National Catholic apologist to speak locally

Intermountain Catholic

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Tim Staples

SANDY — Tim Staples, director of apologetics and evangelization at "Catholic Answers," a Catholic radio call-in show heard in Utah on Immaculate Heart Radio AM 1010, will present "Catholicism in Today’s Culture" at Blessed Sacrament Parish April 12.

Staples’ talk will be divided into three presentations: The Answer is Catholic, Catholics and the Culture War, and Mormonism and the Question of Authority. All three of Staples’ talks "are ordered toward the Catholic Church as having the ultimate answers for what ails every human person that has ever or will ever be born into the world," Staples said of his talk "The Answer is Catholic." In all that Catholics do, "we are praying for and speaking in order to move people, with God’s help, to the fullness of the truth that we alone possess – to bear witness of the truth to the entire world."

Staples will defend the Catholic faith in "Catholics and the Culture War," by framing the talk around nine key Supreme Court decisions from 1947 to 2010, he said. He will show the decline of modern culture and then show "how we are called to transform it from the inside out," he said.

Regarding his talk, "Mormonism and the Question of Authority," Staples said Catholics have much in common with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Mormons have a profound understanding of the essential nature of an authoritative church that in a sense separates them from Protestants … but there are differences that we will also discuss."

Staples is the first national speaker the parish has invited to lead a Lenten retreat, said Sharon Jackson, pastoral associate. The idea came about when four Blessed Sacrament religious education personnel attended a Catholic Answers Conference in San Diego last September.

"When we returned, we were on fire and felt better educated; we wanted to bring this conference back to our diocese," said Jackson.

"All of the ‘Catholic Answers’ apologists at the conference were biblically strong, and extremely knowledgeable about what we believe and why we believe it," added Suzie Brown, Blessed Sacrament office assistant and second grade CCD teacher. "My husband, Todd, and I went through RCIA 10 years ago, and I had no idea I would be able to get as much out of the conference as I did."

John Jackson, a member of the Blessed Sacrament confirmation team, agreed. "They speak with charity, kindness and compassion. In our parish roles we see that Catholics are being asked to set aside truth and substitute it with moral relativism. Although these Catholics are faithful, they may not always have a charitable or concise answer for the challenges from people of other faiths. We hope this presentation will give them confidence to articulate answers and discussions. Staples had a broad number of topics that appealed to us; that is why we selected him."

Some of the Blessed Sacrament committee members responsible for making the decision to bring Staples to Utah had not heard of him, but following the Jacksons’ and Browns’ presentation, they were "on board," said Sharon Jackson. "One of them said, ‘I wish I would have had this kind of information when my children were young.’"

Staples was raised a Southern Baptist in Virginia, but converted to Catholicism in 1988. His conversion came after he joined the United States Marine Corps. During his tour of duty he participated in several Protestant ministries and Bible studies. However, during his final year in the Marines a fellow Catholic soldier challenged him to examine the Catholic faith from a biblical and historical perspective. Staples, determined to prove Catholicism wrong, studied and prayed his way into the Catholic Church.

From 1988 to 1994, Staples was in formation for the priesthood. He earned a degree in philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Penn., and then studied theology for two years at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. In 1994, he discerned that he was not called to the priesthood; rather a lay Catholic apologist and evangelist.

WHAT: Tim Staples from "Catholic Answers" 

WHERE: Blessed Sacrament Parish, 9800 South 1700 East, Sandy

WHEN: Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

COST: $40 per person for VIP reserved tickets, which include lunch. There is no cost for general admission, but free-will donations will be appreciated.

For more information, call Sharon Jackson or Suzie Brown at 801-571-2071.