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Journeys Home
Edited by Marcus C. Grodi, M.Div This book is the foundation of what The Coming Home Network is all the journeys of Protestant clergy and laity coming home to the Catholic Church. The Coming Home Network is a lay ministry committed to helping Protestant clergy during and after they have made their Journey Home. This book contains the stories of many prominent clergy converts.
316 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1997
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69 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Grodi
23 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 21, 2013
Journeys Home by Marcus Grodi and a "host of others" is a very inspirational book that details the religious experiences of converts who accepted the Catholic Church and her teachings as the one true Church. Having "come home" myself as a lay person through my baptism in April of 2004, the many experiences as detailed in this book resonated quite piercingly, and I found it to be of immeasurable comfort, for there is often an array of painful struugles that converts go through, especially in respects to family opinions. And perhaps in light of the clergy sex scandal cover-up and other reprehensible happenings that rocked Massachusetts not too far back, the proverbial, "You're converting to Catholicism! What a mistake!" comment would be somewhat understandable. And those comments could get far far worse. However, Journeys Home offers wonderful written testamonials by many stimulating converts. And though their stories are different, they are individually moving in their sincerity and profoundness and are interlaced by one common denominator: the love of Jesus Christ.
Profiled in this book is a vast array of individuals who crossed the "Tiber" from the Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Episcopal, et cetera, faith. In their witness, they write about their upbringings and the imbued misconceptions that they held regarding the Catholic faith, about our Blessed Mother Mary, the rosary, confession and especially the Holy Eucharist. Each recounted experience deals with what is the most accurate scriptural interpretation, as well as the incorrect evangelical belief of sola Scriptura and sola fide, that Scripture and faith alone will save you. Yet, it is not exclusively limited to academic or theological interpretation, but for me, I found that to be one of the best parts of all these testimonials, because it gave a constant affirmation of what the Bible teaches and what the early Chrurch Fathers advocated, long before any of the other religious denominations (you name them) ever came into existence and which later splintered and splintered and splintered. And I believe the splintering is still going on. With the logical and intellectual, there are also ample examples of the gift of Grace which are movingly recounted.
For anyone who is seriously drawn to the Catholic faith but just can't make the leap, it can indeed be most unsettling, especially when you fear the loss of all that which is familiar, but the articualte and intelligent proofs as contained in Journeys Home illustrate the various trials that these converts went though, and they go through the gamut of loss of friends, jobs, self-doubt, to a vast array of issues. But they trugged on, as Jesus Christ did, and ultimately persevered, and that makes each individual witness have a somewhat overly "happy" ending. That may sound zealous and euphoric or too sentimental, but when you go through the cultural, political, sociological and even spiritual mud that life has to offer, you are indeed grateful to God, the Father, for cohesiveness, consistency, history, stability, tradition and roots. And the Catholic Church, though its millions of members are flawed in every conceivable way imaginable, it is that one special gift for all of us.
Profiled in this book is a vast array of individuals who crossed the "Tiber" from the Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Episcopal, et cetera, faith. In their witness, they write about their upbringings and the imbued misconceptions that they held regarding the Catholic faith, about our Blessed Mother Mary, the rosary, confession and especially the Holy Eucharist. Each recounted experience deals with what is the most accurate scriptural interpretation, as well as the incorrect evangelical belief of sola Scriptura and sola fide, that Scripture and faith alone will save you. Yet, it is not exclusively limited to academic or theological interpretation, but for me, I found that to be one of the best parts of all these testimonials, because it gave a constant affirmation of what the Bible teaches and what the early Chrurch Fathers advocated, long before any of the other religious denominations (you name them) ever came into existence and which later splintered and splintered and splintered. And I believe the splintering is still going on. With the logical and intellectual, there are also ample examples of the gift of Grace which are movingly recounted.
