When Kathy Bendall reflects on her life, she does so with a sense of gratitude, peace, and earnestness in her speech. Her story is not defined by her mistakes; rather, it is evidence that by grace her heart was reshaped into new purposes. Bendall highlights the mercy of God and the surrounding support of her parish community, understanding that she found the true measure of redemption and the hope and fulfillment that follows it.

Bendall’s turning point came in 2017 while serving time in prison. After years of addiction and pain, she reached a moment of utter despair. In that darkness, she cried out to God for help, and He answered.

“What I thought was going to kill me didn’t—because God was there in that prison with me,” Bendall said. “He gave me strength, opened my eyes, and softened my heart to receive His love.”

Through the prison’s RCIA program, Bendall began rebuilding her faith from the ground up. There, she met Sr. Faustina Maria and volunteer Marty Arlinghaus, who became instruments of God’s grace in her life.

“When Sr. Faustina’s eyes met mine, I knew that’s exactly where I needed to be,” Bendall said. “There was a peace that surpassed all understanding right there in that room.”

In the months that followed, she developed a deep relationship with God and learned to see her life through the lens of mercy and purpose.

“I was given knowledge, wisdom, and understanding,” Bendall said. “It became clear to me that God had a purpose for my life.”

Upon her release in 2019, that purpose began to unfold in extraordinary ways. With a renewed spirit, Bendall faced the challenge of starting over, expecting her past to limit her future. But God had a plan. Out of the blue, Seacrest Recovery Center in Columbus called her, offering her a therapist position.

“The interviewer told me my story was going to change people’s lives,” Bendall said. “He told me to go home, apply for my license, and he was going to give me a job.”

Months later, Bendall’s social work license was miraculously reinstated. “If that was not God Himself, I don’t know who it was,” Bendall said. “He restored what I thought was gone forever.”

Today, Bendall serves as the Clinical Director for Seacrest Recovery Centers in Cincinnati and Columbus and is the proud owner of her own treatment facility, Divine Intervention Recovery Center. Her life’s work now focuses on helping others recover from addiction, trauma, and mental illness, offering the same hope that once saved her.

“My joy comes from the Lord,” Bendall said. “But He’s placed me in a position to help other people heal. When my story helps someone else to be successful—that’s true fulfillment.”

Her faith also brought healing within her family. Bendall’s husband converted to Catholicism, their marriage was convalidated, and their son was baptized and confirmed.

“This experience has united my family in the Church,” Bendall said. “We laugh, we love, and we overcome through Jesus when life throws a curve ball.”

Through her journey, Bendall illustrates that redemption is not merely a matter of second chances, but of uncovering the purpose and peace that could only come from God’s everlasting love.

“Against all odds, God has used me as a prime example of what He can do,” Bendall said. “Don’t give up. Keep your eyes on Jesus. The storms may come, but I am living proof that with God all things are possible.” ✣

This article appeared in the December 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.