Quick Background

I grew up protestant; attended Baptist churches most of my life. Not long after high school, I fell away from God as I struggled with sin in my life. But in 2018, He graciously opened my eyes to my own broken and sinful condition. His kindness brought me to repentance and faith. He showed me that He loves me, and He cares for me. His grace and divine mercy overflowed.

God began changing my sinful desires; desires that once were against Him and His design, to desires that wanted God and God alone. I am not yet perfect – far from it. And this side of Heaven, I face temptations just like the next person. And my temptations may be different than yours. I need His grace every minute of every day. I’m a sinner but you and I both have a GREAT Savior - our Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to be the Saint He has called me to be. And to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Where I lack in love towards Him and others, I pray for His help. I want to love Him as I should and to love my neighbor – to see Jesus in everyone. To not try and get the speck out of other’s eyes, but instead ask God to show me my beam that I might confess my own sins to Him, and pray for others. No matter what anyone struggles with, or what our past or even present situation is, God is there, and He loves us. Jesus died for the sins of the world, and that includes me and you.

Coming Home to Rome

In 2021, God opened the door for me to move to Wisconsin so that I might be able to take care of my mom. In January 2024, I was ordained a Deacon in a PCA church. It was a great honor to serve there. But, six months later, I met with my former Pastor and the Session (elders of the Church). Per the Book of Church Order (BCO), I requested they accept my resignation due to Theological shifts. I had become Catholic.

How did I become Catholic?

During that six month there was a strong burning inside of me to answer the question “How or why are Catholics not Christian?”. This question was haunting me. I was trying to wrap my head around what I had been taught as a protestant vs what I was seeing and even hearing in Catholic circles. I had always seen Christian fruits visible in the life of Catholics, but I always accepted the teaching of protestant churches. I never did my due diligence. In 2023, I began listening more and more to Gregorian Chants, which bring me much peace, closeness, and reverence for God. And in the start of February 2024, I prayed, and spent a lot of late-nights in reading, studying, and hearing from Catholics to understand what Catholics believe.

What I discovered seems obvious to me now, but it wasn’t then.

Here are just a few things I have learned. I plan to write a post on each of these (and others) in the days and weeks ahead.

Catholics are Christian.
Catholics teach that only Jesus atones for our sins through His sacrifice on the cross. And He died for all, not just some (not limited atonement).
Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist (not just a memorial or spiritual) – Body & Blood, Soul and Divinity - under the appearance of bread and wine. Jesus taught this, the Apostle Paul taught this, the Apostolic Fathers taught this and to this day in the Catholic Church this has been taught. Jesus told us to eat his flesh and drink His blood in John 6, which was a hard teaching for some; some walked away.
The importance of the work of the Holy Spirit in the guarding of the deposit of faith and moral teaching through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium. Protestants can’t agree on what the Lord’s Supper is and even what baptism means (i.e. one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism). Yet, these teachings have been maintained throughout history in the Catholic Church.
Catholics teach we are saved by grace through faith and not works of the law. Works of charity is a response of grace in our lives … as James says “faith without works is dead.”
Historically, the Church has always venerated Mary. Catholics do not worship Mary – she isn’t God. Mary is our Mother too. She always said yes to God and points us to Jesus. She teaches us to trust the Father, and to go to Jesus.
Graven Images reference idols to worship other than God – not the proper use of images to help us see, remember and to contemplate. Plus, God became man, so the Word became an image for us - The Word became flesh … the image of the invisible God. And there were graven images in the Tabernacle and on the Ark of the Covenant. So no, the statues in Catholic Churches are not idols.
We have a whole Communion of Saints – a family that prays for us – and we should ask each other and the Saints to pray for us.
The Sacraments are a gift of God to the Church. The confessional for example brings sins out of the darkness into the healing light of God, so that people can be forgiven, healed, and restored.

Through prayer and study, I had become Catholic before I even knew it. I began OCIA on September 18, 2024, and Lord willing, I’ll be confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church on Easter Vigil 2025.

In Closing

So, why another blog about a journey to the Catholic faith, the journey home to Rome? Aren’t there plenty of them out there? Yes. And I have protestant and non-Christian friends that are curious as to why I am now Catholic. Some protestant friends even worried for me, but they don’t need to be. While I would enjoy spending hours on the phone with each friend who has reached out, I don’t have the time to quickly call everyone back. So my hope is this will be a helpful place for them, as well for visitors whom I don’t know.

I pray this joyful journey of mine can be an encouragement to you, wherever you may be in your walk of faith. May God bless you.

To Jesus through Mary,

Robert Davis

Update: a Resource Page has now been added.

The Highest Form of Prayer - The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Holy Eucharist - Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity

My Journey Home to Rome

Quick Background

Coming Home to Rome

How did I become Catholic?

What I discovered seems obvious to me now, but it wasn’t then.

In Closing