‘I have found the missing puzzle piece in my life’: new Catholics share their stories of faith

This year, about 350 new Catholics entered the Church at the Easter Vigil in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. “The Church is bringing forth new life, said Sister Angela Marie Castellani, FSE, coordinator of the archdiocese Ministries and Outreach Office. “This is a great gift.”

 To celebrate and welcome our new brothers and sisters in Christ, Sister Castellani asked some of the new Catholics to share what led them to the Catholic Church. Here are their stories.

Seven years ago my youngest was born, who made a mess of our family. But at the same time she taught us to rely more on Jesus. 

My daughter was born with special needs and also requires special care for her health. She suffered from eating difficulties, and she can tell you that she is not a happy baby since she does not smile at all. As a mother I suffered from depression. I asked God, “Why me? Did I do something wrong?”

During one hospitalization experience with my little one I was completely drained and devastated emotionally. At this time, God let me know that I was not alone.

I met a little girl who with a throat tube seemed much worse than my girl, but I could see how happy she was, with so much confidence.

As I was wondering why, her mother talked to me. Gradually I found out that they relied on the power of God. Their family was like an angel who brought us close to God. We prayed more, and my husband was baptized when my daughter was 2.

God is in control of everything. Since my little one is more stable, I continue my study on helping children with special education needs and counselling. In addition to helping families professionally, I will have more empathy, because their experiences are my experiences.

It is precisely because of this further education that I could immigrate to Canada through a special path for people from Hong Kong. Once we arrived, we were so surprised that Star of the Sea Elementary accepted my children to study.

God accepts me and loves me so. I want to follow him and serve him the rest of my life.

Sharon
Star of the Sea, Surrey

I have been on the journey of faith-finding through the RCIA program since last fall. Finishing the RCIA program is certainly not the end of this journey, but rather it’s just the beginning. 

Growing up in China, I was deeply influenced by traditional Oriental culture. So when I first encountered the faith of Christianity, my attitude was very skeptical. I didn’t see myself as an atheist, but also didn’t feel like belonging to any religion. After moving to Canada, I met many people who were Christians. Kindness is the first word that comes to my mind when I think about them. 

Faith is a good thing to have, but it has been quite a challenge for me to start a new faith in my 30s. It’s a different story for my daughter, whose view of this world has just begun to form. 

I would like to create an environment for her to let her pursue the faith of Christianity, and I want to accompany her on this journey together. Thus, I decided to give it a try and joined the RCIA program.

I had heard a lot of stories about Jesus from my Christian friends and co-workers, but those were more or less just stories for me, and I didn’t have a good understanding about Christianity. 

That’s where I found the RCIA program extremely helpful. I would like to use this opportunity to thank Janice, my RCIA mentor from Star of the Sea Parish, for all her kindness and for sharing her personal experience. 

During the RCIA, I reflected on and was inspired by many of God’s words from the Bible. For example, I learned and practised the power of forgiveness, which I have already benefited a lot from. I do believe I can have a more flourishing life by following the wisdom in the Bible.

I’m still in the journey of pursuing my faith in Jesus and I feel very much blessed to join the Catholic family. Again, this is just the beginning of my journey and I want to see more of God. As Jesus said, “Come and see.”

Peter Bin Hou
Star of the Sea

In the sacraments we see many examples of matter and form, the first representing the physical and mundane, and the second representing metaphysical divine action or grace.

Matter is on our level, has physical attributes, can be a physical action, and is seen by many people as insignificant or unworthy of notice. Form is ethereal, transmitted from heaven, and imbues the physical object or act with a transformative effect from God. Examples of this are water being used to wash away our sin in baptism, or the laying of hands to impart to us the Holy Spirit in confirmation.

In this way of matter and form I see knowing of God as opposed to knowing God.

When I walked into Star of the Sea Parish to meet with Janice a year ago, I knew of God; I knew he created the world, created me, watches over me, and knows whether I do right or wrong.

I had learned these things as a child, but I had strayed away from the path in my adult life and never knew how to develop that relationship further.

I lived a life where I followed my morals the best that I knew, tried to help others, tried to be understanding, and worked hard at what I did, but looking back I did not know God.

When I was going to get married, my fiancee Victoria, being Catholic, suggested we find our future parish for our family. There was only one problem: I had never been baptized or practised organized faith in my life. Janice helped me start my journey back with RCIA.

I was paired up with a young man named Tim to walk my path with me. But before you can walk, you must learn to crawl. We first set out to understand Jesus.

