How being arrested in Oakland was just the beginning of her journey | Christian testimony

In this week's episode of Catholic ReCon, testimonies from reverts and converts, guest Kristen Ciaccia takes us from her atheistic upbringing to being an activist for the most vulnerable to learning Catholicism from some outstanding theologians to witnessing the faith despite brokenness and chaos. Kristen is a fighter. I invite to stay to the end to hear her powerful message for families.
#Catholic #Theology #Testimony #CatholicChurch #interview #Story #Conversion #Planned #Rescue #Surrender #SacredHeart #Obedience #Priest #Love
▶To support this channel, visit eddietrask.com/sponsorship
🔔 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE CONVERSION STORIES: @CatholicReCon
Conversion stories are shared weekly. If you'd like to share your personal testimony, please fill out the form here: bit.ly/3bdE6pr
Wherever you are on the journey, God bless you.
For more information, visit eddietrask.com.

[@lizett8591]

I can tell by other comments that I am not the only one very impressed with this talk. Kristen, I am so impressed by you! Eddie, thank you for bringing her on. I am a cradle Catholic with 12 years of Catholic school (1-12) behind me. I always loved the Lord so much, but I questioned a lot of things about the Catholic church. (Now I'm a solid, very devout Catholic.) My five children were raised Catholic . I took them to church each week, prayed with them every evening, and took them to their CCD classes which were fair at best. I was a working mom and didn't have the privilege of staying home and homeschooling them, although I'm sure others do it with great sacrifice. We were dependent on two incomes. The Lord saw me through but now none of my children go to Catholic church and only one of them goes to a church at all. To see how you sought the Lord. Kristen! And without your family's direct help! I feel often as though I failed my children and see many ways I could have done things better. I pray for them on my daily rosary and think of them everyday along of course with their families. Not one of my seven grandchildren are baptized. It breaks my heart! I just pray and pray and pray for them. I pray daily for conversions in my family, in this country, and around the world and I don't know what else to do. I'm so refreshed by Kristen's pursuit of God, diligence towards her children, prayerfulness regarding her marriage, and desire to make a difference. I thought I had that as well but this testimony is a living testimony of giving everything to God.

[@wendyhong8528]

May the Lord keep you and your children. I understand what you were saying and many of us share the same sorrow as devout Catholic parents. It is heart breaking. But trust God as He is mighty and can do the unimaginable. Your action as a faithful Catholic would not go unnoticed by your children. They may appreciate faith more as they get older. May God grant your strength and persistence. Trust God can do miracles!

[@margokupelian344]

I’m in the same boat… but I DO believe that the Lord will answer my prayers in His time… May God bless you and your family and bring them to the Catholic faith. ✝️🙏❤️

[@sonialebrun1]

I hope my kids come back to the faith before I die

[@Raider66ify]

I’m in same boat…I will pray for u and ur kids tonite God bless

[@lizett8591]

My prayer is that my five and their families return to the church with newfound faith and joy before THEY die!. 🙏

[@mlisify]

My parents prayed the rosary for 35+ years for their six children who left the RC church. Five have returned and one is close. They are in their 90s and have lived to see their prayers answered. I pray for your prayers to be answered.

[@matthewalexander2436]

As much as you love your kids... God loves them infinitely more. He created them through love. Every single human being has more than ample opportunities to attain salvation. Remember how St Monica was rewarded. Trust God, you can, because He's Love itself.❤❤❤

[@pennyportolese6064]

So do I

[@sanoroo]

One of the best Catholic ReCon episodes. Thank you, Kristen.

[@evalocke2513]

Kristen is amazing! What a blessing to have had so much grace poured down on her.

[@DavidTheZealot]

Welcome home!! God bless us all

[@JohnAmbs-di7mp]

Spent 38 years in DC, but returning home to Northeastern PA, Diocese of Scranton, where I grew up. Will likely join St. Michael’s in Scranton or Ordinariate’s St. Thomas More. Hope to meet Kristin someday.

[@shelion77]

I see similarties - like this part about religion and being smart etc; but even more so - her dad and my mum - both raised Catholic and abandoned by their dads (my mum when she was just four) and the deeper we went into the faith the more division there was, like I was disloyal, exactly - I probably didn't think about it exactly like this before. Unfortunately, for my part, little has changed, I'm glad it did for Kristen, that gives me some hope. It's a great story.

[@dannogoo]

What wonderful testimony!

[@georgiagirl2871]

Hearing Kristen’s story is so inspiring to me as a revert. What a wonderful testimony. Thank you! I needed this today.

[@ClaverSekitto]

Thanks be to God for this lady!

[@carakerr4081]

Thank you for another wonderful testimony! I can relate to disappointing a Dad by becoming Catholic. My Dad fell away from the Catholic Church and had a lot of hurt related to the Catholic Church - I believe related to possible emotional abuse at Catholic High School but he never had spoken about it. Just now at age 80 he is attending Mass with my Mom. He is softening but he spent years living away from the Church and I totally relate to feeling like he is somehow annoyed that I am so religious as though I am betraying him. My siblings are both Agnostic and I believe it may be a subtle way to please my Dad and meet his expectations that we are not to be religious if that makes sense? Thank you again and God bless you 🙏

[@tamangchristopher5453]

U r very special Lady may the Lord bless 🙌 🙏 you

[@sheilatejada7748]

Welcome home Sister 🙏❤️

[@carakerr4081]

Very excited to watch this!! 🙏💕🙏

[@rgg5uib]

Welcome home!

