From heavy metal to a love for Christ

Renew America ^ | 03.18.06 | Matt C. Abbott

[Coleus]

Rick Ryan was once the drummer for a "glam" metal band called Hatrik. Now, many years later, he is a devout Catholic, aspiring priest and an effective sidewalk counselor in Chicago.

Rick has had his hand in the saving of babies from abortion, one of whom I featured in a previous column. More recently, an abortion-seeking couple that Rick had counseled and brought to The Women's Center came to have their picture taken with him — with their baby!

When sidewalk counseling, Rick brings out a large wooden plaque of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Interestingly, the couple's baby was born on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Please pray for Rick and everyone else involved in the pro-life movement.

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Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic journalist and commentator. He is a columnist for and/or contributor to RenewAmerica.us, TheConservativeVoice.com, MichNews.com, Catholic.org, Opeds.com, and Speroforum.com. He can be reached at mattcabbott@ gmail.com .

[Coleus]

Praise God! What a great job he's doing. You never know who the Lord will call or when He will call. Pray for our priests, vocations and for our seminarians no matter how crazy they looked in 1985. We need more sidewalk counselors like him.

[STARWISE]

Ping

[onyx]

How marvelous. Thank you for the ping!
Bless this man and prayers for him in his aspiration for the priesthood.

[Delta 21]

Glad to see he found a good barber. That 80's hair was....um.....bad.

Praise the Lord!

[Clemenza]

Not the only former Rock and Roller to return to the Church. I've met three guys who were formerly in locally popular bands in Chicago who are now devout Catholics.

Can't think of any big time rock and rollers in the USA who are devout Catholics (Bono, who is Irish, is the only one I can think of worldwide). I do know that Alice Cooper is a born again Christian (Assemblies of God?), who had been an atheist after rebelling against his Mormon parents.

[Coleus]

I think Dion was a revert and found his way home.

[stainlessbanner]

Dave Mustaine is another believer

[Emmet Fitzhume]

I know.

It always makes me smile to see someone reform away from a sinful lifestyle.

It provides our hope for friends/family who have not yet seen the light of Christ.

[Cheverus]

Are you sure that Bono fellow is Catholic? I thought he was some sort of "born again"

[Nihil Obstat]

When sidewalk counseling, Rick brings out a large wooden plaque of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Interestingly, the couple's baby was born on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Please pray for Rick and everyone else involved in the pro-life movement.

Will do.

[brwnsuga]

He is born again.

[Clemenza]

Bono is a Catholic.

[Rutles4Ever]

Bono grew up in a split-household (Dad is Catholic, mom is Protestant). He is not a practicing Catholic of any sort, and does not subscribe to any organized religion.

There are few, if any, actual Vatican-loyal practicing Catholics anywhere in show business. Someone said Patricia Heaton is a practicing Catholic, but that's not true, either. She's a fallen Catholic whose sister is a Dominican nun, but she attends a Presbyterian church.

Caviezel might be the closest thing to a Vatican-loyal Catholic in Hollywood. It's EXTREMELY difficult to work in entertainment circles as a practicing Catholic. You're persona non grata unless you're behind the camera and not in front.