Although I was happily raised in the Methodist church, and actually still teach preschool in that very same church, I decided to join the Catholic church in 2014. My husband and I had been together for about ten years at the time, and I'd almost immediately started attending Catholic Mass with him on a regular basis. Having been away from church in general since high school, I found it refreshing to come back to God and felt quite at home going through the Mass.
Thus, for years, I had "become Catholic" as an item on my never-ending "to-do" list - right up there with "learn sign language" and "learn to sew." Yet, there was always something I saw standing in my way. First it was that I was simultaneously engaged, going through my first year of teaching, and finishing my master's work all at once. No way did I wish to add anything more to my plate. Then it was that we'd just moved in to a new house, and I was (still) busy getting my feet wet teaching. And then we started having kids...
Finally, I just decided there would never be a "good" or "right" time, but to just DO it. The catalyst came shortly before the fall of 2013, when, while sitting in Mass, my then 4-year-old daughter inquired why they were ringing bells in the middle of Mass. As a mother and a teacher, I felt crushed that I couldn't offer her an answer, beyond "go ask your father." I realized since I made the commitment to raise my kids Catholic, then I needed to know more about their (and my) faith!
Thus, my journey began. For an entire school year, I devoted my Monday evenings, and many Sunday morning masses to learning about Catholicism, to committing to the Catholic church. It's been an amazing journey, and I've learned so much in the process - with the idea that neither my journey nor my learning have completed. It truly is a life long process.
I began RCIA with an almost matter-of-fact approach, thinking I already knew most of the basics, but just needed to fill-in-the-gaps. While it was true that I had many gaps to fill in, I discovered quickly that ...well, I didn't know what all I didn't know!
On Becoming Catholic emerged as an idea towards the end of my time in RCIA, when we began discussing what was next for us. One evening, we even completed an inventory of our skills, strengths, and talents - so we could see what gifts God gave us for serving Him and for being a part of our church community. I wasn't the least bit surprised to learn my strongest strength was writing. After all, I'd always been nurtured to be a writer, and had been running Atlanta's Frugal Mom for about 4 years. While my mission for OBC may change over time, its overall intent should remain clear: it's a place to share your journey, read of others' journeys in to Catholicism, and to help educate any one wanting to find out more about becoming Catholic.
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