When our son Nathan was in the second year at his Lutheran preschool, my wife and I decided that the large classes and busy hallways of public schools weren’t right for him. 

Nathan was the quiet kid. He’d sit in the corner and play by himself, anxious to learn but hesitant to socialize.

But he was a smart kid. For example, we’d often find him with a screwdriver, silently dissecting his toys and piecing them back together. He didn’t lose the screws, either.

We wanted to give him the best opportunity to succeed in school, and my wife and I decided that opportunity would most likely exist in a private school setting.

We were unimpressed with the first three private Christian schools that we visited. They were too small, too pricey, or too new to entrust with Nathan’s education.

We’d avoided visiting Our Lady of Grace (OLG), the local Catholic school, as neither my wife nor I were Catholic. I was baptized in the Church, but that was the extent of my catechesis. I was instead raised in a Lutheran church and attended Lutheran schools.

One weekend, however, frustrated with Nathan’s educational options, my wife learned that OLG was hosting an open house. She suggested I drop by while she stayed home with our son. Though I was dubious, I acquiesced. Worst case I’d waste a couple hours of my Saturday morning.

First Impressions

The principal greeted me with a smile. After a quick overview of the curriculum, she turned me over to the parish’s director of religious education. She had other prospective families waiting.

Dr. Jack Buchner shook my hand and, unbeknownst to me—and perhaps to him, too—began to shake the very foundation of my life.

While I questioned the faith that the school taught, he listened to my concerns. He didn’t judge. He didn’t demean. He just listened.

Then, with a patience I’d rarely experienced, he shared his love of the Gospel. He explained that the Catholic faith is a Biblical faith. He emphasized how Communion comes from the words “common” and “union.”

The Church wants to unite us, as Christ-followers, rather than divide us.

Needless to say, Dr. Jack allayed my fears about a Catholic education, and we enrolled Nathan just a few months later.

Studying Up

I spent those months researching Catholicism and its roots, ultimately unearthing the truth…that the Catholic Church truly is the Church that Christ founded. I detail some of what I learned here.

At that time, though I was convinced in the truth of Catholic doctrine, I’d yet to actually visit a Catholic Church—at least not as an adult. I’d merely read about Mass.

The most recent Protestant services I’d attended were contemporary, featuring upbeat music and no formal liturgy. Other than the pastor choosing a weekly Scripture passage on which to preach, the format was flexible. Communion was symbolic and only once a month. The pastor wore jeans and a polo shirt. He preached from an altar-less stage. Mass would be very different.

One Saturday evening, I finally summoned the courage to attend Mass. But I was scared of two things.

First, I thought the regulars might stare at me, the newbie. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I planned on hiding in my pew during communion. I was an outsider, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself.

Second, I was terrified that I wouldn’t enjoy Mass. What if it was so boring and dry that I’d never want to return?

First Mass

I entered silently behind an elderly couple, each of whom dipped their fingers in the holy water font and made the Sign of the Cross. I passed the baptismal font and recalled that, as an infant, water from a similar font welcomed me into the Church.

Thankfully, as I quietly passed through the narthex, a pew nestled behind a concrete pillar was unoccupied. I took a seat, folded my hands in my lap, and took in my surroundings.

At the front of the modern church stood a simple wooden altar, behind which hung a large crucifix. In front of me a gray-haired lady bowed her head as she silently worked through her wooden Rosary beads. Most parishioners genuflected as they entered their pews.

As Mass began, the priest processed in, led by an altar server carrying a cross. Everyone rose at the sight of the cross. The priest bowed when he approached the altar.

I was awed by the reverence and symbolism, neither of which were well-represented at the church I’d been attending.

As we shifted into the Liturgy of the Word, I was thrilled by the emphasis on Scripture. Four readings, culminating in the Gospel, blew my Protestant mind. I had been taught that Catholics relied on their own traditions rather than Scripture, but here they were centering Mass on Scripture.

I still wasn’t sure what I believed about Communion, but I was in awe of the veneration that parishioners offered the Blessed Sacrament. It made sense that, in the presence of Almighty God, they would do so.

Spending that hour worshipping God at His house gave me the confidence to take the next step in my journey.

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

A few weeks later, I made an appointment to meet with Dr. Jack. As I sat down in his office, I explained that I was ready to register for his OCIA class.

He asked me why I wanted to do so. I detailed the research I’d done into historical Catholicism. I’d learned that the early Christians believed the same core doctrines as the modern day Catholic Church. I wanted to join the Apostolic Church, the one that Jesus instituted and built on Saint Peter.

At our first class, Dr. Jack gifted me and my fellow four candidates a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I was floored—and grateful—that the Church had taken the time to clearly document her beliefs. And I was grateful that Dr. Jack encouraged us to study them.

Dr. Jack shared his faith with love and patience, knowing that we students came from diverse backgrounds and had unique expectations. He willingly answered questions at our weekly sessions, with no matter of faith off limits.

I keenly recall his deep-dive into a daily examination of conscience, a concept with which I was previously unfamiliar.

He urged us to take a few minutes at the end of each day to review our thoughts and actions to consider whether they reflect the love that God wants us to show to others and to Him.

Dr. Jack encouraged us to grow closer to God by sharing God’s love during each OCIA class.

Returning Home To The Catholic Church

Bobby, my Catholic neighbor, generously agreed to serve as my OCIA sponsor. A man who displayed his faith every day by the way he lived his life, he was an easy choice.

He, along with my family, accompanied me as I officially entered the Church during that Easter Vigil. My aunt and uncle, who served as my godparents when I was baptized as an infant, attended as well. I was rejoining the faith family that it seemed I had lost.

Although my children were too young to stay awake through the entire Mass, the evening was extraordinary.

I don’t recall every detail, but I fondly remember how it felt to finally come back to the Catholic Church.

For so long, I’d felt unsure of my faith. I wasn’t sure what doctrines to believe, what church denomination to join, or how to be sure I was worshipping God the way He hoped I would.

As I rejoined the Catholic Church, however, I was confident that my Confirmation and First Communion were God’s way of welcoming me home.

He had blessed me with the opportunity to celebrate the Sacraments. And when I looked out at my new Parish family, I knew God had called me to that place.

As Dorothy Gale reminds us while attempting to return to Kansas, “There’s no place like home.”

The Catholic Church is my forever home, and I‘m certain God will continue to welcome others into His family through her, just like He welcomed me.

Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash