My name is Jessica Sage, and I am a recovering Protestant. I spent many years convincing myself that I didn’t have an issue, that there was really no difference between Catholic, Protestant, non-denominational, or evangelical. They just employed different styles of worship but were equally good. I thought: What does it really matter how we worship Jesus? I believed this until God stirred my heart, and thankfully my husband’s heart too, to admit that there was a problem with the doctrinal positions and manner of worship of the non-denominational church that we were attending.
As a military family, we took careful consideration of our church choice at the beginning of each assignment, but once the decision was made, we committed for the two to three years of that posting. Even though we were confirmed Anglicans and our children all baptized as Anglicans, we chose to worship at various Protestant and non-denominational churches based on church availability at each location. But when God decided to keep our family in Belgium for eight years, with limited Protestant, English-speaking church options, we could no longer ignore the lack of unity, authority structure, and understanding of communion within the Protestant/non-denominational church scene.
We found ourselves in a unique position where God had slowed our lives down to give us time to study, question, discuss, research and find answers to questions that had plagued our faith walk for decades. Our college-age daughter also drew us into conversations as she searched for where God was leading her. She engaged us in deep and challenging conversations about the Christian faith, Scripture and doctrine. As we reassessed our church options in Belgium, we found ourselves drawn to the Catholic Church for a litany of reasons, but particularly we were hungry for the Word of God and the Bread of Life. The unity and universality of the Church, and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist at every Mass attracted us. We decided we needed to learn more and thus began our journey towards the Catholic Church.
provided a road to recovery. After learning about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) within the Catholic Church, we found St Anthony’s Parish and the Step-In program. I confirmed with my husband that we were ready to ‘step in’, and we signed up our family of seven for the course. At no other time in our lives would we have had the capacity to start this journey. It was God’s timing. It was His call. God was clearly leading us to the Catholic Faith.
I did not know much about the Catholic Church growing up and really didn’t know any Catholics. As I understood it, Catholicism was about religion, not about studying the Holy Scriptures and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It was not until I was in my late 20s and in law school that I had the opportunity to learn some of the Catholic Church’s teachings through a legal internship. God had clearly placed a desire on my heart to study law and how my Christian faith intersects with the law. I learned the Catholic views on contraception, marriage, and many other areas that touched positive law. I was both spiritually and intellectually awakened to the consistent and coherent doctrines of the Catholic Church, derived from two millennia of studying and interpreting the Scriptures. In this context, I began to see the Catholic Church in a new light.
Over the years, God wove in many positive interactions with both spirit-filled Catholics and solid Catholic doctrine, Step-In reminded us that Catholics knew Jesus and the Word of God personally and intimately. We still had many questions about the Mass, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Saints, the Sacraments, and the role of priests. From our first interaction, Father Joe Antony made us feel welcome and deconstructed any barriers to learning, allowing us to ask our questions and challenging us to dive into our studies of both the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The video series from Sycamore stepped us through the big questions in life to the finer details of the Catholic faith. It was clear that the Holy Spirit was leading Father Joe throughout the process. The sessions were both engaging and enlightening.
Step-In program was well thought through. From prayer intercessors to the hospitality team providing refreshments and childcare, the Catechumens had every opportunity to be present and participatory in the sessions. Father Joe built community and exceeded expectations when he hosted a visit from the bishop, invited relevant guest speakers, and organized pilgrimages for Step-In group. Father Joe has a keen ability to see the heart behind the questions being asked. He is thoughtful and guided by the Holy Spirit in his truthful and loving responses. He created an environment that allowed not only new Christians but also well-formed Catholics to worship in Spirit and in Truth, to think deeper, love more like Jesus, and walk humbly with God.
Through Step-In we have found a fullness in our Christian faith that was simply not there in our Protestant practices. I discovered the beautiful and humble Mother Mary, the Queen of Heaven. I found the freedom that comes with confession and the sacrament of reconciliation. I discovered the peace of the Mass and its scriptural foundations, remembering the sacrifice and worshipping the Lamb in the manner He instructed the first apostles. I found a unity of spirit, a liberty to learn and grow in humility, and a desire to hope in the mysteries of the faith. Thank you to Father Joe and to all those who volunteered and contributed to this inaugural year of Step-In at St Anthony’s Parish. Thank you for your warm reception of our family into the Catholic Church. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
