Great witness Mahon, and it was great to meet you in Maynooth at Easter. In the words of Our Lord, the Spirit blows where it listeth. It’s a real blessing to have you on the team 🙏🤝
That's amazing, Mahon! I love the lyrical way you described your conversion and practice of Catholicism. I can relate a lot, though I was born cradle Catholic. I reverted in my late teens :-D Great piece!
“It’s like one of those mythological stories, an inversion of Tír na nÓg, where you only walked into another room and then returned, but for everyone else, you’ve travelled a great distance and now stand on the opposite side of a gorge (’It’s like I don’t even know you anymore’).”
This! I came into the Church also last Easter from Scottish Protestantism (which can be pretty sterile in its sacramental worldview or lack thereof) after the Holy Spirit sort of hit me over the head with the reality of what the sacraments really are. In retrospect it had been a long process of my worldview changing but when the final pieces fell into place it was like I woke up on the other side of a chasm separating me from most other Christians I knew… it was incredibly disorientating but I’m so grateful for the gifts God has given the Church in the sacraments and the treasures and wisdom in the Tradition. Blessings for your journey, thank you for sharing!
Wholeheartedly. It’s written from a secular—though arguably Catholic-adjacent—perspective. I found it challenging, but it ultimately helped me reconcile the complications I saw in Irish Catholic history with my newfound love of the faith.
I’m a fellow Dub, but I came back to the faith in the UK, where I’ve been living for the best part of the last 20 years. I’ve often wondered whether I would have found my way back had I stayed in Dublin. The Church has a very different feel over here, I must say. I still find it quite triggering when I go home and Sunday Mass is over in what seems like the blink of an eye, but I really appreciated your JFK reference.
“Ask not what your parish can do for you, but what you can do for your parish.” Both spiritual and intellectual bypassing are easy temptations.
Great to see your work on Substack—I’ll be following for sure.
Brilliant I must check it out! I have no experience really of the church elsewhere so hard to compare, but I have heard this from friends coming back from the US and the UK.
Well written and rich account of your journey.. also à great photo which reminds me of that glowing suitcase from Tarantino….
I appreciate the recognition of the multilevelled philosophical process you outlined here. How the realisation of à Christ may come for people at the fount of a much larger shift in receptivity.
I resonate a lot with the idea of being a bridge between worlds to the sacred. With the caveat that I believe for some, and at certain stages, that road to God lies in being supported deconstructing out of religioun, while others for it is found in moving in.
Mahon, you really should try to attend the TLM if you haven’t already. There’s a daily Latin mass in St. Kevin’s in Dublin and it’s beautiful - https://www.latinmassdublin.ie
Yes, thank you Mahon, this is my own Prodigal journey too! Our God is indeed a gracious and kind Father, who constantly works through continual “little” miracles which I didn’t notice at first, but gradually my benighted mind draw the threads together (helped along through wisdom and insights gleaned from Peterson, Pageau, Vervaeke, and also Iain McGilchrist another key source of de-secularisation and anti-reductionist insight for me!)
Suddenly the light comes back on, the Holy Spirit is made welcome, and the process becomes a deliberate search and return journey. Old traditional prayers suddenly became much more powerful as well as urgent in the deep awareness of my need for God. The Psalms became not just my daily song as I took up the Liturgy of the Hours, but now also form the basis for a continual “Emmaus Road” Bible study as the Holy Spirit enlightens connections between the Old and New testaments and the presence of Christ as the unifying thread in all of Scripture.
I must also say at this stage, in the midst of a bleak social and cultural degeneration I am finding delight in being continually inspired by so many smart and committed men and women who are sharing their stories and wisdom and supporting each other to grow in faith and love and - dare I say - holiness - especially through Substack (the algorithm for which seems to be definitely supporting my spiritual growth, rather than undermining it!)
Great witness Mahon, and it was great to meet you in Maynooth at Easter. In the words of Our Lord, the Spirit blows where it listeth. It’s a real blessing to have you on the team 🙏🤝
Excellent piece, Mahon, and you described the tensions of our moment very well and eloquently. May all your days be of fruit and light.
