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Thoughts for the Journey Home by Marcus C. Grodi
Non-Catholic clergymen and women who become Catholics find great joy in answering God's call. But the road home can be long, weary, and full of obstacles. Along the way they must wrestle with difficult questions, the opposition of family and friends, anxieties about finding a new livelihood, and much more.Thoughts for the Journey Home offers insight, encouragement, and hope to those who face such struggles. These essays are the fruit of author Marcus Grodi's personal experience as a clergy convert and his work with those who have taken similar paths.Grodi, a former Protestant pastor who entered the Catholic Church in 1992, is the founding president of the Coming Home Network International, whose mission is to help non-Catholic clergy come home to the Church. The Network has assisted more than 1700 clergymen and women who are on this journey from more than a hundred Protestant, Orthodox, and non-Christian traditions.The author's reflections help readers grapple with a number of critical matters facing the clergy convert or potential intellectual issues such as religious authority and conscience; the necessity of the Church; faith and works; Scripture and Tradition; biblical interpretation; and the lessons of Church history* spiritual issues involving Marian devotion, redemptive suffering, the Eucharist, and the other sacraments* personal struggles with doubt, anxiety about the future, vocational guidance, and problems that may arise in relationships with loved ones.Thoughts for the Journey Home provides wisdom and strength for those who are exploring the claims of the Catholic Church, those who are on the path to the Church, and those who have already entered the Church yet need encouragement. Lifelong Catholics will find it useful as well in helping friends and family members they hope will someday come home.
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First published October 1, 2010
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About the author
Marcus Grodi
21 books18 followersMarcus Grodi (b. 1958) is a former Protestant pastor who, after converting to the Catholic Church founded The Coming Home Network International. Marcus is the host of the weekly EWTN programs the Journey Home (television) and Deep in Scripture (radio).
Marcus and his wife Marilyn were both “cradle Protestants.” Marcus received his BS degree from Case Institute of Technology in Polymer Engineering and worked for six years as an engineer. During this time he was involved in a variety of Protestant youth and music ministries. He then received his Master of Divinity Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and was ordained to the Protestant pastoral ministry. During more than fifteen years of youth, young adult and pastoral ministry, his main emphasis was church and lay spiritual renewal.
Marcus, his wife Marilyn, and their sons, Jon Marc (20) and Peter (16) were received into the Catholic Church on December 20, 1992. Their third son, Richard (12) entered through baptism.
Marcus now serves as the President/Executive Director of The Coming Home Network International, a non-profit Catholic lay apostolate aimed at helping our separated brethren, both clergy and laity, come home to the Catholic Church. He also hosts a weekly live television program on EWTN called The Journey Home, and is the author / editor of the book Journeys Home . Marilyn focuses much of her time on home schooling their three sons. The whole family works together in developing their ten acre homestead.
Marcus and his wife Marilyn were both “cradle Protestants.” Marcus received his BS degree from Case Institute of Technology in Polymer Engineering and worked for six years as an engineer. During this time he was involved in a variety of Protestant youth and music ministries. He then received his Master of Divinity Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and was ordained to the Protestant pastoral ministry. During more than fifteen years of youth, young adult and pastoral ministry, his main emphasis was church and lay spiritual renewal.
Marcus, his wife Marilyn, and their sons, Jon Marc (20) and Peter (16) were received into the Catholic Church on December 20, 1992. Their third son, Richard (12) entered through baptism.
Marcus now serves as the President/Executive Director of The Coming Home Network International, a non-profit Catholic lay apostolate aimed at helping our separated brethren, both clergy and laity, come home to the Catholic Church. He also hosts a weekly live television program on EWTN called The Journey Home, and is the author / editor of the book Journeys Home . Marilyn focuses much of her time on home schooling their three sons. The whole family works together in developing their ten acre homestead.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 18, 2020
As my Anglican priest husband and I have recently converted to the Catholic Church, this book hit home a lot. Grodi has had much experience helping people like us and it shows. While much of it deals with the unique difficulties in clergy conversions, it's applicable to anyone in the Christian community seeking the fullness of the faith.