For anyone who is seriously drawn to the Catholic faith but just can't make the leap, it can indeed be most unsettling, especially when you fear the loss of all that which is familiar, but the articualte and intelligent proofs as contained in Journeys Home illustrate the various trials that these converts went though, and they go through the gamut of loss of friends, jobs, self-doubt, to a vast array of issues. But they trugged on, as Jesus Christ did, and ultimately persevered, and that makes each individual witness have a somewhat overly "happy" ending. That may sound zealous and euphoric or too sentimental, but when you go through the cultural, political, sociological and even spiritual mud that life has to offer, you are indeed grateful to God, the Father, for cohesiveness, consistency, history, stability, tradition and roots. And the Catholic Church, though its millions of members are flawed in every conceivable way imaginable, it is that one special gift for all of us.
December 4, 2013
Conversion stories by those who lived them. As an active cradle Catholic I was totally unaware of how many Protestant ministers, those numbers especially, have "come home". Did I understand their search at many levels! Seeing/living these same misunderstandings, in my own birth family over my Dad's conversion to R.C. from his German Lutheran family, I learned to explain VERY early. Nearly identical issues. And was constantly asked, as well. And I have always answered in detail. Especially about Mary, scripture, and being saved by faith alone without any need of good works. I think my Dad's family was more tolerant overall for differences and for cross participation. Both. But also extremely hurt in some exclusions (like not being able to be god-parents.) So this book rang true for me and also reminded me of these loving converts who have "come home", their strength and purpose, in my own life- just like my Dad.
BTW, I did go to both Churches (Lutheran when I stayed at my Grandmother's)and the R.C was more restrictive about this practice- and in a couple of cases punitive. A minor war started when I was 7 and told my nun that I was singing at my uncle's Lutheran funeral. My poor parents, I never could shut up and I'd never lie. Not often a good combination when you are 7. My First Communion got postponed a year. I am very thankful that R.C. is far more open and understanding
to differences now than it was in the 1950's. The joy in these peoples' realizations to have the answers of structure! That was delightful to read. And in so many different styles. Great Advent or Lenten read.
BTW, I did go to both Churches (Lutheran when I stayed at my Grandmother's)and the R.C was more restrictive about this practice- and in a couple of cases punitive. A minor war started when I was 7 and told my nun that I was singing at my uncle's Lutheran funeral. My poor parents, I never could shut up and I'd never lie. Not often a good combination when you are 7. My First Communion got postponed a year. I am very thankful that R.C. is far more open and understanding
to differences now than it was in the 1950's. The joy in these peoples' realizations to have the answers of structure! That was delightful to read. And in so many different styles. Great Advent or Lenten read.
January 6, 2011
I think I first stumbled upon this book at the Trappist monastery in Georgia. It was a few months before I entered the Catholic Church and the stories resonated with my own journey!
June 14, 2016
This collection of testimonies was very helpful to me because it gave me information on how other religious groups look at the Catholic faith. I couldn't help but notice that most people made the decision to convert to being Catholic once they studied the early Church fathers.
