About Jim

I grew up in a Hungarian home. I don’t know what that means, but what I do know is that you eat a lot and argue about everything. My wife is a German. I know, but hey, I love the girl. We have been married for over 30 years and we have 3 great kids.

My parents escaped from Hungary after the Hungarian Revolution in ’56. My Dad and Mom (who was 3 months pregnant with me), left their home only wearing the clothes on their backs. Mom would tell us how after they had escaped to Austria, they were asked where they wanted to go from there. She replied, that as a child she learned about a country that was free – and wanted to go there.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, I wasn’t serious about my faith until Jr High when I picked up a copy of “Good News for Modern Man”, a modern translation of the New Testament. I started reading it. I began reading it everyday, over and over again.

During this time I came to faith in Christ. I can’t give you a day, time or hour – it just happened. I began to pray. I confessed my sins. I purposed to live for Him however imperfectly, but yet I knew He had my life.

Then came the moment that I surrendered everything to Christ as my Lord. During the summer before 9th grade, my younger brother was drowning when our family spent the day at the lake. It was a surreal moment. My parents were on shore totally unaware of what was going on. He was calling out to me to save him. I was not the best swimmer in the world, I was not a good swimmer at all. As I made my way to him I prayed, “Lord, if you let me save my brother I will give you everything!” I got to him just after he gave up and went under. I found out that he had accidentally went into deeper water while looking for his lost face mask. As I walked to shore with my brother clinging to me I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if my foot would hit that mask and both would be saved?” The lake was murky that day and you couldn’t see bottom, but you guessed it: my foot hit the mask.

I made good on my promise and dedicated myself to the study of Scripture and being active in sharing the Gospel with others. But instead of staying within the Catholic Church, I had Christian friends in school that attended a non-denominational church. Thus begun my spiritual journey. I attended a Pentecostal college, became a United Methodist youth pastor, got into Reformed theology and I even became a member of a Baptist church. After reading a biography about Martin Luther, I was drawn to the Church and it’s historical beginnings. This journey led me to become an Anglican priest.

But I hungered for more. I wanted to avoid at all costs my starting point. But it wasn’t to be: God wouldn’t let it go. Over and over again He brought me back to full circle, back to the Catholic church.

So now I see myself as a Catholic advocate: to love, care for and defend the Catholic faith, but also care for the whole Body of Christ. I am committed in fostering love and understanding between Catholics, Protestants and other non-Catholic Christians. Knowing that we are one in Body in Christ, we also know that we can learn from each other, and work together to glorify our Lord in building a Culture of Life.