2017 Testimonials
William Scott Farrow
As an adult, I considered myself to be a Christian, but I didn’t attend church. After my first marriage ended in divorce, I began to do some serious soul-searching. I realized that I wanted to lead a more meaningful, spirit-filled life. A friend of mine invited me to a service at her church, a non-denominational congregation that was welcoming, but did not meet in a permanent location. I enjoyed the fellowship, but I wanted to belong to a more traditional church with ties to the community it served. During this time, I met my future wife, who is Catholic. We began attending Catholic Mass together, and eventually, Engaged Encounter. I was impressed with the Church’s commitment to helping couples develop strong relationships and lead purposeful lives. We were blessed to be married in the Catholic Church, and I continued to grow in faith. I wanted to attend religious education classes, but I kept procrastinating because I thought I wouldn’t be able to fully commit due to my work hours and other responsibilities. However, when my own son was able to complete the RCIA process with his busy schedule, I realized I could make it work, too. Everyone involved in the RCIA process has been welcoming and kind. I thoroughly enjoy our Wednesday night meetings, Sunday morning lessons, parties, and volunteer opportunities.
I feel at peace with myself and have noticed a change for the better in my life and in my relationships with others. I am looking forward to receiving the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation, and fully participating as an active member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church.
Jessica Galasso
Stand, kneel, pray – this pretty much sums up how I remembered and categorized weekly mass. Sure, I knew all the words (mostly) when it came time for me to reply. But for a long while, there was a piece of my faith missing- like an empty room in my soul. And, in regard to Catholicism, I became ashamed and afraid to ask questions. After all, I’m an adult. At my age, I should know. Right? I’ve wanted to go back and complete the sacrament of Confirmation, which I had not done as a teenager, but again, as I grew older, I became more embarrassed. Then, one day, I just listened. This led me to R.C.I.A. Every week I learn a little more about my faith. I feel closer to it. I feel braver. I still have questions, but I am less afraid to ask because when I ask, it reveals answers that usually put me closer to Him. That empty room is filling up. The voice of God doesn’t feel so much like a whisper anymore; it’s louder and harder to ignore. Plus, I don’t want to ignore it, because what I’m discovering is that when I have the courage to listen and do what is asked of me, I am right with Him and I am right with myself. There’s a long road ahead, but I am learning to embrace it instead of fear it. I’m starting to understand that it isn’t about trying to know everything (if that’s even possible) about our faith; it’s about learning and growing with and through the faith. And just like we are constantly growing and learning about ourselves, we are meant to constantly learn and grow in our faith.
Steve Bird
I have been searching for a religious home for many years. Throughout my life, I have gone with friends to various denomination churches but none gave me the feeling of “home”. I had reconnected with an Army buddy, Jerry, a few years back. He and another friend, John, had been giving me morsels here and there of what the Catholic Church teaches. The more I heard, the more I thought, this maybe what I have sought.
I recall when I was told that preparation for becoming a Catholic could take as much as a year I was stunned and somewhat reluctant to pursue the obligation. On at least two occasions I have been “born again” in Christian Churches without a lot of study. However, something told me to follow through. So, in June of this year, my girlfriend and I contacted Wendy, the Director of OLPH RCIA. She was open and friendly and invited us to join the Wednesday night class. That phone call changed my life. Through RCIA my journey as a catechumen has been profound and enlightening.
I now understand why I needed to participate in the RCIA program. This is a period of reflection, prayer and especially education. Each week our instructors dissect the Readings and Gospel of the previous week. On Wednesday nights we meet with current students and those that have “graduated”. On Sunday, we leave the Mass (Dismissal) prior to Communion in order to have more in-depth study. Through this study, I have developed a tremendous sense of fellowship with the other members of the group.
God truly does have a plan for each of us. I am so glad that I listened to His message and began this wonderful journey. I finally have a feeling of home and being safe in God’s House. I have never felt this way anywhere else. I am grateful for the RCIA program and eager to become a full-fledged Catholic.
Teri Nightingale Kleintop
I was one of those cradle Catholics that had become lapsed in my faith. I attended parochial school from 1st through 8th grades. I attended Mass every week. I built an altar to Mary every May and said a rosary every night. Then in my 20’s I began to question so much of what I had taken for granted. Soon, it was just easier to ignore it all and that’s exactly what I did for about 40 years.
One day my boyfriend asked me why I had stopped being a Catholic. I told him that I didn’t stop be Catholic, I just didn’t feel that I needed a brick and mortar building for my worship. I’m a good person, and that’s good enough. He went on to tell me that he wanted to pursue converting to Catholicism and asked me what I thought about it and how he should proceed. I’d been away from the Church for a long time, so I turned to the Internet. I discovered RCIA was available for those wishing to convert, but it was also open to those Lapsed Catholics, like myself. Thus began my journey.
