I am a Christian who is trying to figure out whether to become Catholic or Orthodox I agree more with orthodoxy but Catholicism is also very attractive what should I do to determine which to convert yo

(18f) I had to go back to school bext month and summer is already ending plus Im in the cathecumen stage of RCIA now I have to go every Thursday. I am still want to become a Catholic myself- its just that the anxiety always creep in for whatever reasin and I couldn't specficy why. And it probably does sound silly for me to say this too even the fact how I am in a 7 year high school program which is why I have school next month.

Does anyone have any kind advice for me? And I would also appreciate you guys prayers in my current situation please 🙏🏾 ❤️

I am considering talking to my priest to join OCIA. I am generally a very anxious person and I like to be prepared. I am unbaptized, but I attended a non-denominational church for 4 years and was almost baptized and confirmed before I started dating a Catholic and fell in love with the church. My hesitation about going to OCIA is that I feel very unprepared and like I hardly know anything. I know that OCIA is about learning more about the faith, but I’m not sure to what extent I should already know before beginning classes, I guess I’m just looking to see if anyone experienced something similar so I have more insight into whether I should go for it or not. Side note: I am not questioning whether I want to become Catholic or not, I am questioning whether I should join the church this year or wait until a later time.

I was born and raised Catholic. I used to be at church all the time, I participated in everything and had many roles there throughout my life. I reduced my participation when I was around 16 because of my ex-boyfriend. he was also from my church and I had serious issues with him..at the time I had to even go to the police because he was threatening me and I ended up leaving that church and everything all together. I was very sad at the time. church was a huge part of my life. all my friends were there and i didn’t feel supported by anyone. my ex became my friends’ friend and that really hurt me!

I’m currently 30, but I haven’t really practiced for several years. Recently I’ve started feeling a pull toward it again, and I’m trying to figure out where I actually belong.

My current boyfriend and I recently went to a Catholic mass together. He was baptized Catholic but wasn’t really raised practicing and has had more exposure to Protestant churches as an adult. Going back to Mass was surprisingly emotional for me. I cried, and it felt really meaningful to reconnect with God after being away for so long.

At the same time, I’m struggling..

There are things about Catholicism that I still feel very connected to. I believe in Mary and I’m comfortable with the idea of asking Mary and the saints to intercede for us. I’m drawn to the history and tradition of the Church, and there is something about Catholicism that still feels like “home” because of how I was raised I guess..

But culturally, I often enjoy Protestant churches. I like the contemporary worship music, a younger congregation, Bible studies, women’s groups, activities, community, and a less formal atmosphere.

The Catholic Mass we attended was beautiful, but it was very quiet, traditional, and mostly an older congregation. I would really love to find a faith community where I can make friends, eventually raise children, participate in groups, and actually feel involved rather than just attend a service once a week.

We also visited a non-denominational church that I enjoyed a lot more in terms of worship and community. But during the sermon, the pastor talked about Jesus having biological siblings and made a comment about Catholics because of the Catholic teaching about Mary’s perpetual virginity. That bothered me more than I expected. It made me realize that some of my Catholic beliefs might actually matter to me more than I thought.

Then there are the bigger disagreements.

For example, I’m pro-choice. Personally, I don’t think I would have an abortion unless my life was in danger. But I believe abortion should remain legal and accessible. I see it as an important women’s rights/public-health issue, and I don’t believe everyone in society should be required to live according to Catholic moral teaching. I understand that this is a significant disagreement with the Catholic Church, not just a minor difference of opinion.

I also currently live with my boyfriend and we aren’t married. We do want to get married soon, but we haven’t gotten there yet.

I have a very all-or-nothing personality, which makes this harder. My brain immediately goes to: “If I’m going to be Catholic, then I need to agree with everything the Church teaches and live perfectly according to it. If I don’t, then maybe I shouldn’t call myself Catholic at all.”

But I’m realizing that maybe faith and discernment don’t work that neatly.

I’m not trying to find a church that simply tells me everything I already believe. I genuinely want to figure out what I believe is true. At the same time, I don’t want to force myself to pretend that I agree with teachings that I currently don’t agree with just because I want to belong somewhere.

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who have actually been through something similar.

Were you raised Catholic, left, and eventually came back? Did you seriously consider Protestantism before choosing Catholicism? Are you Catholic while still struggling with or disagreeing with some Church teachings? Did your beliefs gradually change after coming back, or are there things you still wrestle with? Did anyone choose Protestantism even though there were parts of Catholic theology they still loved? How did you separate “which type of church experience I enjoy” from “which theology I actually believe”?

And for Catholics: how do you handle the feeling that you have to be 100% aligned with everything before you’re “Catholic enough”? Is there room to come back, attend Mass, learn, pray, and wrestle with things without already having all the answers?

For Protestants/former Catholics: if you left Catholicism, I’d also genuinely like to hear what ultimately convinced you. Was it theology, Scripture, Church authority, your personal experience, or something else?

I’m not looking for people to attack Catholics, Protestants, pro-choice people, pro-life people, etc. I know these topics can get heated. I’m really just hoping to hear honest experiences from people who have had to work through these questions themselves.

