Sam Galvin
I am Catholic because of the witness of joy and peace that I have seen in my Catholic brothers and sisters. Throughout my life I have been surrounded by Catholics. I was well formed in the apologetics of my faith. I knew the faith, but I didn’t know what it was to live a Catholic life.
When I was 18 years old, I decided I didn’t care about my faith. I grew up in a very Catholic home. I went to a Catholic school that gave me a classical education and taught me apologetics. I understood what the Church was and why it taught what it did. But after graduating high school, I longed for freedom and a lack of rules placed on me by my parents. While I appreciated Catholicism, I would rather not have a bunch of rules over my head making me feel guilty.
Yet even with my “guilt-free” life, I was still deeply unhappy and felt severe shame when I sinned. After about six months, I decided to reflect on how I was living. I knew that this emptiness was not what life should be and that there must be more. While reflecting, I thought about all those in my life who were the happiest. It was in this time that a common theme appeared: All the happiest people in my life were Catholic.
Growing up, I knew many priests, as my father worked for the local diocese. Priests would often frequent our house for dinner or just to play board games. I experienced their joy firsthand. I also saw joy in the families around me. Parents living Catholic lives to the best of their ability with real joy. These priests and families weren’t perfect, far from it, but they were joyful and had an air of peace. This was deeply attractive to me, as it was what I was craving in my life.
It was at this time that I decided to give my faith a real try and actively pursue a relationship with the Lord. During that time, I found that my relationship with the Lord, strengthened by the sacraments, was pivotal in my peace and joy. This joy made life more enjoyable, but more important, it strengthened me in my times of fear and doubt. When the Lord sent me away from my hometown and the community that had formed me, my immediate reaction was fear and confusion. But through my faith and time in prayer, I was able to receive peace from the Lord, knowing that he had plans greater than mine.
As I have progressed in my faith, I continue to be thankful for being a part of the Catholic Church. The joy that I experienced in others drew me into my faith, but that was only the beginning. Truly, my strengths lie only in the Lord, and through the sacraments of Communion and reconciliation, I can stand firmly in him.
Praised be Jesus Christ.
Galvin, 22, is a senior at the University of Minnesota studying strategic communications with an emphasis on public relations. He enjoys rock climbing, watching soccer and football, playing guitar and singing. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, his current parish is St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis.
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