Jennifer: My Journey Into the Catholic Faith

Jennifer at My Journey Into the Catholic Faith was recently interviewed on American Catholic Radio. Listen to her interview here.

During the interview she mentions that she has hand made rosaries for sale. Check them out here.

Welcome Chrystal

Welcome to the Catholic Converts blogroll to Chrystal at Musings of a Humble Being. Also, be sure to check out her conversion story.

Open Letter to New Catholics

Arkansas Catholic published this Open Letter to Our New Catholics.

Welcome Leigh

Welcome to Leigh at the mommy memoir to the Catholic Converts blogroll.

Conversion Story of the Month

This is something new for the Catholic Converts blog. Each month a different conversion story will be chosen to highlight. As soon as I get a chance I'll PhotoShop a button for the sidebar to make it easy to find each month.

We are still a few days away from April but I'm going to go ahead and put up the Conversion Story of the Month for April anyway.

Conversion Story of the Month: April 2008
Julie at Happy Catholic: Becoming Christian.

Julie shares her story about growing up in an atheist home and how God used her daughter to get the ball rolling on her eventual conversion. She shares a story about a deal she made with God in which she learned that God might take our deal but sets His own terms. There is also a nice surprise at the end but you'll have to click the link to find out what it is.

Conversion of Magdi Allam

Magdi Allam Recounts His Path to Conversion

On my first Easter as a Christian I not only discovered Jesus, I discovered for the first time the face of the true and only God, who is the God of faith and reason. My conversion to Catholicism is the touching down of a gradual and profound interior meditation from which I could not pull myself away . . .

24 Hour Rosary: World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Vocations are obviously important for the continued growth of the Church. Converts to the Catholic Faith often have a lot of tough questions to be answered and we need strong leaders to answer them. The World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be observed on April 13, 2008. In Pope Benedict XVI's World Day of Prayer for Vocations he said,

The Church prays everyday to the Holy Spirit for the gift of vocations. Gathered around the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles, as in the beginning, the ecclesial community learns from her how to implore the Lord for a flowering of new apostles, alive with the faith and love that are necessary for the mission.

I would like to ask all of you to join in 24 Hours of the Rosary for Vocations on April 13. The minimum we need is 24 people to each take a different hour of the day. Easier said than done I know.

Here is how it will work:

We will use the UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Times will be based on Vatican City time 12:00 AM April 13 - 12:00 AM April 14. Vatican City is in the CET which is +1 hour UTC.

So when it is 12:00 PM (NOON) in Vatican City it is 11:00 AM in London, England; 7:00 AM in New York City, US; 8:00 PM in Tokyo, Japan; so on and so forth. Go to The World Clock to figure out where you are.

Sign up for as much time as you would like (please sign up for a minimum of 30 minutes) to commit to praying the Rosary continuously for vocations. You could also take separate times such as once in the morning and once in the evening.

Send an email to catholicconverts@gmail.com with the following information:
Name
Time Slot: Vatican City time and length (ie. 1 hour, 1/2 hour, etc) please.
Your Country

Having more than one person praying at a time is okay (the more the merrier).

Time	Name	Country
12:00:00 AM - 1:00 AM	Chris L.	USA
1:00 AM - 2:00 AM	Stein Family (10)	USA
2:00 AM - 2:30 AM	Heidi S.	USA
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Diane B.	USA
8:00:00 PM - 9:00 PM	John O./Angie	USA
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM	Bruce G.	Canada
11:00 PM - 11:30 PM	Paul C.	USA

If you would like to help spread the word about the effort, feel free to use this image on your website or blog. The code below will give you the image with a link back to this post.


<a href="http://catholic-converts.blogspot.com/2008/03/24-hour-rosary-world-day-of-prayer-for.html"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j318/clansde/24hour.jpg"
></a>

Welcome Kristi

There's no time like the present to start praying for the next potential convert to the Catholic Faith. Please pay a visit to our newest blogroll member, Kristi at ...In Progress... and add her to your prayers as she begins her journey.

