A sense of connection with a Personal God
Stephen Tsang, from Hong Kong, converted to Catholicism while living as a student at Netherhall residence in London.
Many conversion stories, especially those found in fiction, are preceded by disillusionment, loneliness or even psychological breakdown.
The protagonists who eventually found God after such emotional roller coaster often find themselves opting for other answers when another life changing experience comes along. My story was simple, in a quiet way paving the way for me to receive a vocation to seek sanctity in the ordinary things of life.
My calm and protected childhood had hardly any notion of God or religion. A few years in a Catholic school in Hong Kong didn’t even lead me to set foot in the school chapel. Three years in a Church of England boarding school didn’t make much impact either. I realised that very few around me had any faith at all. A last minute decision saw me going to London for University. I visited Netherhall House during my first year in an architectural school. It never crossed my mind that I would stay there as I was looking forward to having my own place, a small flat my parents suggested purchasing. The solicitor had difficulties with the deeds of the new property and the completion of the purchase was not forthcoming when term began. Needing accommodation urgently, Netherhall House became the obvious choice. I thought it would only be a very brief stay. There were students of different faiths, I soon met a number of Catholics and was intrigued by the naturalness of their faith.
I was also drawn to the large chapel in the residence; architecturally it is the biggest room with the best finishes. Before long I was spending brief moments in it and quite happy that no one ever questioned my being there. One of the residents introduced me to the concept of mental prayer. There was immediately a sense of connection with a Personal God; this distinctive character still holds me now 27 years after the event. Soon I was joining in with the morning prayer session. I often used the little book ‘The Way’ by St. Josemaria, no cultural barrier ever seemed an issue at all. Then attending daily Mass was a natural progression, the desire to be more united and identified with this Personal Redeemer grew.
I was happy that all through this period no one ever ‘pushed’ me to embrace the Faith, perhaps they were expecting me to take a long time. I was in Leeds during the Christmas holidays, prayer and daily attendance at Mass continued despite heavy snow falls. My sister hired a car to take me a few times, she was also in a Catholic Missionary school but had a different experience. It became clear to me that I had received this gift of Faith. Upon returning to Netherhall I expressed my readiness for Baptism and was presently surprised to be asked to wait a little longer. Certain critics have at times hinted that the people of Opus Dei were only interested in the elite and often would use coercion to achieve their aims; these were not my experience.
One of the great attractions of the Catholic Faith is the devotion to our Lady. My previous studies of Renaissance art suddenly made full sense as the manifestation of a living faith. Other than the various devotions practiced in the residence I loved the idea of visiting ‘the Poor of Our Lady’. Even in the affluent area of Hampstead there are many who suffered loneliness and ill health. The family atmosphere was another great help in understanding Catholic culture. It was 2nd of February that I was baptised into the Catholic Church; the residents put on a great show of celebration afterwards. My parents were apprehensive to start with, but seeing no adverse effect developing, they became strong defenders of my choice in front of the questioning of other relatives.
The solicitor eventually got his work done and the contract was completed. Before my departure from Netherhall House I felt a clear calling from our Lord that I can dedicate my whole life to His service without leaving my chosen profession. It was during the Rosary one evening, hardly a month after my baptism. Perhaps I knew little Catholic doctrine at that time but I was sure about the calling, and have never looked back on my decision. I was going out with a girl who was in school with me and we did paintings together, but there was no commitment. Naturally, giving myself to God meant for me a total dedication of all that I was and would be at that time. My non-Christian parents understood this too, although their Chinese culture would have preferred otherwise.
The doctrine of seeking holiness in everyday life is now common language and part of the everyday teaching in the Church. There are so many practical application in one’s daily life that everyday becomes an adventure. Working as an architect provides many opportunities of realising this: finishing everything to the last detail, serving the individual needs of every client, finding the unique solution for each project, creating the right designs to bring order to family life etc. I will never forget that St. Josemaria said: ‘When our Lord sees that the altar and fittings are well cared for, He looks upon those responsible with special love and overlooks their other defects.’ The human and the divine intermingle in ordinary everyday life, those who neglect the humdrum material details may not be able to find God elsewhere.
