The Remnant Faithful: A Case Study of Contemporary Apocalyptic Catholicism

Sociology of Religion, Summer, 2001 by Amy Luebbers

Given their ages (see Table 1), most participants felt the effects of Vatican II and increasing modernization within the Church. Further modernization of the strongest identifying institution supporting and sustaining their views could seriously compromise the stability of their beliefs, and they are prepared to separate into the Remnant Faithful to keep these views intact. The potential separatists emphasize adherence to traditional principles rather than the contemporary institution, enabling believers to cling to the identity of traditional Catholic values even if it means renouncing the Church as an institution. [11]

Conversion Experience

A traditional value system underlying social and religious beliefs is not isolated to apocalyptics. However, these believers indicate that a conversion experience served as a mechanism of transition that enforced these beliefs religiously while providing grounding for their mystical, apocalyptic perspective. The result of the conversion or re-conversion experience for all these individuals is marked by an increase in their prayer-life as well as a subsequent directed interest in Catholic apocalyptic phenomena. Whether this is cause or effect is difficult to determine here, though they hold a very close relationship.

The conversion experience relates to a rediscovery or strengthening of the Catholic faith, after what one called, a "dry spell." As one believer stated, "I didn't really fall away from my faith, but it didn't mean as much to me as it does now." Whether due to personal crisis, life change, or a supernatural religious experience, twelve participants shared that they had a point in their life at which they felt their faith in Catholicism was strengthened or experienced a "re-conversion." [12]

Pilgrimages to Medjugorje were the most extreme precursor of conversion. Five believers related miraculous stories of Medjugorje that prompted their re-conversion. One shared an experience there that was common to all, "...we did experience the miracle of the sun; we did experience the rosary beads turning; we experienced faith of a simple people, true peace, true love. It was just a wonderful, wonderful experience that I'll never forget." One converted after merely listening to accounts of the Medjugorje story and another's experience there. Four other believers related experiences in which they had witnessed something they perceived beyond human explanation, such as visions of a dying loved-one, St. Michael, and flashing lights attributed to the Virgin Mary.

A few respondents had experiences that were less miraculous, though not less effective. These included attending Catholic retreats and experiencing job loss or family challenges. As one mother stated, "I guess it was after I had my children that I really started realizing the importance of the stability that it offered...."

For believers, a conversion resulted in such a deepening of faith, that being a Catholic was no longer simply being baptized in the Church and going to mass on Sunday, but living a religiously centered lifestyle and constantly interpreting and shaping the world in a way that is in line with this identity, "it...changed my life, because I started to live my religion." The only recent convert to Catholicism (not re-conversion to an apocalyptic Catholic faith), Tom, offered this insight,