John Fraysier is a local business owner and former Christian fellowship leader. He converted to Catholicism after studying Church history for several years.

Growing up, John attended American Baptist Church with his family. He describes his Christian faith as lukewarm until he reached young adulthood. “I didn’t have a strong faith growing up, but it increased as I started to get older…in high school, I got a little more interested”. After graduation, John attended Oswego State. At the time, he had a girlfriend who had gone on to a different college.

College represented a key turning point in John’s spiritual life. During freshman year, his girlfriend became involved with a group called InterVarsity at her school. InterVarsity is an interdenominational, evangelical Christian fellowship with chapters on many college campuses nationwide. His girlfriend was enthusiastic about participating. In talking with her on the phone, John noticed her new religious fervency and was initially suspicious. The social revolution of the times was the root cause of his wariness, “This was 1974, a time when a lot of hippies were turning to Jesus in large numbers, particular in California, but all over, too. When I listened to my girlfriend talk, she sounded like one of the ‘Jesus people’, but I didn’t want to lose her. So I figured I better do something too!”

Thus, that year, John joined the InterVarsity chapter at Oswego State. Like his girlfriend, he also enjoyed participating. John remembers it as a “large, very lively, and charismatic group”. InterVarsity helped him develop a more serious approach to religion and strengthen his relationship with God. “Through InterVarsity, I made my first real commitment to Christ and my spiritual life really began.” His relationship with his girlfriend eventually fell by the wayside, but he continued to participate in InterVarsity throughout his college years.

InterVarsity was to become much more than an extracurricular activity for John. He transferred to Plattsburg State as a sophomore and got involved with the InterVarsity chapter there. He became a student leader. Upon graduating from college, John went on staff with InterVarsity and spent the next five years working on various college campuses throughout the Hudson Valley. “I basically functioned like a college chaplain…it was like being a missionary, you have to raise all your own support.” His primary focus was to develop student leadership, and he spent much of his time coaching fellowship groups. He also taught students how to study the Bible. During this time, he developed a love for public speaking. After five years, John was promoted to Area Director, a position he held for the next five years. During this time, he managed other InterVarsity staff throughout the eastern half of New York.

In addition to his promotion, another significant event began unfolding in his life. He became acquainted with a large Catholic family. The children of the family matriculated through a community college within his jurisdiction, and they were active in their InterVarsity chapter. John became good friends with this family. “They would invite me to their home; I loved to go up there. They had a very joyful faith and loving home. I got to see faith from the side of what it’s like to be Catholic. I was very impressed with the parents’ faith and the courage they had in raising 11 children.” John eventually became engaged to one of the daughters, Peggy, and looked forward to becoming a member of the family.

John and Peggy planned their wedding in the Catholic Church. Many non-Catholic friends would be in attendance, and John’s family was very supportive. “My parents had always been very open…I didn’t grow up in an anti-Catholic family”. However, planning a Catholic wedding still raised some anxieties for John.

For one, John held a visible position with InterVarsity. Most of his financial supporters came from the Hudson Valley. As a group, his supporters were primarily Fundamentalist, and not necessarily Catholic sympathizers. He was concerned about their reaction to his Catholic wedding: “I was worried, ‘Will I lose my support base, my job?”‘

Secondly, there was the wedding promise to bring up children in the Catholic Church. Both John and Peggy were hesitant to make such a commitment. They knew their children would be raised knowing Jesus, but were initially uncomfortable about making such a promise. John remembers, “We had to work through that…I wasn’t sure. I do remember we talked to a local priest and told him our dilemma about committing to raise our kids as Catholics. We thought we might, but also thought we should have the right to do what we felt was best when the time came.” They even appealed to the bishop asking for a dispensation, explaining that their children would certainly be raised as Christians, if not necessarily Catholic. After a month or so, John and Peggy received the bishop’s reply, which they both found disappointing. The bishop explained he could not give such dispensation. John, says, “Inwardly I was really struggling…but slowly I could see a little bit of the wisdom in it.” In the end, John agreed to support his wife in raising their children Catholic, but thought, “Who can see the future? We will do the best we can”.

Finally, the night before the wedding, a woman from John’s church called and said she thought he was making a big mistake. “I worried that this signified a landslide of my ministry falling to pieces.” However, the wedding went on as planned. “I did get a few letters from people,” John said, “Some were concerned, some were supportive….but InterVarsity stood by me; they could see the bigger picture”.

As newlyweds in 1985, John and Peggy went to separate churches: Peggy to Catholic Mass and John to a Protestant service. John recalls, “I knew it wouldn’t stay like that, Peggy would probably convert.” They knew that having children would soon press the issue of religious homogeneity. Furthermore, John entertained thought that he might someday become a Protestant minister; in which case, his family would need to attend the same church.

Whether coincidence or providence, around this same time John came across an article in the periodical Christianity Today that captivated his attention. (”Why Did Thomas Howard Become a Roman Catholic?”, Christianity Today, 15 May 1985). It was an interview with Tom Howard, a Catholic convert. While John didn’t know Tom personally, the Howard family was quite well known in Evangelical groups. Tom’s brother was a leader in InterVarsity, and his sister Elizabeth was both a missionary and author. “I had never seen someone from the Evangelical world become Catholic….I was really impressed with Tom Howard’s answers to the questions.” John wanted to learn more, so he read the books noted in the article’s footnotes.

It was thus that he became familiar with the works of John Henry Cardinal Newman, a well-known Roman Catholic priest who converted from the Anglican Church in the nineteenth century. Reading Cardinal Newman began a three year period of studying Church history. He studied history from the perspectives of both Catholic and non-Catholic authors. He read about the early church, the Middle Ages, and the Reformation. “I was amazed at what I didn’t know, “he said. John was intrigued to learn about the Catholic Church’s belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, as well as the development of Papal authority, heroic faith of the martyrs, the reasons behind the Church’s reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the importance of sacred tradition in the passing on of the faith. “Martin Luther stood against the abuses of the Church, but he also stood against 1500 years of church teaching.”

