By Renee Webb, Globe editor
Posted May 1, 2003

After all three of their adult daughters joined the Catholic Church, a Sioux City couple decided to make the leap of faith. Jim and Katherine Anfinson became full members during the Easter Vigil at Nativity.

Going through the vigil, Jim said, "It created a euphoria, but I know that our journey is not complete. It was a wonderful point to reach after an eight-month process and now it is our responsibility to get that fire going."

Katherine pointed out that about three or four years ago she began to watch EWTN in the mornings before work. Everything she learned and saw impressed her.

"Jim and I were not happy in our Protestant church and we were searching for a place," Katherine explained, who added that she was open to the Catholic Church because two of her three daughters had become members. "They made it so it wasn't threatening. They loved it and so I was open to hearing about it."

In addition to witnessing the strong faith examples in her own children, she saw it in other Catholics as well. Having very strong pro-life beliefs, she began to join the people praying outside of Planned Parenthood about a year ago and discovered the majority of them were Catholic. It was another example of the commitment and level of faith she found in the church.

Katherine said that whenever they visited their daughters, they would attend Mass. Through these visits is where she believes that her husband became comfortable with the prospect of becoming Catholic.

She acknowledged that she had been ready to join the church for a few years, but didn't want to do so without Jim. Knowing the significance of the sacraments, she did not want her husband to join merely to please her.

Jim pointed out that for some time he had not been putting much time and effort into his former Protestant church and wasn't getting much back from it either. Once he was ready to make the switch, however, he had no doubts.

"For about three years we had attended the Catholic Church whenever we had visited our daughters," said Jim, who added that he and his wife also attended on their own. "I was probably the last one to give the okay to join the Catholic Church, but I wanted it to be that way so no one was left behind."

By the time he made up his mind to join, he pointed out that he was very familiar with the church. He explained that they discovered they both were getting a lot out of the Mass.

"It is so wonderful to have Scripture all through Mass and to receive the body and blood of Christ," said Katherine, who is attending a Bible study and hopes to volunteer at the Catholic school. "Communion, before, I had tried to make meaningful but I didn't know how to where the Mass tells me why the Eucharist is truly the body and blood."

Each of their daughters joined for their own reasons.

Kris McDermott, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Spencer, was the first of their children to join the Catholic Church. She did so about 12 years ago, mainly because her husband, Jim, was a strong Catholic.

"There was a lot of reluctance on my part at first to become Catholic, but my parents were very supportive of me mostly because they were impressed with my husband's faith," she recalled. "They knew we would have more harmony in our marriage if we were able to attend church together."

She credited her parents support for her final decision to join the church and acknowledged if they would have expressed disapproval or reluctance, she is unsure if she would have gone through with it.

Since becoming Catholic about three years after she was married, her love of the church has grown tremendously.

"I love it so much and I am happy to be raising my children in the Catholic Church," said Kris. "As I've learned more about the sacraments and Catholic teaching, my faith life has become richer." She especially has appreciated lessons about the benefits of tithing and natural family planning, of which she learned through the church.

About seven years later, a second daughter, Lynne Slipke of Alabama, joined the church. Although she had married a Catholic, he had fallen away. A few years after they were married they knew they wanted to bring a more religious side into their marriage. Initially they were uncertain as to what church they would attend and so they investigated various Christian churches. In the end, they were drawn to the Catholic Church.

She described her parents joining the church as a blessing from God for the family.

"Just having them be the last ones to come in, it is really thrilling for all of us," said Lynne. "It seems as though the impossible has happened. I don't think any of us growing up in our wildest dreams would have thought we would become Catholic and then the whole family converts."

The couple's third daughter, Katie Gustafson of Ames joined the church last year at the Easter vigil. Her husband, Chad, also joined at that time.

"I had been fascinated with the Catholic denomination for years while I was in college and I always knew that it was where I wanted to end up," she recalled. "When I started to go to RCIA, my husband decided that he would go with me. As we went through the RCIA process, he was very pleased with everything he was learning."

She pointed out that the church's values matched their family values.

Katie was on hand for this year's Easter vigil when her parents became full members of the church.

"We were just thrilled. They looked so happy," said Katie.

Kris said she is amazed that her entire family has joined the church.

"Faith was always a part of our lives, so it wasn't that I was grieving for my family or trying to get them to change," she explained. "I am happy that I get to share with my family, the faith that I found - that's what I love about it."

For her husband, Jim, having his in-laws join the church gave him a true sense of pride in the Catholic faith.

The Anfinsons, both lifelong teachers, said they were impressed by Father Gerald Feierfeil, pastor at Nativity, who headed up the RCIA classes as well as the lay presenters. They offered special thanks to their sponsors - Sandy Christman for Katherine and Rick Mach for Jim.

"We were really struck by the faith of the sponsors. They were always there and were so supportive," said Katherine. "It was really a wonderful year."

Jim pointed out that he was very impressed with the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion that brought Catholics from various parishes together at the Cathedral. He described it as one of the highlights of the RCIA process.

In addition to attending church at Nativity, he said they would also attend Mass in the Lakes area during the summer.

The entire family agreed that one of the greatest assets of all joining the church is the ability to worship together and share common beliefs.

"Due to a lot of circumstances we were ready for a change and the Catholic Church has certainly filled that void. It has taken my faith to a new level," said Jim.