Growing In Faith-One Man's Journey to Becoming Catholic
This year, the Diocese of Joliet’s Cardinal Newman Institute is launching a new series of minicourses entitled “Foundations of the Faith.” This initiative is designed to help baptized Catholics reflect on the universal call to holiness and to evangelize, as well as to rediscover, basic teachings of the Church. The two hour minicourse sessions are built on an adult learning model, so participants have a chance to interact with one another and to relate the course material to their own lives. The courses also offer additional resources and encourage followup reflection from the participants. In the fall of last year, teachers and catechists from around the diocese participated in the first of the classes, which dealt with new evangelization. Bill Maurer, a physical education teacher from St. Isaac Jogues School in Hinsdale, attended the class, and he, like most of the others, wrote a personal testimony about his faith journey. Christ is our Hope is offering a revised version of the testimony on these pages to inspire others and to show the value of these kinds of courses to those who are growing in their faith. Thanks to support from the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA), parishes are able to host these “Foundations of the Faith” sessions for their parishioners and catechists. And, thanks to support from the CMAA, we are all able to share in the faith journeys of people like Bill …
I was born and raised in central Illinois. My father was Catholic, and my mother attended and was employed by a Baptist church in town. I spent a lot of time there. I got to know the pastor and his family. I found comfort in the church as it was my mother’s workplace. I can still remember exploring the old church’s nooks and crannies.
I had a lot of faith in God and Jesus Christ when I was growing up, as it was innate to me. That changed a bit when I went to college, and my grandmother passed away from cancer. She was fairly young and only retired for a short time. I think I started to question why I believe and what I believe. As a response, I went without church. I went without God. As I no longer attended church, I went without prayer for years.
I met my wife during my college years. Her family is Catholic, and they were from a neighboring community. I took notice of her family’s commitment to their church, St. Patrick’s Parish, in Hennepin. It felt good to join them in church. Their church seemed to be an extension of their family. I am not sure I realized it then, but this would lead me to the Catholic Church in the years to come. Could this have been a sign from God?
My wife and I were married at St. Patrick’s Church more than 20 years ago. While my wife attended Mass consistently, I rarely chose church over a Sunday football game or a Saturday night dinner. That was until our family expanded with children. Was God again speaking to me? Was he telling me to start living a life that my children could emulate? My wife and I joined the nearest Catholic Church. We lived around the block from St. Mary of Gostyn in Downers Grove.
We started to attend Mass together, and while I was not Catholic, I enjoyed my time in church. The parish was warm, and when it came time to decide upon a Catholic or public school education for our children, we again received the sign we needed. I called the public school and met with the principal. The public schools were well-respected, and we liked the idea of a neighborhood school. One day after work, I stopped by the two Catholic schools in town, wondering if maybe that was an option for our children. My first stop invited me to an open house in the upcoming weeks. The second stop was St. Mary of Gostyn. I was greeted with open arms, and the principalFred LeChance, asked me into his o ffice. He spoke of educating the entire child and how the values of the Catholic school would align with our family’s values and expectations. I left there that day, vowing that my kids would attend St. Mary of Gostyn School, where God was part of each and every day.
This marked a time in my life that presented many opportunities to get closer to God. While I attended Mass more consistently, I just seemed to be missing something. I wondered about the Eucharist. Is that what was missing? In 2009, I investigated the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program, yet chose not to enroll due to conflicts with the Sunday sessions.
At the time, I worked for a large pharmaceutical company as a sales manager, but always wanted to teach. I felt that I was born to teach, but I was trying to pay the bills. I wanted to change careers when the time was right. In the meantime, I attended evening courses, working toward a teaching certificate.
In August 2009, I left the pharmaceutical company excited to start my teaching career. I finished my degree, received my teaching certificate and started a job at an elementary school in my community as a teacher’s aide. I was confident a teaching position would open for the following year. Yet in May 2011, they told me they had no teaching positions for me. I had no job. I remained positive in public, but was crushed privately. How could I have walked away from a lucrative career to teach children and then end up unemployed? In quiet moments, I feared my poor decisions may severely impact my relationship with my wife and family. I continued to chase jobs in the private and public sectors until I was introduced to the administration at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School. Was this another sign? I believe so and am currently at St. Isaac Jogues School in Hinsdale, teaching physical education, where I’ve been working since the fall of 2011. It’s a great place with wonderful families and staff . Is work here at the school another sign it was time for me to become Catholic? I believe it was and enrolled in the RCIA program in September.
My mother gave me faith, my wife led me back to the Church, my children led me to the Catholic Church and my career change has led me to working for the Diocese of Joliet and finally enrolling into the RCIA program. Upon reflection, it is clear all these things are signs from God that illustrate what He has planned for me. I now believe God places things at our feet. As people of faith, we need to decide where to go. I think it’s all been a greater power at work.
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