Hearing God's Call Through the Eucharist: A Former Secular Man's Journey to the Priesthood (The Inner Life with Patrick Conley)

On The Inner Life, Patrick Conley sits down with Fr. Robert Ryan, a young Chicago pastor with a story that only God could have written. You can hear the entire conversation about "living sacramentally" here. Fr. Ryan grew up in a solid Catholic family but drifted far from the faith during college and his early career in tech sales. At one point, his religion listed on Facebook was literally “U.S. Dollar.” But God had other plans. After losing his job in 2012, he moved back home under one simple house rule from Dad: “If you live here, you go to Mass.” Slowly, grace started cracking open his heart. Then came a Friday night when he cancelled a planned party, felt an unshakable inner nudge, and ended up at confession for the first time in 11 years. The priest welcomed him home to the Church and gave him so much kindness.  Nine months later, through new prayer habits (Rosary, adoration) and deeper engagement in his faith, a friend named Mary (yes, really) invited him to a priesthood discernment retreat. There, in Eucharistic adoration, he poured out his confusion and frustration to God… and heard the unmistakable words: “Be my priest.” Twice. At first, he argued. But eventually, he surrendered: “Okay, Lord, but we have to do this together.” Peace flooded in. That “yes” in January 2015 led to seminary that August and ordination in May 2021. Today, Fr. Ryan serves as pastor of St. Benedict Parish and co-director of the Eucharistic Revival in Chicago, full of gratitude and joy for the priesthood. It’s a reminder: the sacraments aren’t just something we receive; they change the entire direction of our lives. The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here.