The Catholic Church has welcomed many famous converts over the years

North Texas Catholic
(Apr 24, 2018) Feature

On March 31, parishes across the Diocese of Fort Worth welcomed hundreds of candidates and catechumens into the Catholic Church. Over the centuries, the Catholic Church as a whole has welcomed countless more. Here are just a few of the more well-known:

St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Sandro Botticelli, circa 1480

St. Paul — after hearing the voice of Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean from Jerusalem to Rome sharing the Gospel. Thirteen letters of the New Testament have been attributed to him.

St. Constantine — The first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, he played an influential role in ending the persecution of Christianity in the Roman Empire, and he presided over the first council of Nicaea in 325, where the Nicene Creed was written.

St. Augustine — after a youth of worldly ambitions and pleasures, St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose in 386 and became a priest and then Bishop of Hippo, where he defended the Church against heresies. Named a Doctor of the Church, his books still captivate readers today.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — The first native-born American to be named a saint, she converted to the Catholic Church in 1805, became a nun, and established religious communities that founded schools, orphanages, and hospitals.

Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman — An Anglican priest, his historical research called him into the Catholic Church in 1845. He became a Catholic priest, wrote 40 books, established the Catholic University of Ireland and was named a cardinal in 1879.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (left); Scott Hahn (right)
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (left); Scott Hahn (right)

Scott Hahn — Now a bestselling author, speaker and college professor, Dr. Hahn was received into the Catholic Church in 1986 after ten years in Presbyterian ministry. He is the founder of the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology, which provides clergy and laity with tools to study Scripture.

Marcus Grodi — A former Presbyterian minister, Grodi founded the Coming Home Network following his conversion in 1992. The organization, predominately staffed by converts, provides support to clergy who are considering the Catholic faith.

Lizzie Reezay — Her YouTube channel, with more than 35 million views, began in 2010 with advice on relationships and lifestyle. Now 23, she has chronicled her journey to Catholicism (she converted this Easter) with her video blogs to more than 200,000 subscribers. 

Candidates, Catechumens, Catholic Church, St. Paul, St. Constantine, St. Augustine, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman, Scott Hahn, Marcus Grodi, Lizzie Reezay, trending-english