February 27, 2023
A COLLECTION OF CONVERSION STORIES, AND HELPFUL ARTICLES
Author and editor Marcus C. Grodi wrote in the Introduction to this 1997 book, “[This book] contains the stories of men and women who have all experienced … loving acceptance from God the Father. These pilgrims have all at some time surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and, as a result, heard a call to follow Him more completely. Many of them were pastors or missionaries, or their spouses. Others were laymen… What is unique about these stories is that each … discovered, sometimes with great consternation or even horror, that continuing to follow Christ would require a journey home which they had never anticipated nor desired. These men and women all discovered Jesus Christ in some branch of Protestantism, and remain grateful to the many faithful … who helped them know Christ and to grow in the Christian faith. Yet in each case, their desire … to remain faithful… led them to consider the claims of the Catholic Church.” (Pg. xvi)
In the opening essay, Marcus Grodi admits, “I am a former Protestant minister. Like so many others who have trodden the path that leads to Rome by way of that country known as Protestantism. I never imagined I would one day convert to Catholicism…” (Pg. 3)
His wife Marilyn admits, “When we began attending mass, it was awful: the parish churches seemed so cold and unfriendly; there were no welcoming Sunday School programs or nurseries for the little ones. The worst part was when we would come to the sacrifice of the mass. I just wanted to break down and weep or run. Without having dealt with the issue of the Eucharist, I intuitively knew that here was the pivotal difference.” (Pg. 25)
Fr. Raymond and Ruth Ryland recount, “The longer we lived within the Episcopal Church and the more we studied its history, the more we saw its theological and moral fragmentation… we were attracted by the Anglican claim of comprehensiveness. Now we saw that term as a euphemism for chaos. For generations Anglicans have boasted that theirs is a bridge church. That means they stand midway between Protestantism and Catholicism, partaking of the good features of both and rejecting the bad. I used to remind my colleagues that no one lives on a bridge. A bridge is only a means for getting from one place to another.” (Pg. 37)
Rosalind Moss explains, “As I set out to do the unthinkable---to study the claims of the Roman Catholic Church…[I was] fearful that the enemy of our souls would deceive and render me useless for the kingdom of Christ I had come to know and love. I was raised in a Jewish home, one which celebrated many of the traditions… Eventually my brother… became an atheist, and I, perhaps, an agnostic.” (Pg. 53)
Krstine Franklin reports, “One of the most difficult aspects of our journey into the Catholic Church was wondering how our decision would impact not only ourselves and our two children, but the lives of extended family and good friends as well. We were choosing the Catholic Church. They were not. Yet they could not remain untouched.” (Pg. 73)
Peter and Regina Cram note, “Peter became disturbed by the liberal agenda of [Episcopalian] leaders and recurring moral issues being voted on at the triennial conventions. This led us to wonder if the theology … is based upon a democracy rather than a theocracy.” (Pg. 91)
Brenda McCloud wrote, “In June 1992 my husband, John, walked out the door. Half of me went with him, and I felt as though my heart had been ripped out and stomped on. My worst nightmare of a divorce was becoming a reality… Little did I know then that through this terrible journey across rough seas Jesus would lead us to the shelter of His Church and, in time, to the renewal of our marriage.” (Pg. 111)
Former Seventh-Day Adventist William J. Cork recalls, “In 1980, I entered Atlantic Union College … to begin studying for the Adventist ministry. It was a period of theological ferment within Adventism. Australians Desmond Ford and Robert Brinsmead questioned the Adventist views of salvation and the judgment, and California pastor Walter Rea was documenting Ellen White’s plagiarism. Many Adventist pastors and seminarians became evangelicals, others started independent ‘evangelical Adventist’ churches…” (Pg. 138)
The second part of the book includes republications from the Coming Home Network newsletter: “This homespun rage has served as the primary means of communicating words of encouragement and courage to the membership. Each issue generally begins with the ‘Convener[‘s Corner,’ a reflective report from Marcus Grodi, the CHNetwork’s co-founder… on how the membership was growing… The following collection of these and related articles… tells the story of how this fellowship has prayerfully tried to follow God’s leading in helping the constantly growing fellowship of men and women, clergy and laity, on their journeys home.” (Pg. 151)
This book will interest those who appreciate ‘conversion stories,’
