Alison Berrisford tells her story to Debbie Warrior
Becoming Catholic is a journey I have been on for some time. In 2002, things were very different for me. I had lost my job and come out of a long term relationship. I felt alone and very depressed so I saw a psychologist and got counselling.
I decided I needed someone full time in my life, not just when times were tough. I researched different religions, like Buddhism. I read a lot of books and went onto the internet. I tried different churches but never felt I belonged.
Then I went to the RCIA with an open mind and found a religion I could commit to. I think deep down I have believed in God since I was a teenager and since turning to him I feel at peace and very positive about my future. I was welcomed into the Church in Easter 2012.
I recently became a mum and my seven week old daughter Taylor has become the centre of my life. Things that would have worried me before don’t anymore. My fiancé, Brendan Stanley, is Catholic and we plan to get married at St Thomas More Church in Margaret River this year. I knew I always wanted to get married in the Church and I want to give my children the opportunity I never had, which is to be brought up in the Catholic faith.
I want them to have those core values the Catholic faith believes in. My mother has also become Catholic so her conversion, marrying a Catholic, motherhood, all influenced my decision to be Catholic too. Becoming Catholic is like getting married. You have a relationship with God and are making a commitment to him.
Now I want to get married in front of God and to honour him. I think that decision has brought my fiancé and me closer. I believe a wedding in the Catholic Church is the right thing to do and God is the reason we met one another. He has guided me and helped me make so many great decisions in my life. If I listen to him, I can’t go wrong.
Last year, I had a miscarriage. When I lost my baby, I lost hope that I would be able to have another child again. I realised I couldn’t do everything by myself and that I needed help.
Again, I turned to God. I found I could relate to the Bible passage where the Archangel Gabriel visits Our Lady and tells her she is going to have a child and her cousin Elizabeth is also pregnant. I connected with that and it gave my hope back.
They said Elizabeth was barren, yet she had a child. I realised everything is possible through God. That’s why I chose the name Gabriel for my Confirmation.
At first I thought the Catholic faith was like, “You should do this” and “You should do that.” But through the RCIA I learnt it is not like that at all. I found the coordinators quite non-judgemental and very supportive of my journey.
Now I know we all need rules to guide us, like children. We are all God’s children and he is not going to punish us for our mistakes. I am looking forward to my first Reconciliation as that is where you receive the grace of God.
I believe I get messages from God through the Mass, Bible readings, family, friends and nature. I remember the first message I got and it was: God is Love. I was on my own, feeling really down and that thought came to me. Where did that come from? It must have come from God. It was a really powerful feeling that was difficult to explain but from then on a lot of things made sense.
Time and time again, God has shown himself to me. Like when things have turned out ok when I didn’t expect them to. Becoming Catholic is one of the best and most important decisions I have ever made.