From Our Founders

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In thinking about how to relay my journey to, and now, with Christ, I sought advice from an unlikely source – my personal trainer. Funny, I suppose, but I turned to him because he set a good example for me. You see, it was his own personal testimony emblazoned across his website that drew me to work with him in the first place, to finally pick up my own cross (a lifelong struggle with my weight and fitness) and to bear it fully. And I also suppose it should’ve been no surprise to me when I read his name: Matthew La Croix. I could see his name as a spiritual two-by-four knocking me in the head, but I also like to think that God is just a bit humorous when it comes down to it. And so, it was Matt the trainer, Matthew of the Cross, who helped me figure out how best to share my story with you.

My love for and reliance on Jesus did not come as an overwhelming moment of enlightenment, but more like the slow and steady collection of water into a bucket left outside in the rain. I might even liken it to the building of a romantic relationship. I didn’t fall in love with my husband Eric at first sight, but rather over time through getting to know him, after building comfort and trust with him and seeing our common dreams. Only then could I see that we were in love. Likewise, it was with me and Christ. As time passed, I gently gave my heart over to Him until one day I realized that I had received God’s great gift of Faith.

Of course, like any good trainer, Matt always pushes me. He wanted a precise moment of conversion–when exactly did I start down the path to Christ? When pressed, I would have to say it was on a normal Sunday morning. Well, it was normal except that Eric and I decided to go to church after months of discerning a call for both of us to do just that. Since Eric is a cradle Catholic, we decided a good place to start would be St. Peter’s in Dublin. Little did I know what would come next. From the moment I walked through the sanctuary doors I felt like I was finally home. Mind you, this was a feeling coming from a non-church-going, self-proclaimed spiritual, but not religious heathen! I was astonished. Sure, I had been to Masses before – a wedding, I think, but this was an entirely new experience. The rhythm of everything made sense, the beauty of the liturgy drew me in and it didn’t hurt that we were blessed us with a great homily. I knew I was hooked.

It took another couple of years before I would be fully received into the Church. I had a lot to learn, plus we had Eric’s previous marriage in the Church to rectify. Through patience, endurance and grace, it was on December 31, 2011 that I received a trifecta of sacraments: Baptism (alongside our then 6-month-old son), Confirmation and our marriage Convalidation. God’s mercy was poured over our family that day and his blessings continue to abound in our lives.

So, it seems the idea of a bucket left out in the rain is not only a good metaphor for how I came to the Church, but also how I continue to grow in it. Drop by drop, I collect truths about our Father and His plans for me. Through scripture study, prayer, Mass, volunteerism and by surrounding myself with an amazing group of God-loving friends, I am constantly reminded of His relentless pursuit of me. It has been an incredible journey so far, and yet I am still so excited and hopeful to see what comes next, knowing that my destiny is to be with Him forever in Heaven.

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Angel is wife to Eric and mom to two sons. She works full time in parish ministry. In her spare time she loves to cook, entertain and read.

 For most of my life, I believed in God. I considered myself a Christian, but if I’m honest, my faith often stayed on the surface. I was busy building a life—family, work, leadership roles in my community—but something in my heart was still searching. There was a quiet longing for deeper meaning, deeper healing, and a more intimate relationship with the Lord.

At the same time, I was carrying wounds I hadn’t fully faced, experiences from my past that had left marks on my heart that I didn’t yet understand how to heal. I functioned well on the outside, but inside there was a restlessness, a sense that something was missing.

God, in His mercy, began to pursue me.

What started as a simple desire for more—more connection, more truth, more of Him—became a journey of encounter. The Lord began softening my heart, drawing me into deeper prayer, and awakening a hunger I couldn’t ignore.

Then came a moment that changed everything.

In a quiet, sacred space of Eucharistic Adoration, I encountered Jesus in a way I never had before. It wasn’t just an idea or a belief—it was real. His presence was real. In that silence, the Lord met me personally. Walls I didn’t even realize I had built began to come down. I felt seen, known, and loved in a way that pierced straight through my brokenness.

In that moment, my heart was opened.

I experienced a fullness of faith that I had never known before—a deep, undeniable awareness that Jesus was truly present, truly alive, and inviting me into something more. I didn’t have all the answers, but I knew I wanted Him… fully.

That encounter set me on the path toward the Catholic Church.

Through prayer, formation, and being surrounded by faithful, supportive people, my understanding of the faith deepened. What I discovered was not just tradition, but truth. Not just ritual, but relationship. The sacraments became a living source of grace, healing, and transformation.

After being welcomed home into the Catholic faith my journey reached a beautiful milestone. My husband and I had our marriage convalidated in the Church, restoring it as a sacrament. I was confirmed and received my First Holy Communion—receiving Jesus in the Eucharist for the very first time. It is a moment I will carry in my heart forever.

Since then(2018), I have seen God moving not only in my life, but watching my husband, Steve, and my daughter, Hanna, grow in their own faith journeys has been one of the greatest blessings. The Lord is faithful—He doesn’t just call one of us, He calls the whole family. 

And He doesn’t waste our pain. The very places where I once felt broken are now the places God is using for His glory. He has placed a mission on my heart—to walk with others and to lead them toward healing, restoration, and the love of Christ.

What I once carried in shame, God has redeemed with purpose.

Today, I can say with confidence: I am home.

Home in the Church.
Home in the sacraments.
Home in the heart of Christ.

If there is one thing I would say to anyone searching, it is this: open your heart to Him. Be willing to go deeper. God’s will for your life is not something to fear—it is where true freedom, healing, and joy are found.

He is always calling. And He never stops pursuing us.

All we have to do is say yes.

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Shannon is married with 2 grown married children and 5 grandchildren, 2 fur babies Roxie and Sissy.