Yet God wasn’t going to give up on me. As I progressed through college and beyond, I began reading about historical figures like Dorothy Day and Pope Leo XIII, in whose lives politics and Christianity overlapped. My attitude towards the Faith softened, and I gradually began reading more from the Church Fathers, theologians like St. Augustine, and the Gospels themselves.

Following graduation, I faced several setbacks. Ruined plans, struggles to find work, social isolation, and loneliness all took their toll. I turned to the Gospels as a possible research focus for graduate school, and, like Jonah in the Old Testament, found myself drawn out from the pit. I realized my need for God, and returned to Confession and Mass. I began to pray the Rosary and attend Adoration as often as I could, and I developed a deep attachment to St. Francis of Assisi. He reminded me that Catholicism requires total generosity – in prayer, the liturgy, the life of the Church, and towards all creation. St. Francis taught me to believe in miracles again, and to radically trust in the Lord. 

Within months of my return to the Catholic Faith, I was drawn towards religious life. I was ashamed, though, of my time of atheism, and afraid that I would be rejected from the religious orders with which I was so fascinated. In the summer of 2025, I traveled to Chicago and stumbled upon a Franciscan friary and church. In that first encounter with the Franciscans, and in every encounter I’ve had with them since, I’ve felt so welcomed and at home.

The Franciscan friars’ prayerfulness, welcoming spirit, and generosity inspire me. Their service of the poor and marginalized through shelters, food pantries and missions all across North America beautifully proclaims the Gospel and witnesses to Christ’s victory over sin and death. 

In the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), I can dedicate myself totally to the service of Christ through the poor. I feel especially drawn to serving the homeless. Even if I evangelize them by simply greeting and spending time with them, I know I’ll have made a difference and loved those the Lord loves. My story is only beginning, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for me.