2 minute read
Meet Parishioner Matthew Vanderpol: A Faith Journey That Led Him Home to the Catholic Church
There is a real beauty to being raised in the Catholic Church from childhood and continuing to practice the faith in adulthood. But there is also a beauty in finding the Catholic faith as an adult and participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process, or RCIA. The latter is how Matthew Vanderpol entered into the Catholic faith. Through a series of small promptings, he is now a full member of the Catholic Church, having received First Eucharist and Confirmation this past Easter.
Matthew’s wife, Amber, became Catholic in 2007. The couple has six children, all of whom have been raised in the Church. Matthew has consistently attended Mass for many years. He knew, at some point, he might feel the call to become Catholic. Over time, he says, that call gradually became louder.
Advertisement
“Going to Mass as a family gradually changed from something that I had to do out of obligation to my family and simply became something that we did,” Matthew says. “It was a part of our identity.”
Last fall, Matthew attended an RCIA information night and decided to give it a try. A video series called The Search, from the Augustine Institute, helped Matthew explore and answer questions he never realized he had. He also credits Fr. Alexander Estrella and Fr. German Ramos for helping lead him in the faith.
Matthew has been a member of the St. Joseph Men’s Guild at St. Canice for a few years and vice president for the last two and a half years. He grew up in a family with no consistent faith life. As a child, Matthew periodically attended Lutheran services and was baptized Presbyterian.
Matthew Vanderpol
Matthew Vanderpol with his wife, Amber, and their family
“As an adult, I started to meet people who I admired who were religious and that made me start to think more about religion,” he says.
All of this background led Matthew to where he is today. He is happily practicing our faith as a confirmed Catholic.
The RCIA process really helped Matthew to learn so much about the Catholic faith. He was surprised, though, how much he knew already from attending Mass all these years. He wasn’t sure if he would be ready to receive the sacraments at the 2021 Easter Vigil. But the answer became quite clear a few weeks before Easter when Deacon Rick Soria asked if anyone had any more questions about the Catholic faith. No one spoke, so he jokingly said, “Two thousand years of Church teaching and you don’t have any questions? You know everything?”
Matthew spoke up and said, “For me, it’s not that I know everything, it’s more that I know enough to take the next step.”
This is when Matthew knew he was ready. Having gone through the process himself, he would encourage anyone exploring the faith to enroll in RCIA.
“Think about why you want to convert, what questions you have and what might be holding you back,” he says. “Seek out answers to the questions and pray about the things holding you back.”
