Radio personality shares journey of becoming Catholic

Known for his work on Life FM, Rhema Media and Newstalk ZB as a Wesleyan Methodist minister, Mr Ritchie was received into full Communion with the Catholic Church at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton this Easter.

In a wide-ranging conversation with host James Bergin in a video for the Catholic Enquiry Centre, Mr Ritchie shared the story of his journey from Protestant ministry to the Catholic Church – a journey shaped by questions, anger, prayer, suffering, Scripture and an unexpected encounter.

He talked about the moments that challenged his understanding of the Christian faith, including a time when he gave God an ultimatum, his struggle to pray and the experiences that eventually led him to reconsider what he believed about the Catholic Church, Mary, the Eucharist and the Christian life.

While still a Protestant minister, a family health crisis led him to a time of stillness in a Catholic church in Germany, where he prayed an “earnest Hail Mary”.

In the midst of finding it difficult to pray in other ways, he had the “hope that if she is involved in this somehow that she might help”.

“And I felt presence. . . . It’s hard to put into words. It’s just a sense, but [I] had a sense of a presence. It felt gentle. It felt warm. It felt comforting. And I’ve had experiences before that I would call the Holy Spirit. This was different in that, for some reason that I still can’t put my finger on, it felt feminine.”

He continued: “A week later, without thinking about it during the week or trying to push it, I felt like I could turn back to Jesus again, open my Bible, and just pray to him. And in good Mariology, she’s just done what any good Catholic thinks is her job – pointed the way back to her son.”

Mr Ritchie said this experience “opened the door for an emotional journey, not just an intellectual journey”. He described his journey as “long and careful”, because of what was at stake.

He said he still loves his former denomination deeply. “The move into the Catholic Church . . . was definitely a sense of stepping into something that I just felt was true and that I had to step into.”

In the conversation, Mr Ritchie spoke about going with his wife to meet Hamilton Bishop Richard Laurenson. After attending Mass on Sundays in Hamilton, Mr Ritchie still accompanies his wife to a service in the church he used to lead, as it is still her community.

Asked by Mr Bergin what he wished someone could have told him at the beginning of his journey to becoming Catholic, Mr Ritchie offered: “Don’t stress too much. The answers are there. Just take your time.”

FULL STORY

 Why a Protestant minister became Catholic (Catholic Discovery/YouTube)