May 3, 2026 Essay: Notes From Our New Catholics
We at St. Ignatius are grateful that twenty-nine adults were received into the Catholic Church at the April 4 Easter Vigil. Here are a few highlights of their journeys to the Catholic faith.
My path to becoming Catholic started with my older brother, Thomas. His guidance first introduced me to the beauty of the faith. After graduating from college, I found myself looking for ways to confront the troubles and brokenness of the world. When I first came into St. Ignatius, I immediately knew it was the place for me. The beauty of the church and the warmth of the community resonated with me deeply and aligned perfectly with what I was seeking. During difficult times, the OCIA program provided a constant source of strength and support. It has deepened my spirituality and given me a lasting sense of belonging and peace. — Charles Dewey
Many assume I became Catholic because I am marrying one, but my call to conversion was shaped most profoundly by losing one. In my grief, I found my greatest comfort in God. Through Mass and scripture, I came to know more deeply the unconditional love of God, a true light and consolation. What began as sorrow became, through faith, a source of peace: the assurance that those we love are with Christ, and that we will see them again in the life of the world to come. Through love and grace, God drew me to His Church, and I am blessed to keep growing closer to Christ at St. Ignatius Loyola. — Cierra Taylor
I was drawn to the Catholic faith over many years, especially through my experience working in a Jesuit school, where I first encountered the depth and beauty of Catholic life. Over time, I felt a growing call to enter more fully into the faith and to continue my vocation in Catholic education.
At the Easter Vigil, I was grateful to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion, taking the name Sophie, inspired by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat and her dedication to education and love for Christ. I am deeply thankful to have found a parish community at St. Ignatius Loyola, where I feel truly welcomed and at home. This journey has been filled with grace, and I look forward to continuing to grow in faith. — Qiuhui
I married my husband 25 years ago this July. So I have been part of a Catholic family but felt a little separated because I was not Catholic. When I heard God calling to me last year, I chose the Catholic Church because it is a beautiful religion. I also hoped my husband would be brought closer to God as my sponsor. God answered my prayers in abundance. The OCIA and St Ignatius Church guided me on a path that not only brought God’s light to shine on us individually and as a couple, but it also brought me a community for which I never realized I was searching. Thank you all for illuminating my journey back to God! — Shannon Molina
My journey toward the Catholic faith has been shaped by powerful witnesses and a longing to grow closer to Jesus Christ. My Aunt Elaine, who became a nun in Jamaica, inspired me deeply — her dedication challenged me to take my own faith further. In fall 2024, I attempted OCIA, but a difficult season of depression caused me to step back. Through that time, my Parish sponsor Sabrina and Jenn from IYA never stopped encouraging me. I feel blessed to have friends who called me back to Christ. I found St. Ignatius online, and though the travel distance from my home gave me pause, I brought the decision to the Lord in prayer and received a peaceful affirmation to move forward. — Onika (Nikki) Palmer
Despite being baptized a Catholic, my faith dimmed after high school. Last year something felt missing. I brought my questions to St. Ignatius because of Jesuit erudition. On December 7, I gave Father Yesalonia my answer at the altar: “To see the light of the Word.” As a candidate, I realized that seeing is not enough. Faith is lived. I witnessed that faith in the OCIA staff, fellow catechumens and candidates, and this parish. At the Easter Vigil, I shielded my candle flame against the St. Ignatius drafts until the lights came on. My return to the altar for Confirmation felt like a homecoming. As I live the faith as a fully initiated Catholic, I hope to be St. Paul’s armor of light. —Anonymous
The OCIA journey has been deeply spiritually moving and enlightening for me, in a profound manner beyond what I imagined. Even though I was raised in a Catholic family, I was never fully initiated into the Catholic Church. The feeling of immense spiritual joy I felt at the moments of my Confirmation and First Communion and the deep alignment of my faith with the Church, my family, and my larger community felt like a true homecoming. — Isabella Ferreira
My journey to becoming Catholic has been deeply personal and transformative. Although I was introduced to the faith as a child, I was not able to complete my First Communion and struggled to attend classes at that age. As an adult, I now understand the importance of faith in a way I could not before. Through life experiences, challenges, and reflection, I felt called to seek a closer relationship with God. Joining this parish has strengthened my connection to Christ and brought me peace, purpose, and comfort in knowing I am never alone. This journey has deepened my faith and helped me become more grounded, intentional, and hopeful. — Cory Rodriguez
Growing up in England, I was baptized into the Anglican Church, but faith was not a central part of my family life. Years later, I married in the Catholic Church and became a regular parishioner, though I never entered into full communion. Our child began attending Catholic school, I personally felt a growing call to deepen my faith. Discovering OCIA and attending the sessions strengthened that desire. Hearing the journeys of other OCIA participants has been truly inspiring. Through the guidance of the team and the priests, and the warmth of the parish community, I felt welcomed. While I still have much to learn, I feel energized by this experience and excited for the future in my spiritual journey. — Paul Gardner
My life has always been guided by an inner compass that I came to recognize as a way my Christian self is manifested. I have experienced my inner self as being called to prayer and reflection.
However, unlike most Christians, I had not desired to share in the waters of baptism, which is a cornerstone of being Christian. So, Baptism for me, is not a “quest” so much as a “recognition” of a sense of wholeness: the private self, connected with something infinitely greater: Jesus Christ and community.
I feel a strong resonance in this tradition and spiritual life lived by the grandparents of my grandparents and their grandparents and so on. — Anonymous
My first week of college, heady on the myriad experiences and wired on dining hall M&Ms, the quiet guy upstairs handed me a copy of the Catechism, a “take home” after a raucous game of cards and a conversational digestif on “what more lay behind these walls”. I didn’t find it forceful, nor an attempt to proselytize, but more of a declaration of beliefs.
I spent my college experience and the years thereafter seeing God and exploring Catholicism through the people He brought into my life – my friends in college, my best friend at work (now my Godmother), and the people in my community.
It was only a matter of time before I would become a Catholic too. OCIA was a means of formalizing a decades-long process and yet the beginning to the rest of my life. — Anonymous