Urgent Warning to Avoid Ouija and Run to the Open Arms of Christ Who Loves You!

Torch of The Faith News on Thursday 04 December 2014 - 13:39:53 | by admin

Several weeks ago we lamented the fact that a movie called Ouija had been released and we warned people not to go and see it.

It is sad to have to relate that Google now reports that sales of Ouija boards have increased by 300% since the movie was released. It is a real indictment of our times that these boards now rank among the top trending 'gifts' on Google's price-comparison lists in the run-up to Christmas.

One shudders to think of the sheer numbers of people, throughout the world, who may purchase and use these evil boards in their homes and thus open themselves and their locations up to diabolical influences. Perhaps large numbers of these people will be curious young people; many of whom have never been baptized, but have instead been softened up to accept the occult from their youngest childhood, through the influence of Harry Potter and the Twilight brands. It is certainly worth pointing out to people that the toy giant Hasbro provided funding towards the production of the Ouija movie.

Let us reiterate what we said back in November.

In the first instance, involvement with the occult is gravely offensive to God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that all occult activities break the First Commandment and 'contradict the honour, respect and loving fear that we owe to God alone' (CCC 2116 ).

This should be sufficient reason for all people to shun the occult. 

Nevertheless, a further reason is the serious spiritual harm which can result from such involvement. Last month we quoted Dr. Cascioli from the International Association of Exorcists (IAE), who warned that many people get involved in things like consulting the dead through curiosity. However involvement begins, the psychiatrist warned that the results are always disastrous. He noted that occult involvement is on the increase across the globe and these consequences now constitute a pastoral emergency for the Church.

Dr. Cascioli's warning has been reiterated in an interview given by a Catholic priest in Dublin to the Irish Independent newspaper. 

The priest again points out that many people get involved in ouija on a whim or by naively thinking they can contact deceased loved ones. However, they are really opening themselves to harmful demonic influences. These entities can masquerade as deceased relatives in order to try and get possession of a person.

Catholic apologist Joel S. Peters points to research indicating that around 90% of the worst cases of demon possession were linked to use of a ouija board. This is not a game. We know of at least five people who were involved in the occult with harmful spiritual consequences in their lives, and in two of those cases - which involved ouija boards - in their homes too. By God's grace, these people repented of their sins, sought God's forgiveness and moved on to committed discipleship of Christ.  

In these Advent days of preparation for the coming of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we again warn people to avoid all occult activity whatsoever. If you have had previous involvement with such things, even without realizing the gravity at the time, we urge you to repent of this to God and to seek His forgiveness, healing and help in the sacrament of Confession. We also invite our readers to warn their families (especially younger people, who may be tempted to view the movie, buy the boards or be given them by somebody else).

Let us all shun evil and prepare our hearts and homes more devoutly to receive the Christ-child when Christmas comes.

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An Advent Prayer Appeal from Voice of the Family

Torch of The Faith News on Tuesday 02 December 2014 - 12:19:23 | by admin

Voice of the Family is an initiative run by Catholic laity from major pro-life/pro-family organizations around the world. It was formed to offer expertise and resources before, during and after the Extraordinary Synod on the Family in Rome.

At the heart of Voice of the Family's work are three key truths:-

1. Sacramental marriage, binding parents together in an indissoluble union, is the greatest protector of children both born and unborn.

2. The artificial separation of the unitive and procreative dimensions of the sexual act is a major catalyst of the Culture of Death.

3. Parents are the primary educators of their children and it is through the education and formation of parents, and future parents, that the Culture of Life will be built.

Appeal for Prayer

As Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year in which the October 2015 Synod will occur, Voice of the Family is appealing for prayers for families and that family of families which is the Catholic Church.

Their website states: 'The architects of the recently concluded Extraordinary Synod are responsible for increasing the moral confusion which has been ravaging families since the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Voice of the Family now looks to those courageous pastors who sought, throughout this Synod, to defend our faith and our families, praying that their leadership will dispel the moral confusion which currently reigns so widely in the Church.'

