Mr. Cruz decided to convert after he did a catechism course. The couple was discussing marriage and he felt that the family should be united as far as faith is concerned. He pointed out that it was solely his decision and something he initially did out of curiosity, not something imposed by Mary – Anne. He started the course in 2002 and later that year was baptized in St. Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church.
Mr. Cruz said that the choice to convert was not hard. He felt a connection to the Church.
«I felt a peace that I never had before. So it wasn’t a hard decision for me, it was just something that I knew I wanted to do.» Mr. Cruz said.
When asked about the experience of baptism, Mr. Cruz said he felt honored and lucky, because as an adult, he fully understood what has happening.
«I felt Orthodox leaving the church. I felt that I had been cleansed and I felt that I had a direction from that point on. Something that I probably didn’t have before» Mr. Cruz said.
His enthusiasm about the church and his baptism in turn made his partner, Mary-Anne, to research more about the details of the mystery and her faith in general.
«He was reading up on everything that was going to happen to him, so I had to know exactly what everything symbolized».
Mrs. Cruz noted that her partner even took chanting lessons at some point.
«He fully immersed himself into the faith and the culture and not only was I humbled but myself and my family truly respected that» Mrs. Cruz added.
Her husband also believes that his conversion made a difference in how he interacts with the Greek Orthodox Community. The people respect him more because he made the conscious choice of converting.
Denne getting baptised Greek Orthodox. Photo: Supplied Source: Supplied
«Being Orthodox is not something I was born into, it was something I chose to do. I think people respect the idea that I chose and my interaction with the church, from that point on, has been 99% positive».
When asked about his interaction before he became an Orthodox, Mr. Cruz said that it could be daunting at times. He would enter the church and become the center of attention. There were times that people asked him whether he was in the right place. This was years ago. Nowadays, people of non-Greek background are more common in the church, something that makes Mr. Cruz happy.
«Our children are marrying people from other nationalities and Australia is a multicultural place. I am happy to see that others besides me are embracing the Orthodox tradition».
You can hear the full interview with Mr. and Mrs. Cruz, by pressing Play on the image above.