He brought his interests to work at InterVarsity, and asked his staff members read some of the same literature. He recalls, “I don’t know how meaningful it was for others, but it was for me.” He and his staff would dialogue about these reading assignments. During one such discussion, a staff member said lightheartedly, “Why don’t we all become Catholic?” This was already much on John’s mind: Church history was opening his eyes.

Developing a greater appreciation and understanding of Holy Eucharist was a key factor in John’s eventual decision to convert to Catholicism. Through his self-directed study, John began to appreciate the centrality of the Eucharist throughout Church history. He learned about God’s true Presence in the form of bread and wine. “I thought, ‘Wow, how long have I been missing this?’”

Another influencing factor in his decision was Catholic Church’s position on the Saints. “Protestants tend to react against the idea that Saints in heaven can pray for those on Earth. But I was drawn to intercession of the Saints…it made so much sense to me.” John began to appreciate saintly intercession as a natural part of the faith from Scripture.

Finally, John was drawn to the authority of the Catholic Church to teach religious truth. “The Catholic Church has so much consistency in its call to holiness, spelled out clearly.” Key examples of this include the Church’s teaching on human sexuality and contraception, including abortion. John found no other churches consistently speaking out with clear guidance on these subjects.

Through study and inquisition, John opened his mind and heart to the one true Church. His parents and siblings were supportive in regard to his decision to convert, even though they were surprised at this radical turn in John’s faith. “They were a little disappointed that I didn’t stick with Protestant ministry.” Many saw this as John’s calling in life.

John was received into the Catholic Church in 1992. Alongside John, Peggy had also undergone a reawakening and strengthening of her Catholic faith by reading Catholic books and participating in prayer groups.

John eventually got in touch with Tom Howard and they exchanged emails. “[Tom] was both pleased and surprised that his article had such a big effect on my path to conversion.” He stays in contact with Tom to this day. John is now a businessman and faithful Catholic. He finds other outlets for his public speaking talents and enjoys doing most of his “public speaking” using paper, including poetry. Today, almost seventeen years after his conversion, John reflects, “Becoming Catholic for me has truly meant coming home. Coming home to St. Francis, St. Joseph, and GK Chesterton – to name a few!”

(The links below will take you to other conversion stories of local Catholics that have been written up by Lisa Spellman. A big thank you to Lisa for the fine work that she does.)

Josh and Rachelle Belokur

Ted Janiszewski

Dorothy Hayes

Bill and Lynda Hunt

]]> http://rochestercatholic.com/2009/02/02/the-conversion-of-john-fraysier-by-lisa-spellman/feed/ 0 http://rochestercatholic.com/2008/12/14/an-inspiring-conversion-by-lisa-spellman/ http://rochestercatholic.com/2008/12/14/an-inspiring-conversion-by-lisa-spellman/#comments Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:44:10 +0000 Eugene Michael http://rochestercatholic.com/2008/12/14/an-inspiring-conversion-by-lisa-spellman/ Josh and Rachelle Belokur are a young married couple with two children. Received into the Catholic Church Easter Vigil of 2007, their story is an example in perseverance, courage, and faith. While they shared their journey to Catholicism together, God called them to the Church in different ways.

Rachelle grew up in West Virginia, and Josh in upstate New York. Both were from good Christian families, faithful to the Church of the Nazarene, a Protestant denomination in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition. As teenagers, they both were active in their denomination through local church youth groups. They were also fortunate to have people in their lives who took the time to help them develop spiritually and show them what it means to love Christ and to live their faith.

At 14, Josh attended a church camp, which he had done for many years. Here, for the first time, he strongly felt God’s calling to become a pastor. Shortly after leaving camp, he suppressed this feeling when he realized that he would have to give up his dreams for the future: Josh had always envisioned himself becoming a Marine. Over the next two years he quietly struggled between what he wanted and what he felt God wanted. At church camp two years later, Josh submitted to the Lord. Here, Josh asked God to help change his heart, and to reconcile his personal dreams with His wishes. Thus, Josh came to accept what he felt was God’s calling. During his junior and senior year of high school, he had several opportunities to teach and preach in the Church of Nazarene. These novice experiences catalyzed his spiritual interests. While it was hard to let go of his military dreams, he enjoyed thinking about theology and had a desire to learn more.

Church camp also had a strong influence in Rachelle’s life. It was here that she first made a commitment to Christ at the age of 11, choosing to follow Him in whatever He asked of her. She spent two to three weeks every summer at camp, growing in Christ and in fellowship with other Christians. During camp at age 16 or 17, she began to feel a void that she couldn’t quite explain. “I was spending time daily in prayer and reading the Bible, seeking God’s will for me, yet still there was something missing that I began to struggle with and continued to try to understand for the next several years until we came into the Catholic Church.”

When it came time for college, Josh chose Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio. In preparation for his future role as a pastor, he pursued a bachelor’s degree in Religion with a minor in Biblical languages. Here, Josh first began to sense twinges of inconsistency in his theological studies. “Something wasn’t quite right,” he explains. For example, he explains that, like most protestant denominations, the Nazarene denomination is firmly rooted in the doctrine of Sola Scriptura or Scripture Alone. “I love scripture and am passionate about it. Yet, it is often seen as an end in itself. I felt as though I was being taught that Scripture was the Truth, rather than a gift from God which aided in our drawing closer to the Truth who is Jesus Christ.”

While attending Mount Vernon, Josh served in public relations/recruitment for the college, traveling and singing at various Nazarene churches with other students. The Mount Vernon singing groups met with local parish teenagers after services to tell them about the opportunities Mount Vernon offered them. At one point, he and his quartet sang at Rachelle’s parish in West Virginia. He developed a rapport with the pastor of the church, and also met Rachelle during this visit. At this time Josh was also struggling with the question, “What is worship?” He says, “I found it odd that churches would willingly forgo their regular principle Sunday worship service to allow a group to come in a sing for them: allowing no time for scripture to be read or to hear a sermon.”

