Heidi Hess Saxton - Former Protestant Church Musician
Heidi had a strong faith life, and went to Azusa Pacific hoping to do some kind of ministry. She was leading music at a Baptist church and preparing for a mission trip to Europe when her pastor announced he was becoming Catholic.
This threw everything into question for her, and she began to wonder, if God was calling someone she deeply respected into the Catholic Church, what might that mean for the way she thought about Catholicism, and where she ought to be using her gifts? After an extended period of prayer and discernment, she ultimately felt that Jesus himself was calling her home to the Eucharist.
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Michael Garcia - Former United Pentecostal Pastor
Michael Garcia was baptized Catholic, but wandered a bit as a young man. When his brother got involved with a Oneness Pentecostal community, Michael was intrigued, and after exploring it, felt that this was the kind of community God was calling him to. He quickly began to sense a call to ministry, serving in a couple of different United Pentecostal congregations along the way.
However, when Michael visited Europe, he was struck by the ancient quality of Catholicism and began to wonder more deeply about the faith of his youth. He reached out to the Coming Home Network, and after a period of working with fellow pastors who had become Catholic, Michael and his wife came home to full communion with the Catholic Church.
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Bishop Earl Fernandes -Lifelong Catholic
It has been a longstanding tradition in the Coming Home Network, which is located in the Diocese of Columbus, to invite the sitting bishop to share his story on The Journey Home -- even if he's not technically a convert!
In the case of Bishop Earl Fernandes, there is a lot of story to tell -- from his immigrant parents' faithful handing on of the Catholic Faith, to his vocation to the priesthood, to his appointment as the first Indian-American bishop in the USA, it's a fascinating journey!
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Deacon Matt Halbach - Catholic Revert
Deacon Matt Halbach grew up Catholic but wasn’t very well formed. As a young man, he began to struggle with depression and anxiety, and was even thinking of suicide at one point.
In the midst of that, a coworker began to share his Catholic faith, and invited Matt back to Mass. Finally, he agreed to go, and went back to Confession. Everything changed for him from there, and he had a major conversion. He went on to do youth and family ministry, and eventually discerned a vocation to the diaconate.
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Joshua & Teresa Mangels - Former Assemblies of God Ministers
After beginning a personal relationship with Jesus as a teenager, Joshua Mangels felt a call to ministry and eventually became an Assemblies of God pastor.
As he studied the Church Fathers, he discovered a sacramental worldview that was completely new to him, and he had to know more. Initially, he and his wife hesitated to dig deeper for fear of risking their ministry.
However as Joshua began teaching about the Fathers to his congregation, more of his members became interested in Catholicism. They connected with the Byzantine Eparchy of Phoenix, and some of the Mangels’ congregation entered the Catholic Church along with them.
JonMarc Grodi and his guests address the personal obstacles, doctrinal objections, and the irresistible attraction to the Church Jesus founded 2,000 years ago.
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