He met with an imam. He met with a rabbi. He met with a priest.

The man, a 20-year-old college student in New Jersey, was raised by Pakistani-American parents who are Muslim. As a teenager, he abandoned his faith in God, becoming an atheist. He believed for a time that following the golden rule — treating others the way you want to be treated — was sufficient.

But his beliefs shifted. “You need some authority that is higher than a human,” he said.

He went on a search, exploring various faiths. Somewhat to his surprise, Catholicism appealed to him the most. He had friends in the church; they seemed to enjoy life, he said, adding, “They have philosophically vigorous backing for their beliefs.” (The student, who was introduced to a reporter by an official with the Archdiocese of Newark, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he has not told his family and others of his conversion.)

In classes, he soaked in conversations exploring notions of heaven and hell, and what a Christian marriage looks like. “What does it really mean when two bodies become one when you make a covenant with your spouse?” he asked.

After months of preparation, he was ready.

“It’s what I believe now,” he said. “I can, with confidence, say I’m a Catholic, say with confidence I want to be associated with the church despite the state it’s in or the problems. I believe it.”

Yet the situation with his family weighed on him. He was carefully planning how to tell them. He worried about upsetting his grandparents and fraying his bond to the rest of his family.

“I don’t think it will be the end of the world,” he said, adding, “It is going to be quite difficult.”

Learning the teachings of the church