My Journey into Catholicism I suppose you could say that my journey actually began over thirty years ago. My wife Mary (a cradle Catholic) and I were married in a civil ceremony in 1990. I was baptized a Lutheran, but because of pre-existing circumstances, we were not allowed to be married in the Catholic Church. I had been neither a strong nor devout Lutheran and quite honestly was drawn more to the Catholic faith. (My dad was originally Catholic but converted to Lutheran after marrying my mom, which perhaps explained my feelings.) Even though my wife and I have attended Mass regularly, neither of us have been able to receive the Eucharist. This has left me with a deep yearning and a feeling that something was surely missing.
My three children were all raised as Catholics and received a Catholic education through high school. In fact my daughter works for SCS School. And my youngest son recently received his master’s in theology from Catholic University of America and teaches theology at a Catholic high school in Mobile, AL. So certainly all the inspiration to convert was there!
But, in December of 2011, during a long-overdue routine medical exam, a cancerous intestinal tumor was discovered and I subsequently found myself undergoing major surgery a few days later. I have never prayed so hard! I spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the hospital, during which time I made promises to myself and God that - if things turned out successfully - I would finally join the Church. Unfortunately the pathology report wasn’t good. It showed Stage III colorectal cancer. So, in January of 2012, I began the first round of eight months of chemo treatments, followed by three months of radiation. However, I never lost hope and always felt that God was by my side. I had great support from family and friends, as well as innumerous prayers from them all. Indeed: all the prayers were answered, and today I’m almost ten years cancer free.
I never forgot that promise I made during Christmas of 2011, and I know that God certainly didn’t either. But being the procrastinator that I can be at times, I kept putting it off, looking for the right time, looking for a sign.
Enter Father Tim.
Although I’m not a parishioner of St. Catherine Parish, I first met Fr. Tim a couple of years ago at a family function. I sensed immediately that he was the one that could put me on the right path and guide me towards this journey of conversion. Initially I first met with him In February 2020, told him that I wanted to join the Catholic Church, and explained my past religious and personal background. He outlined the path forward but didn’t hesitate to say that because of past circumstances it wasn’t going to be a slam-dunk. But I’ve always felt that anything worth doing is worth doing right…and anything worth doing right is not always easy. So, keeping my promise to God in mind, I began the journey.
The first phase of the journey took over a year. It culminated with my wife and I celebrating our Convalidation Ceremony, performed by Father Tim, last August. Shortly thereafter I enrolled in RCIA and have enjoyed learning what the Catholic Faith is, its origins, its practices and what it offers us. I’ve also brought Jesus and the Blessed Mother into my everyday conversation with God as I offer my thanks to Him for allowing me to take this journey.
Our RCIA group, led by Kurt Garcia, meets every Sunday morning, during and following the 9:00 AM Mass. (I particularly enjoy attending Mass at SCS, largely because both Father Tim’s and Father Andrew’s homilies are so enlightening, encouraging, and thought-provoking.) Although our present RCIA group is rather small, I find that this allows for more individual participation. Kurt and his fellow team leaders are assisted monthly by either Deacon Mike Coney or Deacon Don Richard, who both offer their unique insights into having, enjoying and maintaining a spiritual life.
As part of my final preparation for acceptance into the Catholic Church, I recently participated in my first Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). In the weeks leading up to my confession I expressed to members of the RCIA group how anxious I was about confessing “a lifetime of sins”. I was assured that if you were open, honest and sincere, all would go well. Nevertheless, I was extremely nervous going into the Confessional with Fr. Tim. But he immediately sensed my nervousness and put me at ease. The entire experience was so emotionally uplifting that I couldn’t believe I had waited a lifetime to experience the true love of Jesus’ forgiveness. (It actually brought tears to my eyes!)
I’m looking forward to this year’s Easter Vigil Mass when I’ll be confirmed into the Catholic Church and will finally be able to receive the Eucharist for the first time. I’m equally looking forward to being able to share the experience with my Catholic family. I’ve chosen Joseph as my Patron Saint because, as you may recall, last year (the year I enrolled in RCIA) was proclaimed by Pope Francis as the “Year of Saint Joseph”. In His Apostolic Letter, Pope Francis described Saint Joseph as “a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.” (Joseph was, as we all know, the husband of Mary!)
Yes, the journey has been long, but the blessings have been many.
Blessed be us all, Richard “Joseph” Scalco
Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”