[@BensWorkshop]

Fantastic testimony! Welcome home Kristen! Just love the way the law of God written on her heart made her pro life which led her into the Church!

[@ramonam9251]

❤Amen❤

[@MaryCunningham-u5j]

I'm from Northeast Philly so especially enjoyed an episode with a local angle. Wonderful to "meet" Kristen and hear her frank and beautiful discussion and the reminder that we don't need to be perfect to participate - after all, that's not possible anyway and healing is the work of our Savior, "I have come for the sick and not for the well..."

[@MaryCunningham-u5j]

BTW, I have the book Kristen referred to - it is "Pillar of Fire" by Karl Stern and it's great!

[@ceuser6119]

This is awesome. I would love for her to come to my parish and give a witness talk. St. Joseph, Andale KS

[@lindaakguest4ever50]

BEST TESTIMONIAL!!!!!

[@Corolla97ww]

Very inspiring listening to Kristen

[@cowsal77]

Love Bishop Daly!! Used to frequent St. Vincent's Boys Home to hear mass. He baptized my mom too. May God bless him. I can also truly relate. Grew up in Marin. Public schools in our day were so secular. I was received into the church at Our Lady of Loretto in 2000.

[@oconeebells]

Thank you. Just so wonderful to hear. I admire you, Kristin. God Bless You and your family and all the amazing people that helped you along your way. Quite an inspiration!

[@my4angelsSweden]

🙏❤️

[@ms.jenkinskbclassroom6066]

What a go-getter!

[@danielblanchard793]

I think St Peter and St Paul thought you did good. You were charitable. You Speak clearly and you dont have spend a half hr. thinking making sure you understand correctly. You should communicate like ST.Pius X and not like Post Vatican 2 prelates or popes, Thay use word salads. Example: compare the Baltamore catechism to the current one.

[@michaelnewberg9735]

Eddie I always look forward ro your interviews weekly but this is your Very Best. Thank you both for this interview.

[@ramonam9251]

I lived in Marin. Thank God for Catholics❤

[@tenor79]

These interviews just amaze me every week. So good

[@Diane-h7d]

🎉 Welcome home Kristen!!! ✝️ 🥰 Thank you for sharing your beautiful testimony!!! 🤗 GOD Bless you and your family and I will keep all of you in my prayers!!! 🙏❤️🌹 I'm originally from Northeast Pa and happy to know you now live there! 😘💞

[@dennisharrington6055]

Thanks. Some of us have no such glorious story. Maybe I spent 50 years in apostasy, but I have daily prayed God cancel my ticket the day before I say ANYTHING good about abor… can’t even write that word. Now I’m depressed for the rest of the day. My prayer has been, St Peter, you can send me to the coldest corner of Purgatory’til the end of time itself, I’ll consider I got a square deal. Only, let me out every few millennia to pull a hitch in Dog Heaven.

[@jeromepopiel388]

Dear friend, your state of mind is not from God. We don't receive the privilege of sonship because of anything we do or don't do. St. Paul was a murderer of Christians. We receive friendship and sonship with God strictly because of what Jesus has done for us. Once you repent,the past gets wiped out and you get a fresh start. That's the good news.. If you would deny your own ability and step out in faith to trust Jesus alone, that's all it takes. Jesus is asking you to give Him your burden of sin and failure. You weren't meant to carry it and in exchange you receive His perfect righteousness. You just walk in that by faith and you shove it in the devils face every time he accuses you.. Romans 10:9-11 [9]That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10]For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [11]For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. You were meant to live in freedom, not doubt and bondage. 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Now enjoy your liberty Read your Bible. Every promise is yours!

[@davidcole333]

Please don't come into Catholic content channels trying to evangelize. It is highly inappropriate.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

​@@jeromepopiel388 It appears that you selectively obey the Bible. Prove me wrong by answering my question. Which human church elders do you submit the care of your soul? Hebrews 13:17 ESV - 17 *Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls,* as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 1 Peter 5:5 ESV - 5 *Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.* Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

[@MaranglikPeterTo-Rot]

❤

[@situatesanctify2818]

She confronted the lack of faith exhibited at the "Catholic" university Villanova.

[@BensWorkshop]

And it was wholesome work!

[@belindaventer8474]

Amazing testimony, love your spontaneity & genuine love for Christ and the Church. So unashamed, love it❤

[@rosiegirl2485]

I could have listened to Kristin speak for another hour or two. What a beautiful story! I would also like to add that I live about 20 minutes from Villanova. It's a beautiful campus, and I am happy to hear that Kristin really made a positive impact there. Also I would like to add that I too met Bishop Coffee and his family by care taking of his elderly cousin. They are a beautiful family. I have to say that they really stepped up when this elderly woman, who I really loved, passed away. She had never married and had no children, and the Coffee family really saw to her affairs beautifully! Thank you, Eddy, for the wonderful interview! God bless! 🙏

[@kathleen2596]

Very impressive story! Thank you Kristin. Happy to hear that Fr. Fessio was part of her formation. So happy I watched!

[@thefiscaliste]

That’s my prayer too I just want my kids to have a relationship with wit Jesus ! I wish I thought this way when they were younger

[@nancyroach3902]

🕯💞💖✨️🙏