Faith
The most important thing about me is that I'm a Catholic. Everything else—work, family, how I think about the world—flows from that. If you're curious about faith, or returning to it, or just wondering what it's all about, I hope this page helps.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
— Matthew 11:28
People ask why Catholicism specifically—why not something simpler, less institutional, less demanding? The honest answer: because I believe it's true.
Historical Continuity
An unbroken line from the Apostles to today. The same Church that defined the canon of Scripture, survived the Roman Empire, and still stands two thousand years later.
The Sacraments
Not symbols, but encounters. The Eucharist isn't a memorial—it's Christ, truly present. Confession isn't therapy—it's absolution. Grace made tangible.
Intellectual Tradition
Augustine, Aquinas, Newman, Chesterton. A 2,000-year conversation about faith and reason, with room for the hardest questions.
Both/And
Faith and reason. Scripture and Tradition. Justice and mercy. The Catholic instinct is to hold things together that others tear apart.
If you're new to Christianity entirely, or it's been so long that you've forgotten the shape of it, here's the core claim:
God exists. He made the universe and everything in it—including you. He made you for a reason: to know Him, love Him, and be happy with Him forever.
We broke that relationship. Sin—choosing ourselves over God—separates us from the life we were made for.
God became man in Jesus Christ to repair what was broken. Through His death and resurrection, He opened the way back to the Father.
The Church He founded carries this message and these graces forward. The sacraments—especially Baptism, Confession, and the Eucharist—are how we encounter Him and receive His life.
That's it. Everything else is detail.
I was a convert—confirmed at the Easter Vigil in 2010 as an adult. Coming to the faith later in life means I know what it's like to be on the outside, to have doubts, to wonder if the door is really open. It is. Here's what I'd say:
Books
Questions?
I'm not a theologian, just a layman trying to live the faith. But if you have questions—or just want to talk—I'm happy to.
@ianpatrickhines →"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
— John 6:68
Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam