Long story:

After I stopped being an Atheist, my roots began in the wider philosophy of "Traditionalism" in the vein of Julius Evola, Rene Guenon and Aldous Huxley's "Perennialist Philosophy". I was interested originally in Norse Neo-Paganism, "Asatru", while I was still in the racial/ancestor-worshipping phase I got from spending time on 4chan. Through Evola, that shifted to an interest in Ancient Rome, so I started reading about that period, wherein my paganism began heavily leaning toward Roman paganism. I had a "devotion" to Apollo and Jupiter for a time, but kept noticing the similarities to Christ via the perennial "wisdom." I even had plans to make a Lare, or shrine, to them in my home. Soon enough, I found myself reading the anti-Catholic work "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" and could not get over the degeneracy associated with paganism. I was more attracted to the grandiose ideas of these deities than the religion itself.

This led to an interest in Roman Catholic statuary, in particular a Vatican depiction of St. Longinus as well as St. Michael. I sought to worship them as deities, in some form, and this quickly led to a very strong interest in Our Lady. I could not get over her and was fixated on her image, but I couldn't get over the "meek and mild" Jesus often stereotyped by Protestants. After a time, I came upon JRR Tolkien's discussion of "mythopoeia" with CS Lewis which contextualized Christ for me in the vein I had been following. Coincidentally, or not, this occurred during the week of the 100th Anniversary of the final apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 2017 (Deo gratias). And I soon sought out how to enter the Church.

I found myself in a mildly conservative diocesan RCIA program, but couldn't get over the things I had already learned about Catholicism that didn't pair up with what was being taught. I was also incredibly proud, so that didn't help either. I recall our instructor (not a priest) essentially describing the Trinity as Optimus Prime, which was the heresy of modalism. I made it through that, was baptized and confirmed by +Morlino Easter 2018. I tried to stick with the Novus Ordo for a while, about a year or so, but really found it not aligning with what I had learned about Catholicism. Soon enough, I decided to go to St. Mary's in Pine Bluff where Fr. Z was and attended my first Indult Mass, which really blew me away. I stayed there for another 6 months or so, until I learned how rotten Vatican II was and got sick of Fr. Z preaching for it and reprimanding us for not "participating" and wound up at my current SSPX chapel about 10 minutes from there, around Fall 2019.

Since then, I cut out all Novus Ordo, threw out most of my Novus Ordo books, and haven't really looked back. My foray into sedevacantism/sedeprivationism didn't really occur until the end of 2020.

The long and short of it: Our Lady brought me from neo-paganism to traditional Catholicism.

Husband and I both born and raised Roman Catholic in the state of Indiana. both born in 1952. Went to the catholic school we had with SSND nuns from 1960 -1971.

Air force family. Saw nothing but new order since 1963.  We married in 1973, 4 children. Settled in AZ, attached to Luke Base.  I met up with pro-life new order group in 1987.  Went to school under Dr. Billings in California and New Orleans.  Then the pro-life group of women, under Governor Mecham (mormon) were set up to watch the works of Planned Parenthood. I was taught to read Federal Grants. Searched to see "who" was bringing sex ed. into the schools when it was against the laws of the state.  

I found the culprit, the dioceses of Tucson and Phoenix.  I also testified against the Dept. of health services, so that they would not win a million $$ program. It was the CEO who of Dept. of health who gave our group docuмents.  The dept. was saying "more visits for pregnant women would make for a better outcome of baby". That program was a lie to get the million!  Now, the lie is to push doctors to get women to the 40th week.

So, with all those grants that I collected, I took them to Fr. Leblanc of Our Lady of the Sun.  He said he did not need to see any thing to prove the demonic ends of the dioceses. Fr. Leblanc said, your family belongs here. So, 6 months later we were traditional, what we remember as kids in the 2nd grade.

Masses in 1963?  Well, I was age 10-11. ( St. Peter's and Paul) I remember the dialogue.  I remember we answered, however.  So, that when we came to Fr. Leblanc's in 1996, we found ourselves wanting to say something, what we know to be dialogue.  Also, what really hurt was in about 1967, the beautiful marble communion rail with 4 angels with torch lights totally removed, marble in pieces. Torn out overnight.  I was told, not long ago, that some parishioners got a hold of some of these pieces and put them in a place of honor.

Then, about 1990, a chapel was to be built in the basement.( This church is St. Peter's and Paul of Huntington, IN started out as a log cabin and final was a limestone very large Church with clock and bells.)  Well, when this little chapel was to be made, the priest at the time -New order- told his parishioners that they, who have a piece of the old communion rail, could put them there for reverence or such.  Wow! trying to get them out of the peoples hands!  I was told no one moved, no pieces came.  Good!

In 1971, question was to wear a veil or not to.  We also had the guitar mass (mess) in 1970, about. The Our Father was changed to the protestant version, about 1969.  I remember  because of our time in school.  We lost a lot of nuns in 1967 and I never knew why.  My parents evidently didn't know either and the questions or even the issue never made it in the house or at the dinner table.  But, when cuba was doing it's thing, and civil defense came in, there was talk galore how to have a safe place (save our bodies).  

