Mapping the Landscape of Catholic Voices
Community in the Sacraments
Oilibhear Twomey
Belfast, Northern Ireland., UK
Born in 1975, practices every day
"...while things are not easy in the church, the heart of the church is seeking to be the heart of the man of Nazareth." Read more…
Rachel Pokora
Lincoln, NE (USA)
Born in 1968, practices every week
"While I have grown used to my situation in Lincoln, it is still painful to me to have been turned out by the Church that means so much to me. Especially painful is the fact that almost no one in..." Read more…
Imelda Hinojosa
Hawthorne, CA (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every day
"I am deeply touched by the love shown for the female energy/representation of the Blessed Mother." Read more…
Cheryl Blake
St. Louis, MO (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every day
"I have seen beautiful cathedrals, representations of God's Kingdom on earth, where wonderful choirs have filled the archways and resounded off the mosaics. My favorite image, however, of..." Read more…
David Dixon
Altoona, IA (USA)
Born in 1976, practices every day
"Our church's history is filled with good and some bad stories but if the church had not existed, we'd live in a radically different culture today." Read more…
Tim Drake
Saint Joseph, MN (USA)
Born in 1967, practices every day
"I came to the Catholic Church not by birth, but by an adult conversion experience very much rooted in the centrality of the Eucharist - Christ's Body and Blood - broken and shared for us all. As a..." Read more…
Bonnie Amesquita
DeKalb, IL (USA)
Born in 1955, practices every day
"It's even my secret belief that a rosary that's been blessed feels different -- that once blessed, it allows me to hold it and the hand of God at the same time -- and it is responsible for me..." Read more…
Lorraine Murray
Decatur, GA (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"When I returned to the Church in my forties, I found what I had lost during those 20 years, which was meaning, joy and hope. I also found forgiveness for the abortion." Read more…
Laura Northrup
Albany, NY (USA)
Born in 1981, practices every week
"What keeps me planted in Catholicism, even as I struggle with whether or not I believe in a single personal God, is knowing that it is a tie back to my ancestors..." Read more…
Bill Burns
Cary, NC (USA)
Born in 1962, practices every week
"What anchors me and I find beautiful about the Catholic Church is the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and the Eucharist (Holy Communion). In the mystery of the Sacrament of Reconciliation..." Read more…
Eileen Little
Cardiff, UK
Born in 1960, practices every week
"What provides me the most solace in the practice of the Roman Catholic faith with my two children (7, 5) is the connection I feel to the history of my recently deceased mother's family of Irish..." Read more…
Kevin O'brien
Canton, OH (USA)
Born in 1957, practices every week
"On Holy Thursday, Father came up to me and placed the Eucharistic bread in my hands. He said the tradtional "Body of Christ." I responded with an untraditional: "We are". He moved on.
I..." Read more…
Patricia J Fontes
Hopkinton, RI (USA)
Born in 1936, practices every day
"Not very long ago, I read an article about what keeps young people in the Catholic Church. I was particularly struck by the comment of a 17-year-old who said something like this, "The main place..." Read more…
Carol Balaun
Cleveland, GA (USA)
Born in 1945, practices every day
"I am a "cradle Catholic from a devout family. I attended 12 years of Catholic school and three more years at Catholic colleges. In 1962, at age 17, I entered the convent and stayed for five years...." Read more…
Barb Mcrae
Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
Born in 1957, practices every day
"I was raised Roman Catholic and attended parochial schools for 12 years. In college, I joined the Presbyterian Church (USA) and am now an ordained minister. I am so glad for my RC roots. I am..." Read more…
K M Gordon
Arlington, VA (USA)
practices every week
