Warren convert likens conversion to ‘Mary Magdalene that first Easter’

PLYMOUTH — From Jacob to St. Joseph, the Lord speaks to people in their dreams.

For Warren native Matthew Beitel, his dream was rather specific: a call to become a member of Holy Mother Church.

Beitel was raised Baptist and attended a Baptist school. After falling away from organized religion for a while, he rejoined an evangelical church, but it wasn’t long before he felt a calling toward the Eucharist.

“I was thinking more and more about Catholicism and the Eucharist,” said Beitel, who joined the Church during the Easter Vigil at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth. “Then I heard (Our Lady of Good Counsel pastor) Fr. John Riccardo on Catholic radio, and he’s such a good speaker, his voice and message just struck a positive tone with me.

“One night, I was dreaming I was at Our Lady of Good Counsel, in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It was such a sweet dream,” Beitel said. “I dreamed of tongues of fire coming all around me, and I was at peace.”

Beitel reflected on his dream for the next two weeks, emailing a seminarian about it and asking people to pray for him. He eventually enrolled in RCIA classes, where he began to learn more about Catholicism and the richness of the Church.

During the Easter Vigil, Beitel was welcomed into the Church at Our Lady of Good Counsel by Fr. Riccardo.


“I didn’t know too much about Catholicism, but I loved learning about the Church and God’s presence in the Eucharist — actually being in that state of grace,” Beitel said. “I learned more about the sacraments and Mary and being with God.”

Through the RCIA classes, Beitel began to learn more about the meaning of his dream — God being truly present in the Eucharist — which he said tipped the scale in his decision to become Catholic.

“I decided that I want to be a part of that,” Beitel said. “Other churches have stuff similar to that, similar concepts of grace, but with the Church, God is there for you to adore, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Being one with Jesus is a “coming home” experience for Beitel, finding something in the Church that he felt he didn’t experience in other denominations.

“Home is a word that keeps resurfacing for me,” Beitel said. “Thinking back on my home life, in and out of church, it always felt like there was something missing. Now, I’ve found what I’m looking for. The Real Presence was a huge distinction for me, it was a huge tipoff.

“In Protestant churches, they don’t have that. Here, Jesus is really present, and the sense is so strong for me to get in front of the Blessed Sacrament. So when you think about lapsed Catholics or Protestants, it comes down to whether He is there or He is not.”

In addition to the Real Presence of the Lord through the Eucharist, Beitel attended Awaken Ministry events, which served as his “introduction” to Catholicism. Soon, the Church no longer seemed like an intimidating, imposing institution.

“The word ‘beauty’ is the Catholic Church,” Beitel said. “You look at the cathedral, the medieval section of the (Detroit Institute of Arts). Someone who looks at it and is put off by it, they just don’t see the beauty of these buildings, these works of art. The beauty of St. Hugo of the Hills in Bloomfield Hills, the beauty that’s just all around.

“And it’s all in support of a tangible sign of the Incarnation,” Beitel said. “The most beautiful thing is still in God becoming man.”

This Easter seemed like the first Easter for Beitel, fully realizing Jesus’ presence in his life and the life of everyone else.

“This Easter was so important to me, literally, the defining Easter of my whole life,” Beitel said. “This one was just full of beauty, the liturgy; I felt like being accepted into Christ.

“That’s one thing with past Easters: I never experienced Jesus, truly experiencing Him,” Beitel said. “It was like being Mary Magdalene that first Easter. Jesus is now alive to me.”