So, much for saving souls.  

What is interesting is Fr. Leblanc, Our Lady of the Sun, AZ  had many vestments to be saved from destruction, and books. Fr. O'connor who assisted Fr. Leblanc, when he died, had a large building in his dedication.  Library of Fr. O'connor.  It was put in some order, gradually. The secretary, Al, went through books and found one date 1940. First page with onion skin showed a picture of New order mass, I believe was in Minnesota.  That book was put aside to show to parishioners. I saw the picture. Facing the people.

I do wonder how many items and such have been saved, maybe even hidden by other priest, people.  We must honor holy items.  I treasure books and religious  items.  Being in the Sun City area, we have estate sales. So, I certainly keep my eyes open. I like medals and scapulars, missals.  There used to be a lot more 20 years ago.  Not much now.

I do wonder about the vestments and such of SSPX and such.  All those that bring us to think of God will disappear.Of course some are found online to buy.

I converted in 1978 as a teenager. I belonged to a trad mission that rented a hotel ballroom once/month for Masses. Father would fly in once a month.
I used to frequent thrift stores and was always on the lookout for pre V2 missals. I once found a huge box of them in a thrift store and the store let me have the whole box for $5.00! I also once got an organ version of the St Gregory Hymnal for 50 cents in another store. 
I brought them all to our mission and everyone got a missal, incl the organist!

Year 2000. I was in a diocesan high school. Raised Catholic at conservative Polish parish. Priest was older and held on to some traditions. Helpful to me in the confessional. 
I was employed as an organist at a neighboring diocesan parish in high school. Not as conservative as my childhood parish but still within reason. 
Christmas Day 2000. Played my 8:30am mass. Was looking for an open restaurant to have breakfast between the 8:30 and 10:30 masses. Remembered seeing the sign on the church behind my high school "Traditional Latin Mass" (SSPX) and I decided to check it out. I walked in at the Offertory, having never seen a Traditional Latin Masss before or known anything at all about the trad movement; only having been drawn to Padre Pio, and that his mass vestments were different than what I was accustomed to. I noticed his vestments were identical to the priest's, whose mass I was attending for the first time in tradition. The priest at this chapel was a friend  of the Society, ordained by a retired Philipino Bishop in the traditional Rite and approved of by Fr. Peter Scott at the time (if I remember correctly). From then on, I embraced Tradition, lived at a retreat house for a few months, then went on to seminary in Winona. I did not make it to minor orders, but spent the happiest 2 years of my life, in what Bishop Williamson, rector at the time, referred to as a "temporary vocation." I will always treasure those years as the happiest of my life, though not always realizing it at the time, due to my immaturity in the spiritual life. I'm grateful to God for the graces granted through the Blessed Mother, Padre Pio, my grandmother's prayers for me to St. John Bosco, and Abp. Lefebvre.

I was not raised Catholic but my mom had been. As a young teen I asked my Catholic grandmom what the red fishes on Friday meant on her drugstore calendar (this was the 60s when even secular calendars had that!) She explained, and when I asked her about the Faith, she presented it as traditional bc that was all she knew (V2 had only recently ended but I knew nothing about it. She ended up not going to the NO after they changed things in 1969 or so.)

My parents were both professional artists. There were many books in my parents studio of Renaissance art. They often told me about Michelangelo, and I watched The Agony and the Ecstasy. I was taken in by the beauty of Catholic art, and later as a piano student, Catholic classical music.  My dad's favorite of Michelangelo was The Pieta as well as King David. I grew up seeing these in our home even though my parents weren't Catholic.

In the early 70s I asked a cousin more about the Faith. He gave me George Carlin's CLASS CLOWN record which amazingly I realized later was pretty accurate on doctrine. It was how I learned what made a sin mortal, heaven/hell/purgatory/limbo, etc.

In 1973 I saw THE EXORCIST. Became awed by holy water's power against demons.

Looking back its amazing the things God will use to draw you in!  Things that would be condemned God still used (Carlin, The Exorcist, etc)

I ended up going to a local NO parish in 1977 for instruction.  Fortunately I got a very trad priest who hated the changes but stayed out of obedience.  He taught me one on one via the Baltimore catechism, Douay Bible, etc. A few months after my Baptism I found the trad movement in the form of the ORCM, and never looked back.

Great story! Didn’t you mention that you were part Jєωιѕн in another post?

Yes. My dad was Jєωιѕн by birth but was always Christian-friendly...my mom was raised Catholic before V2 but converted to Orthodox Judaism to marry my father (he wasn't religious but his parents were).

My mom received the Last Rites and came back to the Church a few days before she died, and I had the great privilege to Baptize my dad on his deathbed after he told me he believed in Jesus as Messiah, and asked for Baptism. To this day I believe his love of Catholic art, as an artist, helped draw him to the Faith.

WOW, that is wonderful!