As members of the Coming Home Network explore the Catholic Faith from a wide variety of faith backgrounds and ministerial experiences, many encounter moments of conflict and tension, trying to reconcile what they have known with the multitude of things they are discovering about the Catholic Church. Some approach with trepidation, while others absorb all that is new with wonder.
With this in mind, we asked our community members what they were surprised to love about being Catholic after making the journey into full communion with the Church or coming back after having been away. Here is what some of them had to say:
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“Kneeling in Mass. I was so afraid of it as a Protestant. Now I get it. The sacred space with His presence!”
~Gina B.
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“The way the entire congregation responds in perfect unison when saying the Creed or Our Father. It’s a full and happy sound.”
~Helen D.
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“I can go to Mass anywhere in the world. Even if it’s not in my language I can still follow along.”
~Travis R.
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“The Catholic Church housing many schools of theology/philosophy in one big tent. I was raised Fundamentalist and Dispensationalist… (we) were actually way more dogmatic than the Holy See has ever been, when it came to what we could and could not believe. But in Catholicism, I came to love and appreciate that Thomism, Augustinianism, Benedictine Spirituality, Franciscan Spirituality, Carmelite Spirituality, Ignatian Spirituality…can all cohabitate and cooperate together in One Church.”
~Bradley T.
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“Eucharistic Adoration and the veneration of Saints. My whole understanding of Eucharist and Ecclesiology has changed and it’s wonderful—and I was an Anglican priest!”
~Michael B.
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“Catholic apologetics on Biblical points counteracting fundamentalism. While Mary wasn’t a problem in my mind, I didn’t get a rosary until my confirmation. I am loving it now that I’ve kept at it, like I keep gaining new insights and more peace—it never gets old, and so many suffering people need our prayers!”
~Misha S.
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“I didn’t expect to love the Saints so much. Getting to know them through their writings is an absolute joy for me!”
~Tomer S.
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“The Mass. Goodness gracious there’s so much but as I got older I didn’t expect that I would love almost every minute of Mass and look forward to it so many days of the week! The peace there is beyond anything we can explain!”
~Suzanne M.
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