DECEMBER 19TH 2020

The Alpha course is one of the ways in which we can attract new parishioners to St Teresa's Church. Read how one such parishioner heard the call from God in his life

Beyond Adversity Becoming Catholic
 
 
After years of attending a Catholic Church, getting married in a Catholic Church and bringing up my two children as Catholics I decided to do what I knew I always should and become Catholic. I made this decision just at the time Father Michael became our parish priest and it was with some nerves that I reached out to Father and asked him to help me in my journey. I think Father Michael’s homilies were the final push I needed!
 
The first step advised by Father was to attend the Alpha course which I began with 6 other people who were also on the same journey in their faith, the support we received from the group and the parishioners who welcomed and guided us led us to beginning our sessions with Father exploring the key doctrine and sacraments of Catholicism.
 
Through these sessions I knew that I had made the right decision and after a year of thought prayer and study I was excited to complete the journey. The next step was to attend the Cathedral in Birmingham with Father Michael and the group for a lovely ceremony where with my beautiful wife acting as sponsor, I became a member of the elect to be initiated into the sacred mysteries at the next Easter Vigil which happened to fall on the 11th of April.
 
The 11th of April was not only my Mother in Law’s birthday it was actually also the day I had been baptised 44 years ago! This seemed to be the perfect day for me but then the awful disease that has so affected the world, the country and our ability to celebrate our faith together became our ‘new normal’ and it was with great sadness that I realised that we could not celebrate becoming Catholic as intended.
 
Father Michael offered reassurance and although not on the intended day I became Catholic just a few short months later, Covid could not stop my journey in the Faith!
 
Although the process was delayed when I reflected and prayed, I saw that my journey had not been the year I had spent with guidance and help, my journey had been my whole life and I couldn’t have completed it without the help of many people not least our lovely and welcoming family that is the St Teresa’s Parish. 

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