Journey from Canterbury Trail to the Tiber River

Today is a significant day in my life.
A day I will remember (hopefully) for the rest of my life.
It was the day where I publicly shared that God is leading me to worship in the Roman Catholic church. The morning was spent worshiping with my friends in the Anglican church, sharing my decision to leave that church and then hearing kind words ans wishes. The early evening was spent in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and then attending mass.

I realize my decision to join the Roman Catholic church will not be understood by some friends or family but it is where God is calling me and it is a call that can no longer be ignored or denied. I am not sure exactly where it started but there have been a couple points of significance.

The first was a trip to Poland during the summer of 1997 on a Lingual/Cultural exchange program through IVCF. During the 6 week trip, I had the opportunity to visit the Jasna Góra Monastery to see the Black Madonna of Częstochowa. My three roommates (one team mate and two Polish students) walked to the monastery in the pouring rain to attend mass and see the unveiling of the icon. I remember looking around and seeing the relics of past healing - crutches, braces, and more - left behind by other pilgrims. 

The second point of significant was a romantic relationship in college with a young man who was devotedly Roman Catholic. He challenged my thinking and encouraged me to look deeper into my faith. While that relationship did not last, the memory of his devotion endures as does the crucifix he gave me after he went to Rome during 2000 for the Jubilee year. Although, it no longer smells faintly of sandalwood over the years it has a served a reminder of what Christ has done for me.

At that time, I choose to not join the Roman Catholic church because I was afraid of what my family would think and uncertain they would understand. Instead I joined the Episcopal / Anglican church thinking that it was close enough. It does have the liturgy that my heart craved and needed but it was missing something. As I reflect over the past 12 years that I've spending working in the Episcopal/Anglican traditions, I can see that there was always something missing. Something that I could not identify then and I'm still figuring out now. What I know is this: I feel a sense of peace and belonging when I attend mass in the Roman Catholic church. A rightness.
 
I decided to write this blog post to share my heart with friends near and far. Please understand that I am still learning and striving to understand this new call so I probably don't have the answers to your questions. In an attempt to provide a starting point for discussion, I'm linking a few books below that have been very helpful. Please let me know if you have questions, comments or concerns.

YOUCAT
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic
Why Do Catholics Do That?
Catholicism - Journey to the Heart