Voice of the Family recognises that the Synod in 2015 will only be effective for future evangelization if the teaching of the Church is affirmed clearly and without ambiguity.  

In light of these issues, the leaders invite people to begin praying now in Advent, the time of anticipation for Our Saviour's birth into our hearts and world, for the next Synod in 2015.

The key prayer intentions are:-

1. We pray that in the course of this year many bishops will find renewed strength to be uncompromising guardians of sacramental marriage, the strongest protector of children, both born and unborn.

2. We pray that many bishops will uphold chastity, which provides protection against the contraceptive mentality, the most powerful catalyst of the Culture of Death.

3. We pray that the voice of many bishops will be heard in defence of parents as the primary educators of their children.

4. We pray that many bishops will offer leadership in prayers of atonement for sins against family and marriage.

Voice of the Family offer some recommended daily prayers and invite supporters to commit to praying for the Synod especially at Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. The praying of the Rosary, fasting and joining in whole family praying are also highly encouraged.

Voice of the Family has a website where you can sign up to demonstrate your support for the initiative. 

(Our website is having continued problems making new links at present).

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ICKSP Provides Two Splendid Opportunities to Prepare for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Torch of The Faith News on Monday 01 December 2014 - 13:38:13 | by admin

1. Preston - Shrine Church of St. Walburge, Weston Street, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 2QE (Tel: 07894 - 559284).

2. New Brighton - Shrine Church of Ss Peter, Paul and Philomena, 7 Atherton Street, New Brighton, CH45 9LT (Tel: 07972 - 128097).

Each evening from the 29th November - 7th December: Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

5:30 pm - Traditional Vespers

6.00 pm - Meditation on the Prophecies of Our Lady in the Old Testament

Followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and Novena (Tota pulchra es, O Maria / You are beautiful Mary).

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, on Monday 8th December, there will be a Sung High Mass at 7.00 pm.

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First Sunday of Advent - Cast off the Works of Darkness

Torch of The Faith News on Sunday 30 November 2014 - 10:47:59 | by admin

To post-modern Britain, the Christmas season began several days ago with all the lights and trimmings. In the real world of the Liturgical Calendar, the Church now enters on a 4-week period of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas and for His Glorious Second Coming.

The liturgical year begins today with the First Sunday of Advent. During this short season the Church places us in the atmosphere of the long centuries during which the chosen people of Israel looked forward to the promised Messiah and the whole world awaited its Redeemer.

The Liturgy expresses longing and prays for the coming of the Saviour. Advent is a time of preparation, in which joy at the approaching festival is mingled with the spirit of penance which seeks to purify and prepare the soul. Hence the use of purple vestments and purple candles in Advent wreaths.

During Advent the Church pays honour to the prophets and ancestors of Christ - Isaiah, St. John the Baptist, but above all, the Blessed Virgin Mary His Mother, on whose consent the Incarnation depended. In the Traditional Calendar, the Station at Rome is marked at the Church of Mary Major, the principle church of Our Lady.

The first reading in the Traditional Missal for today, with its call to cast off the works of darkness, is especially important in these times when secular culture puts so much pressure on Catholics to conform to false conceptions of Christmas.

Lesson from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans, c. 13.

Brethren: Knowing that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep: for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is passed, and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

We pray that all our readers will have a blessed and holy Advent. May we each make good and wise use of the time given to us to prepare our hearts to meet the Lord. 

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Towards a New Agora?

Torch of The Faith News on Saturday 29 November 2014 - 16:34:03 | by admin

By the time you read this, Pope Francis will have clasped his hands and faced Mecca in a Turkish mosque for a moment of ''silent adoration,'' though not - we are assured - prayer. In the rapidly moving world of Black Fridays and soundbites, the visit of His Holiness to the EU earlier this week will seem like ancient history. And speaking of soundbites, most people will only remember that event for Pope Francis' likening of Europe to an infertile and haggard old grandmother.