The next year, Rachelle also chose to attend Mount Vernon. She and Josh remembered each other from their previous meeting. They became friends, a friendship which eventually led to engagement. Rachelle was drawn to mission work, and felt that becoming a nurse would open doors to this. However, at the time, Mount Vernon only offered the first two years of a nursing program. Thus, after her freshman year, Rachelle transferred to MidAmerica Nazarene University in Kansas City in order to complete her four-year nursing degree. Josh stayed behind at Mount Vernon for a period of time, and eventually followed Rachelle after their marriage to MidAmerica, where he finished his bachelor’s degree and began post graduate work at Nazarene Theological Seminary.

During the summer before they were married, Josh had the opportunity to serve as a youth pastor at Rachelle’s home parish. During this time, he worked with the senior pastor who introduced him to the Episcopal writings of the late Dr. Robert Webber. He also began to study Church history with a new-found appreciation that had never existed in him before. The effects of this study on Josh can be summed up in the quote from John Henry Cardinal Newman, “To go deep in History is to cease to be protestant.” That summer “sparked a fire in my heart,” Josh remembers. He recalls the beginning of a sense of spiritual longing, a gap between what his faith was and what it could be. He found the concept of the sacraments particularly appealing: where sacraments are steps which provide necessary graces on the path to eternal salvation. Josh says, “I was introduced to the concept of liturgy, words like Eucharist, and the importance of the Sacrament of Baptism. These ideas and concepts were completely foreign to my practical experience growing up and, quite frankly, to my education in the first three years of undergraduate study.”

Josh and Rachelle were married in July of 2001, and Josh completed his senior year at MidAmerica. He continued to find his coursework interesting and full of discovery, and he discussed with Rachelle what he was learning. During Josh’s senior year, he continued to read a lot, mostly Episcopal literature. Through his reading and reflections, he became more and more aware of the inconsistencies between the Protestant denominations. He and Rachelle began to question the reasons behind the various denominations within the Protestant faith. Rachelle explains, “Each denomination has its own doctrines and areas of focus. I remember one conversation in particular that we had on the way home from church one morning, about how we could know which one is teaching the truth and what authority could tell us that.”

After graduation in 2002, he went on to attend seminary at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He took a job as an associate pastor at a Nazarene Church in the area. The focus of his role was outreach and evangelism; thus, he was always talking to people in the community. He tried his best to truthfully answer their questions about Christ and His Church. One of the common questions people asked was, “How do I know your church teaches the truth?” He was able to answer them stating the Nazarene church’s position; but in his heart was struggling with the same issue. It was a very unsettling feeling.

Rachelle was alongside her husband during this period, they constantly talked about what he was learning, reading, and thinking. Josh’s inclusion of her made “a huge difference for me,” she says. It became a time of discovery and reflection for them both.

After her graduation, Rachelle accepted a nursing position in a Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. They had their first child, a daughter. During this time, they teamed up with a friend, “Sean”, who they had known at Mount Vernon and had become close friends with since moving to Kansas City. Sean was a former Catholic turned Nazarene. Josh describes him as “One of the most faithful and passionate Christians I have ever known.” Rachelle recalls the uniqueness of their friend, describing Sean’s goal as essentially to fill in the gap between Catholicism and the Nazarene denomination. Unknowingly, this friend turned out to be instrumental in Josh and Rachelle’s future decision to convert to Catholicism.

Josh and Sean started talking, and their talks eventually led to the brainstorming and planning of a new church plant. Rachelle sums up the irony of church they were planning: “While not their intention, it was essentially a recreation of the Catholic Church.” It drew from truthfulness, tradition, and the richness of the liturgy. Despite their best intentions, the church plant was constantly met with frustrations and disapproval from many in the Nazarene denomination. They struggled to obtain enthusiasm from others: for those who might have been interested, they commented that it did not feel Nazarene.

Josh continued to grow spiritually in seminary school, learning and questioning more and more. He also developed himself outside of school. He continued to explore the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism. In studying Catholic teaching, Josh found a greater sense of truth, which he shared with Rachelle.

They describe how their minds and hearts gradually opened to Catholicism. Josh explains, “It was no single event but a thousand different instances and people who came into our lives that led us to the conclusion.” A few of these are described below.

Upon Sean’s suggestion, Josh began to read the works of Scott Hahn. Rachelle remembers at the time that she “was not fully on board” with the idea of leaving the Church of the Nazarene, but was open to talking and discussing the questions and shortcomings they were both finding in Protestantism. Both Josh and Rachelle ended up reading the book “Rome Sweet Home” by Scott and Kimberly Hahn. This book describes one protestant couple’s journey home into God’s worldwide family, the Catholic Church. This book had powerful effect on both Josh and Rachelle.

In particular, reading the book helped to transform Rachelle’s attitude toward artificial contraception. She had a dislike of birth control pills because of their physical side effects, but had no moral trepidations about taking them. Through reading this book she became more and more aware of the ethical reasons for avoiding artificial forms of birth control. Josh agreed and they both prayed a lot about it. Through prayer and reflection, they eventually made the decision to avoid artificial contraception. Later, they went on to adopt Natural Family Planning.

Another important factor began during Josh’s second year of seminary. He recalls driving down the street and seeing a billboard for EWTN. At the time, he was not a fan of most Christian radio, he found it lacking in substance and did not typically tune in. However, he was intrigued by the idea of Catholic radio and wanted to learn more. Soon he found himself listening all the time. He loved hearing the talks, sermons, and rosary. “This absolutely did wonders for me,” he says. “I listened to EWTN everywhere, except sometimes when Rachelle was in the car. She didn’t necessarily want to hear it all the time. She was not ready to think about conversion to the Catholic Church.” For Rachelle and Josh, Catholicism had been misconstrued and given a negative tone by protestants in general, whether intentionally or not. However, over time, Rachelle’s interest also grew and she also began listening to EWTN. Josh says, “Father Mitch Pacwa is a treasure! He makes complicated Catholic doctrine very easy to understand. Not only that but he speaks with conviction and great love.”

