My story is God’s story. It always has been - especially in light of the trials I have faced throughout my life. I had a traumatic childhood, having grown up with an alcoholic in my family. Later, I was involved in a life-threatening car accident that left me with only a whisper of a voice for the next twenty-three years.
Given all of this, when my husband and I decided to join RCIA last year in order to become Catholic, I didn’t expect any life-altering experiences. I had always known there was a God, and while I sometimes questioned His presence - especially in the years following my accident - I knew, in my heart of hearts, that Jesus existed.
Before becoming Catholic, I sampled a few spiritual “appetizers.” At one point, I explored Buddhism and then the Presbyterian Church. I also went through a time where I believed that it didn’t really matter which religion you chose, as long as you believed in God. I thought God knew my heart and understood that I meant well.
Back then, I believed Catholicism was too strict, guilt-centered, and rooted in arbitrary rituals. Little did I know. The RCIA journey has given me foundational truths and lived experiences that I now draw upon, especially in moments when my faith feels fragile or uncertain.
During a Tuesday evening RCIA session, Father Matthew recommended spending intentional time alone with Christ, particularly in the morning. A few days later, on a Friday morning before sunrise, I was driving to work on I-680 North. As I merged onto the freeway, something within me urged me to simply be with God - no music, no distractions, just stillness.
I began to pray. I started with the Our Father and the Hail Mary, and then continued in quiet conversation with God. I thanked Him deeply for the healing I had experienced over the years, for the St. Isidore community, for my friends and family, and for the love and abundance He has poured into my life. I even thanked Him for my car accident. That may sound strange, but the cross I have learned to carry through that experience has become the greatest blessing and gift of my life.
As I rounded a curve near the Rudgear exit in Walnut Creek, I suddenly encountered a car stopped in my lane - facing the wrong direction, with its headlights off. It was pitch black. Miraculously, I was able to swerve and narrowly avoid it. The cars behind me did not have time to react, and I heard the sound of impact as they crashed into it. I immediately pulled over and called 911.
In that moment, I knew with certainty that God had protected me. He is active, attentive, and close, even in the most terrifying moments. The experience reminded me to live each day fully in His presence.
Not long after, I experienced a powerful dream. In it, I was driving along I-5, the same stretch of road where my accident occurred more than 20 years ago. As I looked over into the slow lane, I saw my ten-year-old daughter, Addy, driving a car. I panicked, thinking she was too young and would surely crash. Moments later, her car veered off a cliff.
The dream was so vivid that I began sobbing. I rushed down the cliff and found her body on the ground. I was certain she could not have survived. Then I noticed her feet moving—and above her stood a huge presence, like a guardian. The guardian said, “Why don’t you trust me? Give her to me. She is already mine. Why do you worry about her so much? She is protected because of her reverence. Give her to me—she will not suffer in this life. She will be taken care of.” Behind her stood a man, who said, “Jesus comes for the conversion of sinners.” At that moment, I knew I was dreaming and woke up in tears.
One could say this was just a random dream. But for me, I believe it was Mary revealing her power, grace, and faithfulness to Addy and me. I had never known about Mary’s sacrifice, love, and protection for us until becoming Catholic. I now feel deeply close to Mary and have learned that her love is for all of us, just as we are all called as God’s children.
Two days after this dream, Addy competed in a dance competition. She had never been recognized for her dancing before. We decided to ask Mary to intercede for her. We prayed together and offered her dance to God. Over the next two weekends, Addy won scholarships to National Finals. She was overjoyed, and together we celebrated Mary’s intercession and Jesus’s faithfulness.
Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Jesus knows that visions and dreams speak deeply to me - they are part of how I experience His presence. I have always been “spiritual” and searching for signs, but before becoming Catholic, faith often felt speculative. The connections felt coincidental. I never realized how real and embodied faith could be.
After becoming Catholic, I also experienced profound healing in the Eucharist. I never felt worthy of receiving the Body of Christ. But now, every time I receive the Eucharist, I feel myself becoming more whole. There are no words to adequately express what Mass gives me. It is a gift. I know that there is a void that this world can never fill. But by becoming Catholic and living my faith, I am growing more holy, closer to God, and closer to the purpose for which I was created.
Every time I receive the Eucharist, I feel myself becoming more whole.
—Gina, St. Isidore parishioner, wife and mother of three