By Mrs. Mary Kay Welgoss, OP

A New York Minute

My son (let’s call him Tim) lives and works in New York City, and our family (my husband, daughter, son-in-law, and Tim’s girlfriend) visited him recently to celebrate his birthday. We enjoyed a nice dinner out, and went to a comedy club that friends at Tim’s office recommended. Tim knows the city well, so he deftly navigated us on and off the subway; as we emerged from the station onto the street above, he told us to move quickly to our destination, because we were not in the safest part of town. I never feel really safe in New York, so I didn’t think too much about his comment. I moved along the crowded street as quickly as I could, trying to keep up with our group. Suddenly, a man rode by on one of those electric bikes. It was impossible not to notice him, because he was screaming at the top of his lungs the most vulgar string of expletives I have ever heard. From what I could gather, he was upset that a car had cut him off, and he was truly enraged by this. He started pounding on the windows of all the cars that were waiting in line at the next signal. He was screaming threats and outlining in detail acts of violence he wanted to perpetrate on whomever had offended him. His behavior was so outsized for the situation that it was truly startling. I couldn’t help but stare over at him in disbelief. I immediately thought that he acted like someone possessed by a demon. I had been reflecting on scripture passages earlier that week about how Jesus and the apostles had cured many people oppressed by demons, so the idea of demonic possession was, no doubt, in the back of my mind. But even if one prefers a more secular explanation of his actions–perhaps they were drug induced, or perhaps he suffered from some form of mental illness–it was still so over the top that it seemed to defy commonplace explanations. What was most strange about the incident though, was what happened next. At the moment I thought to myself, “This man acts like someone possessed by a demon,” he immediately stopped his ranting and turned his attention toward me. Now it was a dark night, and he was at least 4o-50 yards away. Surely, my looking at him would not even be noticed in the tirade of his anger and the bustle of the crowd. But it was. He looked directly at me, and he said in a level and menacing tone, “You mind your own business, lady, or the same thing will happen to you.” Strangely, as scary as this situation sounds, an inexplicable sense of calm came over me. The miraculous medal I always wear grew warm against my chest, and I distinctly heard the voice of the Blessed Mother say to me, “Do not be afraid of him. He can’t hurt you. I am protecting you.” The traffic light changed, and the man rode away, still screaming and yelling down the street. But I felt a great sense of peace. It all happened in a “New York minute”–full of bustle and distraction. But to me it seemed like the exchange happened in a vacuum–as if nothing else was going on around us for those few moments. Equally strange was the fact that my entire family later told me they all heard this man’s threatening voice in a clear and focused way that stood out amid the bustle and noise of the street. It had frightened them, even though they hadn’t realized at the time that he was speaking to me.

This is a dramatic story, and it testifies to the increasing tensions at work in our modern world. I share it in the hope that it encourages others to stay close to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, and to our Blessed Mother. Believe in the truth of the Gospel. Go to Mass, and pray daily, especially the Rosary. In doing so, we can rest in the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding, because we have nothing to fear.

I too, was a wicked unbelieving man who persecuted the people of God. Born a Levitical Jew from my mother’s side (last name Cohen), and a southern Baptist with Irish descent on my father’s side (last name Lowry) and grew up an atheist my entire life - I never believed. I did whatever I wanted to do; drunken parties, fights, orgies, mocked people less fortunate than myself, marked my skin with tattoos of snakes, skulls, and bullets. I manipulated others; I loved firefights and explosions, pursued vanity and possessions, hated my fellow neighbor, lied, and I was disrespectful to my parents. I even killed people. When I persecuted the church, it was more personal because I did it to my own spouse.