Josh found himself closer and closer to acceptance of Catholicism. Rachelle remembers praying for months, imploring God for direction on what to do. Rachelle explains, “Josh was interested in the doctrinal aspect, but, at this point, I was concerned about my family’s feelings and raising my children in a Church that I thought just may be teaching the truth, but had no truly faithful followers who lived the life that the Catholic Church teaches.”

Still, going through with their original plans of Josh becoming a pastor in the Church of Nazarene became less and less of an option. Rachelle says, “We knew we couldn’t preach what we didn’t believe ourselves.” Both she and Josh eventually made the decision to leave the Church of the Nazarene. Josh found himself really struggling, asking God, “What do you want me to do?” “It was as if the rug had been pulled out from under us,” Rachelle describes.

For their first time in their lives, they were without a strong church connection. Yet they persevered in asking God for His guidance. It was not an easy time from a practical or social standpoint: Josh was almost through with seminary and had only his thesis left to complete. Their original plan was for Rachelle to transition to part-time nursing and staying at home to raise the family. The latter would have been a possibility for them on a pastor’s income. In addition, for the first time in their lives, they were being viewed by peers, friends, and family members in a much different way than before. “We were always the ones with ‘a good head on our shoulders,’ that knew where we were heading and that we were following God faithfully. This seemed completely off course and out of character to the people who knew us best. We lost most if not all credibility with friends and family.”

With time, study, and prayer, Josh increasingly found himself strongly desiring conversion and the real Eucharist. “I was convinced of the truths of the Catholic Church a year before Rachelle- she knew that we could not stay in the Church of the Nazarene, but she also didn’t know if the Catholic Church held the fullness of truth.” It was the truth of the Catholic Church’s teachings that drew him in, particularly since Josh took a great deal of time to examine Catholicism in detail. Every part of this was a discovery. Josh explains, “The truths of the Catholic Church makes so much sense, and they are interconnected….you find one truth is connected to another…..The faith is so broad and deep, so rich and healthy.”

After deciding to leave the Church of the Nazarene and the church plant, Josh and Rachelle made the decision to enter the Episcopal Church. This seemed to be a more reasonable transition as opposed to Catholic Church. “I wasn’t ready to give up my desire to be a priest, and Rachelle wasn’t totally convinced of the Catholic Church.” They spent several months attending Episcopal Church in Kansas City. Then they decided to move to Rochester, NY to be closer to Josh’s parents, and because there was an Episcopal seminary there. In Rochester, they began attending another local Episcopalian Church. However, they found the Episcopal Church in a state of upheaval, like many churches nationwide, with changing attitudes on abortion and homosexuality. Rachelle said that this turmoil served to push them away.

A turning point for them came one day as they were arriving to Sunday morning church service. They had been struggling with the discrepancy between their beliefs and the more “liberal” beliefs of the Episcopal Church and wondering what to do. Rachelle remembers saying to Josh, “I think I would rather deal with the negative consequences from my family about becoming a Catholic, than be part of a church that doesn’t feel strongly about aborting babies and promoting homosexuality”. It was here that they began to seriously consider conversion and counting the costs of doing so.

Even while in the Episcopal Church, the Belokurs were seeking ways to get involved and get to know other Christians of the same “thinking.” EWTN radio was almost always the station on in the car, and one day in November 2006, Rachelle heard an advertisement for an advent bible study. She felt that this would be a way for her to meet people and grow in her faith. Rachelle called to find out more about the bible study and found that it was just 5 minutes from their house. Nine months pregnant with their second child, she decided to go. The bible study just so happened to be the Wednesday following the Sunday that she and Josh had started talking seriously of leaving the Episcopal Church. As an answer to prayer, she found herself warmly welcomed by the Bible study group, which was put on by the local St. Ireneaus apostolate. Rachelle was impressed with the devotion of the group and found the experience very affirming. “Everything began coming together after that,” she explains, “Here was a group of Catholics who were faithful and passionate about their relationship with Christ. This is what we were looking for. Before, I was afraid to raise my children in a church where people were not faithful. After this, I felt really encouraged.” Bolstered, she told Josh after the Bible study, “I think we’ll be okay in the Catholic Church. We need to be faithful to what we believe.”

“That week we continued to pray in preparation for attending Our Lady of Victory that Sunday. We were met by our now dear friends and our children’s god parents, David and Celeste Mercandetti, who guided us through our first Mass,” she says. They loved Our Lady of Victory, a small but faithful orthodox Catholic church in downtown Rochester. “We found our home. It felt right; from there on out we knew we were where we were supposed to be. There were no more questions- whereas before there was so much uncertainty.”

They studied with David Higbee, founder of the St. Ireneaus Apostolate, and went on to attend Catholic preparation classes at St. John Fisher. On Easter of 2007 they were received into the Catholic Church.

Naturally, it was very difficult to tell their loved ones and friends of their decision to convert – especially for Rachelle. Josh’s conflict was different: “Even through that first year as a Catholic, I struggled with not being able to become a priest….I hope it was not a result of pride, I just really wanted to minister to God’s people…this had always been my plan.” He was not even of age to become a deacon. He wanted to be a priest so much he even considered appealing to the bishop for a dispensation. Again, he reached out to God. “I prayed the rosary every day and eventually decided not to appeal. After I made the decision, I was at peace with it.”

Today he says, “My gifts as a teacher and preacher as well as my education won’t go unused. My faith is the greatest treasure I can give to my children. I want them to have what Christ has given me. I want to establish my love for the Catholic Church in them, even though they haven’t gone through the struggles that I have. I am the ‘priest’ of my family, I bring Jesus Christ to my own as a father and husband.”

They became active in the Rochester Catholic community and found great spiritual kinship. Rachelle comments, “Before we were in a mess with our faith. Now, we know our faith exactly, and wholly embrace it. But we are still trying to figure out what God wants us to do with our lives!” They eventually moved back to West Virginia to be closer to Rachelle’s parents, and have just moved into a new home. They have had some difficulty finding Catholic support in the area, but they stay in contact with all their friends and Catholic family back in Rochester. They have fond memories of Our Lady of Victory, and are looking to find a similar, solid place of worship.

