- Feb 5, 2002
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(OSV News) — Celebrities who convert to Catholicism can be an inspiration, a call to caution — and above all an occasion for personally recommitting to the faith, two evangelizationexperts told OSV News.
Entering the church “is a process that a lot of people go through, but (for celebrities) it’s playing out because they’re famous,” Sherry Anne Weddell, co-founder and executive director of the Colorado-based Catherine of Siena Institute, told OSV News. “So everything gets magnified more.”
Over the past several months, a number of high-profile public figures — among them, podcaster Tammy Peterson, conservative commentator Candace Owens, former porn actress Bree Solstad, actor Shia LeBoeuf and comedian Rob Schneider have publicly announced their embrace of the Catholic faith.
While such conversions are nothing new for the church (which over the centuries has welcomed everyone from the once-notorious Saul of Tarsus, later St. Paul, to royalty, philosophers, artists, intellectuals and world leaders), professing the faith in the age of hyper-fandom and social media can complicate matters, said Weddell, author of the 2012 book “Forming Intentional Disciples” and a consultant for hundreds of parishes worldwide.
Continued below.
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Entering the church “is a process that a lot of people go through, but (for celebrities) it’s playing out because they’re famous,” Sherry Anne Weddell, co-founder and executive director of the Colorado-based Catherine of Siena Institute, told OSV News. “So everything gets magnified more.”
Over the past several months, a number of high-profile public figures — among them, podcaster Tammy Peterson, conservative commentator Candace Owens, former porn actress Bree Solstad, actor Shia LeBoeuf and comedian Rob Schneider have publicly announced their embrace of the Catholic faith.
While such conversions are nothing new for the church (which over the centuries has welcomed everyone from the once-notorious Saul of Tarsus, later St. Paul, to royalty, philosophers, artists, intellectuals and world leaders), professing the faith in the age of hyper-fandom and social media can complicate matters, said Weddell, author of the 2012 book “Forming Intentional Disciples” and a consultant for hundreds of parishes worldwide.
The challenges of fame
Continued below.
Celebrity conversions inspire, challenge personal faith, experts say
Entering the church "is a process that a lot of people go through, but (for celebrities) it's playing out because they're famous," Sherry Anne Weddell, co-founder and executive director of the Colorado-based Catherine of Siena Institute, told OSV News. "So everything gets magnified more."
www.oursundayvisitor.com