Over the weeks my depth of knowledge grew as I read the Bible, and my relationship with Jesus strengthened through prayer.

Tim continued to be my guide and it became clear to me through his humble cadence, respectful demeanor, and lively conversation that the Holy Spirit was undoubtedly working through him.

I also met Mario, a gentleman who helped enhance my knowledge of the sacraments I was destined to receive. I was afforded a unique opportunity among Catholics: to face my first sacraments with an adult mind. With that chance also came the responsibility of understanding the gifts I was to receive.

Mario and a wonderful and inspired group of men (Dan, Dave, Steven) helped me step up to reach that understanding.

After receiving baptism, confirmation, and Communion at the Easter Vigil, I can truly say I know God. I had done my best in my life beforehand, but it had been like walking in shadows.

I now move forward in the light of God and everything he has in store for me. I truly feel transformed and ready to walk the path of Jesus and bring that light to others in any way I am capable.

Matthew McClure
Star of the Sea

My faith formation started as a child. Both of my parents are non-Catholics, but they decided to send my sister and I to a Catholic school where we received our education until university.

My aunt, a Canossian sister, played an integral role in my faith formation. When we were kids, she would take us to church on Sundays as part of our play dates and show us God’s love through her own acts.

Ever since I was a small child, I had some ideas of God. He is known to me as the Father in heaven, the Creator, and he loves us unconditionally.

My relationship with God grew distant after my family migrated from Hong Kong to Canada, and I felt disconnected from the Catholic community completely.

In those years, my focus was on getting into the best university, establishing my career, travelling across the world to further my education, and getting married. Thankfully, God’s love is constant and he reminds me to keep prayer as a part of my life. I know God is always there for me; he responds to my prayers. Even though I only talked to him when I had problems, he did not desert me.

I introduced God to my son when he was about three and started to guide him how to choose right and the importance of being good and able to forgive others.

At the time, many churches started to offer online worship services and I took that as a teaching opportunity. My son would join me for prayer from time to time. He became curious about God and asked many questions that I never thought of.

Since my husband is a non-Catholic Christian, we thought that enrolling our son in PREP class could be a good opportunity for him to learn more. After a few months of prayers and reflection, I gathered my courage and contacted Father Pierre Ducharme, the pastor at St. Joseph the Worker Parish.

Due to the pandemic, the option of PREP was temporarily not available, but Father Ducharme gave me invaluable advice, highlighting the importance of integrating religious education in all parts of my son’s development and how I, as a parent, needed to take on that primary responsibility.

In the same meeting, he introduced me to Chelsea Martorella, the RCIA team lead in our parish. Since then, I connect with my fellow RCIA candidates on a weekly basis. RCIA has provided the supportive structure that I need to open my heart to Christ.

We pray, learn about Catholicism, and study the Gospel together. I started going back to church, reflecting on the readings and Gospel on a much deeper level.

It is very spiritually fulfilling, and I feel blessed by that. I have doubting moments just like with other things in life, but the Holy Spirit, the RCIA team, and my sponsor are there to bring me back on track always.

I had never felt a closer connection with God and this level of readiness as I prepared to get baptized with my son this Easter.

Now that I have become a member of God’s family, I hope that I can deepen my faith and serve him more in my life. I feel obliged that I need to witness to his love. I hope that I can also be the messenger of God, helping my son and others to know more about him. I trust that with God’s grace and blessings, I am able to do so.

Alexandra Fok
St. Joseph the Worker

In deciding to become a full member of the Catholic Church, I finally feel as though I have found the missing puzzle piece in my life.

A desire for truth that God placed on my heart is what brought me to where I am today. Without Christ, this conversion story would not have been possible.

Growing up, my family did not place going to church high on the list of priorities.

Though I was baptized Anglican and attended church frequently as a child, getting to church every Sunday began to feel less and less important as I got older.

Throughout middle school, I frequented a few different Protestant youth groups with some friends I had from school. I am grateful for those experiences because I feel as though it helped increase my desire to be a part of the Church once again.

In my early high school years, my family began once again frequenting our previous parish, St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Abbotsford. I quickly connected with fellow parishioners and formed some lifelong friendships. I was very much involved in helping around the church, with activities such as Sunday school and nursery, youth group, and helping in the kitchen.

Being an active part of the church community is something that allowed me to share my love for Christ with others. I truly loved being a part of Saint Matthew’s, which made deciding to leave even more difficult.

Being an Anglican was something that sometimes comforted me, and other times conflicted me. I always felt as though I was in an in-between place – I could take one step to the left and be a regular Protestant, or a few steps to the right and become Catholic.