"I have had the wonderful experience of participating in the Eucharist throughout the hemisphere, in several languages including Lakota, English, Spanish, and Mayan. I love the fact that I am at..." Read more…
Peter Solet
Marshall, NC (USA)
Born in 1944, practices every week
"I entered the church in 2002, at the age of 57, after a lifetime as an atheist. I come from a long line of atheists, beginning, as far as I know, with my fathers mother, Sonia Cohen. Her father..." Read more…
Lesle Knop
Paola, KS (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every day
"As a fifth generation Kansan, my Catholic identity was formed by my parents and grandparents whose connections to Europe were fresher than mine. I value the traditions and values of our faith that..." Read more…
Vincent Schauf
Oak Forest, IL (USA)
Born in 1963, practices every week
"I find many positives in the Catholic Church, and they are part of the reason why I continue to be a practicing, active Catholic. I love the sacraments as a way to come closer to Jesus. I..." Read more…
Teresa Lynch
Minneapolis, MN (USA)
Born in 1957, practices every day
"I begin to experience the beauty that is being Catholic, as I approach the altar or table where the Eucharist is celebrated. The hydrangeas and tulips and lilies in spring. The evergreens and red..." Read more…
Margaret Bitz
Fargo, ND (USA)
Born in 1938, practices every week
"I find solace in the knowledge that Christ is the source and summit of my life. There may be many different authorities in my church who speak, but the bottom line for me is that Jesus' word is the..." Read more…
Stacy Flood
Alpharetta, GA (USA)
Born in 1960, practices every day
"I go faithfully because Jesus is in the Eucharist and if Tim is with Jesus, he is also in the Eucharist. So for a brief moment every week, I get to hold Jesus and Tim in my hand. Can it get any..." Read more…
Ruairi O'murchu
State College, PA (USA)
Born in 1924, practices every day
"My Irish Catholic faith has three pillars: Sacraments, Saints, Scriptures. Our sacraments all involve some appropriate, loving, human touch -- for we are people who need to actually feel the..." Read more…
Deborah Winarski
Chicago, IL (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every week
"I am Catholic, and I am lesbian. After twenty years of searching, I have found a parish where I can be acknowledged and welcomed for all of who I am -- without denial or fear. My parish is one of..." Read more…
Patricia Booker
Franklin, TN (USA)
Born in 1956, practices rarely
"The Liturgy and its cyclical nature are a comforting reassurance of Christ's presence with us. I have felt that way since I was a child. However, as an adult, I have found myself searching for..." Read more…
Diane Gigantino Baltz
Charlottesville, VA (USA)
Born in 1981, practices every day
"The grace of forgiveness and the restoration of my relationship with God offered through the sacrament of Confession is a joy." Read more…
Jennifer Kane
Olean, NY (USA)
Born in 1962, practices every day
"The apparent conundrum between faith and reason is not what you'd call a sexy topic, but it seems to me it is important to that little thing called the Big Picture of Life." Read more…
Jonathan Jones
Peabody, MA (USA)
Born in 1953, practices every week
"I am concerned with what I see as a retreat from the liturgical reforms, back to the Tridentine rite, because I see as trying to return the laity to the role of observer of the Eucharist..." Read more…
Susan Farris
Springfield, VA (USA)
Born in 1963, practices every day
"As a convert who found the Catholic faith as a 44 year old, my hope is that everyone will be open to the sacrament of Reconciliation. This is an unutterably wonderful gift. My concern is that..." Read more…
Tom Perna
Phoenix, AZ (USA)
Born in 1974, practices every week
"I love the Catholic Church! I love that for the past 2000 years the Church has been a constant sign of Jesus Christ's presence in the world through the truths she teaches and apostolic succession...." Read more…
Hilary Mcree-Flanery
St. Louis, MO (USA)
Born in 1952, practices every day
"The Unbloody Sacrifice of the Holy Mass where every soul can share in this great miracle daily, the changing of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ...
