A Mother's Prayers Never Wasted: Tim Francis on Faith, Addiction, and Coming Home – 07/02/2026

A Cradle Catholic's Long Road Home Tim Francis grew up in New Carlisle, Ohio, in a faithful Catholic household — but by the time he reached college at Ohio State, the faith took a back seat to partying and eventually substance abuse. His journey into addiction in his early twenties set him on a dark path that would last years. The Mom Who Kept Praying While Tim was drifting, his mother Patricia Ann was praying — rosaries, Mass, Holy Hours, prayer journals, and letter campaigns. She was sending Tim cassette tapes of Scott Hahn's conversion story as early as 1988, even when he wasn't remotely interested. She never pushed, never gave up, and never stopped interceding. A Slow, Surprising Return Tim's path back to the Church wound through a megachurch Bible study, debates with Catholic apologists Tim Staples and Father Mitch Pacwa held in his own living room, and a stunning Fox documentary on a woman with the stigmata — a tape his mother sent him. Each thread, years apart, was quietly part of the same answer to the same prayers. The Book — and What Came From It Tim is the author of From the Crack House to God's House: The Power of a Mother's Prayer, a raw and honest account of his journey that he says will make you "hate me and love my mom." He also has a new book in the works: The Men Who Knew the Apostles, expected out within the month. A Message for Moms with Kids Away from the Church Tim's direct word to Catholic moms: don't stop praying. Use every tool available — including the stigmata documentary his mother sent him, available on his website — and ask the Holy Spirit to go before your children as they watch it. Learn more and find the stigmata video at ScienceTestFaith.com #CatholicWomenNow #TimFrancis #PowerOfPrayer #CatholicMom #PrayingMom #RosaryWorks #CatholicFaith #FromTheCrackHouseToGodsHouse #CatholicConversion #IowasCatholicRadio #CatholicSpeaker #MothersPrayer #CatholicTestimony #ComingHomeToCatholic #ScienceTestFaith Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our StationsLINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.