And yet, we would suggest that this was not the definitive simile in either of his speeches to the EU Parliament or the Council of Europe. Far more revealing surely was his discussion of the future of Europe in terms of ''a new Agora''.

Students of ancient history will recall that the Agora was a central gathering place in the Greek city-states for the meeting of ideas and cultures. The thrust of Pope Francis' message seemed to be to call Europe to this type of model in order to solve the problems facing the continent and indeed the world. Drawing on Populorum Progressio 13, he presented the Catholic Church as a willing collaborator, 'following the example of Christ and despite the sins of her sons and daughters, the Church seeks nothing other than to serve or bear witness to the truth.'

Few commentators have drawn attention to the fact that this was the only explicit reference to Jesus Christ in the Council of Europe address. Meanwhile, the speech at the EU Parliament only spoke generically of 'the Lord'.

The fact that Jesus Christ is the Lord of all history, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was therefore not clearly proclaimed. Neither was the fact that the Church He founded is - as the Second Vatican Council affirmed in Lumen Gentium 1 - the light of the nations wherein, because Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, God comes to meet man. The deepest meeting 'place' for all men is the Person of Jesus Christ and the Church which is His Mystical Body.

Of course, Pope Francis was addressing many leaders from secularized governments hostile to the Catholic message and he wanted to secure common ground to build on. And yet, when St. Paul addressed the Greeks he drew on their common ground - in that case the Altar to the Unknown God - to draw them to The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the Church.

There was much that was laudable in Pope Francis' speeches. In addition to drawing from the Fathers to speak of Christians as being like the soul of the world, he called Europe to return to its roots, to thirst for truth and to share it throughout the world. He spoke out against abortion, neglect of the terminally ill and elderly, mistreatment of migrants, unemployment, homelessness, the arms race and war. He also reminded his hearers that conscience is essentially linked to the pursuit of truth. The whole content of His Holiness' addresses resounded with the recovery and defence of the sacred dignity of the human person.

And yet, in missing out Jesus Christ from the centre of the equation, the speeches did not express the totality of the Gospel message. The social and cultural problems highlighted find their root in the human heart. It is Original Sin, Concupiscence and Actual Sins which are an affront above all to God and also to human dignity. The more so when the onslaught of the devil and his minions is recognised in the bigger picture. If these issues are not addressed, how can there ever be meetings of people free from ideology, such as the Holy Father called for at the Council of Europe?

The prayers at the offering in the Traditional Latin Mass announce: 'O God, Who in creating man didst exalt his nature very wonderfully and yet more wonderfully didst establish it anew.' This beautiful truth was also affirmed by the Second Vatican Council with the words, 'Christ, the new Adam, in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of His love, fully reveals humanity to itself and brings to light its very high calling... He Who is the ''image of the invisible God'' (Col 1:15), is Himself the perfect man who has restored in the children of Adam that likeness to God which had been disfigured ever since the first sin. Human nature, by the very fact that it was assumed, not absorbed, in Him, has been raised in us to a dignity beyond compare' (GS 22).

In affirming the dignity of the human person, surely the Holy Father must set out these central truths in order to at once secure respect for that dignity and to evangelize the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ and His Church? This, the Church has done in all times and places throughout history. Towards the conclusion of the EU Parliament speech, Pope Francis declared that it was time to build a Europe that revolves around the sacredness of human dignity, rather than the economy. But sincere Catholics wonder how this is possible if Christ is not the centre. Indeed, they wonder why His Kingship is not being recognised and proclaimed in the way popes used to do.

Many Catholics were surprised and disappointed that Pope Francis did not visit the beautiful Catholic Strasbourg Cathedral, which has already commenced the celebrations for its first 1,000 years that are set to conclude in 2015.    

