God calls from church down the block
South Milwaukee woman embraces Catholicism
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Sedigheh Nahaie-Ghanad, 24, and her sponsor and uncle, Thomas Nosacek, are pictured after a recent Sunday Mass at Divine Mercy Parish in South Milwaukee. (Catholic Herald photo by Jim Bovin)
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Sometimes when God calls us we don't hear; at least not right away.
Looking back, Sedigheh Nahaie-Ghanad now knows why she was always so attracted to the church she passed frequently in the neighborhood where she lives.
"I always felt it was the coolest church around and I always had an attraction to it," she said. But for years, she never entered, nor even bothered to find out its denomination.
On Holy Saturday, during the Easter Vigil service, Nahaie-Ghanad became a Catholic when she received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation in that church - Divine Mercy Parish on Milwaukee's south side.
Never baptized as an infant and growing up exploring various faiths, primarily eastern philosophies, she always felt something was missing.
Then last spring, after she became ill and ended up in the hospital, Nahaie-Ghanad decided to listen to what she believed was a 'wake-up call' from God.
"When I was in the hospital, I was like, 'All right God, this is it, you saved me, you gave me another chance, but you've got to lead the way now, because I don't know what to do. I just need help," she said.
Read more in this week's Catholic Herald feature article.
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