Living the truth of the Risen Lord

Joining the Catholic Church saved Kelly Buchanan’s life. Literally.

“I had a good career and a house. I thought I had everything I wanted, but my life was empty,” she said.    

“It was eating away at me. Driving to work one day, I had suicidal thoughts. I was tired of the daily struggles.”

Raised by her parents to believe in God but to distrust religion, Buchanan could not accept the divinity of Jesus.

“In a last ditch effort to love myself, I thought back to any time I had ever felt loved,” she said. “I became aware of a man standing behind me, who was Jesus, and he was suffering out of love for me, along with a long line of people on either side of me. Jesus was with us all.

“I started crying, I was so grateful. I wanted to be baptized,” Buchanan said.

She entered the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Moon Township, led by Deacon Rob Jancart.

“People coming into the church are already on a journey, hearing and seeing God, but often they can’t understand it,” he said. “The truth eventually overcomes them. They begin to realize that the truth is Christ.”

“RCIA was a really special time for me. I changed a lot,” Buchanan said. “I gave up a lot of things I believed before.”

She also gave up her career.  Shortly after joining the church at the Easter Vigil in 2017, Buchanan opened the Victory Gift Shop in Moon, which sells Bibles, Catholic books, rosaries, artwork and other religious items.

Today she is filled with serenity, which she believes only God can give.

“Life is beautiful now. I pray often and focus on Jesus, getting to know him better,” Buchanan said. “I still have struggles, but I also have real peace, real joy, and real love.”

Photo: Kelly Buchanan