I'm going to let Lucas speak for himself about his reception into the Catholic Church last Saturday. With permission, this is a reprint of an email he sent to friends and family:
Dear friends,
As I slowly emerge from the catacombs into the "real world" and its more tinctured light, the experiences of Holy Week seem even more otherworldly than before. The Great Vigil of Easter was surreal enough on its own; in contrast to the daily grind of city living, it seems a "sign of contradiction" indeed.
Many of you attended my confirmation and the party afterward, and I was moved by this demonstration of your friendship. Some of you sent along warm words, which calmed my nerves more than you can know. Some were even kind enough to send gifts, which will mark the significance of this event for many years to come. That this support and encouragement was perhaps given despite your reservations about Catholicism made it all the more magnanimous, and all the more meaningful to me. All I can do is say "thank you," and hope to deserve your friendship.
My friends Nick and Chris, who were also received into the Church Saturday, have published thoughts about their conversions, here and here. I hope eventually to write some thoughts of my own, but it may be a while before I can contemplate what's happened. Since I cannot summon original words to describe my journey, I pass along instead the far more eloquent musings of G. K. Chesterton, whose The Catholic Church and Conversion tells the story of his "homecoming" to Rome. For those of you who may wonder why I, raised in a Christian home and steeped in the sincerity of Evangelical faith, have taken this step, I commend especially the third chapter, "The Real Obstacles." The book is available in its entirety, for free, here.
I wish you all the continued joys of the Easter season, and I thank you for the joy you've been in my life.
Gratefully,
Lucas
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