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Many conversion stories, especially those found in fiction, are preceded by disillusionment, loneliness or even psychological breakdown.
The protagonists who eventually found God after such emotional roller coaster often find themselves opting for other answers when another life changing experience comes along. My story was simple, in a quiet way paving the way for me to receive a vocation to seek sanctity in the ordinary things of life.
My calm and protected childhood had hardly any notion of God or religion. A few years in a Catholic school in Hong Kong didn’t even lead me to set foot in the school chapel. Three years in a Church of England boarding school didn’t make much impact either. I realised that very few around me had any faith at all. A last minute decision saw me going to London for University. I visited Netherhall House during my first year in an architectural school. It never crossed my mind that I would stay there as I was looking forward to having my own place, a small flat my parents suggested purchasing. The solicitor had difficulties with the deeds of the new property and the completion of the purchase was not forthcoming when term began. Needing accommodation urgently, Netherhall House became the obvious choice. I thought it would only be a very brief stay. There were students of different faiths, I soon met a number of Catholics and was intrigued by the naturalness of their faith.
I was also drawn to the large chapel in the residence; architecturally it is the biggest room with the best finishes. Before long I was spending brief moments in it and quite happy that no one ever questioned my being there. One of the residents introduced me to the concept of mental prayer. There was immediately a sense of connection with a Personal God; this distinctive character still holds me now 27 years after the event. Soon I was joining in with the morning prayer session. I often used the little book ‘The Way’ by St. Josemaria, no cultural barrier ever seemed an issue at all. Then attending daily Mass was a natural progression, the desire to be more united and identified with this Personal Redeemer grew.
I was happy that all through this period no one ever ‘pushed’ me to embrace the Faith, perhaps they were expecting me to take a long time. I was in Leeds during the Christmas holidays, prayer and daily attendance at Mass continued despite heavy snow falls. My sister hired a car to take me a few times, she was also in a Catholic Missionary school but had a different experience. It became clear to me that I had received this gift of Faith. Upon returning to Netherhall I expressed my readiness for Baptism and was presently surprised to be asked to wait a little longer. Certain critics have at times hinted that the people of Opus Dei were only interested in the elite and often would use coercion to achieve their aims; these were not my experience.
One of the great attractions of the Catholic Faith is the devotion to our Lady. My previous studies of Renaissance art suddenly made full sense as the manifestation of a living faith. Other than the various devotions practiced in the residence I loved the idea of visiting ‘the Poor of Our Lady’. Even in the affluent area of Hampstead there are many who suffered loneliness and ill health. The family atmosphere was another great help in understanding Catholic culture. It was 2nd of February that I was baptised into the Catholic Church; the residents put on a great show of celebration afterwards. My parents were apprehensive to start with, but seeing no adverse effect developing, they became strong defenders of my choice in front of the questioning of other relatives.
The solicitor eventually got his work done and the contract was completed. Before my departure from Netherhall House I felt a clear calling from our Lord that I can dedicate my whole life to His service without leaving my chosen profession. It was during the Rosary one evening, hardly a month after my baptism. Perhaps I knew little Catholic doctrine at that time but I was sure about the calling, and have never looked back on my decision. I was going out with a girl who was in school with me and we did paintings together, but there was no commitment. Naturally, giving myself to God meant for me a total dedication of all that I was and would be at that time. My non-Christian parents understood this too, although their Chinese culture would have preferred otherwise.
The doctrine of seeking holiness in everyday life is now common language and part of the everyday teaching in the Church. There are so many practical application in one’s daily life that everyday becomes an adventure. Working as an architect provides many opportunities of realising this: finishing everything to the last detail, serving the individual needs of every client, finding the unique solution for each project, creating the right designs to bring order to family life etc. I will never forget that St. Josemaria said: ‘When our Lord sees that the altar and fittings are well cared for, He looks upon those responsible with special love and overlooks their other defects.’ The human and the divine intermingle in ordinary everyday life, those who neglect the humdrum material details may not be able to find God elsewhere.