In talking with them, one can sense their inner peace and trust in God for the road ahead. Their spiritual fulfillment is evident: “The more I understand, now the more clear things become,” Rachelle says. “The void that I had been feeling since high school was filled with the Eucharist. What an awesome gift to receive Him, body, blood, soul, and divinity.”

Josh and Rachelle neither begrudge nor regret their Protestant upbringing, which instilled in them a passion for scripture, evangelism, holiness, and a vibrant relationship with Christ. Looking back, Josh and Rachelle see clearly how God has used their passion for truth and the paths that they took to lead them “home” to His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

They are well armed with a strong faith, the most important gift of all. May God bless them as their lives continue to unfold.

Ted explains, “It’s said that the ideal childhood is the progression from the womb of the mother, to the womb of the family, to the womb of the community. My childhood progressed more or less along these lines.” He grew up in a loving family in the Pittsburgh area. During childhood, he, his parents, and younger sister lived in a lower-income area. Here, the family regularly attended services a local Episcopal church. They were involved beyond simple attendance: Ted remembers serving as an acolyte and reader, as well as attending Sunday school. Despite this, Ted describes his family’s involvement with religion “superficial” at this time. While church was important, Ted remembers that religion was not fully integrated into their daily life.

The summer before sixth grade, Ted’s family moved to the more prosperous Pittsburgh suburbs. Some weekends, they would drive the half hour back to their old church. Eventually, they became involved with a small Episcopal church nearby. Though unable to pinpoint a driving factor, Ted remembers a gradual transformation that fell over his family. Specifically, he recalls that the family’s faith began to deepen, and their approach to religion became more serious. For example, over the next few years, the family began to routinely and seriously pray at each meal. Their faith became more a part of daily life. Today, Ted’s reflections about his family’s religious life are anything but superficial, “I’ve had incredible discussions with my father about what it means to be a
Christian,” he remarks. The family environment meant a lot to Ted’s spiritual development and awareness of himself as a Christian.

He also recalls another significant event that took place during his freshman year of high school. At this time, Ted attended a Christian retreat called “Happening”. Up to this point, he had always considered himself a Christian, “But after this it became more personal.” During a period of quiet reflection, he was lying on his back and looking up at the rafters. “I felt God is really there. Just do with me what You will.’” He then got up and prayed with a friend. “Since that Saturday night the Lord has had a plan and has blessed me. I really took a hold of it. God’s been leading me by the hand ever since.”

Ted grew spiritually after this time, though never felt a particular desire to become Catholic. He was, however, exposed to some of the concepts of Catholicism through a tight-knit group of high-school friends. Some of these friends were Catholic. Like many non-Catholics, he found certain concepts strange and difficult to accept, such Purgatory and devotion to the Blessed Mother. He remembers having conversations with his Catholic friends around these subjects. Usually, the other teens were unable to answer his questions.

As a young adult, Ted became more involved with the Episcopal church and developed an interest in church leadership. The pastor who led the “Happening” group approached him and his parents about an apprenticeship for Ted. Specifically, the pastor was planning a trip out of the country the summer after Ted’s freshman year of college. With training and mentoring, he was planning to leave Ted in charge of his local congregation for two weeks. It was a daunting responsibility for any nineteen-year-old, but one Ted was very excited about.

It was an exciting time for other reasons, too. When the time came to look at colleges, Ted had good prospects due to his strong academic performance. He became interested in Rochester Institute of Technology through a friend, and after learning about the school’s reputation in information technology education. He was fortunate to win a scholarship to RIT and a spot in their honors program. Though previously unfamiliar with upstate New York, Ted enjoyed his first home away from home and had a great time his freshman year. Rochester also has special significance for Ted, because it was here that his life also took a turn.

During his freshman year, he was strolling through one of the campus’s windowed hallways. Through one of the windows, he saw a friend who was leading a Christian Bible study. It was a Christian fellowship group, and the majority of the participants were Catholic. The friend beckoned to him, but Ted declined. On another day, he came across the same group. When they again invited him to join, this time he thought, “Why not?” He enjoyed the group, and began to routinely participate. Over time, he began asking questions of his Catholic counterparts. Unlike his high school experience, he obtained answers. “[Prior to this] I really had no knowledge of things like schism, Henry VIII, and the Protestant reformation”.

In reflection, Ted cites three major factors as contributing to his decision to convert to Catholicism: “the history of the split, the nature of schism, and the Catholics who were there to help me along the way”.

Through participating in this group and asking questions Ted grew to better understand the universality of the Catholic Church and its invitation to all people. He also began to reflect on the words of the Nicene Creed and the concept of Christian unity. “I began to understand the Schism as a division of the Body of Christ”. Over time, he began to long for full communion with the one true Church and for the real, valid Eucharist. He stopped receiving communion at the Episcopal Church that he was attending in Rochester, though he continued to attend services. “Every time, I came to the same conclusion. I can’t take communion in this church. I know all the words,I remember the taste, but I can’t return to this.”

Unity and truth are concepts very important to Ted. “You can see the fruits of schism in the Anglican Church today – it just continues to splinter, just like every schism, every time. Because of our divisions, the world no longer believes that we have the truth.”

He consulted the Bible. “In the garden of Gethsemane, Christ prayed, ‘That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21).’ “This civil war has been tearing the Church apart for too long. I was ready to rejoin the Union for the sake of the nation.”

But the change was difficult and Ted wrestled within himself. He was torn between his increasing awareness of Catholicism and his loyalty to the Anglican faith. “I would later realize that all the most valuable things in Anglicanism are, in fact, Catholic. The center of Catholicism, and this is absolutely overwhelming, is Jesus Christ. The rest is just a picture frame.” Inquisitive and
intelligent, it took time for Ted to work through these feelings. “I’d be lying if I said that I thought this through and showed up at Mass one day. I had help every step of the way.”

A major example of this help was the support he received at the St. Irenaeus Center, and the orthodox Catholic ministry in Rochester, dedicated to advancing the gospel through prayer, fellowship, and adult education. He became involved with St Irenaeus through his Catholic friends at RIT. He found this to be a caring and grounding force: “We have a community where the people are actually awake. Not just awake; the heart is pumping, the body’s moving. It’s quite a community, but also a family….we’re united in Christ’s blood.”

