by Sarah Wells

Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati this past May, Fr. Adam Lewis became Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of the Hills Family of Parishes, which includes Holy Trinity, West Union; St. Benignus, Greenfield; St. Mary, Hillsboro; and St. Mary Queen of Heaven, Peebles. He defers credit for his unique story and journey to Catholicism to others.

“It’s not my story—it’s the Holy Spirit’s story,” he said. “It’s my parents’ story working itself out through me, and you’re also part of it.”

In our every turn toward God, it is God who draws us first, as expressed in Eucharistic Prayer III’s words: “You never cease to gather a people to yourself.”

Fr. Lewis’ faithful Christian parents homeschooled their four children and prayed together as a family. Thanks to their efforts, he and his siblings grew up with discerning hearts and minds.

But as high school ended and college began, Fr. Lewis’ faith was tested.

“I think my faith has always been strong, but I don’t think I’ve always lived it out very well,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever doubted God’s existence or that I should trust Him, but how close was I following Him? Really, it was up and down.”

While attending Milligan College in Tennessee, he competed on the swim team and studied business. “The idea was [that] I’d be successful,” Fr. Lewis said. Still, he enjoyed chapel and vespers on Sunday evenings—a hint of things to come.

Reflecting on sins of his past, Fr. Lewis said, “We can accuse ourselves of our sins, which we should, and be hard on ourselves so that God will be merciful. But comparatively, it was quite mild for me. … God allowed me to fall enough to where it was so hard and humiliating. … It was really the medicine … that I needed to draw closer to him. It was the ‘vaccine’ I needed. Just a little bit of the virus so I don’t get really sick.”

While studying in Uganda during his final semester, Fr. Lewis saw God’s presence in the people he met. He found in them hospitality, patience, gentleness, and a spiritual depth that bore peace.

“In the Protestant world, there is no Real Presence, so there’s not much of a focus on the presence of God. … But I was experiencing the presence of God in these people and, at the same time, growing in my own prayer life.”

Returning home from Uganda, Fr. Lewis graduated, but he felt lost and empty. Deciding to pursue graduate studies in Dayton, he moved closer to a cousin he was mentoring. At the same time, his family began attending a Southern Baptist church in Centerville. Fr. Lewis and the pastor immediately connected, prompting Fr. Lewis’ acceptance of the offered internship at the church. Thus began the next leg of his journey.

“I was quickly learning what I did not want to do with the rest of my life,” Fr. Lewis said, noting that he felt anxious at graduate school, while his church community made him feel alive. “Now, for the first time in my life, I was really connected with a church community and invested in their lives. Bible study, praying together, fasting together.”

Meanwhile, his private prayer was deepening. Without intending it, he developed his own version of the Liturgy of the Hours, beginning with one psalm in the morning, adding one in the evening, and eventually incorporating a hymn.

In these small moments, the Lord prepared Fr. Lewis’ heart for the True Presence of God on earth, the Eucharist—until the day he wept when he read St. Ignatius of Antioch and realized “that the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus founded, and the Eucharist is His Body and Blood. That was the early Christian belief, it always has been, it’s right there.” He then began attending daily Mass.

This brought a time of both sorrow and joy, as he grew in intimacy with God but departure from his church became inevitable. The thought of leaving was devastating, especially because of his deep friendship with the pastor.

“In a certain sense, I betrayed my best friend [to become Catholic],” Fr. Lewis said. He hesitated to share his new convictions regarding the Eucharist, “I didn’t even understand how God was working in my own soul, trying to make sense of what I’m reading. The Eucharist—flesh and blood, drink it, it’s medicine and immortality—how do you explain that to someone?”

Ultimately, his sister Rachel gave him the confidence to join OCIA, encouraging his Catholic convictions while they backpacked together. Three weeks later she called him in tears, insisting that they both become Catholic as soon as possible.

After sharing their convictions with their family, Fr. Lewis and Rachel invited their parents and sisters to OCIA simply to learn about Catholic beliefs. It was the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and by December of that year, the whole family was all in. 

Approaching the Real Presence of God at the Easter Vigil as he watched his own family one by one receive Holy Communion for the first time, Fr. Lewis experienced great joy. However, he discovered his heart yearned for more. Thus, soon after his conversion and entrance into full communion with the Catholic Church, he began the next chapter of his spiritual journey: answering God’s call to the vocation of priesthood.

This article appeared in the January 2026 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.