STARKENBURG..." Read more…
Michael Franks
Collegeville, PA (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every day
"I truly believe that Jesus comes into our presence in every Mass in every Catholic Church around the world when bread and wine are consecrated and become His sacred Body and Blood." Read more…
Sarah Melissa Asbrey
Atlanta, GA (USA)
Born in 1978, practices every day
"As a convert to the Catholic Faith I feel that I have a different view and appreciation of the rich Tradition in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Faith is a universal faith that touches all of..." Read more…
Fr Donald Malin
Montrose, CO (USA)
Born in 1956, practices every day
"Its Historicity; its rich sacramentality and tradition; its Apostolicity; its mysticism; its profound, philosophically rich and human teaching; its survival despite the fallen nature of its members..." Read more…
Catherine Simms
Memphis, TN (USA)
practices every week
"I love the value the church places on both faith and reason. Pope John Paul echoed the words of many Catholics theologians when he said that "faith and reason are the two wings of truth." The..." Read more…
Kristen Mcguire
Great Falls, MT (USA)
Born in 1964, practices every day
"When asked by a friend why she became a Catholic, Edith Stein mysteriously wrote, "Secretum meum mihi." The Latin means, ?my secret is mine.? She never elaborated. Her faith was too hard to explain..." Read more…
Michele Trepagnier
Austin, TX (USA)
Born in 1967, practices every day
"Catholicism was my childhood faith that I walked away from as a young adult. I spent many years searching for beauty, truth, and meaning in other places until I finally gave up in hopelessness...." Read more…
Janice Mayer
Des Moines, IA (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every day
"I was born a “cradle Catholic.” About age 50, I publically announced to my family and close friend, my departure from the catholic faith. This departure came after a lifelong and constant..." Read more…
Margaret Lally
Raleigh, NC (USA)
Born in 1988, practices every day
"When worldly troubles and cares start to weigh me down, I know I have a place of refuge in my relationship with God." Read more…
Joan Morris
Clarkesville, GA (USA)
Born in 1948, practices every day
"I had the faith of a child even though I was an adult." Read more…
Ebeth Weidner
Winterville, NC (USA)
Born in 1958, practices every day
"What I find solace within the Catholic Church is the many prayers, saints, and 7 sacraments we enjoy to bring us closer to our Triune God.
My hope for the future is that the Catholic Church in..." Read more…
Olivia Koffi
Columbus, OH (USA)
Born in 1983, practices every day
"Just the thought of knowing that other Catholics around the world hear/read the same readings daily and share in the same communion is something I cherish deeply." Read more…
Amy Pawlak
Milwaukee, WI (USA)
Born in 1983, practices every day
"My mother is Catholic and my father is Lutheran. I was raised WELS Lutheran, in an aging church with an older congregation. When I got to college I became more liberal and very apathetic -..." Read more…
Mary Posa
Kearneysville, WV (USA)
Born in 1963, practices every day
"I struggle with being a Catholic. Several things have prevented me from leaving the Catholic Church. The first is the knowledge that no one group of people, no matter how "faithful" will be..." Read more…
Lorraine Minecci
Newtown Square, PA (USA)
Born in 1942, practices every week
"Like others who were born and raised Catholic and who attended Catholic schools, I learned from my catechism that God is a pure spirit. And for many years thereafter I simply accepted the fact that..." Read more…
Shekinah Samaya
Oakland, CA (USA)
Born in 1964, practices every day
"As a former Protestant clergywoman who formally converted to Roman Catholicism in 2007, I was and am deeply drawn to the unbroken continuity of an ancient -- yet thoroughly modern -- tradition that..." Read more…
Daniel Vicencio
Skokie, IL (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every week
"As a cradle Filipino-American Catholic, the beauty and power of the Catholicism lies in the unified diversity of the faith. Rooted in a number of diverse Catholic traditions..." Read more…
Patty Thorsen
St. Paul, MN (USA)
Born in 1960, practices every day
"As a convert to Catholicism from the Universalist-Unitarian fellowship, I have a deep appreciation for the rich prayers within the Catholic traditions. Especially moving to me are the Hail Mary,..." Read more…
Marita Hoffart
Minot, ND (USA)
Born in 1939, practices every week
