Coming out of the Catholic Closet

This whole process of converting to Catholicism so feels like I'm coming out of the closet ...

"I've always known I was Catholic. Even growing up in a Mormon church, I felt an attraction to St. Thomas Moore Catholic church up the street. I was fortunate to grow up knowing a Catholic or two, but my parents always made sure I knew that being Catholic was wrong.

When I got into college, my parents moved into a town that had a gorgeous cathedral in a monk's abbey. I never had the nerve to go in, but I drove by, and even bought a rosary, although I never showed it to my mom.

In college, I experimented with Catholicism a lot. Not more than most kids experimenting with all kinds of things in college - Baptists, Church of Christ ... it was some crazy times. I even went to a few RCIA classes. Of course, it was all on the down-low. I never told anyone. There were a few people who were openly Catholic, and I truly envied them.

Once I got out of college, I started focusing on my career and my social life, and religion got put on the back burner. But when I'd go to a Catholic wedding, or drive by a gorgeous Catholic church, I could feel something stir inside of me.

When I moved to where I currently live, I knew there was a Catholic church, just down the street! In the same block! For a long time, I fought my attraction to it. But after going to yet another Catholic wedding, I could no longer deny my feelings. Once I admitted to myself the truth about my feelings and first entered the little Catholic church on my street, I knew I was home.

So I'm coming out. I'm Catholic. I can't deny it anymore. I'm going to RCIA classes. I carry a Rosary. I pray. I go to mass every Saturday and every Sunday. I'm no longer going to deny a part of me that I've been hiding for most of my life.

I'm here, I'm Catholic, get used to it!"