I was born and raised into a non-Catholic Christian home. As a child and youth, I received the basics of Christian doctrine and support from a Christian family & community. Both of these placed my life on the firm foundation of Christ. Without that firm foundation, my later growth in Christ would not have been possible.
I was a fairly typical teenage male: more concerned with sports, video games and members of the opposite sex than with religion. Events during my teenage years also caused me to develop a cynicism toward life and religion. Rather than the pursuit of holiness, I chose to pursue the things of the world and the flesh. That trend lasted through high school and into college. At my worst, I was on the brink of alcoholism and generally void of purity, humility, and charity anywhere in my life.
These years of false happiness caused me to critically examine life’s most important questions. As I questioned, I began to remember that truth exists. More importantly, I began to understand that any person’s life, especially my own, must conform to truth. I resolved to find truth and live by it, no matter where that might be. The deep questions and the lengthy contemplation of the answers, along with a few light nudges from a woman and her supportive family, allowed me to understand that religion has an important role to play in the search for truth.
With this conviction firmly rooted in my soul, I began to retrace my religious upbringing. Not long after, I found my way home to the Catholic Church in 2004. During my search, and in years since, I have always been spurred on by the historicity, beautiful worship, & moral teachings of this ancient faith.
Another great part of the story is that the woman who brought me to the doors of the Church said “yes” to my marriage proposal. Now, along with my Catholic faith, I have a beautiful wife of fourteen years and six beautiful children (one of whom is a saint in Heaven)!
In hindsight, though, my reception into the Catholic Church was only the beginning of a much more important conversion: the conversion of my heart toward authentic love for God and fellow man. It has taken more than a decade to grow into the understanding that Catholicism, Christianity at its fullest, is a way of life rather than simply the acceptance of doctrines and historical facts. In all likelihood, it will take the rest of my life to grasp that truth fully.
In July 2008, I received a clear message from God that I wasn’t leading a virtuous life in a manner “worthy of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:27). Because of two powerful experiences, I realized that transformation was necessary. Since that time, the grace of the Almighty has worked slowly yet efficiently to bring me to a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, a host of virtues: charity, mercy, justice, humility, obedience, patience, docility, and generosity, among others.
Day after day, God has worked to transform my life through my wife & children, the Sacred Scriptures, the doctrines of the Church, and the people to whom I have ministered in parishes and dioceses. It is a glorious thing that the Spirit of God has breathed into my soul; has brought me to new life and a more intimate knowledge of the Living God (cf. Ezekiel 37:5-6).
This website, my book & other writings, and all the resources that I share are intended to spread the message of conversion and virtue, especially as I try to live it on a daily basis. Everything here is designed to assist others as they “ascend the hill of the Lord,” “stand in his holy place,” and “seek the face of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 24:3, 6). I want to help every other person find the abundant life of joy (cf. John 10:10; 1 John 1:4) that I have found by cultivating virtue along the pilgrimage of Christian living.
Want to hear more? Feel free to visit the Contact page and send a quick message to me.
Derek Rotty 