April 16, 2011
I admit to being a bit of a Marcus Grodi fanboy. I’ve watched the Journey Home on EWTN since the very first episode in I believe 1997 which coincided with my increased investigation of the Catholic Church. I’ve even read his book of fiction “How firm a foundation.” So I was quite happy to receive a review copy of “Thoughts for the Journey Home.”
One of the things I have enjoyed about his show is that while the majority of guests are Protestant converts they appreciate what they learned as Protestants while at the same time rejoicing in receiving the fullness of the faith in the Catholic Church. The shows are never angered snipes at Protestantism, but more a reasoned awareness of the flaws inherent in Protestantism and also a acknowledgment that more unites us than divides us. Though this is also pretty much true of all Protestant coverts and not just the ones that were on the Journey Home.
Marcus Grodi as a convert himself is an excellent example of this attitude and this new book presents a thoughtful look at the Journey Home. It is only part autobiographical as Marcus thinks about a range of topics concerning conversion and the problems for mainly Protestant converts and of course the problems Protestant clergy have in adapting from what might have been a fairly well paid job to a very uncertain future. I have come to greatly admire those who have stepped out in the deep believing the truth of the Catholic Church while having other difficulties ranging from friends and family not happy with such a conversion.
Marcus has had years to think about this subject and of course took action with his Coming Home Network International to help converts and so has much experience in this area. Thus his thoughts on the subject are well worth reading even at a general level. While the book certainly has apologetic potentials it goes on to look at many human factors in conversions and various difficulties. Marcus Grodi is also skilled at making worthwhile parallels to make a subject understood that reminded me to some extent of Jesus’ parables that took the common subjects such as farming to make a point. Marcus Grodi does the same thing here and currently living on a farm takes some similar approaches. I really like one chapter comparing the Church to a football team that kind of takes off from the Body of Christ and at the same time shows that it is rather silly to blame the quarterback when the rest of the team is underperforming. We often seem to think of bishops/priests in this way forgetting we are also on the team and have our important roles to play also.
A part of this book is also addresses the struggles of the Christian life and growth in holiness that affects us all as his book of short essays covers a range of topics written in his engaging manner. The last section addresses the history of the Coming Home Network International along with a short history of EWTN.
One of the things I have enjoyed about his show is that while the majority of guests are Protestant converts they appreciate what they learned as Protestants while at the same time rejoicing in receiving the fullness of the faith in the Catholic Church. The shows are never angered snipes at Protestantism, but more a reasoned awareness of the flaws inherent in Protestantism and also a acknowledgment that more unites us than divides us. Though this is also pretty much true of all Protestant coverts and not just the ones that were on the Journey Home.
Marcus Grodi as a convert himself is an excellent example of this attitude and this new book presents a thoughtful look at the Journey Home. It is only part autobiographical as Marcus thinks about a range of topics concerning conversion and the problems for mainly Protestant converts and of course the problems Protestant clergy have in adapting from what might have been a fairly well paid job to a very uncertain future. I have come to greatly admire those who have stepped out in the deep believing the truth of the Catholic Church while having other difficulties ranging from friends and family not happy with such a conversion.
Marcus has had years to think about this subject and of course took action with his Coming Home Network International to help converts and so has much experience in this area. Thus his thoughts on the subject are well worth reading even at a general level. While the book certainly has apologetic potentials it goes on to look at many human factors in conversions and various difficulties. Marcus Grodi is also skilled at making worthwhile parallels to make a subject understood that reminded me to some extent of Jesus’ parables that took the common subjects such as farming to make a point. Marcus Grodi does the same thing here and currently living on a farm takes some similar approaches. I really like one chapter comparing the Church to a football team that kind of takes off from the Body of Christ and at the same time shows that it is rather silly to blame the quarterback when the rest of the team is underperforming. We often seem to think of bishops/priests in this way forgetting we are also on the team and have our important roles to play also.
A part of this book is also addresses the struggles of the Christian life and growth in holiness that affects us all as his book of short essays covers a range of topics written in his engaging manner. The last section addresses the history of the Coming Home Network International along with a short history of EWTN.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews