At first, Elizabeth Jerstad was convinced that she would never become Catholic. Then she began attending Mass with her boyfriend and grew closer to members of the Stanford Catholic community. “Outside of Mass, I independently interrogated my deep-seated beliefs and realized that much of what I thought I knew about Catholicism was wrong. The beauty and reverence of the Catholic faith took hold of me, and I no longer wanted to dismiss it out of hand.”

As a Lutheran, she struggled with the doctrine of the Real Presence. OCIA became a safe place to ask questions. “What I experienced in OCIA proved my doubts wrong. In place of apprehension, I felt God’s grace helping to break down the barriers that had kept me from embracing the truths of the Faith.” She also remains grateful for those with whom she shared her OCIA journey. “Above all, hearing the testimonies of my cohort members was a true joy and continues to be a constant source of inspiration for me.”

Story originally published in the Valley Catholic