I was not raised religious at all. My parents would occasionally take us to church (Sunday School) at First Presbyterian in San Mateo, but nothing regular or consistent. In December 2023, two weeks before my 55th birthday, I went in for a standard medical procedure for a man my age, and they discovered a nightmare — "treatable, not curable" cancer. I shared this news with friends and family, and we all knew that my time was going to be limited — how limited, we still have no idea, but my time is going to be cut short at some point. My ex-wife, who is a cradle Catholic, and my son, who is currently an 8th grader at St. Isidore's, were talking one evening, and he said to her, "Mom, one day you and I will be in heaven together but we won't see Dad there, because he isn't baptized."
This was a legitimate concern he had. I couldn't bear the thought of him lying awake at night, worrying about my eternal soul, so I went to the St. Isidore website to do a bit of research. Sure enough, right there on the homepage was a section, Thinking of Becoming Catholic?. I emailed the contact, on Thanksgiving night 2024, after everyone had gone home, and received a response that evening!
The following week, I apprehensively entered the Tuesday night OCIA meeting room as a first timer, who had no idea what he was walking into, what he would find, or what he was even looking for, really. I was greeted by Lesli, who I spoke to the previous week via phone and email, and she made me feel right at home — introducing me to others in a similar position as mine yet for their own personal reasons, throwing a nametag around my neck so people could greet me and make me feel welcome, giving me a Magnificat to start learning a bit about things, and getting me all set up to begin my journey — and what a journey it's been!
Over the next six months, I learned so much — about the church, about the community, and about myself! I started attending mass regularly with my family, breaking out at the halfway point to stroll across the street to discuss the homily, journal together, and get to know the other OCIA members better. I attended a retreat at San Damiano. I was getting to know the Catholic faith much better and I liked everything I saw. On Saturday April 19, 2025, I was baptized in a beautiful ceremony at St. Isidore, along with others whom I took the journey with in the previous months.
I've spent the last 14 years doing my best to teach my son, pass along life lessons, be there to support him, and give him everything I can to help him prepare for a long, happy, successful life ahead. It turns out, he did all of that and more for me, with that one passing comment to mom about my not being baptized, and his concern about that.
What started as my wanting him to feel OK about my medical condition turned out to be the first step in our family becoming closer, our faith becoming stronger, and our bond with each other and our faith becoming unbreakable.
—Cy, St. Isidore parishioner, husband and father
Every year, parishioners at St. Isidore take their own path toward the Catholic faith. Read more journeys, or take the first step in yours.
Back to Faith Stories →