RCIA has opened my eyes and my heart. I never really understood what my faith was all about. Back in my day, the Mass was in Latin and there was a lot of stand up, sit down, & kneel. I was amazed when I attended my first Mass after coming back into the fold. All the singing and fellowship blew me away. The most amazing revelation has been learning that the Mass and receiving of the Eucharistic is our way of remembering Christ’s sacrifice of himself for our sins. It all seems so logical now, but I never understood that as a child. Back then, to me, it just seemed like a lot of rituals.
Although I have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Communion, I have become a student of RCIA. It’s exciting to learn so much about the Bible. I would have never imagined I’d be returning to my Catholic roots and I regret that my parents didn’t live to see my happiness, but I know they are with God looking down saying…”it’s about time, my dear.”
Amanda
I started going to RCIA in January 2014. After talking with my fiance, who is Catholic, I decided to go to one of the Wednesday night classes to see what it was about. From day one I knew in my heart that this was where I wanted to be. In the beginning, I knew very little about Jesus and Catholicism, as a whole. I was baptized Methodist but I was not raised going to church. It took some time for me to feel comfortable talking in a group setting and going to Mass. I did not understand much about what was going on, at first. As I began developing my faith, the more I learned, the more I grew closer to God. I started with the Wednesday night classes. I then began going to Sunday dismissals to gain a more in-depth understanding of the gospels. RCIA has been a great experience and a huge step towards learning Catholicism. My faith has given me peace, it has grounded me in love and truth of everyday life. I look forward to deepening my faith as I grow older. I am now a proud Catholic and I am excited to be getting married this September in a Catholic Church.
Marco Godoy
My name is Marco Godoy and I have attended RCIA classes for the last year and half. It has been a great experience and journey learning about GOD. Also, my life has changed since I started attending RCIA and living and walking this new way of life with spiritual principles. All I had to do was give 2 hours of my time once a week. It is nothing compared to what I have received (so much more in return). I have been given a new life that I could never have imagined. When I first came to RCIA, I didn’t believe in the CATHOLIC FAITH. You just have to be open minded and willing to listen and it will change your life.
Our teachers have a lot of knowledge and they are very patient. They are always willing to help with any questions you may have and if they don’t have the answer, they will get it for you. We have a lot of students that have been through the program and have completed their Sacraments, but they continue to come to class on Wednesdays because they want to continue learning about GOD. I want to end by saying; I was able to meet a lot of great people on this journey and I have been blessed to have built new friendships that are priceless. Thank you Wendy, Craig, and Judy for all that you do for us, and, for giving so much of your free time to teach us. The best thing that ever happened to me: I have a new found FAMILY, Thanks to RCIA.
Jewell Brillantes
Hi I’m Jewell Brillantes, I joined RCIA two years ago. It was honestly one of the best decisions of my life. I came from a Catholic background but my immediate family never went to church or practiced our religion. I didn’t grow up with God as a big part of my life, but I felt like that needed to change. So, two years ago I decided that I wanted to find my faith and live my life with God. I’m 17 now, but, I joined RCIA when I was 15. It was kind of hard in the beginning because I just wanted to be a teenager and not do church related things. Still, I went to RCIA by myself and for myself. I did go through RCIA dealing with some really tough things happening in my life. If it weren’t for the help of our teachers and the amazing friendships you make in the class, I have no clue where I would be. Two years ago I did not think I would be who I am today. I never thought I would be so in love with our religion. I thank God with all my heart for RCIA, especially the people He put in my life from RCIA. Im honestly so happy that I’m being fully accepted into our religion at my age because I’m not too young to not know what’s going on and I’m not old enough to know everything. Through these two years I matured significantly and I matured with God in my life. It’s just so beautiful to reflect on. It’s also beautiful to see my classmates, whom I consider to be my family, grow in this love and reverence for God. Another thing I find absolutely beautiful, is our amazing teachers and how enthusiastic they are about teaching us about God. They really connected with us. They genuinely care about us. I look at them as another mother or an older brother. So honestly, RCIA is the best decision I have made in my life and even though I am going to complete my Sacraments in a few weeks, I’m going to return because I want to learn more and deepen my faith and I don’t want to leave my family. I thank God for RCIA and for everything RCIA has brought into my life. I would also like to give a special thank you to Wendy Lucas, Connie Lowe, Dede Kelly, Zip Francis, and Andrew Morse.
Ryan Sanchez
Hi, my name is Ryan Sanchez. I joined RCIA and had a really great time in this program. I learned so much about my faith. The teachers really make you feel at home. The classes were a lot of fun, too. Everyone in the class is very friendly and they are also very welcoming. It was a great experience leading up to my Baptism, Communion and Confirmation this Easter!
Glory Leonard – Sponsor
70 years of being a Catholic, and I was certain I knew all there was to know about my faith. Lucky for me – my candidate invited me to join her at the instruction classes. What a blessing that turned out to be!
Through incredibly loving people (teachers and students) my love and understanding of My God became very clear. They say ” God works in mysterious ways” and in my case it was through the RCIA.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