As he became more and more aware of his calling to become a Catholic, he especially struggled with the conversion decision all through Lent of his freshman year. On Good Friday he told a friend, “I think I need to become a Catholic.” His friend was astonished and overjoyed, and confessed he had been quietly praying throughout all of Lent for Ted to come to this decision by Easter. In preparing to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, Ted received Catholic instruction through St. Irenaeus. He also attended an RCIA program at St. John Fisher College. Finally, throughout the Easter season he attended daily Mass, though he continued to wait to receive his First Communion.

There was some difficulty in telling others of his decision. For one, Ted had to cancel his summer apprenticeship. He had a long and difficult talk with his mentor back in Pennsylvania, whom he greatly admired and respected. The pastor was obviously disappointed and worried that Ted was being persuaded. He implored Ted to return to the Episcopal fold. But, with time, he grew to accept Ted’s decision and the two remain good friends.

When explaining his desire to convert, his father and mother were also concerned and confused. “It was a little touch and go for awhile,” Ted reminisces, “But they saw that I hadn’t changed.” Ted continues to enjoy a close and loving relationship with his parents and younger sister. “I’m the same man that I was. Catholicism has strengthened my faith and brought me closer to God.”

On Pentecost Sunday of that year, Ted received his First Holy Communion. For him, there was no question that it was the right thing to do. That first summer after his freshman year, he returned home to Pennsylvania as a new Catholic. He attended Mass at a local Catholic church every day, and said the Rosary afterwards with a group of people. He was an unusual but welcome figure, a teenager praying with a group of elderly women! He went on to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation the following Easter.

Today, he continues to have great respect for the Episcopal Church. “I still have a soft spot for Anglicans,” he explains. “There are good and godly men and women. You could definitely see God working.” But he also has plans, “I want the Anglicans back. I want them to return to the fold, not empty, but with every grace and blessing that God has given. But it doesn’t stop there. I want every person hungry for Christ to be satisfied. ‘Feed my sheep,” that’s our duty.”

Ted looks forward to graduating from RIT next year and plans to stay involved with St. Irenaeus. He is currently combining his professional and spiritual interests at the Center, serving in an IT capacity through a work-study program. He is also a Bible study leader at St. John Fisher. In the future, he sees himself serving in lay ministry and striving to re-energize the Catholic faith where it is lacking. “I want to give my life to the service of Christians everywhere. Count on it. I’m going to give my life for the renewal of the Church.”

Out of all the gifts we receive from God in our lives, perhaps one of the most uniquely human is free will. While He grants us the ability to make our own decisions, it is through accepting responsibility for our choices that God teaches us and, often, reaches us. God does not force. And while he allows us our individual freedom, it is through His grace that He manifests His greatness and love.

The awesomeness God’s grace and guidance have had a special significance for Dorothy Hayes. As an independent-minded woman, she is not one to be pressed into making decisions. A Catholic convert of 20 years, Dorothy describes her Catholicism as the “greatest gift of my life”. In her story, there are no dramatic revelations that influenced her decision to convert and no discrete turning points. There are only His gentle reminders throughout her life, almost as if God was saying, “I’m here. I’m here.” She speaks of the breadth and depth of God’s workings in her life, and over time how she grew more aware of His near presence. To this day, Dorothy has a great appreciation of how perfectly He understands each one of us: “He knows us so well, He knows just how to approach us.”

Growing up, she never expected to that she would someday convert to Catholicism. Her mother and father raised Dorothy and her three younger siblings in Rochester. While a loving family, Dorothy describes the home’s religious climate as that of “Christ-less Christians”. Though baptized and confirmed in the Episcopalian church, she has very few memories of other formal religious observance during her youth. The family rarely attended church. While they did accept general values of right and wrong, religion itself was considered more of a nicety, not a necessity. At times it was even described as a crutch. Despite this, Dorothy recalls that her mother always said bedtime prayers with her and her siblings. While this was more of a nightly ritual as opposed to an act of faith, it provided some context of acknowledging the higher power of God. “You have to wonder at how God’s grace works in our lives,” she remarks. Despite the lack of religious preparation, Dorothy still remembers that she developed distinct sense of respect for people who had religious faith.

As a college student in the early 1970’s, she became swept up with the social norms and attitudes of the time. She took pride and enjoyment in being able to make her own decisions based on whatever she felt was right at the time. During college, she also met her husband. Raised a Catholic, he was also influenced to some degree by the secular distractions in the environment. When they discovered Dorothy was pregnant, many people around her felt she should consider having an abortion. At the time, abortion was recently legal and readily available, and Dorothy remembers a casual attitude toward the subject on campus. Her husband, fortunately, took immediate responsibility. For him, abortion was not even an option. And to this day, Dorothy is grateful: “I had given no thought to the sacredness of human life and if it weren’t for my dear husband and his courage I very well could have been another abortion statistic. Good, strong men are so important because I felt very vulnerable. The girl I was could easily been led to a decision that would have devastated the woman I am today.”

She and her husband married in the Catholic Church, and attended the requisite pre-Cana marriage preparation program. During this time, she did not hesitate to respond yes to the question, “Will you raise your children Catholic?” While not considering conversion for her self, Dorothy felt in her heart that religion was a good thing for children and family. She and her husband had a son.

After college her husband went to business school and they later moved into the New York City area, where he was originally from. Living nearby, her Catholic in-laws became greater presence in her life. She found them to be respectful, helpful, and non-pressuring in terms of their religious faith.

Their family grew. Once the children were old enough, Dorothy and her husband chose to send them to Catholic schools. In helping the children with their studies, Dorothy received as much benefit of the catechesis as the children. Furthermore, she found the pastor of the children’s school a wonderfully supportive resource. He eventually became instrumental in her conversion. He began by simply ask her to come and talk to him. In a way, it was possible God was gently asking her the same thing. Through her conversations with the priest, she became more and more interested in the Holy Catholic Church. Partly because of her experience during college, Dorothy also became involved in the pro-life movement. The more her mind and heart opened, the clearer her path became.

