How a Raised Atheist Became a Catholic Deacon | Conversion Testimony

[@paperking3168]

The best interviewer ...always always the guest to exhaust their stories and train of thought without unnecessary intersections. Kudos

[@normankaesberg8049]

Please pray for my atheist friend

[@KendiAgnes-i8k]

Watching from Nairobi Kenya 🇰🇪 East African, God bless

[@eileenvacheresse361]

Please pray for my atheist family members.

[@velkyn1]

alas, prayers fail miserably. I've had hundreds of christians praying for me to agree with them over the past 30+ years and you all fail, despite the promises from jesus in your bible. It seems you are all frauds.

[@peaceandlove544]

Rosary of Flame of Love, Chaplet of 7 Sorrows, Unity prayer, chaplet of Divine Mercy, Adoration

[@velkyn1]

@@peaceandlove544 yep, those all fail miserably too. It's so cute when cultists fail in their bothering of their imaginary friends.

[@rosiegirl2485]

My family is Catholic, but are not practicing. So I guess you could say in a way, that they are atheist! As children, 5 brothers and 1 sister, we all were practicing! Our mom was a convert at age 14, but it was our very Catkolic dad who made sure that we were involved. Sadly, our dad was killed in a work accident, and everyone just stopped going to Church! My mom tried to push, but she just didn't have the foot down like my dad!

[@LorettaGrace-kf7kh]

When/if people say to me "I don't believe in God", I say "that's ok, but God believes in you!"

[@anchacko1]

Dear deacon Jim, please pray for my sons who have strayed away from the faith

[@sanoroo]

My heart is SINGING seeing you two together onscreen. You each mean a lot to me.

[@Virginia-yq3jd]

Deacon and community, please pray for my sons who have strayed from the faith.

[@alfredmicallef]

39:52 39:52 39:52

[@zenytandoc7841]

I have a three daughters married o non catholic husband . two are to atheist husband and one is toFundamentalist . Deacon Jim please pray for them , names are David , Mark , Chad Sr. The infusion of the Holy Spirit is strong in you and thus grants your prayers easily . Many more God’s blessings be width you . I admire your Faith i’m God’s Providence .

[@jessamynreforsado6172]

The true church is one, the holy Catholic Church🙏

[@Leila-Grandemange]

Just a beautiful story! I love how you followed God’s lead throughout your journey! God bless you as you serve the Lord. Evangelism is definitely your ministry. Even sharing your story here will draw people to the Lord.

[@yapeocit9579]

Watching from Manila Philippines God bless us all ❤❤❤

[@TimSpangler-v9i]

@@CatholicDefender-bp7my about 35 years ago..on a day I had no intention of becoming a Christian, Jesus opened my eyes. He's been with me ever since. If I said otherwise I'd be lying.

[@marymargarette4289]

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.

[@simretogbamichael5672]

God bless your ministry, and may the Holy Spirit guide you.

[@catholicfemininity2126]

God bless the Deacons. I hope someday God can reveal what he wants me to do with my life. I really have no clue and still live with my folks. I'm so confused.

[@MartinaStC]

Save up and travel to the Holy Land and pray 🙏 May God lead you.

[@22grena]

Just accept even if you don't understand

[@MaceMtz512]

Thank you for sharing . God bless

[@CatholicReCon]

Thanks for watching!

[@christiannefex4400]

Very encouraging 🙏

[@alisterrebelo9013]

I am discerning the diaconate. I pray to God that I have as clear a sign as Deacon Jim did 33:00.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

Wow... and God even gives Deacon Jim confirmation of his calling at 39:40. A truly exceptional and clear calling! I am so happy for Deacon Jim. Edit... Ok, this is completely unreal now, there's ANOTHER confirmation at 41:20

[@michaelpcooksey5096]

There was a time when I was looking at the diaconate. The pastor set me up to become a Eucharistic minister for starters. I wound up wanting to use the Eucharist to bless people with before they received. Nope! Ok for the priesthood ... but out of place for me as a layman. Bottom line: My interior alignment was not correct. As a convert it is even scriptural that newbies should not become leaders unless extraordinary indicators point otherwise. So... it was good for myself and the church that I did not pursue it. When God wants something to happen He makes it so. It was painful to discover my unfitness for the job ... but a great gift at the same time. Since that time ..the talents I've been given to work with by the Holy Spirit have been used in a number of ways ... OUT of the PUBLIC eye, but within the heart of the church. And always with ongoing interior formation and conversion.