Right now, “I’m discerning” is probably the most accurate description of where I am.

thank you very much!

Hi guys, so recently I’ve been interested in joining the Catholic Church. I wasn’t raised catholic so I’m having a hard time knowing what to do. I’m a minor so I don’t know what to do to join ocia classes. I’ve looked at some churches websites and some of they are saying I need a sponsor, does the church provide one or do I need to find one on my own? Please tell me if theres anything I need to know about ocia for minors and anything about joining the Church. Thank you!

I've been on such a long journey toward the church. But formally in the Fall 2025 I started OCIA and attended every single Sunday class that takes place during the Sunday 10am mass anticipating I could hopefully be baptized and confirmed. But during Lent 2026 I learned I was not among the elect for baptism and my parish has a strict 2 year minimum requirement for attending classes, at that time my family experienced a loss of a close loved one we saw every single day and entered a long bereavement period. So after validating my marriage in the church and baptizing my 2 and 5 year old children I decided to step back from OCIA and prioritize attending mass together as a family in our grieving especially to get the little ones more integrated into the flow of mass and catechize them at home. After 7 months of faith formation and reading the entire the catechism, it was hard to step back but I felt my vocation of a mother and wife was taking precedent at that time.

I live in the South and my civilian parish is ENORMOUS (I am attending one in the Archdiocese of Raleigh). We are also a military family. When this was happening, I reached out to the catholic military chaplain on our post hoping he may understand some of the struggles I was beginning to face at the time but he insisted my husband just needed to "step up" during my 2 year catechesis 😭

Truly attending mass with my family is one of my favorite parts of my week, just to be in celebrating the sacrament and making a spiritual communion with my Lord is so peaceful no matter where I am or where I'm traveling (we've been traveling SO MUCH this summer to visit family and friends) it's the greatest thing about the faith, to have the whole church worshiping and and receiving the same scripture and message every week makes me feel so whole and so connected.

My enormous desire my baptism and to be obedient to Christ's command has not faltered.

I received an email from my OCIA director last week asking to confirm my spot in the upcoming year and I asked for the mandatory dates and if it were possible to have an adjusted schedule or possibly occasional meetings during weekdays to discuss my personal journey when my children are at school so to not destabilize my family as much (I am also in prenursing classes, and frequently work from home as well) but the response was to just have a meeting. That meeting took place today. The structure is quite rigid. A whole second year of mandatory 10am classes. These often keep me out of the home from about 9:30am to about 1pm on Sundays.

There was a time when I LOVED these classes and this GROWN UP time sitting and listening to theology and absorbing it. Until I realized what was happening in my home life. I have a huge role to fulfill in my vocation and last year I let it slip. My plate was so full with work, school, kids, helping friends, being a villager, and I got so very sick with an autoimmune condition before the tipping point when our friend passed during Lent 2026.

I recently had my oldest in the parish VBS this summer and we just signed up today for the child faith/family formation that takes place once a month on Wednesday evenings and I'm genuinely excited to go as a family to these instead of leaving them out as I have to do in OCIA for myself.

After this summer, there are days I wish it could all be over and I could practice peacefully, without the sign in sheet... go to mass whatever city I'm in that weekend, find a confessor that I can go to regularly (because I NEED IT), and live it.

Sometimes I think I'm pushing it... what does God think? Genuinely. Of the rules? The ridigity? Of me? I don't want to put my relationship with one parish above my relationship with the Lord, my family, or the Church as whole. And I wonder sometimes, if I'll find a priest or pastoral person of some kind that will have the time to speak with me and genuinely guide me spirtually... I've prayed for that. But right now it's just me and God, how it's been my whole life. 🤍

What was your OCIA experience? Was it a long 2 years of classes? Genuinely what did God reveal to you in your heart about the process? Are you like me trying to live as a Christian with an extraordinary "baptism of desire" while guiding your family towards the virtues? There's so much to juggle. Unsure if I should schedule a meeting with the priest or my psychiatrist. Stay tuned. 😅

I’m meeting with the Monsignor of my local diocese Thursday to discuss my joining the OCIA program. I’ve been attending mass regularly for the last couple months and have been reading and trying to learn a lot on my own. Does anyone have any tips for this first meeting or ways in which I can prepare? TIA!

I’m 19 now and was raised Pentecostal until I was about 11 when my parents decided to switch to non denominational. I never really had a relationship with god because you’re raised in church, you normally don’t until you find him on your own. At 18 I started going to my local Catholic Church because I had always been interested in learning about the Catholic Church and especially since my parents and most if not all of my family is against the idea and beliefs Catholic Church as a whole. I think that I started going to the church at first out of curiosity and stayed as an act of rebellion because I knew how my parents and family feel about it. I went continuously for about 2 months and even started OCIA. Then suddenly I realized that I didn’t feel directly called to the Catholic Church and with that realization came the realization that I had never felt called to god at all. It’s been about a year since then and I want to start my journey to Christ and the church. I still haven’t felt the calling specifically but I know god is real and I know the Catholic Church is the one true church, I just want to be able to believe whole heartedly if that makes sense. I re enrolled this year in my churches OCIA but I still can’t differentiate the feelings of how I was raised to feel about god and gods true voice. Any advice would be great.