Author and editor Marcus C. Grodi wrote in the Introduction to this 1997 book, “[This book] contains the stories of men and women who have all experienced … loving acceptance from God the Father. These pilgrims have all at some time surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and, as a result, heard a call to follow Him more completely. Many of them were pastors or missionaries, or their spouses. Others were laymen… What is unique about these stories is that each … discovered, sometimes with great consternation or even horror, that continuing to follow Christ would require a journey home which they had never anticipated nor desired. These men and women all discovered Jesus Christ in some branch of Protestantism, and remain grateful to the many faithful … who helped them know Christ and to grow in the Christian faith. Yet in each case, their desire … to remain faithful… led them to consider the claims of the Catholic Church.” (Pg. xvi)
In the opening essay, Marcus Grodi admits, “I am a former Protestant minister. Like so many others who have trodden the path that leads to Rome by way of that country known as Protestantism. I never imagined I would one day convert to Catholicism…” (Pg. 3)
His wife Marilyn admits, “When we began attending mass, it was awful: the parish churches seemed so cold and unfriendly; there were no welcoming Sunday School programs or nurseries for the little ones. The worst part was when we would come to the sacrifice of the mass. I just wanted to break down and weep or run. Without having dealt with the issue of the Eucharist, I intuitively knew that here was the pivotal difference.” (Pg. 25)
Fr. Raymond and Ruth Ryland recount, “The longer we lived within the Episcopal Church and the more we studied its history, the more we saw its theological and moral fragmentation… we were attracted by the Anglican claim of comprehensiveness. Now we saw that term as a euphemism for chaos. For generations Anglicans have boasted that theirs is a bridge church. That means they stand midway between Protestantism and Catholicism, partaking of the good features of both and rejecting the bad. I used to remind my colleagues that no one lives on a bridge. A bridge is only a means for getting from one place to another.” (Pg. 37)
Rosalind Moss explains, “As I set out to do the unthinkable---to study the claims of the Roman Catholic Church…[I was] fearful that the enemy of our souls would deceive and render me useless for the kingdom of Christ I had come to know and love. I was raised in a Jewish home, one which celebrated many of the traditions… Eventually my brother… became an atheist, and I, perhaps, an agnostic.” (Pg. 53)
Krstine Franklin reports, “One of the most difficult aspects of our journey into the Catholic Church was wondering how our decision would impact not only ourselves and our two children, but the lives of extended family and good friends as well. We were choosing the Catholic Church. They were not. Yet they could not remain untouched.” (Pg. 73)
Peter and Regina Cram note, “Peter became disturbed by the liberal agenda of [Episcopalian] leaders and recurring moral issues being voted on at the triennial conventions. This led us to wonder if the theology … is based upon a democracy rather than a theocracy.” (Pg. 91)
Brenda McCloud wrote, “In June 1992 my husband, John, walked out the door. Half of me went with him, and I felt as though my heart had been ripped out and stomped on. My worst nightmare of a divorce was becoming a reality… Little did I know then that through this terrible journey across rough seas Jesus would lead us to the shelter of His Church and, in time, to the renewal of our marriage.” (Pg. 111)
Former Seventh-Day Adventist William J. Cork recalls, “In 1980, I entered Atlantic Union College … to begin studying for the Adventist ministry. It was a period of theological ferment within Adventism. Australians Desmond Ford and Robert Brinsmead questioned the Adventist views of salvation and the judgment, and California pastor Walter Rea was documenting Ellen White’s plagiarism. Many Adventist pastors and seminarians became evangelicals, others started independent ‘evangelical Adventist’ churches…” (Pg. 138)
The second part of the book includes republications from the Coming Home Network newsletter: “This homespun rage has served as the primary means of communicating words of encouragement and courage to the membership. Each issue generally begins with the ‘Convener[‘s Corner,’ a reflective report from Marcus Grodi, the CHNetwork’s co-founder… on how the membership was growing… The following collection of these and related articles… tells the story of how this fellowship has prayerfully tried to follow God’s leading in helping the constantly growing fellowship of men and women, clergy and laity, on their journeys home.” (Pg. 151)
This book will interest those who appreciate ‘conversion stories,’
July 2, 2024
I love conversion stories, having lived one myself. This collection of stories from Protestant pastors, their wives, and people from various religious backgrounds covers the major personal challenges and theological issues that such a journey requires working through. A valuable section of the book is the extensive list of resources for further research: Church documents, apologetics, Church history, Sacraments, the Reformation, Mary and the Saints, the Papacy, apostolic succession, and more.
May 12, 2019
I have read this book a couple times. It is one of my favorite. Always a new pearl to find with every read!!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews