Written by Lisa Spellman

As they approach their ten-year anniversary of conversion to Roman Catholicism, Bill and Lynda Hunt have much to reflect on. When asked about their faith, their enthusiasm is evident; they are proud and grateful to be Catholics. Yet, they still sometimes marvel at God’s motivation in their lives: “Why us?” Why, indeed, when Lynda and Bill spent so many fulfilled years in the company of dedicated Protestant Christians, did God call them to be Catholic? Moreover, what drives two intelligent, level-headed people on solid spiritual footing to convert to the unfamiliar?

Married for 28 years with three grown children, they have shared a good deal of this journey together. Both are previously evangelical Christians and offer a wealth of understanding with regard to the experience of being Protestant. They both possess a good deal of spiritual awareness, a passion for learning, and a firmness of resolve.

As we know, the Lord works in mysterious ways. In Bill and Lynda’s case, God did not reveal His purpose to them for decades. But perhaps, working in His own time, His calling began as early as their childhood.

Bill grew up just north of Boston, where his family was involved in the Methodist church. Bill recounts watching the church’s communion service when he was as young as five years old. “At the time, I remember believing the host really was the Body of Christ”. While he eventually grew to understand that this was not the case, the interest and desire for the true Body of Christ remained with him into adulthood.

As Bill grew older, he watched one of his sisters go through intense personal difficulty after high school. The whole family became very worried about her. She received advice about turning her life over to Jesus. Turning to Him for peace, his sister became an evangelical Christian. This was actually a defining moment for Bill’s whole family; watching her cope gave them a new and deeper understanding of the power of God.

Bill attended college at the University of Rochester, and was an active member of a Christian fellowship. A questioning student, he was motivated in his desire for further spiritual development. He was exposed to Catholicism during Catholic Christianity course, but his primary interest was in evangelical Christianity. He spoke with some of his professors about the subject, and one encouraged him to try it. Bill found the experience of becoming a born-again Christian as a very emotional and life-changing event.

After college he joined a Rochester-based Presbyterian church with a strong congregational fellowship. For a time, he lived with a host family from the church as he transitioned out of college. He assimilated into the church community and participated in their young adult group.

Lynda’s early childhood was characterized by difficulty: her father suffered from alcoholism, and her mother and father were separated on and off. She had no particular exposure to God or Christianity until attending an inner city vacation bible school at age eight. Here, a peer encouraged her to invite Jesus into her life. Lynda found the girl’s persuasion powerful, and wanted to learn more. From that point on, she made a conscious effort to seek out church services of any kind, and attended bible school when possible.

Her family situation improved as a teenager, when her father stopped drinking and the family moved to the suburbs. At this time, the family became quite involved in a Presbyterian church. As a young adult, she moved with a job to Rochester, and became a part of the same Presbyterian Church to which Bill belonged. They met and married in the church.

As a young couple, they found their church rewarding, and embraced the strong sense of community which provided both a spiritual and social framework for their lives. “The community was very homogenous and like-minded,” they explain, “You become very dedicated, and you truly feel you are doing God’s work.” They were very involved with their church group and felt fulfilled. During this time, they also attended several outside retreats. Through this they were exposed to high-church Episcopalian services, and were drawn in by the beauty and reverence displayed.

Also at this time, Bill became politically active, particularly in the pro-life movement. He was impressed by the determination and tenacity of the Catholics when it came to advocating for the unborn, a vision that he strongly shared.

After ten years, an unfortunate turn of events changed life dramatically for Bill and Lynda. Their beloved church suffered a schism within the congregation, a divide which resulted in a significant level of attrition. The remaining church environment was characterized by an uncomfortable degree of tension, and the family eventually chose to leave. This was an enormous change for them, as the church served as the focal point, grounding force, and spiritual network in their lives.