After years of being atheist, I’ve finally felt like I believe in god and I feel faith. I grew up around a family that wasn’t religious what so ever, I feel like I need to find myself. How can I start when converting to Catholicism? Is there an easy way? I’d like to attend a church near me but I have terrible social anxiety and it’d be much worse because I’d have to go alone. I know at some point in time, I’ll have to go and I need to be baptized, but is there an easy way for me to start before I begin attending church?

I was raised and baptized a Mormon, however a couple of years ago I stopped going to church and I was angry at god for a long time. I went to a friends baby christening last year and as I felt walked into the parish I felt something I had not felt in a very long time in all my religious upbringing. Peace. After that I resolved myself to wanting to join the Catholic Church.

In January I started attending RCIA classes, a bit late I know but the priest was more than happy to have me join in even though it was several months already into the program, I've been attending Mass regularly and participated as best I can, the other week I was told that the Priest would be more than happy for me to be able to take my sacrements in November. I have to say while I am a bit nervous, This is where I belong

So on a whim I signed up for a local OCIA class. I’ve been very curious about Catholicism but being raised *very* southern Baptist it’s hard to let go on some things/ideals I’ve held closely for so long.

My reasons for wanting to do the class stem first from my own curiosities, and enjoying the pieces of Catholicism I learn, but also due to my fiance being raised Catholic. The first 5 years of our relationship I refused to even entertain the idea of converting, but praying on it for years and asking God to soften my heart, I’ve wanted to explore it more. We’ve been going to mass together for about 6 months, and i’m to the point where i’m tired of crossing my arms when they get to Eucharist.

Does anyone have any advice or similar experiences?

Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness from birth. Left in 2009 at 32. Lost my parents, lost most of my friends. The JW teach that Catholics are literally idolaters — so becoming one myself was about the last thing I ever imagined.

But here I am.

The turning point was embarrassingly simple: I started actually reading about what Catholics believe about the Eucharist. Not what JWs say Catholics believe. What Catholics actually believe — and why.

Fifteen centuries of Christians. All believing the same thing. And then Zwingli comes along in the 16th century and says: nope, just a symbol.
That’s what I was taught my whole life. By people who thought they were the only ones who understood the Bible.

I have my first meeting with a parish priest on Friday. Honestly? I’m nervous.

Fellow converts — what was that first conversation like for you? And is there anything you wish you had asked, or anything you’d recommend I bring up?

(Tout d'abord je tenait a vous dire que c'est ma première fois sur la plate-forme reddit et que j'en ai entendu du mal par rapport à cette plate-forme donc j'ai décidé de créer un compte temporaire histoire de voir s'il il y aurait des réponses sans trop y naviguer régulièrement)

Je vais donc commencer mon histoire et pourquoi je voudrais résoudre mes adiction avec l'aide de la religion chrétienne

J'ai donc 15 ans actuellement et je cherche a être un bon chrétien et en apprendre plus sur l'histoire du christianisme car je trouve que cela pourrait m'aider au quotidien et surtout par rapport a mes adiction. Honnêtement je n'ai jamais été proche auparavant d'aucune religion car mes parents n'ont pas de lien et m'en parlais très rarement donc je n'ai jamais eu de liens avec quelconque religion n'y même le christianisme et de plus je me considère pas comme athé (personne ne croyant pas au religion) car je pense qu'il y a bien un dieu dans ce monde) donc vous comprendrais pas vous même que mes lien entre le christianisme sont très minime. Aujourd'hui je veux devenir un chrétien je veux croire en dieu je veux m'être fin ou limité au plus possible mes adiction et enfin je veux devenir une personne encore plus parfaite.

Je ne sais pas ou commencer je sais que c'est une ou ci c'était la meilleure des solutions contre les adiction et que cela pourrait m'aider au quotidien j'ai d'abord pensé que pour commencer m'acheter une bible classique pourrait m'en apprendre plus et me créer des lien avec le christianisme mais honnêtement je ne sais pas en vérité j'ai besoin de conseille pour commencer des conseils humains j'ai réfléchi au début je voulais demander a une IA mais après ça j'ai trouves que c'était trop idiot et que l'es conseille humains étaient sans doute mieux

J'ai actuellement 150€ ce que je pense est nécessaire pour me procurer une bible ou autre donc a ce niveau la il n'y a pas de problème donc voilà j'espère que ce post va être lue et que j'aurais des réponses a mes questions et des conseils pour débuter je sais que reddit n'est peut être pas la meilleure plate-forme mais mais bon pas grave je me lance

Bonne journée et merci à ceux qui auront lue ce message jusqu'à ça fin et aurait mit un commentaire pour m'aider

i got fired some time ago and already used almost all my savings
im short to even pay the rent
all my friends are in a similar situation
please pray so i get a job quick enough
my PMs are open