wrong spirit. I was immediately prone to controversy, and dissatisfied with my options. I was always comparing the Old latin Mass to the Novus Ordo Mess, I mean Mass, I was criticizing liturgical innovation, and I was disgusted with the fact that no Catholic, not ONE that I knew took to heart all the dogmatic teachings of the Roman Church, especially the one about every creature, of necessity, and without exception being subject to the Roman Pontiff for salvation. So, I knew that I needed Tradition, but I was deluded because I had placed myself over everything as Judge Jury and Executor.

During this time I had married, and Now have four Children. My wife was intimately involved in my conversion to Romanism, and so when I decided I needed to convert, it was...IS very painful.

So, one day, 8 years after becoming Roman Catholic, I decided to watch a documentary on Mt. Athos. I was amazed. The monks all had depth of heart, sincerity, love and concern (especially for the interviewer). I realized that I had no love. I had no heart. RC confession wasn't working. I knew all the dogmas, but was empty, vapid, hollow. I lived a life of faith that was not faith, but a purely intellectual exercise. These monks I saw had what I needed. It defied logic and all my arguments. How can you argue with reality? How can you argue with the reality of peace just radiating from their faces? So, I decided I needed to abandon my intellectual baggage, and convert.

Fr. Seraphim Rose said something that struck me once. "When I became Orthodox, I crucified my mind, and resolved to believe what the Holy fathers had always taught, regardless of what I thought of it." That is what I am trying to do.

pray for me, a fool.

[Putnik Namernik]

May Lord be with you! Seek and you shall find...

[Mrs. Jord]

Hi, My Name
was Bassam mohamad farouk Haddad, I was Born in Lebanon 27/03/1966 as a Muslim, my mother was christian Orthodox. I am one of 8 brothers and sisters 3 of us been to the same mother and the rest half brothers and sisters,  my Father was abusive, an alcoholic, a womanizer and used to bash my mother, I also was afraid of him.

My Mother was kicked out several times and ended living my her mother brother and sisters, she would take us to the church sometimes and I was very fond of the virgin Mary and Jesus and the cross, there is a little cave near my uncles house and I use to visit it with my untie and she said If I believe in god the coins will stick to the icons and she would try and they wouldn't stick, then I tried and they stuck, she hit me in a fun way just playing around around.
A lot of things happened to me in Lebanon including sin even though I was 6 or so and the coin will not sick for me after that
My dad died when I was 7 and in Lebanon the women dont have rights the their children especially in Islam even if the father passes away.
Well my dad passed away in an accident and my dads brothers came looking for us me first as they take the children away from the mother when they turn 7 years old but my mother told them to let me finish school and they can have all 3 of us, they agreed, in that time my mother made up passports in her maiden name, apparently a judge knew my dad and didnt like the way he was and let my mother go ahead with papers/passports and she took of to Australia with us.
we arrived in Australia in 1974 were sin continued to eat away at me but I always prayed for Jesus to take me to heaven, my sin grew so bad and rapidly it was frightening, at the age of 19 I met a Greek girl she was 21 at the time and we fell in love but in sin, and I told her about my pas sins, she looked at me and walked away got about 30 meters from me and came back and she said will you ever go back to you sinful ways and I said no, she kissed me and said I cant leave you and want to help you, we got married in 1990 after I got baptized in the Greek orthodox church and changed my name to Vasilios Basil Daaboul.
when my wifes grandmother passed away I went into depression knowing is my turn one day and needed help from our church, I went to confession regularly and in that time I met my dads brother for the first time and spoke with my half siblings for the first time in 20 years I again got confused frightened and continued going to confession about my confusion in religion but never doubted my love for Christianity but just confused all the same,  I ended up going to Jerusalem were we stayed one night in Telaviv , we had no were else to stay after that night, we had our 2 year old son Dimitri with us and we made our way to Jafa gate were we met a deacon named farther arristovolelas , not sure of the spelling, he gave us his room next to mt Golgotha and we seen many great wonders, all the holy sites and I broke down inside Christs tomb.
Wen it was time to leave for Greece the deacon asked if we can drop of a letter in Katterini in Greece to his sister and my wife happily agreed, when we got to Greece my wife went to the deacons sisters house to deliver the letter and was blown away to find the deacons sister is one of her relatives
we went to Jerusalem with faith and our god Jesus Christ puts us with Family <3 I came back to Australia a new person and sadly drifted away into sin, today I continue to fight and walk and  to confession holy communion , Last year I ended up going to Lebanon and met my Brothers and sisters for the first time in 38 years, I broke down and cried only with the younger of my two older sisters, yes they are Muslim and I made it clear to them we will not speak about religion although my older sister tried, I just walked away, I love them and continue to speak to them, I even took my wife to meet them this year, but in Christ I live and die whether I go to heaven or not its up to our lord Jesus Christ, I have learned a lot about Islam and was shocked to know how it came to be and sad for my Brothers sisters cousins, uncles all of them but Ive never tried talking to them about my faith, I know it wont go down well.
I cant thank Jesus Christ enough for the Angel I married to were her faith is strong and her love for me and our two boys Dimitri and Christo is just amazing, my two older boys are still alter boys at the age of 19 and 16.
I continue to fall and get back up but Im finding more strength to stay away from sin these days and fighting the good fight.
I have seen many wonders and seen things I dont want to speak about, I have so much more to tell and can take up days to wright about them but I wont, I hope you enjoy reading this and this is the first time I shared it publicly .

