Journey Home

Fr. Jerry Byrd was raised Baptist, and had a strong interest in music. When a high school friend announced they were becoming Catholic, he decided to go to Mass to see what it was all about. Having played music in his Baptist church, he was drawn immediately to the beauty of the liturgy, and the truth of the Eucharist. He decided to enter the Church, and ended up discerning a vocation to the priesthood.

Everett Franklin was a US Army chaplain for twenty years, serving on behalf of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). His family had been in that particular Pentecostal denomination for four generations, so it was surprising to him that over time, his desire to grow deeper in his Christian faith kept leading him more and more toward discovering the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and a home in the Catholic Church.

A strong Christian who served as a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene and nondenominational settings, Chuck Gaidica was also a successful TV anchor who began to understand the truth and beauty of Catholicism, and eventually, through questions about the nature of ministry, and the influence of fellow Catholic journalists, felt called home to the Catholic Church.

Elvis Gutierrez was raised Catholic, but as a young man, was living a reckless lifestyle. When the 9/11 attacks happened, he was serving as an EMT in New York City, and those events marked a major turning point in his life. He began over time to connect with strong spiritual mentors, who helped him heal from some of the hidden wounds he'd been carrying, and find peace in Jesus Christ and His Church.

Jeremy Rivera was raised Catholic, but left the faith at 18. In college, he was at a low point when he was invited to an Evangelical church; he ended up plugging into a Bible study, and began to experience a major turnaround in his life. Jeremy went on to attend seminary, and eventually pastored in Hawaii, California, and Denver. However, he began to be troubled at all the different expressions of Christianity he saw around him, and knew there had to be a true, authoritative version of Christianity. His desire to seek that out led him back to the Catholic Church.

Becca Dickerson always knew she'd be using her gifts to serve God in some way, but as an Evangelical Christian, she had difficulty discerning what shape that might take. Some of her friendships and experiences in ministry, especially during her time at Asbury College, began to open her up to the idea of the Catholic Faith, to the point where she could no longer sit on the fence about it; she knew she had to enter the Church.

Trapped in an abusive marriage, Pam Mings questioned her Baptist teachings. A friend turned her on to Catholicism, where she discovered St. Maria Goretti, patron of abused people.

Ellen went to Presbyterian, Baptist and nondenominational churches, while Gregory was an unenthusiastic Catholic. Their marriage resulted in his vocation and led her to the Church.

Fr. Ken Geraci grew up Catholic, but left the faith as a young man. He chased after fortune in the business world, eventually founding a highly successful software company. Unable to find happiness in all the ways he though would bring fulfillment, he revisited the idea of faith, coming back first to belief in God, then in Christianity, and eventually back to the Catholic Church. As part of that journey back, he recognized a call to the priesthood with the Fathers of Mercy.

Lee and Valiree Sondeno share how the COVID shutdowns caused them to reconsider the life of Pentecostal music ministry they'd devoted themselves to and begin to consider the claims of the Catholic Church.