"I struggle with Church. Following the 1960's changes in Church, I have always been on the cutting edge of lay involvement in liturgy and all matters of church. Three years ago our pastor retired..." Read more…
Alex Mikulich
West Hartford, CT (USA)
Born in 1960, practices every day
"I am a cradle Catholic who always found the mass to pulsate with the overflowing presence of God's creative love. Our liturgical celebrations invite us to wonder and ponder at everything from the..." Read more…
Paula Sullivan
Tulsa, OK (USA)
Born in 1942, practices every day
"I was born into the Catholic faith in 1942. I was a public school student in Connecticut in the late 1940s and was treated with disdain by the nuns who taught us the catchecism on Sunday..." Read more…
Kathy Defonso
Weston, FL (USA)
Born in 1939, practices every day
"Exactly what you just stated. As I sat glued to the TV last weekend, preparing to NOT like Benedict XVI so much, I found myself first of all, rejoicing in my faith, and that same faith, exhibited..." Read more…
Kathleen Johnson
Lake Linden, MI (USA)
Born in 48, practices every week
"I have been a Catholic all of my life. I have an excellent education, worked and am now retired. My Faith to say the least has been in the past many times taken for granted. As of late however, I..." Read more…
Melanie Fundis
Lebanon, IL (USA)
Born in 1965, practices every day
"I love the church for many reasons, but mostly because she is where truth resides. I love the sacraments, most especially the Eucharist. I find it absolutely fascinating how the foreshadowing of..." Read more…
Michael Kripakov
Centennial, CO (USA)
Born in Denver, CO, practices every day
"What I love so much about the Catholic Church is the deep personal relationship that the Church helps me nuture with the Blessed Trinity. I truly encounter the Living God in the prayer, tradtional..." Read more…
Julian Malcolm
Fredericksburg, VA (USA)
Born in 1973, practices every day
"My wife and I converted to the Catholic Church just under four years ago. My experience of Catholicism has been the constant reminder that only the infinite will suffice.
Ive heard it said..." Read more…
Nance Shaw
Navasota, TX (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every day
"I love the sacraments. I go to mass often, not just on Sunday; and receiving the Eucharist feeds my soul for days. The beautiful people in my small community are just a speck in the universe of..." Read more…
Donald Kopis
South Bend, IN (USA)
Born in 1961, practices -----
"What remains important to me about the Catholic Church is the sacrament of penance, which is one of forgiveness. Ironically, this forgiveness is lacking in the Church's position on marriage,..." Read more…
Pamela Messina
Charlottesville, VA (USA)
Born in 1956, practices every day
"I am a convert of only one year and was a born again Christian for 3 years before that and was a member of the Lutheran Church. I have never been happier in my faith and never felt closer to God..." Read more…
Becky Cosby
Framingham, MA (USA)
Born in 1970, practices every week
"For me, the most beautiful and humbling aspect of the Catholic faith is the fact that we are privileged to meet Christ in the Eucharist. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest becomes the..." Read more…
Andrew Vogel
Fairmont, MN (USA)
Born in 1974, practices every day
"I find solace and find beautiful is the Eucharist. It is the source and summit of the Christian life. (CCC 1324) Jesus told us that we must eat Him in order to be saved. (See John 6: Bread of life..." Read more…
Pat (Patricia) Shechter
Boston, MA (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every week
"There is so much that I love about the Catholic Church -- The Sacraments; the two thousand year old tradition of monasticism and prayer; the Communion of Saints; its mystical tradition; Gregorian..." Read more…
Mary Ruth Jones
Cleveland, GA (USA)
Born in 1962, practices every day
"Several years ago while serving in religious education administration for my parish, I was taking classes along with my catechists who wanted to become certified to teach. One of the instructors..." Read more…
Jesse Benedict
Buford, GA (USA)
Born in 1980, practices every day
"Thank you for the opportunity. I was born and baptized Catholic. My mother was raised Catholic. My father, well, has always avoided spirituality. I was brought back to the Catholic church after..." Read more…
Catherine Satkowskis
Denver, CO (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every day
