Finding their way home
New Catholics come to the faith in a variety of ways, but many are encouraged in their journeys by supportive people they encounter along the way. (Photos Provided)
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Catholic family continues to grow, with a record-breaking 1,711 members entering the Church over the Easter season through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), according to Chris Beal, director of the diocese’s Catechetical and Faith Formation Office.
“The Holy Spirit is moving in a very particular way here in the Diocese of Charlotte. It is extraordinary to see the Church welcome so many new Catholics,” Beal said. “Many of our parishes, post-Covid, realize that it is not enough to keep doing what we have always done. They are asking how to reach people who aren’t here yet.”
Indeed, many of those joining the Church have taken unconventional paths and were helped along by faithful Catholics who extended a welcoming hand and spiritual support.
While the number is impressive, it’s the stories behind the numbers that reflect both the various ways people are drawn to the Church and the Holy Spirit at work.
Chris Bennett
Our Lady of Grace, Greensboro
Most people have one name, but Chris Bennett was blessed with two: his adopted name, Chris Bennett, which he goes by, and his biological name, Gabriel Farley.
Bennett was adopted into a loving family when he was 10 months old. He knew some facts about his biological family. They were from Greensboro. He had a half-brother. His biological name was Gabriel.
Bennett had an early curiosity about God, hitching a ride with his grandmother to the local Moravian church, where he was baptized. However, the examples of a cousin and aunt’s fire for God led him to become a Reformed Baptist.
Bennett felt “pulled” to study theology due to his growing relationship with Christ and curiosity about doctrine. In his early 20s, he moved to England for two years to become a missionary.
“I was being exposed to all these historic buildings in England that used to be Catholic churches,” he said. “Looking at all these remnants of the Catholic faith was beautiful.”
As he investigated Church history, he became more unsettled with his beliefs.
He started engaging in the idea of becoming Anglican, Orthodox, High Presbyterian – anything except Catholic.
“I almost felt like I was being disobedient at this point, because I knew where the Lord was calling me, and it was the Catholic Church, but I was really trying to land somewhere else,” Bennett reflected, noting that many of his friends had a negative view of the Catholic Church. “Eventually, I just had to submit to the Lord and just obey,” he said.
When Bennett walked into Our Lady of Grace, his despair instantly vanished.
“It was beautiful. I loved it. I was so shocked and blown away by the richness of faith there,” said Bennett.
One of the first OLG events Bennett and his fiancée, Genesis, attended was a potluck. They became fast friends with another couple, parishioners Sean Farley and his fiancée, Josephine Riedell.
Soon after Bennett and Genesis were married, he confided in her about his past.
“I brought home the pictures that I had of my biological family. She knew I was adopted, but I came out and told her that my name used to be Gabriel Farley. I told her I had a mom and brother that I had never met,” said Bennett.
Genesis scoured Facebook, Instagram and Google, using those scraps of information to find a woman she believed was Bennett’s biological mother on Facebook.
“When she told me what she was doing, I told her to go for it. When she said she found my biological mom on Facebook, I was pretty skeptical,” said Bennett.
She laughed, “She looks like you, plus …” Genesis clicked the “About” tab, and the only relative listed was Sean Farley.
“At this point I was freaking out,” he recalled. “I called Sean and said, ‘Hey, we might have a crazy family connection.’”
“Dude, you’re my cousin!” Farley replied with a laugh. “Your mother is my aunt. We always knew we had a cousin who was adopted.”
With glee, Sean readily invited his newfound family to his upcoming wedding. The reception was awkward because while Bennett knew he was watching his biological family, they had no idea who he was. The next day, Farley’s mom introduced Bennett to his biological family.
“It was a really beautiful and sweet reunion,” said Bennett. “I met all the extended family members and my cousins.”
Bennett quickly learned that his biological grandparents raised their eight children at OLG, many of them attending grade school there.
“I realized my whole family has been going to this church since the ’60s, and that was crazy,” he said. “Then I learned that my grandmother, every year on my birthday until she died, had Mass offered for me, Gabriel Farley, at Our Lady of Grace,” said Bennett. “It seemed like God divinely orchestrated this moment. By meeting my biological family here, it was also like God directly responded to the prayers of the Church.”