The question this all raises is not unconnected to the issues surrounding today's visit to a mosque, the recent Rome Synod, the Invocation for Peace at Pentecost, the visit to Protestants in Rome (to the neglect of local Catholic communities), and a myriad of other much-discussed moments during this papacy: Is Pope Francis presenting Jesus Christ and the Church He founded as the foundation for the salvation and sanctification of mankind, or does he envision and promote some other locus? 

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BPAS Try to Curb Pro-Lifers in England and Wales

Torch of The Faith News on Saturday 29 November 2014 - 10:50:32 | by admin

Pro-Life Prayers at BPAS Liverpool.

Within one week of the verdict against Bernadette Smyth in the case of Marie Stopes in Belfast, pro-lifers in England and Wales now face legal threats to their work.

BPAS has started a campaign called Back Off, which seeks changes in the law in order to restrict pro-life witness at abortion centres throughout England and Wales. This campaign has been organized in conjunction with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives, Rape Crisis England and Wales, and Violence Against Women.

Recent pro-life campaigns by groups such as 40 Days for Life have saved many babies and mothers from abortion by providing pro-life witness, information about the reality of abortion and offers of practical support. Such successes would clearly be more difficult if laws were made more restrictive.

On Tuesday night, councillors at Southwark's housing and community safety scrutiny sub-committee questioned Police Chief Supt. Zander Gibson about what action police would take against pro-lifers from Abort67 who have been active outside the Blackfriars Medical Practice. The police chief acknowledged at the meeting that the pro-lifers were operating within the confines of existing law. Labour MP Diane Abbott has tabled a House of Commons Early Day Motion which seeks to prevent Abort67 from witnessing outside the clinic.

Meanwhile a 21 yr-old woman has contacted BBC Newsbeat to inform them that she is glad that Abort67 were in the vicinity when she went for an abortion. The pro-lifers told her the truth about abortion and about the love of God. They took her for a coffee and assured her of their help and prayers. She now thanks God every day because she has a happy baby girl. The child is called Miracle.

Clearly, such pro-life efforts are having successes which threaten the lucrative abortion industry in this country. Please pray for the rights of the pro-life movement to be upheld for the sake of the threatened babies and their parents.

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Archbishop Prendergast Affirms Truth on Marriage at Conference in Ottowa, Canada

Torch of The Faith News on Friday 28 November 2014 - 14:38:00 | by admin

Archbishop Terence Prendergast has clearly affirmed the true teachings of the Church on marriage and human sexuality at a conference in his Archdiocese of Ottowa. The Archbishop, who has publicly offered the Traditional Latin Mass for the FSSP a number of times, took part in the conference at Dominican University College, together with his auxiliary Bishop Christian Riesbeck.

During the homily at the conference's morning Mass, His Grace recalled the fact that the West is suffering a crisis due to ideologies opposed to true marriage and the gift of life. He drew on Pope Benedict XVI's homilies to describe the root of this crisis as 'the Dictatorship of Relativism.' The Archbishop reminded the congregation that God has designed the human person beautifully with the authentic plan for our happiness inscribed into our hearts and bodies.

He warned against the 'false sensitivity' which allows people to continue down a dangerous path, 'as if misleading people were somehow more loving.' He noted that Pope Francis himself had acknowledged such an approach as 'deceptive mercy'.

Archbishop Prendergast also affirmed the essential truth of remaining open to life by declaring Humanae Vitae to be a prophetic document.

An essential aspect of His Grace's homily was the call to holiness through trusting in God's mercy and living by the power of the sacraments. 'I'm not here to condemn anyone. Together we make up a Church of humble sinners, who constantly strive towards sainthood, even if we stumble along the way... For all of us, God offers the gift of mercy, particularly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.'

During the conference Confessions were available, a presentation was given by Bishop Riesbeck and there were periods for ongoing shared reflection.

