Jeremy Rivera returns to Hawaii for a two-night mission in Waipio Gentry
Special to the Herald
A former evangelical minister who returned to the Catholic faith two decades ago will speak next month at Resurrection of the Lord Church in Waipio Gentry.
Jeremy Rivera will lead a parish mission over two days, March 23-24, from 7-9 p.m. The theme is “A Tale of Two Tribes — A Story of Conversion.” Admission is free.
Rivera said he is “personally inviting” dozens of lapsed Catholics to the mission.
Rivera attended Hawaii Pacific University, graduating in 1997. During his time there he was mentored at Hope Chapel Kaneohe; later he became a pastor at New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, then held pastorships in California and Colorado.
“After several years, I began to long for a deeper connection with the early church, the lives of the saints and the teaching authority that only the Catholic Church offers to a culture very much confused on matters of faith and morals,” he said in a news release.
After an encounter with Archbishop Emeritus Charles Chaput, who led the Archdiocese of Denver at the time, Rivera in 2006 returned to the Catholic Church of his youth.
An interview on the Catholic television program “The Chris Stefanick Show” in which he told his story was viewed more than 250,000 times on YouTube in a span of just three months.
“I think the story shines light on God’s commitment to all of those who were ‘sacramentalized’ but perhaps not evangelized,” Rivera said. “It’s a story of hope for those with loved ones away from the church.”
“God is inviting every Christian to ongoing conversion and change,” he added. “It’s easy to get stuck going through the motions as an evangelical or a Catholic.”
“Following Christ is a wild adventure and I’ve learned to no longer be surprised by how he works.”
Rivera is the founder and president of The Little J Marketing Co. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Leslie, and their four children.
For more information about the mission, call the parish office at (808) 676-4700 or email aacebo@rcchawaii.org.