Why I left the Catholic Church
I left the Catholic Church 21 years ago. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life but it was the best decision I could have made for me and my family. I never understood how someone could leave the Catholic church until it was time for me to leave. I have no regrets.
I grew up in a Catholic home, went to Catholic grade school and Catholic high school. I was in the choir from the time I was in 4th grade and continued singing in the choir until 10 grade when Mrs Mitchell the choir director died from cancer.
In 11th grade I became president of the youth group and set out to get a Folk Mass started. Youth leaders Barb and Tony Cordileone came to our church from another Catholic church to help get it going. We had a pretty large group of kids. It was great getting together with them for practice. The Folk Mass was really awesome. We had guitars and tambourines and even a trumpet.
Tony and Barb were active with the Search program in the Catholic church and when they had a Search weekend (a retreat for teenagers) that I went to along with most of the kids from the youth group. It was a great program, I am grateful that I was part of a group of great kids. There were 5 Catholic churches in the area that participated in the Searches.
On Saturday nights we would all get together at one of the churches and we would have a coffee house like setting. From that setting the Stairway was born. The Stairway (to heaven) was a haven for me in my teen years. I cherish those times. It was during one of the prayer meetings that I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
After our Folk Mass was well established, Tony and Barb returned to their church. Our group lasted for quite a few years however it dwindled until I was the only one left. I had taken up playing the guitar when I was 19 due to my involvement in the Stairway. When I was 27 I married my husband Richard and I continued leading the congregation up until my son was born. My husband, Richard, wasn’t Catholic but we were married in the Catholic Church and we continued to go to church for a while. Then we moved to another city and we attended the church there but eventually stopped going. When my daughters were born we had them baptized, but didn’t attend church regularly.
When my son went to first grade I enrolled him in religious education classes and he made his first communion. When my daughter went to first grade she started religious education classes too. One day after both kids were going to religious education classes the teachers for both of them said to me that they were refusing to participate in the classes. I had a talk with them and asked them why they weren’t participating and they said it was boring. I decided to read the religious education books and I realized at that point that I really didn’t believe the things that they were being taught. I said to myself, “Why am I sending them to this when I don’t really believe it myself?” So I stopped sending them.
As time went on I started looking for a church to go to. I had met a woman who invited me to her church. We went to a home meeting once and I was invited to a bible study on Friday nights. I was going to go but at this point I had 5 kids and it turned out to be a crazy day and so when she called to see if I was coming I told her I couldn’t make it. The response I got from her was less than a christian response so I never went to anything with her church again.
A couple weeks later I was talking to Barb about the experience and she invited me to the church she was attending. Tony and Barb had also left the Catholic church and were attending a Non-Denominational Christian church. I asked Richard if he would go and he said yes. I was a little nervous at first, but excited at the same time.
We brought the kids and I was surprised to see that the kids got to go into classes and the baby into the nursery while the adults went into the service. It was awesome, the first time I got to really enjoy church. The service started with praise and worship that lasted for about 30 minutes. I was in heaven. From the moment we walked in the door I felt like I was home. Everyone was so friendly and when Pastor Jim started speaking I felt like he was speaking to me.
On the way home Richard and I looked at each other and said “he was talking to me”. We decided that this was where we were going to go from now on. Richard accepted Jesus as his savior the following week when a couple people from the church visited our home. Then a couple months later Richard and I were water baptized together with all 5 of our children watching. It was awesome. The spirit inside me jumped for joy. I will never forget that day!
Why I left the Catholic Church
So the reason I left the Catholic church was because I believe God called me to leave. You see being a Christian is not about religion. Its about a relationship with Jesus. I am grateful for my Catholic upbringing for the fact that it gave me a reverence for God. But there are things in the Catholic church that I cannot participate in because they are not biblical, like praying to Mary and praying to saints.
You see Jesus is our intercessor not Mary. Jesus died on the cross for our sins not Mary. There isn’t anywhere in the Bible where it says pray to Mary. I have a lot of respect for Mary because she was the Mother of Jesus but I cannot pray to her. I believe that the Bible is the living Word of God. I thank God daily for the blessing I have in my life and for Jesus who died for us so we can be with Him for eternity.
JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Deirdre Powell (Dee)
If you enjoyed reading my blog please leave a message. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Beautiful post Deirdre. I appreciate you sharing your story of faith. And I couldn’t agree more! JEsus is our Savior and Lord. I have an awesome video that I have shared on Facebook often and watch often as well. I think I will throw it up in a blog and share it with the world. It speaks the same as to what you said in the last paragraph of your blog! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Thanks Laura! I love sharing my faith because it is part of me and who I am. I look forward to seeing the video you mention. Thanks so much for your comment.
Awesome Blog Post Deirdre!
Thank you Omkar. Thanks for visiting my blog.
thanks for sharing your story and your honesty, truly appreciate it
Thank you Sheena. Thanks for your comment.
Awesome blog post.Commenting and sharing.
Thank you Lisa, thanks for visiting my blog.
I’ve never been Catholic but have had some wonderful Catholic friends and coworkers. I love Jesus and know that he is the way to the Father. Glad to meet my sisters and brother in Christ. Glad that this community affords the opportunity to do so.
Janet, we are so fortunate to be able to share openly in this community. Amen! Jesus is the way to the Father! Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for sharing, i’m also a christian and appreciate what you wrote. Jesus said “Come onto me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. what beautiful promises we have in the Bible.
Great blog
Thanks George. Amen! The Bible is filled with beautiful promises! Thanks for reading my blog and commenting.
I, too, left the church though stayed a Christian. Through much prayer I was called to leave and join a Christian church in my area. Catholicism is a beautiful religion focused on family and community, and one of the oldest and longest lasting ones around. I may be called back to it, one day, but for now I’m quite content where I am. I understand and am glad we live in a country where religious choices can be made 🙂 Thanks for your comments.
Charlene, I agree with you I am grateful for my Catholic upbringing. There are a lot of good things in the Catholic church. For me I don’t think I will ever go back. You have to follow what God calls you to do. I also am glad we have religious freedom in this country, however I see our freedoms being taken away more and more. We must pray for our country that we will always have these freedoms.
Deidre,
I too was raised in the Catholic church, went to Catholic schools through the 10th grade. I finished high school at Lowell High School in San Francisco, CA. It’s for college-bound kids. I left home at 17 and have only been back in a Catholic church a few times over the last 45 years. I do understand.
Cathy it’s nice to hear when others understand where you are coming from. I have a large Catholic family so I go to the Catholic church when we have weddings and funeral only. It always confirms my decision to leave. Thanks for your comment.