The Archdiocese of Ottowa has a strong pro-marriage and pro-life outreach in these times. This is mainly expressed through annual participation in Canada's March for Life; the Miriam centre for women facing difficult situations of pregnancy; the promotion of adoption services and conferences to inform and equip people to resist euthanasia. When Liberal political leader Justin Trudeau announced back in May that only pro-abortion candidates would be allowed to run as candidates in his party, Archbishop Prendergast issued a pastoral letter strongly reminding his people that those who dissent from the teachings of the Magisterium can not be considered to be in good standing with the Church.   

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See What Happens...

Torch of The Faith News on Thursday 27 November 2014 - 14:59:07 | by admin

Be it St. Rita of Cascia, St. Thomas More or St. Padre Pio, one thing that unites the great saints, and all of the unknown holy men and women in the Church, is their devotion to meditating on the Passion and Death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In a time when the faith of many is wavering, morality is mocked and atheistic secularism threatens to engulf everything, here is a challenge and an opportunity to do something positive and see what happens.

Whether you are a confirmed Catholic, an interested enquirer, a seemingly-contented relativist or a committed atheist, we offer this challenge and opportunity to you to see what happens.

See what happens if you set aside a period - even just 5 minutes each day - to reflect on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ as found in the Gospels and depicted in the interpretations of truly sacred art.

See what happens. You've nothing to lose. You've everything to gain. See what happens...  

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A Few Heartening Stories from Ireland

Torch of The Faith News on Wednesday 26 November 2014 - 14:17:58 | by admin

Faithful Catholics in Ireland have been heartened by the recent visit of Cardinal Raymond Burke to address a conference on marriage. His Eminence was a keynote speaker at an event, in the Savoy Hotel in Limerick, entitled 'Marriage as it has been from the beginning.' The conference had been organised by the ICKSP in conjunction with Catholic Voice.

The cardinal had already spoken out strongly to defend and articulate the true teachings of the Church on marriage at the Rome Synod. He had followed that up with clear statements to various media outlets in Europe, and at the Vienna launch of the German edition of his book Remaining in the Truth of Christ - Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church.

Prior to the conference, His Eminence gave an interview to RTE in which he repeated his clarion call for the Holy Father to affirm and clarify, as a matter of urgency, the authentic teachings of the Church on divorce, remarriage and homosexuality.

During his presentation at the conference, Cardinal Burke asked for continued prayers for his part in the battle for the sake of the truth regarding marriage, stating: 'We are engaged in a very great struggle and it strikes at the very heart of the Church and there is not one of us who can excuse himself from engaging in the struggle for the defence of the truth of our faith.'

His Eminence recalled the turmoil at the recent Synod: 'The assembly, dedicated to the discussion of the pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization, found itself addressing in a confused way erroneous practices which contradict the Church's constant teachings and practice regarding holy matrimony.'

Cardinal Burke also noted the grave problems with the Synod's mid-term Relatio document; a text which has caused so much confusion and concern throughout the Church and world. He described its approach as 'a complete rupture from the Church's Tradition.'

In an encouraging conclusion, the cardinal expressed his hopes for the concluding part of the Synod next October to uphold the holiness and indissolubillity of marriage, whilst affirming the goodness of fidelity and procreation: 'This should be the work of the Synod in a world that has grown very dark in its approach to marriage and family life.'

Another speaker at the gathering on marriage was Fr. Marcel Guarnizo.      

He is the priest who, to protect the Blessed Sacrament and the woman concerned from a sacrilegious communion, discreetly turned a lady away from Holy Communion at her mother's funeral; after the woman - a lesbian activist - introduced another female to him as her ''lover'' moments before the funeral began. Fr. Guarnizo, who had reminded the congregation in his homily of the dispositions necessary for a worthy communion, was placed on a prolonged period of leave by the Archdiocese of Washington, during a storm fuelled by left-wing media interests. Prior to this incident, Fr. Guarnizo was already known as a strong defender of the Church's true teachings on marriage and as an advocate for the unborn, who also led prayer vigils outside the late-term abortion centre in Germantown, Maryland.

