Harbor Springs, Michigan (Catholic Online) - (Note from the Editor in Chief - I count among the greatest joys hearing of sincere Christians who are drawn by the Splendor of Truth and the work of the Holy Spirit into the full communion of the Catholic Church. Nancy and John DaMoose are old friends. She recently wrote to me and shared her beautiful story of coming into the full communion of the Catholic Church during the 2012 Easter Vigil. Soon, we will offer her testimony. The day after we received the gift of Pope Francis, she sent me the letter which I offer to our readers below)

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Good Morning Deacon Keith,

I have grown to look forward to your daily postings online, and today was no exception. This morning I was most anxious to see what you had to say about our new Pope.  I must say that what you wrote was very similar to what I thought and felt myself yesterday as I watched my new Pope step out onto the loggia, and listened to my new Pope speak his first words to the world.  If you would indulge me, Keith, I would love to share with you just a bit of what I, as a new Catholic, experienced yesterday.

Presently I am alone in Florida.  My plans for yesterday fell through, so I was left with an afternoon completely to myself. The first thing I did was to turn on the news to see if there was any word from Rome.  Very quickly I found myself glued to the television in anticipation - and like millions of other Catholics around the world, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the white smoke emanating from the chimney.

As I watched the waiting crowds in St. Peter's Square, a new realization flooded over me: This is where my citizenship lies!  I am a citizen of the Vatican; I am a Catholic citizen; and my nation is 1.2 billion people strong!  Suddenly, with that thought, a sense of real hope washed over me!

In those few short moments, I experienced the truth that the affairs of this world are temporal. Yes, I am to be concerned about the world, and I am to be about my Father's business while I am here. But my hope is not in or of this world; my hope is in the life to come.  I have known this for my entire life, but until yesterday, I don't think I had ever really experienced that Truth. And how could I, as until recently, my citizenship had not been in the Vatican.

Then I watched as thousands and thousands of people cheered.  I quickly called my family at home and urged them  to watch the 'goings on.'  Had this been any other moment in time, the crowd might well have been waiting to see a rock star's entrance onto the stage.  But this cheering crowd was awaiting the arrival of their new Pope!  It was positively breathtaking for me to watch, knowing that I was one of them, and that I, too, was awaiting the arrival of my new Pope.

In all honesty, I was a bit apprehensive as I waited and wondered to myself if I could actually love this Pope as I am called to do - if I would really even like him!  And then Pope Francis I entered the stage. In that single moment, I felt a love for this descendent of St. Peter that nearly pierced my heart!  As he stood on the balcony looking at the crowd, I saw only one thing: a beautiful man - a beautifully humble man.  I knew in an instant that Pope Francis I is truly God's appointed and anointed for such a time as this!

And isn't that just like The Lord? In the arrogance of our times - and in striking contrast to the arrogance of our worldly leaders - God has chosen a man of absolute and perfect humility to lead His Church!  He has also chosen a man who possesses every bit of the intellectual capacity that some of our worldly leaders claim to possess; and yet, humility is written all over his face; indeed, humility literally rings forth through his voice.

It appears that Pope Francis I is also a man of considerable vigor - intellectual vigor, physical vigor for a man of his age, and spiritual vigor.  And clearly, he possesses a vigorous humility. Yes, in the case of our new Pope, "humility" is a verb!

I believe you are right, Deacon Keith, when you say that God has called this Francis to rebuild His Church. In this, He has surprised the world - not so much in the particulars of the call, but in the particular man upon whom He has obviously placed the call.  Oh, what a mighty God we serve! What an awesome and mighty God.

So today I am rejoicing with you and the rest of the Catholic world in the selection of our new leader.  Yes, I am a citizen of the Vatican. Yes, Francis I is my new leader. Yes, I will be praying for him in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.  And yes, my heart is filled with love for Pope Francis I.

In Christ's Name,
Nancy

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As a lifelong Evangelical Protestant Christian, Nancy Damoose 'discovered'  the Catholic Church while working on a Master's Degree in Theology.  The truths she discovered during her study of Church History and Doctrine led her to seek confirmation on Easter, 2012. Nancy is the mother of 4, and grandmother of 5.  She and her husband, John, live in Harbor Springs, Michigan, where they are members of Holy Childhood of Jesus Parish.