I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
Chronicle of the Welcome of “Little” Juan into the Catholic Church
In all our missions around the world, we are certain that God is always present and constantly at work in the hearts of the souls He has entrusted to us. Where there is a tabernacle and souls… that is the best mission in the world! However, there are times when we are blessed to witness how God draws people to the Church and to be harvesters of the fruits He has produced… “Some fell on good soil and bore fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Mark 13:8)
God usually grants us His most precious graces in the midst of adversity and trials. The crosses are the greatest outpouring of His love and the most effective means of purifying us. That is why, as members of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word, “we commit all our strength to inculturating the Gospel, that is, to prolonging the Incarnation”….and “to seek the glory of God and the salvation of souls” (Constitutions 4 and 5).
In this chronicle, we want to share with you one of the fruits of the mission that God has allowed us to enjoy here in Iceland: the conversion to Catholicism of Jón (whom we affectionately call “little Jón,” since he is over six feet tall)
From childhood, Jón Þór was drawn to the things of God. His mother, Dana, told us how, even as a child, Jón loved reading the Children’s Bible and would ask to go to church. His mother smiled, recalling that as a child he was a handful and very active, but when she took him to church, he was a completely different person—well-behaved and calm.
Although he did not grow up practicing the faith at home, when he was sixteen, he expressed his desire to become Catholic. Seven years ago, he began coming on his own to our parish of St. Joseph. He was always very interested in the teachings of the Catholic faith, and after a while, he began studying the catechism with Father Juan Carlos Escudero, IVE. Every Sunday, Jón faithfully attended Sunday Mass until seven months ago, when, at just twenty-three years old, doctors discovered that he is suffering from a heart condition that had been diagnosed as asthma when he was a child. The only remedy is a heart transplant, an operation that involves many risks and difficulties. According to the doctors, the youngest person to have suffered from this condition so far is fifty-eight years old.
In light of this serious diagnosis, Jón received special permission from Bishop David Tencer to be received into the Catholic Church.
On January 17, his lifelong dream came true! Bishop David came to his home to confirm him and receive him into the Catholic Church. His mother was present, as well as another young man from Iceland, and the parents and sisters of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word.
Although his physical condition remains fragile, receiving the sacraments of confession, communion, and confirmation has filled his soul with many spiritual graces to strengthen him in the trial of his illness. Where the cross touches, it bears fruit!
It was a day of great joy. Although his mother does not practice any religion, she was very moved. After the ceremony, she told us she wanted to come to Mass on Sunday with Jón. That same day, Father Juan Carlos blessed their home, and a few days later she told us, “I feel different in my home since Father blessed it, and I can sleep better.”
Dana’s mother’s attitude was remarkable; she showed simplicity and docility toward the things of God and genuine joy over her son’s decision to convert. Although Jón and his mother are suffering greatly at this time, they have smiled and joked. They are a beautiful witness to how to carry the cross with joy.
This young man’s conversion to Catholicism is a powerful testimony in a culture that does not believe in God and has nothing to look forward to after death. The young Icelander who attended the ceremony also has a strong desire to become Catholic, but has not yet received his parents’ permission. Jón’s testimony was a “source of strength” for him, seeing that he persevered for seven years until he had the opportunity to be received into the Catholic Church.
Iceland is a first-world country where people earn good wages and can buy whatever they want, and generally have not experienced poverty. They have great material wealth, but great spiritual poverty. Many have placed their trust in their own strength and abilities. In light of this, there are some young Icelanders who are restless and searching for something more substantial and secure… they want more from life and have found what they were looking for in the Catholic Church. They have begun attending Sunday Mass.
We ask for special prayers for the young people of Iceland, that they may allow themselves to be shaped by God and be willing to stake everything on the Eternal Treasure.
Sr. Mary Delight of the Holy Trinity
St. Joseph’s Parish
Iceland