"I find comfort in knowing that anytime I want, almost anywhere I want, I can find a Church and partake of the Eucharistic Celebration. I not only get to converse with my Lord, but I get to feel..." Read more…
Ron Wall
Calgary, CA
Born in 1959, practices every day
"I am a recent convert to the Catholic Church. What I find most beautiful is the Real Presence of Christ celebrated in the Eucharist. As the great Flannery O'Connor once said, "if the Eucharist is..." Read more…
Chris Sorensen Woodside
Faribault, MN (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every day
"I was baptized a Catholic as an infant 57 years ago and have lived my faith and worshipped in the Catholic Tradition ever since. What I both take solace in and find beautiful is the sacramental..." Read more…
Chris Sorensen Woodside
Faribault, MN (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every day
"I was baptized a Catholic as an infant 57 years ago and have lived my faith and worshipped in the Catholic Tradition ever since. What I both take solace in and find beautiful is the sacramental..." Read more…
Lacey Louwagie
Duluth, MN (USA)
Born in 1981, practices every week
"Both sides of my (rather large) family are Catholic, so part of the solace I take in Catholicism is the connection to my childhood and my history. But all my life, I've examined and been at odds..." Read more…
Susan Murphy
Nashville, TN (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every week
"The most beautiful and truthful aspect of the Catholic faith, no longer shared by any other Christian denomination, is the belief that Christ is physically present in the Sacrament of the..." Read more…
Teri Davis
Tustin, CA (USA)
Born in 1965, practices every day
"To me, the most beautiful aspect of being a practicing Catholic is the oneness I feel with Catholics around the world through the celebration of the Mass. The Scripture readings and the Eucharist..." Read more…
Angela Miotto
Greenbelt, MD (USA)
Born in 1938, practices every day
"As an almost 70-year-old "cradle Catholic", I find my spiritual anchor in the Sacramental life of the Church, particularly the Eucharist. The joy I find in this very treasured gift of Jesus is..." Read more…
Rita Warner
Kent, OH (USA)
Born in Akron, Ohio, practices every day
"I am a 63 yr. old mother of 6, grandmother of 19.
I am deeply rooted in my Catholic Faith.
I have grown in maturity of my Faith through prayer and the Sacraments over the years.
In my adult..." Read more…
Mary Worthington
Philadelphia, PA (USA)
Born in 1982, practices every day
"There is a certain peace and beauty of being a faithful member of the Catholic Church. Yes, I believe and uphold everything She teaches. I have seen that the Catholic Church holds the truth...." Read more…
Robert Chomiak
Calabash, NC (USA)
Born in 1946, practices every day
"Mass & the Eucharist, Sacraments, sactity of all life (death penalty, unborn, poor)
Married priests, women priests
concern - strict orthodoxy Re: catholicism and other religions -..." Read more…
Carol Andersen
Madison, WI (USA)
Born in 1946, practices every day
"I find beautiful the tradition of the saints and Mary, the beauty of the liturgy, the belief that Christ is in the bread and in the people receiving the bread. I find beautiful the way that..." Read more…
Barb Wilmes
Colorado Springs, CO (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every day
"Where do I begin? I have such comfort in Jesus in the most holy sacraments offered by the Church. I love the Church and ALL of her teachings. I know that the Church is the one true Church..." Read more…
Joseph Horejs
San Diego, CA (USA)
Born in 1980, practices every day
"I take solace in the presence of Christ in the Sacraments and in our rich history. I love our dedication to truth and our service in love. I am concerned by the lack of knowledge and practice of..." Read more…
Jennifer Matous
Steubenville, OH (USA)
Born in 1984, practices every day
"While there are many parts about the Catholic faith in which I am continually inspired by and take comfort in, I have a particularly strong devotion to the Eucharist. Being able to be in the..." Read more…
Christine Geary
Dublin, PA (USA)
Born in 1949, practices every week
"I love going to Mass to receive the body of Christ. It is my lifeline...The Catholic church has the fullness of truth.. I feel in my heart that it's the one, true church and I'm so grateful to..." Read more…
Maria Hey
Edmond, OK (USA)
Born in 1969, practices every day
"I love and cherish my Catholic faith as the most important thing in my life. First and foremost, the Catholic Church is where the Eucharist can be found: the very body, blood, soul and divinity of..." Read more…