More heartening pro-marriage/pro-family news coming in from Ireland relates to the recent Men's Climb of Reparation to the top of Croagh Patrick.    

This was the 2nd annual climb and it attracted some 35 brave men. HLI's Patrick McCrystal described the occasion as a day of atonement, 'for how we the men of Ireland have failed the women in our lives.' He added: 'In our crisis pregnancy work, in more than 50% of cases, the girl is in difficulties and the guy is gone. If we men took proper responsibility for the women in our lives, there would be no abortion crisis.' 

Another participant added: 'There is virtually no-one doing reparation in our country. That is why this is great.' Another man affirmed that the spirituality of the day had meant a lot to him personally.

It was not only the committed pro-life Catholics who got something from the day. During the climb, the group encountered a man who admitted ''That's me,'' when the dearth of responsibility for women was explained to him. Also a woman with pro-abortion views was taken aback to witness the strong efforts at reparation that the group were undertaking on behalf of the men of Ireland. The collective witness was heightened by the fact that most of the participants wore the distincive 'Pro-life T'shirt'.     

The highlights of the day were the opportunities for Confession and the offering of Holy Mass at the summit during a glorious sunny day. 

When the men returned to the bottom of Croagh Patrick, they were treated to a beautiful, hot meal and each given a CD copy of Fr. Philip Scott's talks from last year's Men's Healing Retreat. This type of shared community experience is very important for Catholics today in order to affirm and encourage them in their faith and efforts to restore a Culture of Life. One man said it best when he acknowledged that the event was 'a great day of fellowship... there is not much organized for men.'

Well done to HLI Ireland for organizing this second annual pilgrimage for men.

Our final bit of heartening news from Ireland involves Bishop Kevin Doran of the Diocese of Elphin.  

Prior to his elevation as bishop, the then Fr. Doran had resigned from the board of Dublin's Mater Misericordiae Hospital when that institution agreed to commit the crime of abortion under Ireland's recent and tragic abortion law. Before the board of the hospital crumbled to the Culture of Death, he had also made a strong statement to the media to defend the unborn and the Catholic nature and rights of the hospital. Bishop Doran is also committed to the vital work of evangelization in the increasingly secularized cultural situation.

Bishop Doran will take part in a seminar tomorrow evening, in the Abbey Hotel, Galway Road, Co. Roscommon at 8.00 p.m. The event is being hosted by the Iona Institute and entrance is free. The theme of the seminar is 'Marriage and the Common Good.' His Lordship will speak on the true nature of marriage and the teaching of the Church. He will describe the cultural trends which seek to undermine marriage and point out the Church's response. He will also draw attention to the fact that marriage is a building block for the welfare of society and that attempts to redefine marriage are a mistake.

It is indeed heartening to read of these events in Ireland. We hope they will be an encouragement to all our readers and most especially those keeping the Faith in Ireland. 

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Lindsay and Tim - A Story of Grace, Faith and Conversion

Torch of The Faith News on Tuesday 25 November 2014 - 12:44:10 | by admin

During the two years we spent in America, at Franciscan University of Steubenville, around 10 students were received into the Catholic Church at each one of the Easter Vigils. One of these people was Lindsay from Michigan. Her husband sat next to Alan in the Catechetics class and Tim and Lindsay were among the first young, married couples that we met and befriended in America. Lindsay's uplifting conversion story has just been featured in the latest edition of the quarterly Franciscan Way magazine.

Lindsay was never baptized as a child because her parents could not agree about the Catholic Church or Lutheranism. Her grandmother was a devout Catholic who read the Bible to Lindsay and her brother during family visits. Sometimes she also took them to a Catholic parish for Holy Mass. As Lindsay grew older however, this example seemed to fade into the background and in time she headed off to college. Although she enrolled in a Catholic institution in Michigan, Lindsay never thought about becoming a Catholic at that time.

