On Self-Forgiveness and Family Feuds

1. I've had what you might call a checkered past, and I won't pretend I didn't know better. I know you'll say that God will forgive me if I repent, but the fact is I don’t know how to forgive myself. How can I go back to church when I feel like I don't belong there?

2. I've come to believe that God is calling me into the Catholic church, but my family thinks organized religion is foolish and I feel them slipping away over it. It would sadden me, but should I delay becoming Catholic until the people I love most are more accepting of my new life?