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Church Leaders Say Mass Conversions Are Natural Revolt Against Caste System
By Michael Gonsalves
Mass religious conversions of dalit and tribal people are a natural opposition to India's oppressive caste system, Church leaders and others say.
On May 27, Buddhist monks presided as more than 50,000 people from lower-caste groups and nomadic tribes became Buddhists at a function in Mumbai, 1,410 kilometers southwest of New Delhi.
Ramdas Athavale, president of the Republican Party of India, organized the program and administered the oath to the converts. He described the event as the "biggest show" of strength by people whom society neglects.
The conversion will help the dalit escape the rigid caste system that denied them equal status, he told UCA News May 29.
Dalit, meaning "broken" in Sanskrit, denotes former untouchables at the bottom of the traditional Indian caste system. Dalit form nearly 16 percent of India's 1.02 billion people. Tribal people account for about 8 percent.
Another organizer, Laxman Mane, lamented that most dalit and nomadic tribal people in India remain uneducated even 60 years after the country's independence. "Go home with dreams in your heart and send your children to school," the 56-year-old Buddhist writer told the new converts.
Auxiliary Bishop Agnelo R. Gracias of Bombay considers mass conversions of dalit and tribal people "an expression" of their fight for dignity and equality. Bombay is the old name of Mumbai, India's commercial hub and the capital of Maharashtra state.
The first mass dalit conversion in India came in 1955, when B.R. Ambedkar, champion of India's untouchables, and 200,000 dalit embraced Buddhism. Dalit groups have organized similar events since.
Bishop Gracias told UCA News June 2 that religious conversion gives dalit legitimate status in a society that has kept them down for centuries. Even so, the prelate saw "political color" in the recent event since some political parties supported it. They want to gain a vote bank for the 2009 general election, he remarked.
Bishop Thomas Dabre of Vasai, whose diocese neighbors Bombay archdiocese, also sees the event as a "natural revolt," but he disapproves of people changing religion without an inner conversion. In "such a large exodus from one religion to another, it is questionable whether spiritual values were imbibed," he added.
Leaders and scholars from other religions also were among the people with whom UCA News spoke about mass conversion.
Irfan Engineer, an Islamic scholar, said such an act is a "defiance" of the "oppressive caste system" and "does not involve learning the tenets of the faith." According to him, mass conversions have become a movement in India, especially when federal and state elections are near.
Jesuit theologian Father Peter Arockiadoss said mass conversions signal an assertion of political, social, economic and cultural freedom by the dalit and tribal people. Upper caste groups have brainwashed these people over centuries to accept their status, he charged.
Swami Agnivesh, a Hindu ascetic, pointed out that caste is determined at birth, leaving no freedom to choose a religion. Those born as "low castes" are seen as "unlucky," fated to endure centuries of "inhuman existence," he explained. In such a situation, he continued, conversion is a "symbolic protest" and a means to seek equal opportunities.
Ram Puniyani, professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, observed that dalit and tribal people have lived "on the mercy of the rich and influential" for centuries. These landless and "poorest of the poor" people face harassment whenever some theft or looting occurs in villages, he added.
Abraham Mathai, vice chairperson of Maharashtra's Minority Commission, described the mass conversion as a "political assertion" and a "noble action demonstrating freedom of conscience."
Right-wing Hindu leaders say they have no problems with dalit converting to Buddhism. "We do not consider the event as stealing our flock, as Buddhism is part and parcel of Hinduism and Indian culture," explained Ram Madhav.
The spokesperson for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (national volunteers' corps), the umbrella organization of groups campaigning to make India a Hindu theocratic state, said such events show that dalit and tribal people "are moving from a caste-based religion to casteless religion." But he dismissed the mass conversion as "a political gimmick" to help politicians.
He claimed his organization has campaigned against the caste system.
UCA News
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