[@patriciamckenna6099]

Thank you both,blessings from Ireland 🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@betrion7]

I paid attention - this was lovely 🙏

[@Charity-vm4bt]

The combination of evangelization, Bible study, and family discussion and cooperation and the sacramental combination was all God's work. It is a great testimony of how both Catholic depth and Protestant methods can work together for the benefit of young people. Inspiring and down-to-earth.

[@carakerr4081]

What a wonderful testimony of Gods great love and faithfulness! So glad to see too so many views! I’ll continue to pray for this channel to reach many for Christ and His church ❤

[@Devotionalpoet]

Great interview, thank you both! Loved hearing his story.

[@marissabuyao2092]

What a story to tell! Thanks for sharing it.

[@shelion77]

Just started listening, when I stopped because you said about the bell - Eddie your channel is like one of three or four of all YT channels that has not just subscribtion, but also notification :) You'll hit 10.000 subs soon, I'm happy for you and all the people hungry for God-written stories.

[@eleanorbertuch135]

Excellent presentation. Thank you ✝️

[@Catholiclady3]

What a beautiful story! I really dont know all the things our deacon does. He's very involved with youth, and he is such a holy man with an amazing love for our Lord. I'm a retired nurse and would love to be visiting nursing homes and the homebound. Our curch is supposed to be starting a program to visit the homebound, but it's moving really slowly. I guess they don't have many volunteers, but I'd love to get started. They're asking for people to take the eucharist to the homebound in this program, but as a woman, I'm not sure if I should do that. We have female Eucharistic ministers at my church but for some reason, I'm leary of it. I'm not sure if God wants me to do that. I guess I just need to pray on it. I know people have differing opinions on it, and I'm not sure where I stand, but I want to go where God calls me.

[@iqgustavo]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:02 *🙏 Deacon Jim AR's childhood and initial encounters with religion.* - Deacon Jim's upbringing in a non-religious household with contrasting experiences from his parents. - Early exposure to Catholicism through his mother's family background, which was intense and rigid. - Personal struggles with faith due to family trauma and a lack of religious influence during childhood. 02:15 *🛑 Initial exposure to Christianity and skepticism.* - Encounter with evangelical Christianity during high school through a relationship. - Skepticism towards religious experiences, shaped by witnessing unusual behaviors in a non-Catholic church. - Initial resistance and dismissiveness towards organized religion due to unfamiliarity and prior skepticism. 05:22 *🎓 University life and evolving religious exploration.* - Continued exposure to Catholicism through a girlfriend who attended Mass regularly. - Gradual openness to attending Mass despite prior skepticism and resistance. - Curiosity sparked by experiencing a profound emotional response during Mass. 08:07 *🕊️ Exploration through RCIA and encounters with evangelical perspectives.* - Engagement with RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) despite skepticism and reservations. - Encounters with evangelical perspectives challenging Catholic beliefs, leading to apologetics-focused discussions. - Desire for deeper understanding of Catholicism and engagement with the Bible. 12:08 *🌟 Confirmation and post-confirmation experiences.* - Confirmation into the Catholic Church and expectations of transformative change. - Disappointment and confusion following confirmation, expecting a profound spiritual shift that didn't materialize. - Continued engagement with Catholicism through regular Mass attendance and life events like marriage. 17:47 *📖 Transformation through evangelical encounter and ministry involvement.* - Profound spiritual experience and recommitment to faith through an evangelical encounter. - Involvement in evangelical ministry activities on a university campus, leading Bible studies and engaging in outreach. - Formation of a campus Christian organization with significant participation, highlighting a shift towards a more active religious engagement. 23:06 *📖 Early Ministry and Discipleship* - Involved in leading non-anti-Catholic Bible studies with college students. - Mentored in evangelism and discipleship by a Southern Baptist Minister with a Catholic interest. - Started feeling drawn towards vocational ministry over academic pursuits. 27:25 *🎳 Transition to Family Business and Church Involvement* - Relocated to Merill to assist with running the family-owned bowling alley. - Became part of managing the family business and community landmark. - Struggled with integrating into the local Catholic church due to limited avenues for involvement. 30:46 *🙏 Rediscovery of Catholic Roots and Evangelization* - Realized the Catholic origins of the Bible through conversations with a deeply Catholic family member. - Renewed focus on engaging in Bible studies and evangelization within the local Catholic parish. - Made a commitment to attend Mass regularly and prioritize spiritual practices with family. 36:11 *⛪ Discernment and Encounter with Deaconate* - Encountered a persistent feeling of attention towards a local deacon, sparking curiosity. - Had a transformative conversation with the deacon about the role and challenges of deaconate. - Experienced a profound moment of divine guidance during Mass, reinforcing a potential calling to the deaconate. 46:46 *🛠️ Brandon's Increased Role at Church* - Brandon transitioned to spending more time at the church, supported by his family's encouragement. 47:40 *📅 Brandon's Appointment as Parish Life Coordinator* - The bishop offered Brandon the role of Parish Life Coordinator, overseeing church and school operations. - Brandon's decision involved prayer and family consultation before accepting the appointment. 49:10 *🌱 Emphasis on Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship* - Amidst the challenges of his daughter's illness and the COVID-19 pandemic, Brandon focused on evangelization and missionary discipleship. - The church's efforts in these areas have seen significant success and positive outcomes.

