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The story of the Ugandan Martyrs is a powerful account of heroic faith in the face of persecution. All of them were young men, some of them teenagers. And all of them knew that their conversion to the Catholic faith would likely cost them their lives.

In 1879, the king of Buganda, Kabaka Mukabya, invited French Catholic missionaries into his kingdom. He had no interest in Christianity himself; he was more interested in the educational opportunities the missionaries might bring. What the Kabaka did not expect was that the message of the Gospel would have such a powerful impact among his people.

When Mukabya died, and his son, Mwanga, claimed the throne, he allowed the missionaries to continue their work, but he quickly became angry with the way that the conversions were affecting his royal court. Mwanga wanted the young men and boys who served in his court to submit themselves to immoral acts with him, and because of their newfound faith, these young converts refused to participate.

The head steward of the palace, a 25-year old convert named Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, pleaded with the king to not force these acts upon his pages and servants. In response, the furious Mwanga had Joseph beheaded, and his body burned.

Witnessing this martyrdom, a young catechumen named Charles Lwanga, who was in charge of some of the royal pages, felt compelled to approach the missionaries, from whom he urgently requested and received Baptism, despite having seen one of his own friends and fellow court attendants die that very day. St. Charles Lwanga was baptized on the same day that St. Joseph Mukasa was martyred: November 15th, 1885.

Mwanga’s attempt to intimidate through violence was inffective; even more young Ugandans from his court sought catechesis and baptism. Christian teachings against sexual violence, polgyamy, and inhumane treatment of prisoners only made Mwanga more and more angry with these new Christians. The tide was turning toward the Gospel in his kingdom, and he chose to act swiftly and decisively against it.

On May 26th, 1886, Charles Lwanga, who had only himself been baptized a few months earlier, baptized a group of young pages, including a boy named Kizito, who was only 14. Later that day, Mwanga returned to his compound after an unsuccessful hunting trip, and looking for the attendants of his royal court, found that many of them had left to go pray together. Outraged, Mwanga locked down the palace, summoned all his pages, and commanded each of them to admit whether or not they were Christians. Those who were, answered in the affirmative, including the 14 year-old Kizito, who had been baptized only hours before.

Mwanga condemned them all to death. The young men were tied together and marched 37 miles to a wooded area. As they marched, Charles Lwanga, who had catechized many of them, led them in prayer and reminded them of the catechism lessons he had taught them. Kizito, the youngest of the group, kept up their spirits with songs, and even laughter.

When they reached the execution site on June 3rd, the prisoners were rolled into straw mats and fed into a fire. In all, sixteen young convert men were martyred that day, including Charles Lwanga, who had baptized many of them. As he was being burned, Lwanga is reported to have said to his executioners, “It is as if you are pouring water on me. Please repent and become a Christian like me.”

In 1920, Pope Benedict XV formally beatified a large group of these martyrs who died under the reign of Kubaka Mwanga, and in October of 1964, Pope Paul VI canonized them. Their feast is celebrated on June 3rd, the date that Charles Lwanga and his companions were marched to the fire.

Catholics were not the only ones who suffered persecution under Mwanga’s rule; several Anglican converts were martyred as well. As with the Catholic martyrs of Uganda, the Anglican calendar also observes their feast on June 3rd.

The courage of Sts. Joseph Mukasa, Charles Lwanga, Kizito, and their companions is extraordinary. For all who follow Christ on the path of conversion, there is a cost. Sometimes that cost includes confusion or opposition from loved ones, or even having to start one’s life over from scratch. But the courage of the Ugandan Martyrs, who requested baptism knowing it would almost certainly cost them their lives, is a powerful witness to all of us who are praying for the strength to follow God’s will, however difficult it may seem to us in the moment.

The post The Ugandan Martyrs: Conviction, Conversion, and Courage appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

In his First Apology, written c. AD 150, he describes the Mass as it was celebrated in his day, bearing many similarities to ours over 1,800 years later:

“[At] the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves…and for all others in every place…having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the presider of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying, ‘Amen’. And when the presider has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.” [First Apology, chap. 65]

St. Justin further testifies to the established understanding of both baptismal regeneration and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist:

“And this food is called Εὐχαριστία [Eucharist], and no one is permitted to partake of it, except those who believe that what has been taught us is true, and have been washed [baptized] for the remission of sins and unto regeneration, and thus live as Christ handed down. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” [First Apology, chap. 66]

Having written the following almost 175 years before the time of Constantine, St. Justin also provides a strong witness against the assertion that Constantine imposed Sunday worship upon Christians:

“But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead” [First Apology, chap. 67].