Im just starting to walk out some of my questions. My family is Catholic but im not. This post is incredibly insightful. Thank you!
That's amazing, Mahon! I love the lyrical way you described your conversion and practice of Catholicism. I can relate a lot, though I was born cradle Catholic. I reverted in my late teens :-D Great piece!
Welcome home Mahon 🙏
I really enjoyed reading this piece and your perspective. I’ll be thinking about this one
“It’s like one of those mythological stories, an inversion of Tír na nÓg, where you only walked into another room and then returned, but for everyone else, you’ve travelled a great distance and now stand on the opposite side of a gorge (’It’s like I don’t even know you anymore’).”
This! I came into the Church also last Easter from Scottish Protestantism (which can be pretty sterile in its sacramental worldview or lack thereof) after the Holy Spirit sort of hit me over the head with the reality of what the sacraments really are. In retrospect it had been a long process of my worldview changing but when the final pieces fell into place it was like I woke up on the other side of a chasm separating me from most other Christians I knew… it was incredibly disorientating but I’m so grateful for the gifts God has given the Church in the sacraments and the treasures and wisdom in the Tradition. Blessings for your journey, thank you for sharing!
Excellent account of your fist year. I’m two years in myself and I resonate deeply with your experience. #catholicmaxing for the win
Have you read “The best Catholics in the world” by Derek Scally?
No i have not actually but its frequently mentioned by people - would you recommend?
Wholeheartedly. It’s written from a secular—though arguably Catholic-adjacent—perspective. I found it challenging, but it ultimately helped me reconcile the complications I saw in Irish Catholic history with my newfound love of the faith.
I’m a fellow Dub, but I came back to the faith in the UK, where I’ve been living for the best part of the last 20 years. I’ve often wondered whether I would have found my way back had I stayed in Dublin. The Church has a very different feel over here, I must say. I still find it quite triggering when I go home and Sunday Mass is over in what seems like the blink of an eye, but I really appreciated your JFK reference.
“Ask not what your parish can do for you, but what you can do for your parish.” Both spiritual and intellectual bypassing are easy temptations.
Great to see your work on Substack—I’ll be following for sure.
Brilliant I must check it out! I have no experience really of the church elsewhere so hard to compare, but I have heard this from friends coming back from the US and the UK.
Wind to your back, brother.
Well written and rich account of your journey.. also à great photo which reminds me of that glowing suitcase from Tarantino….
I appreciate the recognition of the multilevelled philosophical process you outlined here. How the realisation of à Christ may come for people at the fount of a much larger shift in receptivity.
I resonate a lot with the idea of being a bridge between worlds to the sacred. With the caveat that I believe for some, and at certain stages, that road to God lies in being supported deconstructing out of religioun, while others for it is found in moving in.
Mahon, you really should try to attend the TLM if you haven’t already. There’s a daily Latin mass in St. Kevin’s in Dublin and it’s beautiful - https://www.latinmassdublin.ie
God bless!
Yes, thank you Mahon, this is my own Prodigal journey too! Our God is indeed a gracious and kind Father, who constantly works through continual “little” miracles which I didn’t notice at first, but gradually my benighted mind draw the threads together (helped along through wisdom and insights gleaned from Peterson, Pageau, Vervaeke, and also Iain McGilchrist another key source of de-secularisation and anti-reductionist insight for me!)
Suddenly the light comes back on, the Holy Spirit is made welcome, and the process becomes a deliberate search and return journey. Old traditional prayers suddenly became much more powerful as well as urgent in the deep awareness of my need for God. The Psalms became not just my daily song as I took up the Liturgy of the Hours, but now also form the basis for a continual “Emmaus Road” Bible study as the Holy Spirit enlightens connections between the Old and New testaments and the presence of Christ as the unifying thread in all of Scripture.
I must also say at this stage, in the midst of a bleak social and cultural degeneration I am finding delight in being continually inspired by so many smart and committed men and women who are sharing their stories and wisdom and supporting each other to grow in faith and love and - dare I say - holiness - especially through Substack (the algorithm for which seems to be definitely supporting my spiritual growth, rather than undermining it!)