By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
From Catholicism to Protestantism and back again, Richard Valencia Jr.’s decades-long journey of faith has led him back to the Church truly founded by Christ, the parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Waxahachie said.
Baptized at the age of nine, Valencia was raised in the Catholic faith; and while his family did not always make it to Sunday Mass, he said, his parents tried their best to foster faith.
“As a small boy, I remember my father leading me to kneel and kiss the crucifix as we entered church,” Valencia said. “That simple act left a lasting impression on me.”
As he grew into an adolescent, Valencia began attending events at a Protestant church alongside his older sister. As he learned of Jesus’ love, through both the words and witness of Protestant Christians, he felt a joy and peace wash over him, and his heart was moved.
“I know now that God was drawing me to him,” Valencia said.
As he neared the end of high school, a teenage Valencia offered a prayer to God while listening to the Gospel at a Protestant church: He asked the Lord to be in his heart, and he promised to live for Christ. Even while the teenager’s love of God was deepening, though, he was also drifting further from his Catholic roots.
“I unfortunately left the Catholic faith,” Valencia said, “and was convinced, through various Protestant teachings, Catholics had the wrong view of salvation and how Christians should live as faithful followers of Jesus.”
Full of zeal for Christ, Valencia began poring over stories of foreign missionaries who brought the Word of God into the far reaches of the Earth. Fueled by his own aspirations to become a missionary, he began studying history and education. As he finished his classes, however, he felt called to apply to the Dallas Police Department rather than to the seminary. He currently serves the department as a detective in the child exploitation unit.
In the years that followed his initiation into the police department, Valencia found himself once again coming into contact with his childhood faith: this time as a tourist visiting historic Catholic churches while traveling abroad.
“The more I explored the ancient churches, some of them just ruins, the more I found myself questioning my beliefs. I knew I had to take a deeper look into the early Church beliefs to see where things went wrong,” he said. “The more I studied Church history, especially the early Church Fathers, the more I realized I had misunderstood my Catholic faith. The early Church looked a lot like the Catholic Church.”
The Eucharist, baptism, confession — these were some of the foundations of the faith that began to beckon Valencia home to Catholicism. He was also drawn to the “rich, continuous history” of the Church, he said.
“The root of my decision to return to the Catholic Church, have my children baptized, have my marriage convalidated, and be confirmed in the Catholic Church, all in 2025, is because I believe it preserves the truest and most historic way Christians have worshiped God,” the St. Joseph parishioner said.
Today, Valencia lives out his Catholic faith in his work as a detective, often praying for his fellow detectives and for both the victims and suspects involved in his cases. He also lives his faith through his involvement in street evangelization, his membership in the Knights of Columbus, and his participation in the holy sacrifice of the Mass each Sunday.
“I love that a lot of Catholic churches have a deep sense of reverence, especially during Mass and adoration,” he said. “Although we can practice cultivating a relationship with God in our homes or in our cars during a commute, there is something powerful about being inside a church or a chapel.”
“By consistently going to church every Sunday and receiving the Eucharist,” Valencia added, “I continue to grow in my faith.”
Editor’s Note: Do you have an answer to the question: Why are you Catholic? Email [email protected] with a few details about your story of faith for consideration in The Texas Catholic’s “Why I am Catholic” series.
Cutline for featured image: Richard Valencia Jr., a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Waxahachie, is pictured at his parish on July 27. Valencia shared his story of faith with The Texas Catholic as part of the “Why I am Catholic” series. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