There are certainly a multitude of other examples in his writings that illustrate the consistency and continuity of the Catholic Church’s practices and teaching throughout the centuries. Ultimately, St. Justin Martyr (and all the Church Fathers) have passed down a lasting witness of how Scripture and Sacred Tradition were faithfully lived out by our  ancient brothers and sisters who still had the voices of the Apostles echoing in their hearts.

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

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“The world is charged with the grandeur of God…”

So begins God’s Grandeur, one of the most famous poems from 19th century English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, whose works did not begin to gain wide notoriety until after his death. And while his work is regarded as highly influential in the history of the Western literary tradition, his conversion to Catholicism and his vocation to the priesthood as a member of the Society of Jesus are not as widely known.

Hopkins was born into a prominent Anglican family in 1844, and several of his relatives were involved in various artistic pursuits, from the visual arts to music and poetry, as well as the study of languages. All of these interests were instilled in Hopkins from a young age and led him to pursue an education at Oxford. While there, he developed a friendship with Robert Bridges, who would go on to later become Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. It was also during this time that he became more engaged with both ascetic practices and the pursuit of beauty. These questions began to lead him beyond his Anglican roots and deeper into the Catholic tradition.

This search for his true spiritual home finally came to a head when Hopkins decided to reach out to one of England’s most famous Catholic converts: St. John Henry Newman. Newman had entered the Catholic Church in 1845, a year after Hopkins was born, and was well known in England among Anglicans and Catholics alike by the time Hopkins was studying at Oxford. Hopkins was able to meet with Newman in person in 1866, and it was Newman himself who received Hopkins into the Church in October of that year.

Like many 19th century Anglican converts, the decision to become Catholic caused conflict and estrangement between Hopkins and his family, and also had an impact on his academic and professional trajectory. The employment question was initially resolved when Hopkins was offered a job at the Birmingham Oratory by Newman, and it was not long after taking that position that Gerard felt a strong call to religious life as a Jesuit. Having written poetry for years, he initially perceived there to be a conflict between his poetic interests and his religious vocation; in a moment of passion, he burned most of his poems, and didn’t write again for another seven years. This mix of artistic fervor, ascetic impulse, and melancholic swings would mark the trajectory of Hopkins’ entire adult life.

Over time, however, Hopkins began to see that there need be no conflict between his love of poetry and his priesthood, and he began to write poetry again. Only a few of these poems made it to print during his lifetime, as his innovative use of meter and imagery from nature were not always understood by editors and publishers. Unfortunately, by the time he had reached his 40’s, Hopkins found it more and more difficult to write, due to increasing difficulties with his health, and a nagging worry that pursuing publication of his poetry might lead to pride, which he constantly feared would be an impediment to his vocation as a Jesuit priest.

Hopkins died in 1889 at only 44 years of age, and it wasn’t until 1918 that his work received wider distribution and acclaim. His old friend Robert Bridges, who had been named Poet Laureate in 1913, decided to use his own influence to get some anthologies of Hopkins’ work published. In those years following World War I, the uniqueness of Hopkins’ style and the insights of his writing finally took hold with a wider audience, going on to influence such major 20th century poets as W.H. Auden and T.S. Eliot.

Hopkins was a complex and interesting figure; his struggles with both physical and mental health, especially toward the end of his life, reveal swings between wonder at God’s creation, and melancholy over the state of the world and his own soul. But through all of his poetry, a distinct sacramental worldview shines through. God is the Father of all, by whose hand all things are made, and whatever causes wonder ultimately points to him. As Hopkins writes in the closing line of his poem “Pied Beauty”:

“He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise him.”

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Growing up Hindu, I had no idea Catholic Indians existed. I knew about Mother Teresa and her work with the poorest of the poor in my ancestral city, but I never made the connection to the existence of Catholics among people of Indian ancestry. I certainly had no inkling that further south, a man known as Devasahayam Pillai was on the road to sainthood.

Born Neelakanda Pillai in 1712 to an upper-caste Hindu family, he served as a high ranking court official for the Hindu king in Travancore. It was there he encountered Captain Eustachius DeLannoy, a Dutch naval officer and prisoner of war helping modernize the king’s army in exchange for a pardon after his capture. DeLannoy, a devout Catholic, would befriend Neelakanda over the course of their work together, and eventually help him understand suffering through the lens of the Christian faith.

