Anchored in Faith: My Catholic Conversion and Beyond

Dear Friends, This weekend, I had the opportunity to “come, and rest awhile” at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford for my second themed retreat, titled In My Love, Abide . This theme is inspired by the Gospel of John, where Jesus says, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:9). I arrived Friday night a bit later than planned, as I had to stay at work a little longer than expected. Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by Ted, the retreat center’s registrar, who handed me my room assignment, which turned out to be the same as last year’s. This retreat was particularly special because I was joined by my brother Nicholas, who was attending for the first time. We started the evening with a delicious dinner, a wonderful way to begin our retreat experience. After dinner, we gathered in the main conference room for the introductory session, where the retreat team introduced them...

Dear Friends, Today, I had the privilege of attending the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference for the first time, accompanied by my brother Nicholas and our Faithful Navigator, Don. We arrived at Northwest Catholic High School shortly after 7:30 a.m. and were warmly welcomed by volunteers who handed us goody bags filled with Catholic items. I also enjoyed browsing the vendor booths, where I picked up even more free resources related to our faith. The day featured four keynote speakers, each offering their unique perspective on eschatology—the study of death, final judgment, and our eternal destination in heaven or hell. My favorite speaker was Fr. Wade Menezes, CPM, who gave a profound talk on the liturgical meaning of eschatology. His insights resonated with me, especially given my deep connection with the Church. Nicholas was especially moved by the final speaker, Kevin Wells, who shared his powerful story of surviving a brain aneurysm and his wife’s battle with alcoholism, which h...