Chris Bennett, a.k.a. Gabriel Farley, and Genesis Bennett were welcomed into the Church this Easter season. There were more family members in attendance than he ever expected.
Ben Dauphinais
Holy Family, Clemmons
Ben Dauphinais calls it a “triple-decker sacrament sandwich.” He received baptism, Communion and confirmation this Easter Vigil at Holy Family Church in Clemmons.
“The Ben now is just not the same Ben of November 2023,” claims Dauphinais. “I went from papal hater to papal enthusiast in a little over a year.”
Dauphinais was adamantly opposed to the Catholic faith his entire life.
“I can quote myself saying that ‘Catholics are not Christian.’ I was very outspoken and very astonishingly anti-Catholic,” he said, cringing at the memory.
To be fair, Dauphinais found fault with most faiths – the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Baptists. Something was always not quite right. He was a non-denominational Christian with a lot of unanswered questions.
The one Catholic thing he did like was Gregorian chant. Ever since he was 16, he had an affinity for listening to Gregorian chant on YouTube. He heard the music so much that he accidentally taught himself Latin, but that was just a glitch, he thought.
“I thought they were amazing, and I listened to them all the time,” said Dauphinais. “I just disregarded the lyrics that didn’t fit into my beliefs.”
In 2023, Dauphinais decided it was time for him to find the truth about God and get to the bottom of the denominational divisions.
Dauphinais used the internet as his textbook, and through scrolling and some open-mindedness, he started crossing out Christian denominations that didn’t make sense.
After a deep dive into the letters of the Church Fathers, lots of listening to old Archbishop Fulton Sheen radio broadcasts, and devouring both YouTube videos and books by
Catholic apologist Trent Horn, he was shocked to find Catholicism was the only contender left on his list.
“I found Catholicism is rooted in tradition, in history, and it makes sense,” said Dauphinais. “Everything rang true. I knew what I had to do.”
Dauphinais replayed Catholic Masses on YouTube. He memorized prayers, practiced responses and learned when it was appropriate to kneel, stand and sit.
The etiquette was daunting, but by August 2024, he felt confident enough to attend a Mass at Holy Family.
“My first Mass was one of the most nerve-racking things I’ve ever done. I was so anxious because I just wanted to make sure that I did everything right,” Dauphinais said.
To his surprise, no one called him out those couple of times he went to kneel when he was supposed to stand, and he felt a calm sense of belonging.
He was also in disbelief of his family’s acceptance when he broke the news that he was converting.
He knew some of what was covered in OCIA after his extensive research, yet the camaraderie he found within the group intrigued him.
“He was a great contributor to our discussions,” said Deacon John Harrison. “It was wonderful to see him grow during the year. He was really all in.”
Dauphinais was received into the Church at the Easter Vigil, and he looks forward to helping future Catholics by teaching the next OCIA class alongside Deacon Harrison.
“I have grown exponentially in my relationship with God. I pray more than ever before,” he said. “I ask the Holy Spirit to help me all the time. I went from a sprig to a lofty oak in just a little over a year.”
Deven and Cassie Dickerson
St. Luke, Mint Hill
Deven and Cassie Dickerson always considered themselves blessed, with a happy marriage, two incredible sons and careers. Deven was a teacher and Cassie a nanny.
The couple was taken by surprise when Cassie’s employer and St. Gabriel parishioner, Erin Doyle, asked Deven for his resume for an open position at St. Gabriel. Even though he was satisfied with his position at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, the opportunity was intriguing.
“St. Gabe’s is known to retain teachers. They rarely leave,” said Deven, who is now wrapping up his fourth year of teaching fifth-graders at St. Gabriel. The move was the best career decision he ever made, he said. Yet, there was a caveat. While teaching, he sat in his pew and watched as his students received Communion at weekly Masses.
Now, he can join them because Deven and Cassie recently became Catholics.
“I used to just sit there and pray and read,” he said. “Finally, I can be their faithful leader and receive Communion with them.”
Deven was baptized Catholic when he was a baby, but his journey temporarily ended there, while Cassie was exposed to Catholicism through Deven’s teaching position.
Listening to Father Richard Sutter’s homilies, in addition to witnessing the faith of his students and their parents and Principal Michele Snoke’s spiritual guidance, Deven found himself drawn into the possibility of joining the Church.