I always knew in my heart that if I were to make that step, it would be toward Catholicism. Certain things about Catholicism drew me in, such as devotion to Mary, the papacy, and the saints. I feel as though those were things that helped enrich my faith that I had missed out on in the Anglican faith.

In conducting my own research and coming to understand the logic behind many Catholic arguments, I began to find more and more holes in the Anglican faith. Ultimately, the search for the truth is what led me to the Catholic Church, and truth is what I found.

Throughout the year leading up to September 2021, I found myself becoming more and more convinced of Catholic arguments and reasoning. I began praying the Rosary and following some Catholic traditions, yet felt even more torn as I was still attending an Anglican church.

 I knew I was reaching the point where I had to make a choice. In the summer of 2021, I made the decision to take RCIA classes at St. Mary’s Parish in Chilliwack and began attending Mass on Sundays. Since then, my faith has been enriched and I have never once doubted the decision I made.

My journey through RCIA has been filled with love, support, and encouragement. My best friend of over 10 years, Bernadette, graciously agreed to sponsor me throughout my journey. Having a friend like her to encourage me throughout this process is something for which I am very grateful. 

Throughout this experience, my knowledge of Christ and my love for him has grown exponentially. I know that I would not be here if Christ had not placed this desire on my heart. 

Though my RCIA journey is over, I know that my conversion story does not end here. Christ will continue to work in my life and call me to conversion daily, drawing me closer to his heart. I am looking forward to my future here in the Catholic Church, and I am excited to see how God will use me to the benefit of his kingdom.

Hailey Evans
St. Mary’s, Chilliwack

I never thought that there would be a day when I would stop trusting in God, but there was, and it was on my birthday. 

During the evening, I received news that a close friend who I’d cherished as a sister had died unexpectedly. Growing up as a Christian and attending a non-denominational Christian school, I knew where my friend was. I had faith she was with Jesus. But I wasn’t confident that we would be with Christ at the end of our lives. I was confused and hurt. Everything in life became meaningless.

When I served at my parent’s Protestant church, it lacked meaning. I said “yes” because it was expected of me, rather than out of joy.

I prayed every night for an opportunity to leave any ministry I was in. More so, I was praying for strength to reject God, but I realized I didn’t know who I would worship if I left God. There is only one God, so who would I go to?

So, I stayed and prayed for healing and for strength. I didn’t realize that the only time I felt peace was when I attended Mass with my grandaunt, a practising Catholic.

When the pandemic hit and all churches had to close, I was happy. I didn’t have to serve, and I could rest.

One Sunday a curious thought came into my mind. I wondered if Mass was being offered online. It was! So, I stopped watching my old church services and watched Daily TV Mass in secrecy.

The more I watched and learned, the more I fell in love with the Catholic faith and Jesus.

When it was time to attend classes again, I decided to join a Catholic club at UBC instead of pursuing extracurricular business activities. There I was fortunate to meet friends who answered my questions and helped me understand Catholicism. They also continued praying for my faith journey.

I wasn’t in a rush to convert to Catholicism, but attending RCIA had long been on my mind. It was not until the fall semester of 2021, with the help and prayers of a friend, that I decided to attend RCIA at St. Andrew’s Parish.

The journey to confirmation has been overwhelming. Throughout the journey, I always said it was lonely.

No longer a Protestant, I was perceived differently by my old friends and my parents. It was hard not to share my newfound love for God, devotion, and inspiration in the saints and the Blessed Mother.

Yet, the journey has been more fulfilling than lonely. I have met people who inspire me to love and trust God every day. When I look back on this past Easter and being reunited with Christ through the Holy Eucharist, I realize that the journey was never lonely but filled with love, mercy, and grace.

Ava Gravela
St. Andrew’s, Vancouver

I was a Christian in a Protestant church for more than 27 years. I had never thought about going to a Catholic church until one day when I was told that the early Church is where the Catholic Church began.

In other words, the Catholic Church is the continuation of the early Church which was established by Jesus.

This fact made me become very interested in Catholic teaching. I learned that early Christians really approved Mother Mary’s role in the early Church. I also realized Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist and learned about the existence of purgatory. I was aware that I had many misunderstandings and misconceptions, especially about Mother Mary. 

I knew very little about her. But after finishing reading The Life of Mary compiled by Raphael Brown, I was fascinated by Mama Mary’s beautiful virtues, especially her humility, hiddenness, obedience, perseverance, and total surrender to the will of God, which not only touched my heart, but pierced it.