Neelakanda was struggling with a devastating span of severe material losses negatively impacting his standing. He performed many rituals attempting to placate the Hindu gods but found no relief. He felt he was being punished by God, but could not understand why. Upon witnessing his despair, Captain DeLannoy consoled him, sharing with him the story of Job from the Scriptures. Through this encounter, Neelakanda gained a new perspective on suffering, deeply moved by Job’s example of trust in God despite his own misery.  

This understanding transformed Neelakanda’s life. He came to believe in the truth of the Christian faith and was baptized in 1745, taking the name Devasahayam, meaning “Lazarus” or “God is my help” in Malayalam, his native tongue. He also dropped the name Pillai, which was a caste designation, a system he now disavowed. His conversion lowered his social status significantly. Only those of the lowest castes were permitted to convert in Travancore, and he had now joined their ranks regardless of any previous upper caste affiliation. In fact, his prior standing made it all the more scandalous.

Despite this, Devasahayam began living his new Christian faith openly within the palace, as well as denouncing the injustices of the caste system. He associated freely with members of lower castes and argued against the superstitions of the Brahmins. Many fellow soldiers converted. This angered the ruling class and other Hindus, including his own family. When the rulers ordered the persecution and exile of Christians, Devasahayam offered himself as their first prisoner. Having repeatedly refused to renounce Christ, he was eventually branded a traitor, imprisoned, tortured, and banished to a forest for three years where he was beaten daily. Devashayam remained steadfast in faith, despite his suffering, trusting in God. Those who encountered him were moved by his kind and joyful demeanor amid humiliating persecution. 

After three years of torture and three failed death sentences, Devasahayam was martyred secretly in 1752. St. Devasahayam became the first Indian layman and convert to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church on May 15, 2022.

Having no connection to the Indian Catholic or South Indian community, I hadn’t even heard the name Devasahayam Pillai until the week prior to his canonization, which also happened to be the week I was heading to the Coming Home Network to record an episode of The Journey Home. God’s timing is perfect. In encountering his story at this particular time, it put a new lens on my own, which I was still quite nervous to share. In my mind, it didn’t measure up to the deep theological exploration of others. Discovering St. Devasahayam when I did helped me understand more completely that Christ draws us each into the fullness of His presence uniquely, no one road greater than the other. 

While my story of conversion didn’t resemble an intellectual dissection of faith, it was a response to encountering suffering in my life, like St. Devasahayam. I may not have jumped head first into the book of Job, but the Catholic understanding of human suffering and solidarity with those who suffer became a great consolation in my own anguish. Plus, like St. Devasahayam, I too had irreconcilable objections to the caste system, having witnessed its devastating effects firsthand. I could not wrap my head around a God (or gods) who would create some people to be worthless. This wrestling led me into the arms of Jesus through the Catholic Church — first, by encountering him in the “least,” and then, by encountering him in the Eucharist, the ultimate demonstration of sacrificial love by a God who chose to suffer with and for us. As I continue to walk this journey of faith, St. Devashayam has become a close companion to my justice-seeking heart, reminding me that Jesus always meets us in our suffering and rejection. 

St. Devasahayam, pray for us.

“O Jesus, do not abandon me!
O Beloved Mother Mary, help me!

Into Your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.”

— Final prayer of St. Devasahayam

The post Discovering Devasahayam appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Ebenezer Scrooge, George Bailey, the Grinch… so many of the most iconic Christmas stories in film and literature hinge upon the idea of a conversion of some kind.

Matt Swaim is joined by Joseph Pearce and JonMarc Grodi to look at why Christmas is so often associated with a change of heart, and connect the concepts of memory, charity and truth back to their source: Jesus, whose birth is the occasion for all the celebration.

Joseph Pearce’s website: jpearce.co

The post Christmas Conversions in Film and Literature – Episode 31 appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

Stained Glass window at St. Paul Catholic Church in Westerville, Ohio

On November 24, the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc, martyred in Vietnam in the 1800s—a seemingly ordinary convert Saint who showed quiet but extraordinary zeal.

He was born as Ahn-Tranh Dung to a poor Vietnamese family. After they moved to Hanoi in his youth, his life was changed under the tutelage of a lay catechist, a privilege usually reserved for the wealthy. Ahn Trahn would be greatly influenced by this teacher, eventually converting to Catholicism and taking the name Andrew at his baptism.

