You might be interested to know that Rich Mullins, whom Protestants adore, had nearly completed becoming Catholic when he died.
He used to say at his concerts that he was “too chicken” to become Catholic; also his song “faith without works” and his album covers with the virgin Mary were indicators of his interest in the Catholic faith.
Several weeks ago I visited Fr. Matt McGuinness at Wichita State Universtity Newman Center, with whom Mullins had been studying. I asked him point blank, “enquiring minds want to know… is it true that Rich Mullins was to receive Holy Communion the day after he was killed?” Father said, “no, he wasn’t quite ready but he would have been within a week.”
Also you might want to hear “Top Ten Reasons for Becoming Catholic” which are on a t-shirt my wife made me wear among hordes of Protestants at a Rich Mullins concert, after which he read the whole thing, front…
and back…
Note that I did NOT wear the colander to the concert.
Four days before his last Christmas, Rich played a concert at our church, on my personal grand piano I had shipped there for the occasion. After the concert, he took this photo with our then pastor Fr. Busch (now retired) and associate pastor (Bernard Gorges, founder of Totus Tuus). I like this because here is Rich along with the tabernacle, a bit of the bottom of the cross right over his head, priests, and my son Chris in the background (he’s in college now).
I’m not telling you what you should do, but as long as we’re offering reasons to stay, you might consider why a Protestant idol such as Mullins would have joined the Church when clearly that would have totally “freaked out” a great deal of his audience. In case you haven’t heard of Rich, he is most famous as the author and recording artist for “Awesome God.”
edit>> He is also famous as the author of the song Amy Grant recorded, “Sing Your Praise to the Lord.” He was ambivalent about that, because Grant “screwed up” the song by omitting the middle section which is entirely Biblical, and Rich’s favorite part. On the other hand, he made a great deal of money off the song so he was able to buy things for himself and lots of other people.
Since the front of the shirt is not readable in the photo, here is the text:
Text on front:
10. It’s Politically Incorrect.
(Annoy the Catholic bashers).
9. You can sing badly, and no one cares.
(9 out of 10 American Catholics are musically impaired).
8. You can impress your friends.
(Tell them you belong to a militant international institution).
7. Your Mother.
(Low cost way to keep her happy).
6. Great Weddings!
(When it comes to ceremony the Catholic Church is smokin’)
**5. Great Pope!
**
**4. Saints.
**(Talk about friends in high places!)
**3. Confession
**(No, it’s not fun, but what a deal)
**2. Dependability.
(Jesus founded our Church on Peter, the rock, and promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against It).
**
And the number one reason to stay Roman Catholic is the awesome gift that no other church on earth can offer…
(Drum roll, please…)
then there’s a finger pointing toward the back.
Alan
