Many Catholic converts experience a certain measure of “culture shock” that comes along with conversion. Depending on what faith background you come from, that can take different forms.
Several years ago, as a way to start conversations at our CHNetwork Retreats, we began sharing a list of ten of those “culture shock” experiences that are common to especially those who come from a Protestant background. You can read that list here.
Over time, we’ve gotten several more great suggestions from retreat attendees of indicators that you might be a Catholic convert; here are 10 more of those signs:
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1. If when someone says the word “crusade,” your first thought is still Billy Graham rather than the Knights Templar, you might be a convert.
2. If you’re the only person in your church who goes up to people after Mass and asks them if they’re new here, you might be a convert.
3. If you still sometimes refer to the “cry room” as the “nursery,” you might be a convert.
4. If you only ever gamble at church and you always play to lose, you might be a convert.
5. If you still sometimes accidentally refer to the 8AM Mass as the “Early Service” and the 11AM Mass as the “Contemporary Service,” you might be a convert.
6. If you used to have negative associations with the word “religious,” but now you associate it with the coolest monks and nuns you know, you might be a convert.
7. If you’ve ever wondered why they call it a Catholic bookstore when most of the stuff in there isn’t books, you might be a convert.
8. If you’ve ever been to a parish festival and wondered why they booked a Bon Jovi tribute band instead of the Christian version of Bon Jovi, you might be a convert.
9. If you used to stress out about what church you were going to visit on vacation but now you’re relieved because you know exactly where you’re going to go no matter what town you’re in, you might be a convert.
10. If you used to drink caramel cappuccinos at church, and now you’re exploring Carmelite and Capuchin spirituality, you might be a convert.
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Thank you to the CHNetwork family, and especially “cradle Catholics,” for helping us converts come home and be at home in the Catholic Church!
And if you’d ever like to join us on a CHNetwork retreat, you can find our upcoming opportunities at chnetwork.org/retreats.
