My Info
Name: Leo
Age: 34
Sex: Male
Location: New York
My Story
I grew up in the in-between, spending much of my childhood straddling the lines between worlds. We moved around a lot when I was young, so I lived in a constant state of chaos—an endless cycle of starting a new school, joining a new sports team, making new friends, moving again, and repeating it all. Because of this, I often felt like I didn’t belong. I always felt different.
I had a lot of energy and used humor and wit to mask my insecurities and try to make friends. But more often than not, it backfired—people thought I was weird or too extreme—and that led to bullying. I struggled with anxiety and often felt sick to my stomach because of it. There were even moments when I considered taking my own life, hoping God would see my pain and ignore my sin. Everything was always changing and I was just trying to keep up.
I was born into the Catholic Church, but when I was 8 years old, we left and began attending Protestant churches. At that age, I didn’t really understand the difference—except that one felt like a workout and the other offered juice and cookies afterward. As time went on and my family became more involved in church life, one thing became clear: I loved God, and I always wanted to be as close to Jesus as I could, no matter what kind of church we were in. You could usually find me sitting alone in the front row—not because anyone told me to, but because that’s where I felt closest to Him.
The Prophecy
That same year, an elder at the Nazarene church we were attending looked me in the eye and said, “You’re going to do great things for the Kingdom one day.” I don’t remember that moment clearly, but years later, when my mom reminded me of it, it hit me deep.
In high school, the divide between my two worlds became more pronounced. There was the Church Me—who loved Jesus deeply and was hungry for more of Him. And then there was the World Me—who drank, did drugs, watched porn, and chased all the things teenage boys think they need to do to fit in. Like most teenage boys, self-control wasn’t exactly my strong suit. What started as curiosity quickly became addiction. A taste was never enough—it was all or nothing, and I wanted it all. It was becoming painfully clear that I was living a double life, and at that point, only an act of God could get me back on track.
When I was 15, God showed up again—this time to remind me of His calling on my life and reveal a little more of the puzzle. During a powerful worship experience at a Christian summer camp, I became so overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit that I was led out of the worship tent and onto the lawn. As I lay there in tears, thanking God for His goodness, I felt His call stirring deep in my soul: to lead others into encounters like the one I was having—so they too could feel the same Love and Peace that was washing over me in that sacred moment.
But like many kids, the spiritual fire faded once I got home. I went right back to rebelling—trying to drown out the call of God with my own noise. But the call never left. And over time, it became harder and harder to straddle the gap. The World Me and Church Me were always at odds and World Me was winning.
The Turning Point
At 17, I hit my breaking point—and that act of God I so desperately needed finally began to unfold. After a night of heavy drinking, I ended up with alcohol poisoning. I spent hours throwing up—long after there was anything left. Alone on the cold bathroom floor of my parents’ house, I reached the end of myself and prayed the most desperate prayer of my life:
“God, if You heal me, I’ll give You the rest of my life.”
He did.
And I meant it.
Two months later, I was enrolled at a Bible college in Indiana, studying to become a pastor. My path didn’t straighten out overnight—there were plenty of twists and turns—but eventually, I followed my passion to become a missionary. I even founded my own missions organization so I could travel the world sharing God’s love and mercy.
Coming Full Circle
That journey eventually took me halfway around the world to northern Thailand, where God called me to help bring freedom to those trapped in the red light district. It was there, in the heart of that mission, that my story began to come full circle. Amidst the brokenness I was witnessing, I felt a strong and unexpected pull back to the Catholic Church—where my soon to be girlfriend (now my wife) was already deeply rooted.
As I stepped back into the richness of Catholicism, I quickly fell in love with the Tradition, the Sacraments, and the beauty of the Church I had left as a child. That homecoming has led me to where I am today: serving as the Director of Faith Formation at a parish in upstate New York.
I owe everything to Jesus—the One who saw me sitting in the front pew when I was 8 years old, who met me on the lawn at summer camp and lit a fire in me to share the Gospel with the world, and who found me on that bathroom floor and didn’t leave me there. He redeemed me from the grip of this world, and without His grace and compassion, I honestly don’t know where I’d be.
But I know this: it wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as where I am now.
Mind you, I still have my struggles. I still make mistakes. But every day, I try to do a little better than yesterday—and that has made all the difference.
I’m not sure I’d call what I’ve done so far “great things for the Kingdom,” but I’m doing my best to live up to that prophetic word spoken over me all those years ago—and to make both God and Grandpa Don proud.
Stories Matter, Your Story Matters
Through 20 years of ministry, I’ve met countless people who have shared how God stepped into their lives, saved them from the world, and changed their stories forever. Hearing those stories has shaped my own faith journey. And it made me think: How many more people could be encouraged if they could just hear the story of someone like them—facing the same struggles—saying, “There is hope. There is light. Keep going.”
That’s why I started Redemption Arc—so people like you and me can share our stories of hope and encourage others to take that next step toward God’s love and mercy. Because no matter where you’ve been, it’s not too late to let Him redeem your story and set your feet on a better path.
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