If I had known I had such a wonderful mother as Mama Mary as my counsellor and help, it would have saved huge amounts of trouble.

I realized that I really needed a mother like Mary in God’s family. I didn’t want to be in a single-parent family. Through study in RCIA I came to know that Jesus would of course introduce his family members to me, his mother and his saint-brothers and sisters, both on earth and in heaven, after I joined this universal family. 

Hopefully, the future journey will bring me deeper into relationship with Jesus through our Blessed Mother Mary. I really enjoy going to our Lord’s Supper every day. I would like to follow God’s leading by sharing with my Protestant friends the truth of faith and tradition that has been passed down to the Catholic Church by the first apostles. 

Thanks be to Jesus for leading me to his Church through his love, grace, and mercy.

Maria Yang
St. Mary’s, Vancouver

I call it my spiritual booster shot. Being a member of St. Mary’s RCIA team is a blessing that goes both ways: for those who are preparing for the sacraments of initiation, and for those who accompany them.

When I experience the joy coming from someone who has fallen in love with Jesus and see their longing to become part of his family, I too find my own faith strengthened. As a cradle Catholic raised in a Christ-centred family, one could too easily take that foundation for granted. 

So how does a person keep their faith vibrant? One of the most powerful ways for me is walking with someone who is searching for truth and has discovered the person of Jesus.

During our sessions we learn about the sacraments, about Church doctrines, and about Tradition that has been a part of the Church since it was founded 2,000 years ago. This knowledge is important. But even more important is that we discover that intimacy with Jesus where faith truly comes alive. It is then that our knowledge moves from the head to the heart. When our eyes are opened to the unconditional love that God has for us and we experience it so powerfully in our heart, we then want to return that love to the One who loved us first and share it with those we meet along life’s journey.

Aimei was the candidate I accompanied this year. The longing to receive Jesus in Communion was a burning desire in her. Even prior to her First Communion, she was attending Mass frequently during the week as well as on Sundays. She wanted to be prepared for that time when she would first receive Jesus in the Eucharist. 

She loved the beautiful rites at Easter Vigil and even though she was up late on Saturday night, Aimei returned to the church Sunday morning for the 8 a.m. Mass …and then came back later in the day for the Tagalog Mass. (She’s not Filipino but she wanted to witness Father Gabriel saying the Mass prayers in Tagalog!)

Aimei brings with her a rich knowledge of Scripture from her Protestant background. She has been a blessing in our small group discussions and she will continue to be a blessing to the St. Mary’s community … and to me, her adopted sister in Christ.

Monica Low
St. Mary’s, Vancouver

I was born in Shandong, China, in 1949. As an immigrant from China, I was brought up in a different culture where atheists were the mainstream.

Three years ago, I was knocked down by a vehicle at a pedestrian crossing in Richmond. This accident cast darkness in my life, and at that particular moment, I was severely injured and sent to the hospital where I had to stay in the ICU for more than 10 days.

Thank God, with intensive medical care I was able to come back from unconsciousness. Since then, I have been recovering gradually, although I need a walker for my assistance. 

I was attending Mass at Canadian Martyrs Parish in Richmond. Even though I was not baptized, in the church I was able to find joy and peace of mind.

In September 2020, I began my journey of faith by attending the RCIA class and going through different levels of catechumenate. However, my physical condition and the outbreak of COVID-19 prevented me from attending class after February 2021.

At that time, our RCIA classes were temporarily conducted on Zoom, but I was not able to join due to the lack of technical support. Nevertheless, I remained eager to resume the class despite my physical and technical limitations.

After a half-year break, I went back to meet Paul, the co-ordinator of the RCIA program, to express my willingness to start anew my journey of faith.

With strong determination and perseverance, I attended RCIA. Strong winds, snow, and heavy rains did not hinder me in attending every Saturday.

I tried my best to prepare myself for receiving the sacraments of adult initiation. Throughout almost the whole year of 2021-2022, I was able to listen to all catechists’ sharing and teaching. I really appreciate that our catechists, coming from different nationalities, are united together in mind and spirit to proclaim the good news to us in the class. 

For the past two years, while attending Mass I have often been inspired by the Holy Spirit in understanding the words of God. During the Easter Vigil Mass this year, I was so glad and excited, together with other 20 elects, to receive the sacraments of adult initiation.

Through the Holy Spirit and water in baptism, I am now a Catholic and a newborn person. I look forward to continuing my journey of faith through the help of the Church community and the model of my sponsor. 

Fuyun Faustina Li
Canadian Martyrs Parish, Richmond