Fr. Dan Reehil recounts his profound journey from leaving the Church at age 11 to a miraculous conversion in Medjugorje, leading him back to faith and eventually to the priesthood. He emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer, obedience to God's call, and the urgent message of Mary for souls today. His story highlights the challenges and grace involved in returning to God and following His will.
In a heartfelt testimony, Fr. Dan Reehil opens with a prayer invoking the Holy Spirit and the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. His story is one of transformation, faith, and the powerful call of Mary to souls in our time.
Fr. Dan was born in 1965 in New York. At the age of 11, he had an unfortunate experience with a priest that led him to leave the Church. For 22 years, he stayed away from the faith, living a life that, despite material success, left him deeply unhappy and unfulfilled.
In 1998, Fr. Dan experienced a miraculous conversion during a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Bosnia Herzegovina. It was there that Our Lady, through her powerful intercession, drew him back to her Son, Jesus Christ. This marked the beginning of his return to the Church.
Upon returning to Manhattan, Fr. Dan made significant changes in his life. He adopted new spiritual disciplines such as attending daily Mass, monthly confession, and praying the Rosary regularly. He even changed his commute to walk to work so he could pray the Rosary during that time.
A spiritual director recognized that Fr. Dan would need guidance and encouraged him to pray a simple but profound prayer daily: "Lord, do you want me to do something different with your life?" Initially, Fr. Dan prayed this prayer for a week without receiving an answer and thought his path was set to remain in his current business.
However, his spiritual director urged him to continue praying, emphasizing the importance of persistence in seeking God's will. Fr. Dan continued this prayer for a month, then a year, and eventually for 18 months.
On November 5, 2000, after receiving Communion at an early Sunday Mass, Fr. Dan heard an audible voice saying, "Come, follow me." Turning around, he saw no one but realized it was Jesus calling him personally. He responded with a willing heart, saying, "Okay, I will follow you," not knowing where this path would lead.
Determined to follow God's call, Fr. Dan researched various religious orders and their formation timelines. He sought the fastest path to ordination, considering his age of 33, the same age Jesus was at the completion of His earthly mission.
He discovered that most religious orders required about 12 years of formation, but diocesan priesthood typically took about four years. This led him to pursue the diocesan path.
Before his conversion, Fr. Dan had experienced a high-profile marriage and divorce, including a wedding in New York City and an engagement in Paris. Despite having wealth, possessions, and status, he felt miserable because he lacked God in his life.
When he approached the diocesan vocation director to discuss his call to the priesthood, he was surprised to find that the priest who married him was the one who told him he was not called to be a priest. This moment was a significant challenge in his journey.
Throughout his testimony, Fr. Dan emphasizes the powerful role of Mary, Queen of Peace, and her urgent call to souls today. His own conversion was deeply influenced by her intercession, and he encourages others to heed her message and return to God with humility and perseverance.
Fr. Dan Reehil’s story is a compelling example of God’s mercy and the transformative power of faith. His journey from abandonment to priesthood underscores the importance of persistent prayer, openness to God’s will, and the maternal guidance of Mary. His testimony invites all souls to respond to the urgent call to holiness and salvation in these challenging times.
Let us remember his prayer at the beginning: a plea for the Holy Spirit’s gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and perfect deference to God’s will, all for His glory through Christ our Lord.
