to father mike wherever you are!

8/14/2019 TO FATHER MIKE WHEREVER YOU ARE!

1/4

TO FATHER MIKE,WHEREVER YOU ARE

Dear Father Mike,

I was very sorry to hear of your death this past week. I realize thatyou probably won't be reading this where you are right now, butthinking of you has brought back so many memories from when Iwas a member of the Roman Catholic Church that you pastored thatI thought I would write.

You were a good man, Father Mike. You always had a smile for everyone you met, and you were there to lend a helping handwhenever the need arose. When I asked for a discount on my kids'Catholic education, you agreed to it in a heartbeat. Several yearslater, after first communions and confirmations for the kids, as wellas a conversion to Catholicism by my then-husband, you agreed to
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100226/APC010101/302260010/Mass-of-Resurrection-for-the-The-Rev.-Mike-O-Rourkehttp://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100226/APC010101/302260010/Mass-of-Resurrection-for-the-The-Rev.-Mike-O-Rourke


2/4

see me on short notice when I came to your office and told you that Ihad placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, based on what Ihad read in the Letter to the Romans , and that I could no longer remain a member of a church that did not preach the simple gospel

of salvation as a free gift for simply believing that Christ died for theworld's sins , was buried, and rose again. I was hoping that youwould see this great truth as well, and the light would dawn in your eyes; and you would follow me in trusting the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, and stop trusting the teachings of your church . But itwas not to be.

As a brand new believer, I was no match for the sophistry of a priestwho had been thoroughly schooled in the works of Augustine ,Aquinas , and Ignatius of Loyola ; and you had me weeping withfrustration in no time. You, of course, went back to the gospel of Matthew, chapter 16 , and reminded me that Jesus said, thou artPeter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earthshall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earthshall be loosed in heaven. ( Matt. 16:18-19 ). Which of thethousands of Protestant denominations was this church, you askedme, if not the Roman Catholic Church founded nearly two thousandyears ago? She may make some mistakes but she's the only churchwith the successors of Peter, and see how she has endured the test of time?

I had no good answers for you that day, Father Mike. I gathered upmy King James Bible and my other books and papers and thankedyou for your time; but despite my feeling that I'd been bested by the

best, I never again set foot in your church to worship, but only toattend a funeral or two. Your advice that I should perhaps consult a
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor.%2015:1-4&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor.%2015:1-4&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph.%201:12-13&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20tim.%204:1-5&version=KJVhttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02091a.htmhttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14663b.htmhttp://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/se/se.htmhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2016&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mat%2016:18-19&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor.%2015:1-4&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor.%2015:1-4&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph.%201:12-13&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20tim.%204:1-5&version=KJVhttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02091a.htmhttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14663b.htmhttp://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/se/se.htmhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2016&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mat%2016:18-19&version=KJV


3/4

psychiatrist to help me deal with my obsession still stings after allthese years.

Seventeen years and much study of God's word later, I've come to

realize that the words of Christ in the four gospels are addressedexclusively to the nation of Israel, as the Lord himself proclaimed, Iam not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ( Matt.15:24 ). Our own apostle to the Body of Christ, Paul, wrote, JesusChrist was a minister of the circumcision [Israel] for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. ( Rom. 15:8 ).The church that Christ founded upon the rock of Peter's confessionthat Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah sent to saveIsrael was set aside following that chosen nation's rejection of himand his kingdom. ( Acts 7 ). The Roman Catholic religion, based onthese interrupted promises and doctrines, was on a mistaken pathfrom its inception, leading countless souls from the truth of the no-strings-attached gospel given to Paul. The Body of Christ is a newcreature , that no longer follows after the fleshly Jesus , but after themessage of the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ from heavengiven exclusively to Paul for us today found in his epistles, Romansthrough Philemon.

Father Mike, wherever you find yourself this day, do you remember,either with thanks or with regret, that tearful housewife armed withthe simple gospel of faith for salvation? I came to see you that day,not just to tell you that I quit your church and all its man-made

traditions and commands, but to give you the key to escape from ityourself. Only God knows your heart, Michael; but the fact that yousaid the Sacrifice of the Mass and administered the Catholicsacraments to the faithful every day since that time speaksvolumes about whether you ever used that key. Like the rich man inHades , do you now long to send a message to those who wrongly
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2015:24&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2015:24&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%2015:8&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%207&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%206:23&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%206:23&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor%205:17&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor%205:17&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor%205:16&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rom%203:21-26&version=KJVhttp://www.jesus-is-lord.com/finished.htmhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016:19-31&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016:19-31&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2015:24&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2015:24&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%2015:8&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%207&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%206:23&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%206:23&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor%205:17&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor%205:17&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor%205:16&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rom%203:21-26&version=KJVhttp://www.jesus-is-lord.com/finished.htmhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016:19-31&version=KJVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016:19-31&version=KJV


4/4

trusted in the doctrines you taught? Abraham's declaration still holdstrue today, that if men don't heed the scriptures, "neither will they be

persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Jesus Christ told Israel,the truth shall make you free , and that's a truth for all ages, but

only for those who are alive when they hear it, and not for thosewhose fate is now sealed.

Farewell, Father Mike, wherever you are.

Here's the whole story of my conversion .Related posts: There's No Such Thing as a Catholic Christian!

Catholic Church Gloats When We Use Her BiblesEx-Catholic's Worst Nightmare!
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%208:32&version=KJVhttp://www.maryapparitiontruth.wordpress.com/http://midactsdisp.blogspot.com/search/label/No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20a%20Catholic%20Christianhttp://midactsdisp.blogspot.com/2008/05/catholic-church-gloats-when-we-use-her.htmlhttp://midactsdisp.blogspot.com/search/label/Ex-Catholic's%20Worst%20Nightmarehttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%208:32&version=KJVhttp://www.maryapparitiontruth.wordpress.com/http://midactsdisp.blogspot.com/search/label/No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20a%20Catholic%20Christianhttp://midactsdisp.blogspot.com/2008/05/catholic-church-gloats-when-we-use-her.htmlhttp://midactsdisp.blogspot.com/search/label/Ex-Catholic's%20Worst%20Nightmare

to father mike wherever you are!

Documents