After his conversion, Andrew went on to become a catechist himself and was eventually ordained a priest in 1823. That same year, the emperor of Vietnam banned foreign missionaries and commanded Vietnamese Christians to renounce their faith by publicly trampling crucifixes. In the midst of this, Fr. Andrew’s preaching and simplicity of life continued to lead many others to be baptized and live a life in Christ. This work led to his arrest in Hanoi, though he attempted to circumvent the growing persecution.

Upon being ransomed by his parishioners after his first arrest, Fr. Andrew changed his name to “Lac” and moved to a different region to evade the authorities. He was saved from prison on more than one occasion, receiving help from Christian communities around Vietnam. However, Fr. Andrew could not escape the era of persecution in the country, despite his best efforts. Eventually, after being arrested and ransomed multiple times, Fr. Andrew Dũng-Lạc would be tortured and beheaded, dying a martyr’s death in 1839.

He was canonized in 1988 by Pope St. John Paul II. St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc, pray for us!

The post St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc – Convert, Priest, and Martyr appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

At the beginning of the 2nd century, St. Ignatius was arrested for his faith, and while being transported to Rome to be martyred in the arena, he composed a number of letters, which are among the most reliable original writings from the early Christian tradition.

St. Ignatius has a particular impact on those Christans who had previously thought that there wasn’t much to know about the first few generations of believers. Discovering how eloquently and faithfully he defends the Gospel – and how specifically he refers to teachings held by Catholics to this day – can be a real eye-opener to someone seeking the Church at Her origins.

Here are a few testimonies from our archive of written conversion stories, testifying to the impact of St. Ignatius on their journeys of faith:

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“I had no idea that writings from the disciples of the Apostles existed. It was equally shocking to read what they had to say about the authority and structure of the Church. St. Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of the Apostle John, said in AD 107, ‘You all should follow the bishop as Jesus Christ does the Father… Let no one do anything that is proper for the church without the bishop. Let that Eucharist be considered valid that is under the bishop or performed by one to whom he entrusts it. Wherever the bishop appears, let there be the fullness [of the church] as wherever Christ Jesus appears, there is the catholic church.’ I became convinced that the Bible and the earliest accounts of Christianity in the world were profoundly Catholic, not Baptist, in their structure.” –Noel Culbertson

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“Reading the earliest Church Fathers, especially St. Ignatius of Antioch, I found a full expression of the Eucharist as the Body and Blood of our Lord. One quote from Ignatius especially moved me: ‘I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible…’ The utter beauty of the experience of God’s love, as described in the Fathers, still stirs my soul.” –Deacon Eddie Ensley

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“I was introduced by my husband to what (St. Ignatius of Antioch), in the very first century after Christ had to say about the Eucharist: ‘They have no regard for charity, none for the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, none for the man in prison, the hungry or the thirsty. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His graciousness, raised from the dead.’ How Catholic does that entire quote from the very first century sound! I was blown away by reading these early Christians and learning that it was possible to experience the Christian life just as they described in their writing — not in my Baptist church, as I had always imagined we were closest to the New Testament Christians, but in the Catholic Church!” –Sharon Plascenscia

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St. Ignatius of Antioch’s strength of teaching is compounded by the fact that he was born in the first century, and had direct connections to the apostles. Ignatius was head of the Church in Antioch, where only a few decades before, the faithful in that city had been led by St. Peter himself. Tradition also tells us that St. Ignatius was mentored by St. John the Apostle. 

For a Christian who’s given little thought to the practical life of the generation of believers who succeeded the apostles, discovering Ignatius can be an extraordinary experience.

We have many more stories of our CHNetwork members who’ve been impacted by the witness and teachings of St. Ignatius of Antioch! You can find those, as well as hundreds of other testimonies from Catholic converts, in our written conversion story archive at chnetwork.org/story.

The post Influenced by Ignatius – Converts Share Their Experience appeared first on The Coming Home Network.

The Church’s calendar has some great convert saints on it for the month of July! Many are familiar with the dramatic stories of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Ignatius of Loyola, but did you know about the mercenary soldier and compulsive gambler who had a major conversion while doing a construction project on a monastery, or the first native-born Chinese priest to suffer martyrdom?

We’ve assembled some of those stories in an infographic that you can download to print and share, and perhaps familiarize not just yourself, but your parish or classroom with these wonderful friends in heaven who model what it means to be truly converted to Christ.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong, pray for us!
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!
St. Camillus de Lellis, pray for us!
St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!
St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us!

All you holy men and women, pray for us!

The post Five Convert Saints from the Month of July: Print and Share! appeared first on The Coming Home Network.