Pat’s Testimony

I was born (it now feels like a very long time ago!), in Brixton, South London. My parents were from the south of Ireland, and brought precious little with them across the Irish Sea except their Catholicism and a dream of a better life. They kept their religion, but experienced poverty and hardship as they scraped together a living in post-war England. We lived in a multi-occupancy house, sharing facilities with a number of other families, some from far off places such as the West Indies and Africa.

When I was about 7 years old my mother developed Multiple Sclerosis and became increasingly disabled. It was about this time that my father took to drinking heavily in order to cope with the pressures within the home, so my memories of family life are not particularly happy.

My brother and I were both baptised and confirmed into the Catholic faith, and I went to Mass each Sunday, attended RC Primary and Senior Schools, and ate fish on Fridays! Whilst in my teens I rejected the Church and it’s teachings, and became the archetypal rebellious and difficult teenager! Miraculously though, I managed to avoid being permanently expelled from school and went on to take A Levels.

Like most teenagers I wanted money to buy clothes and records (my favourite group at that time was The Beatles) so I got a Saturday job in Woolworth’s. One weekend I was invited to a birthday party by one of the Saturday boys. I went along, had a nice time, met a young man called Alan, and the rest as they say is history!

Shortly before we met, Alan had become a Christian and he immediately began to tell me about Jesus Christ, and how I needed to get right with Him. I found what he was saying very difficult, because I had been taught that the Roman Catholic religion was the one true faith. There then began months of soul searching and wrestling with God as I looked seriously at the claims of Christ. I also became increasingly aware that our relationship had no future, because Alan’s first love was Christ.

One night, whilst alone in my bedroom, I set out to discover the truth. I picked up a Bible that Alan had given to me and seeing that Mark’s gospel was the shortest, I decided to read it. I was immediately gripped! When I reached the description of the crucifixion and read the words of the Centurion soldier who stood at the foot of the cross, “Surely this man was the Son of God”, something amazing happened.

I knew for certain that Christ loved me and gave Himself for me, and as my hard heart was melted, He gently and tenderly washed away my sin, and I became a new creation in Christ! My prayer is that as you read my story, you might meet Him too!