I mocked my wife for her faith. I also insulted the Priests and accused them all of pedophilia and wrongdoing, even going as far as to oppose the infant baptism of my youngest son. I had no intention of changing my ways, or exposing and confessing my secrets to those around me whom I harmed. Until the dead of the night in the year 2020 at the age of 35, in the same year the star of Bethlehem re-appeared for the third time on 21 December 2020 since Christ’s birth, the spirit of the Lord came for me and converted me. I was at my desk by myself doing some work on a computer and suddenly goosebumps came across my arms, back, neck and shoulders and I began trembling. I never felt anything like it before. I began weeping violently and broke down crying. Almost as if something wrapped a mantle around me, something I never felt before - it was undeniable. From then on, I knew God existed, because I literally felt Him there with me. I did not see Him or hear His voice, but I knew He was there. I honor the truth and I was wrong my entire life. In that exact instance, I realized this. Although I was born seven days from my expected due date of 17 March 1985 in the flesh and sin, I was reborn in Baptism in the spirit the night before Easter in the year of our Lord 2022.

Did He make me change? No. He showed me the Spirit of Grace which is the truth and His mercy. Since I value the truth, I accepted it. I was wrong and He was right. I died that night and was reborn as a new man. Now I live for the Lord. I took the name of Paul in baptism and confirmation because of my conversion. No man converted me; the Lord did. I went to sleep the night prior and woke up the same person with no intention of changing, nor did I have any viable reason to change. I was accountable to no one, and I believed in nothing. Then, when confronted with the truth, I had to change. Why? Because I value the truth. The truth has intrinsic value and is above all of us. It is objective and incorruptible. It is my hope for the entire world that everyone comes to the truth before the day of fire, so everyone is saved. If the Lord can change me, the worst of sinners, He can change all of you as well!

I wrote a letter to God listing everything I had ever done wrong. I repented and asked for forgiveness. This is a start, but more is required. From then on, I had to tell my wife all the things I had been hiding from her regardless of how vile it was; regardless of how much it was going to hurt. I was ready to lose my house and my life for the Lord because He is the Truth, and the Truth will set me free. I must confess to you, the reader, and the entire world to honor Him, for His Namesake.

Once I did this thing and confessed my lies and sins to both God and mankind, despite what may come of me, an amazing thing happened. The yoke of the devil fell off upon my neck. From then on, he could no longer jerk me by the chain and force me to go wherever he wanted me to go and do. I was truly free like what the Lord had said from His gospel.

Now with that said, I knew I had to be baptized. Where do I go? There are thousands, if not millions of denominations out there. Simple, after reading all of scripture and studying it thoroughly, the answer became very clear to me. I must present myself to the steps of the Apostles Church, the One that has been given authority by Christ himself - the Roman Catholic Church. I followed the footsteps of the Apostles and the Levitical Priesthood, to which my ancestors are from and to which the Priesthood passed on from John the Baptist (also a Levite whose father administered sacrifice in the temple) when he baptized our Lord Jesus Christ in the river Jordan. Coming to this truth after much prayer, I realized where the fullness of worship resided, the very Church I persecuted throughout my adult years - the one from the beginning. Now, I practice the sacraments daily and am in truth. In fact, the tabernacle in Rome, and wherever the word of God is proclaimed and His body rests upon the altar is where the temple is, for it replaced the one in Judea.

One cannot be in truth if he or she does not do what the Lord commands us to do. In summary, the Lord said, "you have no life in you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood of the new covenant."

The sacraments are there to save us and keep us awake and ready; presentable for the Lord when He returns until all is accomplished. The sacraments of His Church will carry you, strengthen you, and sustain you from a lifetime of sinful influences and demonic temptations until it is your time to return to your true Father in Heaven. Do not be tricked by the slick comments of the world and self-ambitious preachers who want to teach you all kinds of wrong things. The Lord told us plainly what to do. So, let’s do it, and our joy will be complete.

Apostolate website with free online books:
https://modernibabylonia.org

Summa contemplation:
https://syracuselaydominicans.org/summastudy

Street Evangelization Watertown, New York
https://streetevangelization.com/team-page/...

Street Evangelization Syracuse, New York
https://streetevangelization.com/team-page/...

I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.

​Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.