Richard Starkey
New York, NY (USA)
Born in 1931, practices every week
"Growing up Catholic - attending Catholic schools through college - was, in retrospect, an overly
repressive experience. I remain a practicing Catholic because of both my comfort with the community..." Read more…
Barbara Mcarthur
Woodstock, IL (USA)
Born in 1949, practices every day
"I was raised catholic by my mother because my dad was not catholic. My Mom gave me the greatest gift I could ever receive.. the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion is the most wonderful..." Read more…
John Brown
Tampa, FL (USA)
Born in 1975, practices every day
"I take comfort in the beautiful image of God that Jesus Christ has brought to us, one of forgiveness and mercy to compliment His justice. It is Christs sacrifice on the cross that gives me..." Read more…
Evandro Menezes
Austin, TX (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every day
"What feeds my spiritual life as a Christian Catholic is receiving the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As the Church states, this is the apex of our life of grace, but..." Read more…
John Wright
Centreville, VA (USA)
Born in 1961, practices every day
"After a lifetime of atheism, I have just joined the Catholic Church this Easter, so I have been a member for less than a week at the time of this writing. What drew me to the Church was her wisdom...." Read more…
Theresa Harsma
Owatonna, MN (USA)
Born in 1956, practices -----
"Here is my story. I don't know that it answers your specific question, it is simply my experience. When I was 8 years old, I stayed at my aunt and uncles for a week. I was a Catholic girl who..." Read more…
Kevin O'leary
Brooklyn, NY (USA)
Born in 1975, practices every day
"Asked these questions, I think of Sister Joan Chittister, who was on your program and -- as entrenched as she is in the Catholic faith -- spoke volumes that I couldn't as a gay lapsed Catholic who..." Read more…
Jeri Graham
Roseburg, OR (USA)
Born in 1952, practices every day
"My faith is how I center my life. There are many reasons Catholicism is my faith: the sacraments (the Eucharist -- the joy of receiving the Real Presence of Christ, the Rite of Reconciliation --..." Read more…
Deb Zabloudil
Westerville, OH (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every week
"I am very thankful for the traditional Catholic upbringing that I had. I started attending a traditional Catholic grade school in the third grade (1962) we went to daily Mass and ate breakfast in..." Read more…
Amy Golm
Dubuque, IA (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every day
"As a forty-something Catholic, I was born and learned Catholicism in the post-Vatican II American church. Over time, I not only grew very close to the Church, but I have also become one for whom..." Read more…
Richard Sullivan
Tulsa, OK (USA)
practices -----
"I am 69 and a devout Catholic all my life. I spent several years in seminary and am married to one woman for 42 years. What I love about my Catholic faith is the incredibly rich sacraments and..." Read more…
Adam Pasternack
Westerville, OH (USA)
Born in 1984, practices every day
"The Catholic faith is most beautiful because at the heart of it all stands love. God is love, has created us and the world out of love and for love. God has personally revealed himself in the..." Read more…
Laura Spires
Lincolnshire, IL (USA)
Born in 1977, practices every day
"It is beautiful that despite all the ups and downs of its history and the human failings of its members, the Church is still lovingly committed to preserving the teachings of Jesus Christ. No..." Read more…
Dana Greene
Atlanta, GA (USA)
Born in 1942, practices every day
"The historic "staying power" and the global reach of the Catholic Church are both very important in giving me hope. And we do need hope now more than ever! What with the abuse and cover-up scandals..." Read more…
Kevin Denzler
Cincinnati, OH (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every week
"I take solace and find beauty in the traditions and sacrements of the Catholic Church Eucharistic being probably the most important to me. It is when we as a Christian Community come together from..." Read more…
Steven John Bosch
Floral Park, NY (USA)
Born in 1956, practices every week
"I remain a Roman Catholic because in no other religion am I offered a way through to God. Fear of God, I think, is better understood, by me anyway, as the knowledge that I cannot and never will..." Read more…