All,
I joined this community right before Christmas. I learned of this after a Google search after watching several episodes of “The Journey Home” on EWTN. I posted a few messages but realized I haven’t yet written an “introduce myself” message.
I’m not sure of the proper format or how much (or how little) to share. So, I may go lengthy but here’s me.
I was born in July of 1970. My father was and is a Southern Baptist minister. I am the oldest of two. I went to church regularly as a child (Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday nights). I also read the bible regularly and extensively.
Growing up I was dis-invited from several Sunday School classes. This would typically happen during a lesson when a teacher was teaching something and I’d bring up a scripture reference that the teacher found difficult to deal with. This is when I started to realize the many challenges with the idea of “sola Scriptura”
(1) There are some scripture passages that are just complex and need a more complex understanding.
(2) If a passage can be interpreted in more than one way, who has the authority to help clarify this?
At the age of 13, I left home. I left to attend a residential High School (but I never returned to live with my nuclear family full-time after that). During my HS and college years I ended up with friends that attended a UMC Methodist church. It was an opening experience to realize there was a world of Christianity beyond the Southern Baptist Experience. During my undergraduate years (ages 15-18) I was active in the Wesley Foundation and even had a chance to preach in several smaller churches as part of a student worship team.
Ages 19-23 I was in a Ph.D. program and joined the local congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I was drawn to the weekly observance and importance placed on communion.
At age 25 I married a young woman and, when we attended a church, we attended an Episcopal church (her background). She left me in 2004. We were civilly divorced. In 2005, this marriage was annulled by the Diocese of Austin. I was working at St. Edward’s University at the time and the annulment process was assisted by St. Ignatius Martyr (the local Holy Cross congregation).
I went through this process so that in December of 2005, when I married my wife in the Disciples of Christ church we ALSO, by Dispensation of Bishop Aymond, were granted the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony (our marriage is recorded at St. Ignatius Martyr). My is a Catholic since birth (her family is from south Texas and are third generation Czech immigrants).
In the fall of 2004, I began attending an RCIA course but left right after Christmas and did not participate in the Rite of Welcoming to become a Candidate. However, I did learn a lot of Catholic “head knowledge”.
We have two sons (born in 2010 and 2008) and are both Baptized Catholic. Up until 2013 I was very active in the Disciples of Christ. I became an elder in the church and, for two years, was a commissioned minister who , mainly supply preached on Sundays. I also officiated at a friends graveside memorial service.
This past Spring (2017) my oldest son took First Eucharist. As he was getting ready that day he asked me “Dad why don’t you become Catholic so we can all take Communion together as a family.” I describe this as my “heart moment”. When God the Holy Spirit used my son to open my heart to be open to taking the journey to be part of his unified holy Church.
I am now an official Candidate in an RCIA program in my local parish. I attend Mass regularly and am enjoying the process of learning, praying, growing, and taking the time to let God form my heart as I prepare to formally come in to full Communion with the Catholic church. I have also taken part in the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation – once in the fall after talking with our Pastor and again in December as part of our Parish wide Advent Penance service.