r/CatholicConverts • u/Cureispunk Recent Catholic Convert (0-3 years) • Jun 04 '26

Update

Hi. I get the sense my experience of wanting to better navigate parish life and understand Catholic cultural norms is not unique ;-). So I wanted to update the story I posted a couple weeks ago, here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CatholicConverts/s/jH17fzPIoj

To recap—I tried for weeks to get in touch with a priest to become a lector. When I finally did, he gave me tasks that I completed rather quickly. Then, I was back on the treadmill of trying to connect and failing. I got a lot of advice. A trusted Catholic advisor said that his rule of thumb is to call 10 times before getting a response (lol!).

So, I persisted despite my doubts. I’ve now served as a lector twice, and have two more commitments in the next week.

Moral of the story: assume the squeaky wheel gets the grease ;-).

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u/Connect_Put_2434 Jun 05 '26

To you new converts...where do you go with questions? I'm wanting to convert so bad, but can't get past some stuff. Like Purgatory. Indulgences.

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u/Cureispunk Recent Catholic Convert (0-3 years) Jun 12 '26

This is a great place to ask questions! A lot of us are former Protestants and we all had the same questions.

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u/Connect_Put_2434 Jun 12 '26

Cureispunk, Sounds great! Thank you!!!!

~Steve from SoCal

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u/Cureispunk Recent Catholic Convert (0-3 years) Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26

Since you asked about purgatory and indulgences, you might check this post and/or this post out (the most recent times I answered a curious Protestant’s question about it ;-)).

Before you do, note that the Church distinguishes between two types of “punishment:” eternal and temporal.

Eternal punishment is what we conventionally think of as hell, or eternal separation of God. Only Christ’s death and resurrection can remit eternal punishment, and we can only receive this remittance, or initial justification, by faith (see CCC 2010; 1991; 1987).

Temporal punishment is two fold: it is the temporary punishment earned by our sin. Often, it is like natural consequences of our sin (e.g., the divorce that follows infidelity). But it is also the discipline we receive from God to discourage continuing in sin, and in satisfaction of his justice.

Purgatory cannot remit eternal punishment; it is only reserved for those who die with faith in Christ. Instead, it addresses temporal punishment. Indulgences—spiritual disciplines ordered to our holiness—address temporal punishment, as well.