“The school influenced me first, and then we started visiting St. Luke,” he said.
When Deven expressed an interest, Cassie followed her husband to St. Luke. She was not entirely convinced, but after meeting Father Thomas Kessler, that changed.
“When we had that first initial meeting with Father Kessler, we just looked at each other in the car and we thought, ‘This is it,’” Deven said. “That guy just won us over, and he wasn’t even trying.”
Father Kessler’s endless stories and good humor made the young couple start the OCIA process and set the Wednesday meetings as their top priority.
Uncharacteristically, they rescheduled important appointments and even sometimes missed their children’s sporting events to attend.
“It was easy for us to make that choice for God,” Deven said. “Father Kessler was strict about what he wanted out of the OCIA class and what he expected from us. It made us thrive, and my wife and I loved it.”
As the OCIA meetings continued over the next six months, the family started going to church every Sunday, and their bond with Father Kessler became even stronger.
They were both welcomed into the Church on Easter Vigil. That next Monday, Cassie and Deven were remarried in the Catholic Church by Father Kessler, surrounded by family and friends.
“My brothers were amazed, and my grandmother, a 92-year-old cradle Catholic who still goes to church every Sunday, started crying when my mom showed her the picture,” Deven said.
Deven looks at himself and his wife and finds the transformation remarkable. Cassie is training to become a lector and is signing up for volunteer opportunities.
“I have never been happier than I am now. I have never had less stress,” he said.
Since being welcomed into the Church, Deven has gotten shout-outs from faculty, presents from his students, and even a surprise photo op with Bishop Michael Martin. Yet, as a teacher, he is most eager to be that shepherd who can now receive Communion and go to confession alongside his students.
“Devon and Cassie are very excited. As a priest, that’s so rewarding and inspirational,” Father Kessler said. “They’re on fire with God. It would be so great for them to share their journey. We need them. People learn from the faithful.”
Chidindu Ohaegbulam
Campus Ministry, Davidson College
Chidindu Ohaegbulam is a Davidson College freshman who traveled overseas to double major in economics and physics. He is from Antigua, a Caribbean country known for having a beach for every day of the year, 365.
His parents were Nigerian cradle Catholics who became Pentecostal by the time he was born. Still, they opted to send him and his brother to Catholic primary and secondary schools. Ohaegbulam remembers his school experience as being full of Catholic Masses and prayer, with priests and nuns making sure he and his classmates were being spiritually fed.
He had to cross his hands over his chest during the Communion procession at school Masses and go to Pentecostal services on Sundays, but otherwise he always felt Catholic.
Attending secular pre-college left him feeling spiritually disconnected.
“I definitely didn’t feel excluded, but it just didn’t feel at all like my high school experience, which was more spiritual,” he said. “After a couple of months, I asked my mom if I could go to the Catholic church that was nearby.”
His whole family started attending, and the priest asked Ohaegbulam if he’d be interested in an audiovisual job.
“I ended up in that position for a year. At that point, I felt like this is where I found community,” Ohaegbulam said.
Yet examinations were on the horizon, and he felt he couldn’t tackle OCIA and school at the same time. He decided he would put it off until he went to Davidson College.
“When you go to a liberal arts college, it’s tough to be like, ‘Yeah, I’m converting to Catholicism,’” said Ohaegbulam. “People have preconceived notions and biases about what
Catholic people are like, but it felt pretty cool to represent the Catholic Church in a good light.”
Catholic Campus Ministry leader Scott Salvato met with Ohaegbulam each Monday for OCIA classes, and Ohaegbulam was baptized into the Church at St. Mark on the Easter Vigil.
“It was something that I was waiting on for a while. Everything was leading up towards this, and I definitely felt like it was the right decision,” he said.
His parents are overjoyed by his conversion and are still living in Antigua, attending the same Catholic church. Now, his brother has taken over Ohaegbulam’s audiovisual job and is preparing to attend OCIA himself.
— Lisa M. Geraci
What is OCIA?
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), formerly known as Rite of Christian Initiation of Catholics (RCIA), is the process for people to enter the Catholic Church. The name change reflects a closer English translation of the Latin word “ordo” (using “order” instead of “rite”) and a more flexible, year-round formation process for entering the Church at different times, not just during the Easter season.