Kathy's Conversion

University and Catholic friend, called to wish me happy birthday. I was telling him my impressions of the political right in the Southern Baptist Convention and the political left of the Presbyterian (USA) denomination. Murray said, "The Protestant world is in such disarray." His tone and his words touched my heart, as well as, my mind.

I had been curious about Catholicism since November, 1996, when I found out my neighbors were going to a Catholic healing service. I wanted to know if Catholic healing services were like Pentecostal healing services.

Easter 1997 fell on the last Sunday in March. We were at a Baptist church. When the pastor gave the invitation, he asked if you had a burning desire in your heart to do something. And, if you did, to come and tell him about it. I had a burning desire to go to a Catholic Church. I waited until the next day and called the pastor to tell him about it. I'm not sure where this "burning desire" came from, but it was more than curiosity about healing services or a desire to get away from "Protestant disarray."

In June of 1997, I read the messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Father Stefano Gobbi of the Marion Movement of Priests. It was like Mary was speaking to my heart, to my life, to my problems. I had been extremely depressed about not being to finish my seminary education and only Mary's words in the book "To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons" was able to heal the wounds of disappointment. I believe that Mary wanted to touch the broken heart of one of her children and led me to find the Catholic Church. One of my favorite titles for Mary is Spouse of the Holy Spirit. To me, it was Our Blessed Mother, Mary, and the Holy Spirit who led me to the Catholic Church.

I did not have problems with believing in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I had already been "converted" to that belief while teaching the book of John to the children at the Presbyterian church. At the beginning of the communion service at the Presbyterian church, I used to pray for the bread and grape juice to be the real presence of Christ for me.

Believing in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is not so gross as wanting to chew on

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