Something stirred in Tara Ortiz’ heart at her Aunt Mary Alice’s 70th birthday party which would change her life.

In a simple prayer, her aunt gave thanks for all who were gathered together for the special occasion and said, “I pray that everyone in our family will come to know Jesus Christ.” What seemed like a simple prayer in the moment, convicted Tara that she needed to take the next step in her faith journey. In retrospect, she now sees that moment as one of the many ways God was gently calling her home to the church.

Although Tara was exposed to Christianity growing up, faith was never central to family life. Her family identified as Southern Baptist and attended church mainly on Christmas and Easter. Curious and thoughtful by nature, she often asked difficult questions about faith, truth, and how anyone could know they had found the right religion.
"I kept asking questions nobody seemed willing to answer," Tara recalls. "How do you know Christianity is true? How do you know you've found the right religion? I wanted real answers."
When those questions were not welcomed or answered, Tara drifted away from religion altogether and became an atheist.

After marrying her husband who was Catholic, Tara and her husband agreed that their children would be free to choose their own faith when they were older. Whenever she accompanied her family to Mass on Christmas or Easter, however, she felt the absence of not being able to receive Holy Communion and wondered whether God might be inviting her to something more.

That invitation grew stronger when one of her children began struggling with anxiety and questions about meaning and purpose. As she encouraged her son to take matters of faith seriously, Tara realized she needed to do the same.

Over the following year, she began exploring Christianity more intentionally. She sought out and listened online to the teachings of Jordan Peterson and Bishop Robert Barron. Those resources helped her better understand the Christian faith and ultimately led her to take the next step.

When Tara decided to enter the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) at St. Raphael Parish, she initially hoped it might also help open a door for her children to embrace faith. Instead, God began transforming her own heart. At the time, she was carrying deep wounds related to family estrangement, unresolved hurt, anger, and a lingering lack of peace.

Through prayer, the support of the OCIA community, and God's grace, those burdens gradually gave way to compassion, forgiveness, healing, and hope. What began as weekly OCIA gatherings soon became meaningful friendships. The conversations, prayers, and encouragement of fellow parishioners made St. Raphael Parish feel less like a place she attended and more like a spiritual family.

For years, before joining the church Tara had watched others process to receive Holy Communion while remaining in the pew, but at the Easter Vigil, she finally was able to approach the altar herself. The longing she had felt for so long was fulfilled as she received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time.

One of the greatest surprises to Tara along her journey was the grace of the Rosary. Before OCIA, she knew very little about it, but after making a New Year's resolution to pray the Rosary every day, it became a source of profound spiritual growth.
"The Rosary changed everything for me. It gave me a peace I had been searching for my whole life," she said.
Meditating on the mysteries has drawn Tara closer to Jesus Christ and deepened her relationship with Him.

Through the Blessed Mother, Tara has also found healing. Difficult experiences in her relationship with her own mother had left lasting wounds. As she prayed the Rosary, however, she discovered comfort, peace, and a renewed ability to let go of burdens she had carried for years.

Tara also found something she had not realized she was missing: community. As a stay-at-home mother who also worked from home, she often felt isolated. Through St. Raphael Parish and the OCIA program, she found friendships, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. Today, she often remains after Mass simply to spend time with fellow parishioners and friends in conversation and fellowship.

The peace Tara knows today is unlike anything she had known before. Life's challenges have not disappeared, but Christ has changed the way she carries them. The anger and hurt that once occupied so much of her heart have increasingly been replaced by gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, and trust in God's mercy.

Her conversion has also affected her family in powerful ways. After entering the Church at the Easter Vigil, Tara shared with her son why she had chosen to become Catholic. Over time, those conversations bore fruit. To her great joy, her son has now decided to enter OCIA himself. Watching God work in his life has become one of the greatest blessings of her own journey.

Faith now shapes even the ordinary moments of her day. Whether standing in line at the grocery store, picking up her children from school, or interacting with neighbors and friends, Tara strives to reflect Christ's love through patience, kindness, and compassion. Today, Tara serves on the OCIA team at St. Raphael Parish, accompanying others and helping them navigate many of the same questions that once led her away from faith.

That desire to serve has also led her outside the parish. During Lent, she began volunteering with Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry. Through serving individuals and families facing food insecurity, she discovered the joy that comes from focusing less on herself and more on the dignity and needs of others. The ministry has also introduced her to new friends and opportunities to encounter Christ in everyday life.

Looking back, Tara can now see that God was at work long before she recognized it. Through questions, struggles, relationships, prayer, and community, He patiently led her home. What began with a simple prayer from her aunt became the story of a God who never stopped pursuing His daughter.

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