Paul Rector
I am a cradle Catholic from Oklahoma. I grew up in the Church, and from an early age my love for it was evident. High school was when my faith was first challenged. For athletic reasons, I attended a non‑denominational Christian high school. Through their theology classes, many of my core beliefs were questioned and often contrasted with what I knew. I found myself asking repeatedly, “Am I wrong?”
When I turned eighteen, thoughts of leaving Catholicism entered my mind. I could not wait to go to college and be away from everything familiar. At first, I attended Mass on my own, but over time my consistency faded. As a collegiate baseball player, I allowed my love for the game to overshadow my love for Christ.
I always believed in God and prayed, but I no longer lived out my faith. Instead, I tried to play God in my own life by seeking to control outcomes and relying on myself rather than Him. I only turned to God for personal gain. At the time, I did not realize the spiritual damage I was causing by saying no to Him.
I was blessed with a successful baseball career and even had the opportunity to play for a time after college. But when baseball came to an end, it felt as though my life came to a halt. I found myself lost, drowning in sin, and searching for meaning and belonging. I became open to many churches and even other religions. Determined to find the truth I began studying the history of major religions, and that’s when I was drawn to the writings and teachings of the early Church Fathers.
As I continued to ask where those teachings originated, I was ultimately led back to the Apostles, the very men who walked beside Jesus. At that moment, I realized the truth had been in front of me the entire time. I fell in love again with Jesus and His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. It felt like returning to something I had never truly lost: the same faith and love I had as a child, still present, but simply waiting to be rediscovered.
I said yes to Him, and God said to me, “Welcome home, my child.”
God never abandoned me. Instead, He led me on a journey to rediscover Him, myself, and fall into an alignment with His will. I said “yes” and this is my story. One step, one day, and one yes at a time all for His will and glory.