Still, she experienced obstacles. Often times, Catholicism seemed to her a huge facade, imposing and intimidating. Unquestionably, she found some things hard to grasp. An example was the sacrament of Confession: while the concept of apologizing made theological sense to her, she found the act of Confession personally difficult. Fully comprehending and accepting the Catholic emphasis on honoring Mary was another. Over time, Dorothy grew to understand the simple meaning of Catholic’s deep relationship and reverence for the Blessed Mother. The commandments say to “Honor your father and mother, and thus who better to honor than Jesus’ mother?” she explains.

“With each step that I took toward Him, the more He revealed.” As she grew to learn and better understand the teachings of the Catholic Church, Dorothy recalls, “There was never a time where I said to my self, ‘This <Catholic teaching> is totally wrong’. Occasionally I thought, ‘Is this necessary?’”. At times, she found it a struggle to conform her will and let go of sin; a lifelong effort continued to this day. She spent time looking back on her life and some of the choices she had made. Like most people, she could recall times in her past when she wished she had done things differently. In reflecting on these situations, she realized that the teachings of the Catholic Church undeniably lined up with how she felt she should have acted. “Perhaps if I had faith at the time and was following it, maybe I wouldn’t have made such choices.” Through these reflections, Dorothy became more and more aware of the presence of God in her life. She also feels she received the benefit of intercessory prayer from heaven and earth.

Dorothy was accepted into the Church on Holy Thursday in 1988. She made her Confirmation and first Confession earlier that day in preparation to receive Holy Communion during evening services. “I had a lot of material to cover!” she remembers about her first Confession. Her earlier angst about the sacrament returned. She knew the importance of making a good Confession and did not take it lightly. Afterward, instead of feeling as if she lost a burden, she worried that she may have said something incorrectly or accidentally left something out. Troubled about this the majority of the day, she received her first communion that night. After receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, she experienced a flood of relief, feeling the wonder of His mercy and greatness. She remembers tears flowing from her eyes. It was not crying, but rather a sense of emotion she had never felt before

In raising a Catholic family, their faith enhanced her and her husband’s family-oriented principles. Living out their faith and adopting anti-contraceptive mentality, their family blossomed. Today she and her husband have ten children, and their happy, close-knit family is an example to all. The baby they were encouraged to abort decades ago is happily married and expecting his fourth child. In describing Catholic teachings on life and fertility, Dorothy explains that “These are really human truths. When we breach natural law we need to understand that we pay the consequences in blindness.” Living proof of her beliefs, Dorothy sometimes encounters this blindness first-hand, as she receives occasional negative comments about the size of her family. She continues to move forward in her life, finding strength in her faith and God’s continual gifts of affirmation.

Through the Church, Dorothy has found strength and continual growth, “The Catholic Church is set up to love you.” She cites the example of the Saints and the sacraments as instrumental tools for salvation. Through prayer, she receives God’s answers in her daily life. For example, Dorothy remembers spending time in front of the Holy Eucharist during Adoration. At one particular time, she was having some difficulty with some people in her life, and asked God how she could possibly love them. Immediately, the simple answer was given to her: “Love Me perfectly.” She says, “I found that I could love them through loving Christ.”

She continues to marvel at the chemistry between human free will and God’s grace. One time, a family member expressed concerned that she and her husband were burdening their children with stereotypical “Catholic guilt”. They asked what she would do if one of her children turned away from the Church. She replied, “It wouldn’t be what I would want for them, but I know I can’t force them. Guilt is often a necessary tool in evaluating our motives and actions. I would hope it would help them to look closely at what they are doing. We can’t force our children to love Christ, but as parents we are obligated to introduce them to Him.” She also shows her love for her children and her concern for their souls through her guidance, prayer, and daily example.

While human will and choices can be affected by good and bad influences, we have to remember who loves us. Dorothy’s insight is a lesson for us all: “God works in love, while the devil works in addictions and enslavements. God is always us asking daily, ‘Do you love me?’” It is up to us to answer Him.

As they approach their ten-year anniversary of conversion to Roman Catholicism, Bill and Lynda Hunt have much to reflect on. When asked about their faith, their enthusiasm is evident; they are proud and grateful to be Catholics. Yet, they still sometimes marvel at God’s motivation in their lives: “Why us?” Why, indeed, when Lynda and Bill spent so many fulfilled years in the company of dedicated Protestant Christians, did God call them to be Catholic? Moreover, what drives two intelligent, level-headed people on solid spiritual footing to convert to the unfamiliar?

Married for 28 years with three grown children, they have shared a good deal of this journey together. Both are previously evangelical Christians and offer a wealth of understanding with regard to the experience of being Protestant. They both possess a good deal of spiritual awareness, a passion for learning, and a firmness of resolve.

As we know, the Lord works in mysterious ways. In Bill and Lynda’s case, God did not reveal His purpose to them for decades. But perhaps, working in His own time, His calling began as early as their childhood.

Bill grew up just north of Boston, where his family was involved in the Methodist church. Bill recounts watching the church’s communion service when he was as young as five years old. “At the time, I remember believing the host really was the Body of Christ”. While he eventually grew to understand that this was not the case, the interest and desire for the true Body of Christ remained with him into adulthood.

As Bill grew older, he watched one of his sisters go through intense personal difficulty after high school. The whole family became very worried about her. She received advice about turning her life over to Jesus. Turning to Him for peace, his sister became an evangelical Christian. This was actually a defining moment for Bill’s whole family; watching her cope gave them a new and deeper understanding of the power of God.

Bill attended college at the University of Rochester, and was an active member of a Christian fellowship. A questioning student, he was motivated in his desire for further spiritual development. He was exposed to Catholicism during Catholic Christianity course, but his primary interest was in evangelical Christianity. He spoke with some of his professors about the subject, and one encouraged him to try it. Bill found the experience of becoming a born-again Christian as a very emotional and life-changing event.