Following this came a very unsettled period in their lives. “We were like nomads,” as they describe how they moved among several Protestant churches. Having been part of a cohesive community for so long, the lack of belonging left them with an inevitable void. “For Protestants, it’s different,” says Lynda. She goes on to explain that church communities tend to be distinct groups, and there may be a good deal of variance between the different faiths and even churches themselves within these faiths. During this time, they called to mind their previous retreat experiences and started attending Episcopalian worship services. In a desire to provide their children with a Christian environment, they began sending them to Catholic school. In retrospect, this period of searching served as an important precursor in opening their hearts to the Catholic faith.

Lynda, in particular, developed curiosity with regard to the apparitions of the Blessed Mother on earth. A coworker introduced her to the concept, and Lynda was intrigued. Her prior knowledge and understanding of Mary had been limited and she was utterly fascinated by stories about the Blessed Mother. She became voracious for more information about the Blessed Mother. Gradually, she cultivated this interest and grew into the understanding of Mary’s position of reverence within the Catholic Church, and her role as a powerful intercessor.

As Bill and Lynda began thinking about Catholicism, their inquisitiveness grew. They met and got to know other Catholics, and comment about the extraordinary workings of God through others. “We had people praying for us all along the way, even when we weren’t open to the idea [of becoming Catholics]. We had one family praying for us for eight years.”

Such prayers, their prior experiences, and developing interests proved to be powerful catalysts in drawing them close to Catholicism. Bill and Lynda eventually made the decision to enter an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program in Rochester, where they began preparing to become Catholics. Desiring a full comprehension of the serious spiritual commitment they were about to undertake, they supplemented the RCIA curriculum with their own research and personal reflection. While acknowledging the importance of faith, Bill found it both enlightening and affirming that the premises and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church could steadily endure much questioning. “The Catholic Church’s history can be held up to a great deal of scrutiny and still retain the truth,” he says.

Their understanding of suffering also shifted. They explain that before, life’s trials and tribulations often signified a lack of prayer or a problem in their relationship with Jesus. “Now [as Catholics] we know we can take suffering and offer it up for the redemption of sins. Turn it around for the good. It gives you a whole different perspective.”

In 1998, they were joyfully received into the Catholic Church. At the time, their children were 15, 13, and 11, and Bill and Lynda left the choice of Catholic conversion completely up to them. All three decided to convert. Telling their Protestant friends posed some difficulty, but the children stood firm in their decision. Lynda now says emphatically, “I truly believe that other than a loving marriage, Catholicism was the best gift we could give them.”

Bill had a harder time telling his family of his decision to convert, and doing so took a great deal of courage. His parents and another sister had become involved in evangelical missionary work over the years and were dedicated to this path. Fortunately, despite religious differences, the family’s closeness remains “It isn’t a topic of conversation, but they clearly know I’m Catholic. I attend Mass when I visit them.”

Naturally, there was a period of adjustment. In particular, they found the fellowship and sense of community within the Catholic Church unfamiliar and uncomfortable. For example, they found less sense of belonging within individual parishes, when compared with the relative cohesiveness of their Protestant counterparts. However, over time they grew to understand and appreciate the fundamental universality of Catholicism, where one can attend Mass anywhere and still be in full communion with the One Church. With time, Bill and Lynda grew to develop and enjoy close friendships with other Catholics. Today, they are very involved and active in the Catholic community within Rochester. They describe their Catholic friendships like none other: “These are truly deep and lasting bonds”. They also remain close with many of their Protestant friends from prior years. Finally, they enjoy an unexpected new sense of God-given humor, “It’s as if we now have a greater levity since we’ve become Catholics,” they laugh.

“I still admire Protestants a lot,” Lynda says. “In many ways, the [spiritual] work is harder. The Catholic Church has provided us with all the tools for salvation. You receive special graces through Eucharist, Confession, and adoration [of the Eucharist], and all the devotions. You also have the company of Mary and Communion of Saints”.

Bill and Lynda’s story is not over, and God continues to walk with them every step of the way on their life’s journey. “I was 43 when I became a Catholic”, Lynda says, “And sometime I feel like I missed so much time. But then again, I’m so glad I got to do it in this life. God can redeem the time. Sometimes I feel that [because of this] we’ve been receiving double and triple doses of His Help.”