[@maryfitzpatrick6179]

Watching from Australia.

[@PInk77W1]

I’m a cradle Catholic. 63y old. I’ve never heard of Pray, Pay & Obey. But I’m gonna use it. LoL

[@firstaozlastaoz8212]

Wonderful testimony. Your experience with not "feeling" anything at confirmation is probably the norm I would say. And a good reminder to all that that is what faith is, believing something, a grace through faith is happening despite signs or wonders or feelings. That is faith-what you believe in your mind about God h the Church’s teaching. God always puts people on your path. People of all faiths can teach us something. How to pray, study the bible, and join a small group. One thing, our Church is united in doctrine & teachings, but the RCIA, now called OCIA experience varies widely because many times lay people run it & depending on their experience, it may not be run well. So glad you kept chasing your faith journey.

[@EveEve-e5y]

Please pray for my friend who used to be a believer and now proclaimed a non-believer, mocked infant Jesus and thinks she's much better without God. Thank you, I praise God

[@CatholicReCon]

Will do! Thanks for sharing.

[@carolinafine8050]

These are so cool… just seeing regular people with their conversion and reversion stories. It’s making me see the significance in my own reversion story that I used to just view as a quaint story.

[@georginatalamo2451]

It takes atheists and protestants to spark the good old catholic faith

[@Charity-vm4bt]

Excellent testimony.

[@evalocke2513]

Amazing Grace.

[@annamccurry-q2l]

Not long ago I was praying, and I was told that Jewish Kings choose their Mother to be their Queen, because they had thousands of wives. Jesus's spouses in the Catholic church are sisters or nuns. They wear white gowns to marry Jesus. Remember Mother Angelica from EWTN she gave up everything for Jesus, Also Mother Theresa of Calcutta gave up her life for Jesus. Mary's role as Queen is to be our Advocate.1Kings 2, 20 you will see that the King gave His Mother a throne at His right hand. We need to love and appreciate Mary's role as Advocate and thank her. Over 2 thousand years of Christianity many, many Catholics show Mary their love for her. It's in the Bible..😊... God Bless you

[@VivienBelton]

😊😊😊

[@BensWorkshop]

Very interesting. Has anyone got a link to the Catholic bible study he mentioned?

[@phil4v8]

🙏💞🌏🙏

[@filiamaria8]

it is really astoninshing how God makes use of protestants for His purposes...esp in bringing the lost lambs back to His church...😅 he could even use suffering or the even the devil for conversions and deepening of faith... this is because He is All Good!❤

[@frederickanderson1860]

Faith is evidence of things not seen. Paul went to the third heaven,did not keep him that he was a sinner under grace.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

I'm paraphrasing. Deacon Jim: My dad was into astrology, how the moon lined up etc. etc. Deacon Jim: My mom... My immediate guess - Your mom came from a strong Catholic family. Bingo! This is so predictable, I have seen this so many times. For some reason, poorly catechised Catholic children, love with people who are into new age thinking.

[@EpoRose1]

It’s like there’s this innate need to look for something spiritual.

[@EpoRose1]

Now listening- while I’m not dismissing mental illness, I’m now wondering, with the story of how his grandfather… ended… and how his mother made… attempts… if there was some sort of demonic influence.

[@miracles_metanoia]

Intergenerational spirits

[@BronxCat]

Eucharistic ministers are NOT a great ministry...Eucharist is only reserved for Priests and Deacons.

[@stechriswillgil3686]

Sounds like a cathartic exercise against his background. Look, im not knocking it, he's an adult and makes his own choices. But, his experience is purely subjective and emotional. Fine. But none of it is evidence based. Its Paulian in essence , but then so is the whole of Christianity. I would have recommended a 6 month course in psychotherapy. He has so many issues that need resolving.