My New Name since meeting my Brothers and sisters is Vasilios Bassam Haddad I kept my baptized name and my previosn name Bassam Haddad as my middle and last name.

God Bless

Thank you for sharing this 

[John of Patmos]

OK, here we go!
So I was a nominal Catholic.  I really wanted to love God more.  I became active in Church, and began to learn theology, and even for a while discerned a vocation.  I then heard about the Orthodox Church.  I just read, and believed that they had committed schism.  At this point I was very interested in ecumenism (ughhhh, I know ), and hoped that Orthodoxy and Rome would "get together".  I heard about the Tridentine rite of the Roman Church, and became more "high church", but still was interested in ecumenism a la Vatican II.  I also on and off investigated the theology of the Eastern Catholics. 
This is where things get interesting.  Part of me wanted to be Orthodox, but I thought "No, this is a sin!"  I fought it back, and just buried it for some time.  It would resurface, but I buried it again with polemics.  This went on for about a year.  Finally, this past two months, I decided I would finally give Orthodoxy a look see.  I bought Kallistos Ware's "The Orthodox Church", and started reading more about Orthodoxy's view on the schism of 1054.  And guess what; it made sense.  The pope grabbed power he never had.  This is obvious in the way that he suppressed various western rites. I kept quiet as I truly started to become Orthodox "in my heart".  Finally, I contacted a saint of a priest at my local Greek Orthodox Church.  I am not yet a catachumen but God willing it will be done soon!
As an interesting anecdote, my friend (she was the first Greek orthodox I had ever met) said she was not suprised when I told her I was becoming Orthodox; She said she saw it coming!
Amen!

[gypsyjohn]

I come from a irish traveller half romany gypsy family who are very devoted catholics,but for years i was at odds with the churches teaching and didnt feel it was the truth but i still attended mass. I went to walshinham and found a little orthodox church there but no one was present, but i felt so good like the holy spirt had guiled me there.However i kept putting it off to find out more.Then i said i cannot keep ingorning the holy spirt and started researhing and reading books about church history.14 months ago i woke up on a sunday i was going to go to mass but i said to myself  i cannot  live a lie.so i got on the internet google the orthodox church as i did soo many times  and there was a litury starting in 15 mins around the corner from my home.I went there they were so welcoming but it was in coptic-arbic but i was told saturday they do english services, i went for some  time and then became orthodox. my family still are at odds with me, but by Gods grace they will come to know the true church of christ. amen