It was during her studies that Lindsay met Tim. He had been baptized in the Catholic Church but had grown up in a nominally Catholic home and never received the Sacrament of Confirmation. In fact, he was attending an evangelical Protestant church in Grand Rapids. Lindsay began to accompany him and it was there that she found Christ in a personal way. Tim even began to consider becoming a protestant minister and got a job with a Reformed Bible college.

After they got married, Tim and Lindsay began to host Bible studies in their new home. However, as questions arose - on matters such as pre-destination or authority - they became increasingly frustrated by the number and range of conflicting answers found within Protestant circles. They could never find consistency or agreement.

At that time, Matt Russick, one of Tim's closest friends - and a Catholic - was discerning a vocation with the Franciscan TORs (He is now Fr. Matt!). Matt and Tim got into lots of constructive conversations about faith and Matt recommended that Tim start to rethink Catholicism. During these conversations, Tim began to realize that his frustration was not with particular Protestant communities, but with the very nature of Protestantism itself.

Lindsay got worried at this point, because she liked their present life and job security. Also, most of their friends were strongly anti-Catholic and Lindsay did not want to rock the boat. Nevertheless, after visits to several Protestant theological institutes, Tim could not find the right place and Matt suggested the couple take a trip to visit Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Lindsay recalls that they were warmly greeted and made to feel welcome. However, she did not want to move and did not want to become a Catholic. On the other hand, Tim was very excited about the university. They headed home to let things percolate.

Lindsay dug in her heels for several months. At the same time though, she prayed for direction and, after a great deal of prayer, she told Tim that she thought they must go to Steubenville. She admits today that, as soon as she had said the words, she regretted them. But there was no going back. Tim packed bags and sold things as fast as he could and the couple headed off to Steubenville in the autumn of 2004.

This was the time that we met them. We had sold our home in England that summer after a period of prayer to St. Joseph and discernment about where God wanted us to go. We had been in Ohio since July, in order to get our bearings in a new country before commencing on intensive studies, and had already made road trips up to Chicago and Milwaukee. The first evening we met Tim and Lindsay, we sat out with them to talk about our faith (and land) journeys, at a picnic-table, on the edge of the university campus, in the warm evening sunshine.

Soon after the semester began, Tim and Lindsay entered the RCIA programme on the campus. Tim had told Lindsay that there was a class on the Catholic Church that he wanted them to take together. At that point, she did not realize that it was part of the formal process to become a Catholic!

Nevertheless, she settled into the class and was quite happy to be there by the time she had worked out what it was really all about. She was still not convinced that she wanted to convert, but did begin to find answers to her big questions about the Magisterium, the Papacy and Our Lady. The Franciscan priest and other RCIA leaders did not pressure her, but rather wanted to ensure that Lindsay had the grounding to understand the faith properly and not to make a hasty choice. We attended a few of these evenings and witnessed the thorough and orthodox catechesis which was given to all the enquirers and catechumens. It was actually the first time that we had encountered such an integral RCIA programme. 

That Christmas, Lindsay found everything was falling into place for her. Once she understood the nature of the Church's authority in Christ, she explains that she felt as though she was falling into the arms of someone who could be trusted. Lindsay describes this as the very opposite of all the struggles that she and Tim had experienced with their Protestant Bible-study friends. As Lindsay puts it today: 'I finally felt like I stood on solid ground.'

At the 2005 Easter Vigil, Lindsay was received into the Catholic Church. She reflects that, among all the Catholic friends she and Tim had made at the university, she was pretty sure that her grandma was joining in by cheering her on from Heaven.

We thank God for Lindsay and Tim's conversion and for the growing family that God has blessed them with during the last decade. Tim and Lindsay are now involved in handing on the Faith through parish catechesis. Theirs is truly a happy story of grace, faith and conversion. May God continue to bless them and their children.  

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