Why I'm Catholic: Ex-London Gangster, John Pridmore, Returns to the Faith

Aleteia ^ | March 25, 2015 | JOHN PRIDMORE

[NYer]

John Pridmore is a former East End Gangster turned Christian who now travels internationally speaking to others about how his life changed. If you would like to learn more about John visit his website www.johnpridmore.com where you will find all three of his books available including his life story From Gangland to Promised Land.  This article was published on the website whyimcatholic.com.

[NYer]

Ping!

[9thLife]

ogawd the pro-testants are gonny love this.

[lee martell]

This is a fantastic story. At first I thought it was too long to even bother starting let alone finishing, but this man’s story of redemption is worth the time. He is very articulate and writes in a prosaic no-frills manner.
This is similar to other such stories with familiar archetypes; the thunderous epiphany of an anti-heroic protagonist. Some of these stories have been made into movies.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

As an ignorant Catholic, I’m glad he went to confession and received the Eucharist, and if there was ever a time when the rules need not apply, but rather the spirit, this one is an example, or maybe that further details my ignorance.....how could he receive confession and the Eucharist without having first received enough instruction....or was such instruction was waived as already understood in the valid decision of the priest that he experienced it in LIFE, that these were indeed his First Confession and his First Communion, by fire, indeed....hey, maybe I’m not so ignorant after all...I have a brain! Thank You God for helping me use it!

“Divorce is best for the child” - score another for terrible advice!

[ealgeone]

I walked out of that talk and said a prayer to Mary the mother of Jesus....

Well, he could have just asked Jesus straight up. No need to go through Mary. Paul never asked Mary what to do....nor did Peter, James, Luke, Matthew, Timothy, Stephen, etc, etc, etc.

[annalex]

I miss Fr. Corapi.

Lord God, bring tough men to Thy Church so that they can teach us how to love and how to persevere.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.

[Tax-chick]

My goodness, what an amazing story ... and yet there are so many like it. “Who will love the Master most? The one who was forgiven the most.”

[Salvation]

And the advice was “What is it your Son wants me to do?’” Or didn’t you see that part?

[Bigg Red]

Amazing story. Thank you for posting this.

[georgia peach]

Perhaps the Spirit, knowing his heart better than you or I, led him to pray for Mary’s help.Obviously it was the right thing for him as she gently suggested confession which healed him.God knows what we need and uses many avenues to help, so boundless is His Love.

[Labyrinthos]

Thank-you. A story with similarities to my own.

[Labyrinthos]

Well, he could have just asked Jesus straight up. No need to go through Mary. Paul never asked Mary what to do....nor did Peter, James, Luke, Matthew, Timothy, Stephen, etc, etc, etc.

Why do you need to be a self-rightious party-pooper? As Thumper said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all."

[Heart-Rest]

"Paul never asked Mary what to do....nor did Peter, James, Luke, Matthew, Timothy, Stephen, etc, etc, etc."
=============================================================

That is a statement which you have absolutely no way of knowing if it is true or false, so why do you say it, when you don't (and can't possibly) really know?

[Albion Wilde]

"an old priest who told me about a retreat... When I got there it wasn’t like I had imagined but I saw about 200 young people who had a joy I had never seen before. Some of them came up and hugged me, well I don’t know if you know any ex-gangster’s, but we’re not into all that hugging business, I mean for girls it was fine but the guys please, you don’t hug other men around our way, you’d get slapped. "

Pithy!

[Albion Wilde]

“Who will love the Master most? The one who was forgiven the most.”

Like St Augustine...

[verga]

Paul never asked Mary what to do....nor did Peter, James, Luke, Matthew, Timothy, Stephen, etc, etc, etc.

How do you know? Seriously how do you know? And before you make the stock prot answer of: "The Bible never mentions....." There is a lot things the Bible never mentions, Like how many pairs of Sandals did Paul have? What color were Peter's eyes? How tall was Stephen? etc...

[DuncanWaring]

Ealgeone only complains about people converting to Catholicism.

Check the story about Lew Alcindor converting to the religion of those who enslaved his ancestors, and ealgeone says not a peep.

[ealgeone]

Actually the burden of proof is on the roman catholics to prove where we are to pray to Mary.....and yes the Bible is the standard measure of truth. If not any book can be claimed to be truth. The Koran, the Book of Mormon, etc.

[ealgeone]

Haven’t seen that one but yes, it too, is sad to see someone convert to anything other than Christianity.