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"Conversion with a capital 'C'" is how Linda Crepeau, the RCIA coordinator at St. Patrick's parish in Cambridge, describes the faith journey of a parishioner who was received into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass this year.

Never baptized, never a regular church-goer, the son of a father who was a career military man, Tim Koon was never rooted in a religious denomination.

But the seeds of his faith started to germinate a little over 15 years ago, when Mr. Koon met his wife, Christine. She was born and raised Roman Catholic.

Both were divorced and had seven children between them from previous marriages. When they decided to wed, they elected to have a civil ceremony because Mr. Koon was still unbaptized and his fiancée had not gotten an annulment from her first marriage.

Mr. Koon said that, from the beginning, he admired his wife's family "because they all got along real well and they all went to church every Sunday."

He added: "Chris would talk about how important it was to get our prior marriages an-nulled and have our marriage blessed [by the Church]. But I've been going to church with her for 15 years, even though I didn't understand how important it was or what it meant."

Birth awakens
When their son Jeremy was baptized 13 years ago, Mr. Koon said he had the desire to be-come Catholic so that he could share in his child's faith development. But his work schedule and the time needed to enter the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program didn't mesh.

Several years ago, when his wife decided to go through the annulment process to clear the way on her side to have their marriage blessed by the Church, Mr. Koon again looked into becoming a Catholic. But his job at that time required extensive travel and, again, he had to defer the dream.

Last year, Mr. Koon was listening to a popular motivational speaker who advised making a list of the goals you wanted to accomplish in life.

He said: "I put down that in the year 2010 I would become a Catholic - and I did. I started the RCIA [program] last September, and I never looked back."

Mr. Koon persevered despite having to go through the lengthy process called the Pauline Privilege, which is the Church's formal way to dissolve a previous marriage between two non-baptized people. This was necessary in order for Mr. Koon to receive the sacrament of baptism.

Nuptials plus
Just one month after Mr. Koon entered the Church at the Easter Vigil, he and his wife were remarried at a morning Mass at Holy Cross Church in Salem. It was on May 3, the 15th anniversary of their civil marriage.

Mr. Koon remarked: "Our rings and rosaries were blessed. We renewed our wedding vows. It was like starting all over again!"

The new Catholic advises anyone who gets discouraged with the Church's policies regarding membership or remarriage, "It's worth the wait.

"I feel like the Holy Spirit has grabbed me," he said. "I always felt that there was something pulling me."

Now, Mr. and Mrs. Koon - after attending Mass together for more than 15 years without participating fully or receiving communion - can share the Eucharist.

Mr. Koon has joined the Knights of Columbus. He attends a home Bible study group, prays the Rosary often and searches out websites to learn more about his faith. He wants his life to be a living testament.

Passing forward
"I'm living proof that God is there and I feel that I am meant to help others to find God." He added, echoing a famous speech by baseball player Lou Gehrig, "I feel like I'm the luckiest man on the face of the earth!"

Mrs. Crepeau, who led the RCIA team that prepared Mr. Koon to become Roman Cath-olic, believes that Mr. Koon "epitomizes the kind of person the Church wants to evangelize and bring into the Church."

She said of the new Catholic: "The Holy Spirit took a hold of him. He has made a 180-degree turn and is just on fire for Christ! It's the story of God's grace."

(06/17/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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