Dave Ronning
I am Catholic because it is the true Church founded by Jesus Christ. This is quite the bold statement, one that I would have strongly disagreed with 10 years ago. So what changed?
I grew up Protestant. My family regularly attended church, and I attended a private Christian school until high school. There I learned about the Protestant faith, the Bible and the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This foundation set me up well in college, where I was able to make the faith my own, not just something my parents forced on me. I went to a church by campus and was involved with a couple faith-based groups at the university I attended. My Protestant background has made me into the man I am today and I am extremely thankful for it.
However, one question always bothered me. The Protestant church has over 45,000 denominations — each claiming it has the true interpretation of the Bible. However, all were founded by some person in the last 500 years. What happened between Jesus and the 1500s? What did the early Church Fathers believe? I was given answers from Protestant friends and family, but none were convincing. Other answers came in a way I didn’t expect.
It started with a girl that I liked in college. She was wonderful in so many ways. However, she was Catholic. I grew up with many of the common misconceptions Protestants have about Catholics. These included that Catholics worshipped Mary and statues, the Pope is completely infallible, they believed they were saved by works they do and not faith in Jesus, etc. At the time I met her, I wasn’t even sure Catholics were Christians. However, she was different. She seemed to really know her faith, and we agreed on many of the same common beliefs. She made me really want to learn more about the Catholic faith.
This desire began an almost two-year journey to the Catholic Church. This journey was not a fun one. It was the most challenging journey of my life. But what I found was the beautiful faith of the Catholic Church. I learned how the pope is the successor of St. Peter, the first pope. I learned about the writings of the early Church Fathers and learned how they believe the same thing the Catholic Church teaches today. I also learned the true teachings of the Catholic Church. I learned I already agreed with many of the beliefs of the Church. On those I disagreed with, I was able to learn the reasoning behind them and, through study, become convinced that they were true. The journey ended with me joining the Church on Easter Vigil in 2013. A few months after joining the Catholic Church, I married the girl who started it all. We have now been married for eight years and have three kids.
Ronning, 32, his wife, Valentina, and their three children — Theresa, 3, Peter, 1, and Maria, 3 months — are parishioners of Transfiguration in Oakdale. Ronning works as an actuary and currently serves as grand knight of Columbus Council 4374.
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