Becoming Catholic at 98: World War II Veteran Joins the Church – Story – Kate Quiñones/EWTN News

Led by the dedication of his late wife and a friendship with a deacon, a World War II veteran has joined the Catholic Church at almost 100 years old.

A World War II Army veteran, Raymond “Ray” Martin Sr., has joined the Catholic Church at 98 years old.

Before finding his way to the Church in Tuscon, Arizona, Martin served in Okinawa, Japan, and in the Philippines; he then spent 27 years as a police officer in Illinois.

Martin’s connection to Catholicism began with his late wife, Ann Marie.

When Deacon Jacinto “Jack” Trevino, a hospice chaplain and parochial associate at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the Diocese of Tuscan, met with Martin in December 2025, the two bonded over a shared background in law enforcement and spoke about his wife and her faith.

“Ray is an amazing person,” Deacon Trevino told EWTN News. “We hit it off from the beginning. We talked about the job a lot — and shared some laughs.”

It wasn’t all laughs, though. As they got to know each other, their conversations grew serious.

“Ray talked about his wife, who passed,” Deacon Trevino recalled. “He said she was Catholic and he would attend Mass with her and pray the Rosary.”

“One day he mentioned that he was never baptized or had any of the sacraments and he wanted to be Catholic,” Deacon Trevino continued. “We began deeper discussions of the faith.”

Martin, it turned out, had a deep faith in Christ and in the Eucharist.

“He expressed true belief in Christ and the teaching of the Catholic Church,” Deacon Trevino said. “He expressed his belief in the Eucharist and the importance of baptism and confirmation. Ray said that even though he was not Catholic, he would always pray the Act of Contrition.”

At the Edge of Death, Life

Deacon Trevino, along with Father Edson Elizarraras, pastor of St. Christopher in Marana, Arizona, had a sense of urgency in bringing those sacraments to Martin.

Martin has survived a stroke, multiple falls and other health concerns in recent years, even bordering on the brink of death in May after he suffered another stroke.

“Remarkably, Ray pulled through,” Father Elizarraras told EWTN News. “It was after this stroke that he clearly expressed his desire to become Catholic and receive the sacraments of initiation.”

Deacon Trevino and Father Elizarraras approached the bishop about advancing Martin’s sacraments. Usually, would-be converts to Catholicism go through a one- to two-year Order of Christian Initiation of Adults before receiving the sacraments.

“Though he married a Catholic woman and faithfully attended Holy Mass with her prior to her passing, Deacon Trevino noted that Ray always felt unworthy to receive the sacraments, despite believing in God,” Father Elizarraras said.

“Ray came to tears expressing his desire for the Catholic faith, sharing that throughout his life, he would pray the Act of Contrition and the Rosary,” Father Elizarraras said. “The more Deacon Trevino visited him, the more questions Ray asked, showing he was fully convinced and willingly prepared to receive sacramental grace.”

One of the Most Important Days

So the date was set for July 16; the location, the assisted living home where Martin resided. The facility manager had put up banners with crosses to prepare the living room for the celebration, according to Deacon Trevino.

On the day of the celebration, Father Elizarraras gave Martin the short-order form of OCIA, which is written for those in near danger of death.

“The moment I approached to greet him, he began to cry and smile; he knew this was one of the most important days of his life,” Father Elizarraras said.

Residents, caregivers and Martin’s family attended the Mass.

“Beautifully, at the start of the liturgy, Mr. Raymond asked to be helped closer to the small, dignified altar we had prepared,” Father Elizarraras said. “He wanted to hear clearly and see God at work.”

“When I asked him, ‘Dear brother, Raymond, you have asked to be baptized because you wish, as Christians do, to have eternal life. … This is the faith of Christians. Do you know this?’ He responded firmly, ‘I do, Yes!’ and wept tears of joy,” Father Elizarraras recalled.

“Throughout the rite, he remained deeply attentive, smiling and occasionally meditating with his eyes closed,” Father Elizarraras continued. “When the moment came for his baptism, he opened his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, recognizing this supernatural encounter with God.”

Deacon Trevino described the day as “powerful.”

“I was so blessed to humbly participate and witness how Christ, the bridegroom, pours out his love and mercy through his bride, the Church, in the sacraments for his people,” Deacon Trevino said.

Afterward, they celebrated with cupcakes — and made plans for how Martin would practice his newfound faith from the assisted living home.

“First thing he asked me and my wife, Elena, was how he could receive Communion again since he can’t get around to go to Mass,” Deacon Trevino said. “We promised that we would bring him Communion directly and he could watch Mass on EWTN.”

Martin asked for a medal of St. Christopher; he’d “always wanted one,” he told Deacon Trevino, and St. Christopher was now, officially, his confirmation saint.

Encountering Christ

Father Elizarraras left the celebration that day “with immense joy and peace.”

“In Rayʼs response to grace, I saw a soul truly coming alive,” Father Elizarraras said.

The celebration brought to Father Elizarraras’ mind a line from Deus Caritas Est, “God Is Love,” an encyclical letter written by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.

“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction,” Father Elizarraras said, quoting Benedict.

“For Ray, at 98 years old, this sacrament was that very encounter, giving his final days a glorious new horizon,” Father Elizarraras said.

A week later, Deacon Trevino’s wife, Elena, a lay ecclesial minister, brought Martin Communion.

“She read the Gospel for the upcoming Mass, the Parable of the Buried Treasure,” Deacon Trevino said. “She told Ray that he was the man in the parable who found the great treasure. He was very happy.”