After college he joined a Rochester-based Presbyterian church with a strong congregational fellowship. For a time, he lived with a host family from the church as he transitioned out of college. He assimilated into the church community and participated in their young adult group.

Lynda’s early childhood was characterized by difficulty: her father suffered from alcoholism, and her mother and father were separated on and off. She had no particular exposure to God or Christianity until attending an inner city vacation bible school at age eight. Here, a peer encouraged her to invite Jesus into her life. Lynda found the girl’s persuasion powerful, and wanted to learn more. From that point on, she made a conscious effort to seek out church services of any kind, and attended bible school when possible.

Her family situation improved as a teenager, when her father stopped drinking and the family moved to the suburbs. At this time, the family became quite involved in a Presbyterian church. As a young adult, she moved with a job to Rochester, and became a part of the same Presbyterian Church to which Bill belonged. They met and married in the church.

As a young couple, they found their church rewarding, and embraced the strong sense of community which provided both a spiritual and social framework for their lives. “The community was very homogenous and like-minded,” they explain, “You become very dedicated, and you truly feel you are doing God’s work.” They were very involved with their church group and felt fulfilled. During this time, they also attended several outside retreats. Through this they were exposed to high-church Episcopalian services, and were drawn in by the beauty and reverence displayed.

Also at this time, Bill became politically active, particularly in the pro-life movement. He was impressed by the determination and tenacity of the Catholics when it came to advocating for the unborn, a vision that he strongly shared.

After ten years, an unfortunate turn of events changed life dramatically for Bill and Lynda. Their beloved church suffered a schism within the congregation, a divide which resulted in a significant level of attrition. The remaining church environment was characterized by an uncomfortable degree of tension, and the family eventually chose to leave. This was an enormous change for them, as the church served as the focal point, grounding force, and spiritual network in their lives.

Following this came a very unsettled period in their lives. “We were like nomads,” as they describe how they moved among several Protestant churches. Having been part of a cohesive community for so long, the lack of belonging left them with an inevitable void. “For Protestants, it’s different,” says Lynda. She goes on to explain that church communities tend to be distinct groups, and there may be a good deal of variance between the different faiths and even churches themselves within these faiths. During this time, they called to mind their previous retreat experiences and started attending Episcopalian worship services. In a desire to provide their children with a Christian environment, they began sending them to Catholic school. In retrospect, this period of searching served as an important precursor in opening their hearts to the Catholic faith.

Lynda, in particular, developed curiosity with regard to the apparitions of the Blessed Mother on earth. A coworker introduced her to the concept, and Lynda was intrigued. Her prior knowledge and understanding of Mary had been limited and she was utterly fascinated by stories about the Blessed Mother. She became voracious for more information about the Blessed Mother. Gradually, she cultivated this interest and grew into the understanding of Mary’s position of reverence within the Catholic Church, and her role as a powerful intercessor.

As Bill and Lynda began thinking about Catholicism, their inquisitiveness grew. They met and got to know other Catholics, and comment about the extraordinary workings of God through others. “We had people praying for us all along the way, even when we weren’t open to the idea [of becoming Catholics]. We had one family praying for us for eight years.”

Such prayers, their prior experiences, and developing interests proved to be powerful catalysts in drawing them close to Catholicism. Bill and Lynda eventually made the decision to enter an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program in Rochester, where they began preparing to become Catholics. Desiring a full comprehension of the serious spiritual commitment they were about to undertake, they supplemented the RCIA curriculum with their own research and personal reflection. While acknowledging the importance of faith, Bill found it both enlightening and affirming that the premises and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church could steadily endure much questioning. “The Catholic Church’s history can be held up to a great deal of scrutiny and still retain the truth,” he says.

Their understanding of suffering also shifted. They explain that before, life’s trials and tribulations often signified a lack of prayer or a problem in their relationship with Jesus. “Now [as Catholics] we know we can take suffering and offer it up for the redemption of sins. Turn it around for the good. It gives you a whole different perspective.”

In 1998, they were joyfully received into the Catholic Church. At the time, their children were 15, 13, and 11, and Bill and Lynda left the choice of Catholic conversion completely up to them. All three decided to convert. Telling their Protestant friends posed some difficulty, but the children stood firm in their decision. Lynda now says emphatically, “I truly believe that other than a loving marriage, Catholicism was the best gift we could give them.”

Bill had a harder time telling his family of his decision to convert, and doing so took a great deal of courage. His parents and another sister had become involved in evangelical missionary work over the years and were dedicated to this path. Fortunately, despite religious differences, the family’s closeness remains “It isn’t a topic of conversation, but they clearly know I’m Catholic. I attend Mass when I visit them.”

Naturally, there was a period of adjustment. In particular, they found the fellowship and sense of community within the Catholic Church unfamiliar and uncomfortable. For example, they found less sense of belonging within individual parishes, when compared with the relative cohesiveness of their Protestant counterparts. However, over time they grew to understand and appreciate the fundamental universality of Catholicism, where one can attend Mass anywhere and still be in full communion with the One Church. With time, Bill and Lynda grew to develop and enjoy close friendships with other Catholics. Today, they are very involved and active in the Catholic community within Rochester. They describe their Catholic friendships like none other: “These are truly deep and lasting bonds”. They also remain close with many of their Protestant friends from prior years. Finally, they enjoy an unexpected new sense of God-given humor, “It’s as if we now have a greater levity since we’ve become Catholics,” they laugh.

“I still admire Protestants a lot,” Lynda says. “In many ways, the [spiritual] work is harder. The Catholic Church has provided us with all the tools for salvation. You receive special graces through Eucharist, Confession, and adoration [of the Eucharist], and all the devotions. You also have the company of Mary and Communion of Saints”.

Bill and Lynda’s story is not over, and God continues to walk with them every step of the way on their life’s journey. “I was 43 when I became a Catholic”, Lynda says, “And sometime I feel like I missed so much time. But then again, I’m so glad I got to do it in this life. God can redeem the time. Sometimes I feel that [because of this] we’ve been receiving double and triple doses of His Help.”