I said I’d never become Catholic, but God had different plans for me, and it all started with the Rosary.
When I met my now husband eight years ago, I seriously didn’t even have a good understanding of who Jesus Christ was. My husband is a cradle Catholic and would go to Mass every Sunday, and I would go alongside him, but I honestly told him that I’ll go, but I’ll never become Catholic.
When 2020 Changed Everything
Then 2020 hit, and it hit hard. I had one of the hardest years of my life, and little cues made me want to explore faith, including my boyfriend, now husband, who explained away every objection that I had learned about Christianity growing up.
I told him I’d go to Mass with him, but I also wanted to go to “normal” church. We joined a 20s and 30s group, met some really nice people, and then I joined a faith formation class called Rooted. Ironically, about 80% of the people in the faith formation were people who were raised Catholic and felt the faith didn’t resonate with them, and that they never felt anything when they went.
The First Nudge Toward Catholicism
This was one pivotal moment where I felt I was given a sign to learn more about Catholicism and make that decision myself. I ended up leaving Rooted after two meetings and joining my husband at Alpha at our local parish, and I absolutely loved it.
We were given the book Why We’re Catholic, and after reading it, I was convinced that if one religion is the truth, it was the Catholic religion. If you are exploring the faith or just curious, I highly recommend this book.
The Rosary That Started Everything
During Alpha, on Palm Sunday, we went to go visit the mission in San Juan Capistrano. We went into the gift shop, and I saw this rosary in a glass case, and I had to have it. At the time, I hadn’t outwardly expressed my faith even to my boyfriend, so this was a huge step.
This rosary was the start to everything.
I felt incredibly called to the rosary and dove headfirst. I read books on praying the rosary, prayed the rosary like never before, and started to make rosaries for myself, my friends, and as gifts to the church.
Wrestling With the Decision
Shortly after, we got engaged, and we had always discussed getting married in the Catholic Church, so then the decision came of whether or not I’d become Catholic. We started marriage prep, and on the first day, a new priest was starting at the parish.
We met with him, and he asked if I was becoming Catholic, and I told him probably not, but I was still deciding. He ended up offering to meet with me one on one and help me decide. He happened to be a convert as well.
We met every other week, and I self studied at home with the book Credo by the Dominican Friars Thomistic Institute, while also doing my own reading, going to the chapel in adoration, and praying the rosary. I would come in with my best questions and my objections, and the priest would answer them.
Choosing the Leap of Faith
Until the day came where it was time to make a decision. I went in prepared to tell him no. I told him, I don’t know. Sometimes I feel it, and sometimes I don’t, so I don’t know if I’m ready.
He replied, to be honest with you, there are many days I don’t feel it, but I choose to take the leap of faith every day, and you need to decide whether you want to take that leap of faith.
He ended up giving me until Christmas Day to decide.
On Christmas Day, I sent him an email saying that I was moving forward, and I wrote my boyfriend, now my fiancé, a journal entry that I gave him after Mass, letting him know it was a beautiful day.
The signs leading up to Easter Vigil
The big day was Easter Sunday at the Easter Vigil. Leading up to this day, I had many signs from God. During adoration, the Eucharist was pulsing like a heartbeat. I didn’t say anything because I thought I was crazy. A few days later, my boyfriend mentioned that he saw it too.
We went to Mass on the beach, which was a super rare and amazing experience. During prayer, I asked God to show me a sign if He’s real, and I said, show me a blue bird. I opened my eyes, and a big blue plane flew right over our heads in that exact moment.
Becoming Catholic on Easter Vigil 2023
On this day, I became Catholic, wearing my special rosary, of course. Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. After, it was more elating than I could have expected. I’d been nervous leading up to it, but it was one of the best days ever.
The Sacrament of Marriage
We got married in July 2023, and I got to be in full communion with my husband on our wedding day. We were also married by the same priest that had guided me to become Catholic, and our wedding day happened to be the priest’s last day at the parish.
From meeting with him on his first day at the parish to getting the sacrament of marriage on his last day, we feel like God knew exactly what He was doing when He was placed on our path, and that God knew exactly what He was doing that Palm Sunday where I came across my first rosary that sparked the fire in me.
For Anyone Reading This...
Whether you’re just starting your faith journey, learning about Catholicism, or a full believer, I pray that God gives you the signs that help you to live out your faith fully and find the truth.
