Filipino Moves through many Religions and Philosophies before Returning Wholeheartedly to the Church

This man has run the gauntlet of religions, cults, and philosophies in search of the truth. It is always painful, but the end result is always joy and reassurance. Hopefully, stories like this will keep others from wandering away and suffering the pain that Duane Catujano experienced.

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Did I become a die-hard Catholic because there are many Catholics? Did I become a die-hard Catholic because religious organizations such as the “Flock of the Divine Mercy,” to which I belong, are happy? Was I convinced the Catholic Church is the right place of worship because many cancer patients in this community get well? All these things helped but they are not the main reasons I got converted to Catholicism. I was convinced this was the true Church established by Jesus Christ because of the Bible, History and the Church Fathers.

Many of my friends found out on social media that I belonged to a Baptist church before. Yet, I did not share the full details thereof because of the numerous journeys I went through. I wish to share them one by one and how they happened until I was persuaded that the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ.

A NOMINAL CATHOLIC

I was born a Catholic, the kind who heard Mass every Sunday and prayed before sleeping. I thought that the true Catholic only had to go to Mass and ask God for the forgiveness of sins. I was exposed to many vices ever since high school. Some seminarians went to our school to catechize but I did not pay attention to what they said. My grandmother owned a bible but I did not read it like other Catholics who put their bibles on the altar where they accumulated dust. I was also a fan of superstitious beliefs and thought that what the Catholic Church taught was just part of Catholic traditions.

I did not care about my faith. All I cared about were my friends, regardless of whether they were good or bad influences. I joined gangs and did nothing but create trouble. I was involved in many sorts of disturbances. Many people were mad at me to the point that I no longer dared to walk around for fear of being assaulted. Yet, I thank God because He did not allow me to be swallowed by the ills of society.

DECEMBER 2000

I tried the Catholic faith because of my kidney problem.
It was the last week of December 2000 when I felt pain in my kidneys every early morning. I became afraid since I did not believe In God like a true Christian. I thought of the opportunity to live a new life with God. Several months later, a very good friend who serves the community of the Divine Mercy in our province mentioned to me about their group. At first, I ignored what he told me but thought about it. I also asked several persons on how to join retreats. Many good things happened to me after I joined one. More importantly, I recovered from my ailment completely.

MY FAITH AS A CATHOLIC WAS CHALLENGED AFTER I MET A BAPTIST PASTOR

In another province where I attended summer classes, I met a very good Baptist pastor. He influenced me to read the Bible and memorize verses. He was also the first person who taught me to question the images in the Catholic Church. When I met him, my perception about Catholicism changed and became negative. I joined Baptist bible studies and fellowships. I debated with my peers in the community because of the Baptist insight on the images and started comparing the Catholic Church to my new group.

The pastor gave me a King James Version Bible which they consider the best bible ever, as well as a textbook containing attacks against the Catholic Church, which added to my doubts about the Catholic Church. When I read the Bible later, I found out that the teachings of Baptists about “Faith Alone” were not true so I decided to leave them.

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