Apart from Theology and Faith, Why Do I Stay in the Catholic Church?

I (Hugh) speak a lot about doctrine and stuff on this site but there are other ways I can tell God wants me to be Catholic.

Before I came to the Church I was a wanderer. I never belonged anywhere. As a performer, I had 23 living addresses in 10 years. I'm not a "joiner." I left every organization I ever belonged to. How is it that I have been able to stay in the Catholic Church for over 22 years (15 years as a confirmed Catholic)? There is only one explanation - God's Grace.

I hated prime ministers and political leaders and authority figures. How have I been able to submit myself to the authority of the Catholic Church? There is only one explanation - God's Grace.

I was a Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) artist. The business is dominated by Evangelicals, many of whom honestly think the Catholic Church is off the spiritual beam. I knew that one of the greatest hindrances to my career in the CCM field was my membership in the Catholic Church. I had a history of ambition in music but nevertheless I stayed Catholic. Why?  Quite simply, it's God's grace.

I belonged to a tiny parish community of outwardly unimpressive, non-sensational, elderly women. I'm a show off and I could have played in many of the sparkling "happening" Churches in Ottawa. How was it that I stayed in the same Parish for 18 years, showing up at 8:30 am every week for twenty elderly women and several people from other countries? God's grace. It was in this environment that my faith grew, matured and was nourished.

There is another miracle. I had a terrible eating disorder, bulimia. I had been free of the behavior for 5 years but I still struggled with cravings and dreams about food. I had been attending Catholic Church for 7 years but I was not Catholic. In 1995, I was confirmed in the Catholic Church. The very day I was confirmed into the Church the cravings and dreams about food left me never to return. This is a very welcome miracle and confirmedthat I was on the right path. Praise be to Jesus, my Lord and Savior.

Note: I now belong to a very vibrant youthful Church called St. Mary's in Ottawa and married Diane.