Testimony: I wanted an Everyday Church

Deanna Klinger relaxes with Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story

By Deanna Klingel

The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)

 I’ve been holding on to a promise I made about five or six years ago to my friend Nancy, who collects conversion stories and wanted mine. I am a writer; this shouldn’t be so hard. I write about other people; now someone wants to know about me, and how I happen to be Catholic.

I think I have to start at the beginning. The neighbor, the pastor’s daughter, enrolled me in the Cradle Roll and took me to Sunday School in my early childhood. The Bethany Chapel Church was a two-block walk every Sunday, in addition to Vacation Bible School, scary revivals and children’s picnics. I’ve no idea what denomination this was. I know I was awarded stacks of Bibles with my name typed in gold for perfect attendance and memorized verses. This church is where I learned to sing “Jesus Loves Me” and many other old favorites. This was the seed.

By fifth or sixth grade, stretching my wings, I walked two blocks in the other direction to go to Church of God with a girlfriend. Grades six and seven, I walked up the hill to go to Ninth Street Methodist Church, where they had the best hayrides and the cutest boys; I joined MYF to bob apples with them. My current BFF was preparing for Confirmation at St. John Lutheran Church right across the street from my house, so I sat in on those classes with her so we could have a “pop” (Coke) after class. I did learn a lot.

The Methodist Choir

In ninth grade, several of my friends sang in the adult choir at First United Methodist, which happened to be the church my boyfriend’s parents attended. I donned a robe, grabbed a book and sang my heart out for the rest of my high school years. Getting out of choir practice on Wednesday night was a bit like MYF when the boyfriends showed up to see us home.

Years later, Dave and I were married in that church. We moved out of our dorms and into married housing on campus and worshiped at the Campus Wesleyan Center. We even taught 4-year-olds’ Sunday School together. 

But something else had happened while I still lived in the dormitory. I met Jews for the first time. I was impressed by their sense of family, and their huge CARE packages from homes in New York and New Jersey, containing things only Jewish people understood. I envied their sense of history. They really knew who they were and why. I studied them in the World Religion class. I believed in everything they did! But I also knew Jesus. And according to the Bethany Chapel pastor, Jesus was deep in my heart forever, never to be forgotten or replaced. I would forever love the Jewish Tradition, but I couldn’t join them.

Meeting the crazy Catholics

The beginning of a Christ-Centered Marriage

I also met a lot of Catholics. These were the crazy girls who got up in the dark of Michigan mornings and walked several blocks to the St. John Neuman Center before going to 8 o’clock class. They skipped lunch sometimes to go to noon Mass. They carried beads in their pocketbooks and always kept the little lacy cap for emergency visits. I was very interested and impressed with how important their faith was to them. Something was different for them.

The year after we were married, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the world was in mourning. For our generation, who believed Camelot could reign forever, it was an unspeakable loss. I watched with the rest of the world, as Mrs. Kennedy donned her black mantilla and knelt in the cathedral. I watched the beautiful Mass. I watched on TV with patients at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, where I worked. I went from room to room and observed, not just the valiant Jackie, but the patients, Catholic, Protestant and whatever. I watched their faiths in action. I told my new husband, “I don’t really know what it is that holds the Catholics so together, but whatever it is, I need some.”

It wasn’t too long after that I was walking past the St. John Neuman Center, where I’d gone a few times with my dorm friends (to figure out why they went there.) I decided to go in and “make a visit” as they had done. In the vestibule on a rack was a little paperback book for 25 cents. 1001 Most Frequently Asked Questions About the Catholic Church. I bought the book and skipped the visit. About half finished with this book, I went to Mass. I watched. I learned. I yearned. They announced the start of a new series of classes, “Everything You Need to Know About Catholicism With No Strings Attached.” Dave said he’d go with me.

What happened?

What did I want to know about Catholicism or Christian churches in general? Since I tend to visit things from a historical point of view, it makes sense what I most wanted to know about was what happened? Between the Resurrection of Christ and the act of Martin Luther, what happened? Where was the church God sent Jesus to create? Where did it go? What happened to the church of the disciples and the early Christians? The church carefully laid out in scripture for us, where was it in those missing years?

And now I had the answer. It didn’t go anywhere. It still hasn’t gone anywhere. “So the Churches were being strengthened in their faith, and were increasing in number daily.” (Acts 16:5)

The Church, began in the year 33, by Jesus Christ, was the Catholic Church. An ex-monk in the Catholic Church, Martin Luther, founded the Lutheran Church in 1517. All the other denominations followed after that. And there’s the history lesson that set my path.

I wanted to be part of that original church, to be in close relationship with Jesus like those kneeling, receiving his body and blood as often as they could, to know about saints and martyrs who went before us in faith. I wanted an Everyday Church, not just a Sunday-go-to-meetin’ Church. I wasn’t looking to be entertained. I was looking for Jesus on the altar, every day. I wanted to be part of that history and understand the worldwide, beautiful traditions.

Dave and I were both baptized Roman Catholic in March 1964. It’s been the beautiful flower of our life.

Deanna K. Klingel is the author of books for young and young-at-heart readers. She attends conferences and book festivals, speaks at schools, museums, historical events, and libraries, and inspires readers and writers of all ages. Deanna was born and raised in Michigan and married her high school sweetheart while they were students at Michigan State University. They’ve lived many places including Sandy Springs, Georgia, for 20 years with their 7 children before retiring to the mountains of western North Carolina. They have recently relocated to Edenton, NC, where they are restoring a 1790 home in the Historic District. Find her at Books by Deanna and CatholicMom.com. 

(Copyright 2019 Deanna K. Klingel)