New Catholics: ‘The Church gives me energy’

LOS ANGELES, CA (The Tidings) - More than 1,200 heretofore unbaptized adults and children in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will receive the sacraments of initiation — baptism, confirmation and Eucharist — at the Easter Vigil March 22 in their respective parishes.

Just a few days before their formal reception into the church, two of these new Catholics individually met with The Tidings to share their inspiring journeys of faith.

Read Entire Article

Welcome Home

Welcome home to all those received into the Catholic Church this weekend.

Prayer for New Catholics

Dear Lord,
our brothers and sisters have begun their lives anew,
baptized and anointed as members of your Church.
Grant that the grace they have obtained through the
Easter sacraments we have celebrated will strengthen
them in their journey to you. May our joy be everlasting
at their homecoming! May their dedication to their new-
found family with you as their Father mirror the dedication
and vigor held by the saints such as Paul, Augustine, Mary
of Egypt and Edith Stein, who where always faithful
members of your body.
Amen.

The story that everyone is talking about:
Pope baptizes prominent Muslim

Vatican City — Italy’s most prominent Muslim commentator converted to Catholicism by being baptized by the pope at an Easter vigil, the Vatican announced Saturday.

Please be sure to stop by and welcome Kelly, Erik and Stephen home to the Catholic Church.

Arkansas Catholic has a great story about one family's journey to the Catholic Faith.

New Faith Pulls Hot Springs Family Together

HOT SPRINGS -- Danny Morrison just wanted to find a place where he could worship God. This simple yet overwhelming desire put him on a road that eventually led to the Catholic Church. But he is not alone. His wife Mary, stepson, Steve, and two step-grandchildren will enter the Church with him at the Easter Vigil Mass at St. John the Baptist Church in Hot Springs. His daughter-in-law, Kristy, is also returning to the faith after being away for nearly 15 years.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Surrexit Christus hodie, Alleluia

The results are in

Catholic Blog Awards

Best Group Blog: Top 10

the new liturgical movement: 151

The Shrine of the holy whapping: 102

creativeminorityreport.com: 47

Catholic Dads: 41

Moniales, OP: 39

Arrival : The Parousian Weblog: 38

Rorate Coeli: 36

Catholic Converts: 24

vox-nova: 23

Rosary Army: 20

Thank you to everyone who voted for Catholic Converts and especially to whoever made the nomination. I've got several plans on making this blog better.

Prayer for those entering the Catholic Church

Lord, may they be welcomed with joy and thanksgivings
into the folds of Your Holy Catholic Church.
Be their Light in times of trial and darkness;
their guide in a new life of Truth.
Provide for them, holy men and women
to support the growth of their faith.
Grant that their gifts be shared to
produce abundant fruits for Your Glory.
Amen.

Two more additions to the blogroll

Welcome to Jim at The Trail Home and Ryan at Roamin' Son.

Proudly Entered the Catholic Church 2008 badge

For the third year Matthew at A Catholic Life is providing a badge for those who enter the Catholic Church in 2008 to use on their blogs. If you are coming into the church this year feel free to give Matthew a visit and get the badge.

Also, be sure to include Matthew in your prayers as he is currently enrolled in seminary to study for the Catholic priesthood.

Welcome Pax In Anima to the blogroll

Please drop by and visit our newest blogroll member: Pax In Anima.

Just a few days of voting left

Voting for the Catholic Blog Awards will end on Monday, March 17 that noon CST. Catholic Converts is currently in the Top 10 for Best Group Blog . . . out of 48 entries . . . WOW!

Catholic Blog Awards: Vote Here.

Catholic Converts nominated for a Catholic Blog Award

Catholic Converts has been nominated for the Catholic Blog Awards in the Best Group Blog category.

Thank you to whoever is responsible for the nomination.

Voting well in on March 17 at noon CST. Be sure to cast your votes in the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards.

4 more blogs added to the blogroll

First up is Amy at Knit Together in Love.

Next pay a visit to Happy Catholic and check out her conversion story.

The next member of the blogroll is currently in RCIA. Be sure to add Melissa at Almost Catholic Momma to your prayer list.

Then, we are also joined by Walter at Gloria tibi, Domine.