The daily practice of the Rosary is not always easy to observe for many Catholics, as it requires time, patience and prolonged immersion in the implacable silence of interiority. This is indeed no easy task in a world of noise, entertainment and immediacy.
Yet, it was through this demanding heart-to-heart devotion to God through the Virgin Mary that Tammy Peterson first discovered the restorative power of divine love. In 2019, she was diagnosed with a rare and severe form of kidney cancer, which, statistically, she should not have survived.
In the long months of her ordeal, marked by painful physical suffering, the daily practice of the Rosary, discovered during a hospital stay, became a sanctuary from which she drew comfort and the strength to keep her gaze on Christ. Her unexplained healing following the prayers of a novena provided by a Catholic priest led her to embark on a journey of conversion that will culminate in her confirmation at Easter 2024.
The 58-year-old wife of renowned Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson has made a name for herself thanks to her YouTube podcast, launched in 2022, in which she tackles the major challenges of our time through the lens of human sciences and biblical symbolism.
A writer for the National Catholic Register sat down with her on the sidelines of the first Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) forum in London, an event bringing together leading political and media figures. The ARC was co-founded by Jordan Peterson, with the aim of creating a large international consortium to confront the West’s identity crisis and build an alternative to the “apocalyptic view” of the future.
You’ve just made public during this ARC gathering that you will soon be received into the Catholic Church. How did you engage in this spiritual journey?
I’m currently following a catechism course to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter in Toronto. I was baptized a Protestant when I was a baby. I went to church until I was about 12 years old, and then I stopped going. My church, the United Church of Canada, has gone very woke; some of their churches even fly rainbow flags.
When I had children, I wanted to baptize them, to go back to church, but I didn’t insist; it didn’t happen. I know that’s my own failing, but that’s how it went. My daughter [Mikhalia Peterson] has come to faith as a grown-up, and I’m grateful for that because that’s definitely my case, too, and I imagine the rest of my family will follow. I was initially drawn to Catholicism because my great-grandmother was a Polish Catholic.
I found that about her when I was sick in 2019 — my cousin sent me a rosary and said that it was my great-grandmother’s. I thought it was a great sign. I must say that, in my quest for God, I initially hesitated between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches. I had doubts about the state of the Catholic Church. I wondered how healthy it was at this time in history and if the Orthodox faith was somehow more solid. It probably took me a year or two to discern. I’ve been praying the Rosary for a couple of years and have enjoyed it. I notice that my day always goes better when I do it.
I met with a Toronto teacher who has a 51-year experience and is speaking out against gender ideology and all the bad ideologies that are taught in schools. She told me about a good church close by my house, and that’s where I met with a good priest who accepted to accompany me.
So I decided that I would go through it [catechesis] and to go to Mass. I want to know everything. I want to know the meaning of every prayer, of the liturgy. For now, I’m just a bit confused, because I’m not familiar with all this; I just have to be patient. But so far, I don’t have any trouble with lessons. I agree with it all….
From the National Catholic Register
“… the daily practice of the Rosary, discovered during a hospital stay, became a sanctuary from which she drew comfort and the strength to keep her gaze on Christ. Her unexplained healing following the prayers of a novena provided by a Catholic priest led her to embark on a journey of conversion that will culminate in her confirmation at Easter 2024.” Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord Jesus and your mother Mary for these graces. How my heart is encouraged. my faith strengthened. I read this with great joy.
For every one who joins, six leave.
So? The one that joins brings an an order of magnitude more than what the six take with them. The Church comes out way ahead, which is more than can be said for those that know and leave anyway…
How much traction did the church get from Shia Lebeouf? Nothing. How much from Rob Schneider? Nothing. This too will mean nothing for PR purposes. Catholics are so desperate for good news about the dying church that they post stories about minor celebrities joining the church. It’s like they’re teenagers saying, “See, we’re cool… she joined our club, so it means we’re cool.”
They never post about the celebrities who leave. 🤔😮😱🙃
The true Church is not visible, it is invisible to us all, on earth. It is made up of true believers who give their lives to Christ, and daily follow Him in love and obedience. Plus, it is nade up of the souls of the Saints in Heaven. We have the Church Militant on earth, struggling to overcome sin, the Church Suffering,
being purified of sin in Purgatory, and the Church Triumphant, with the Saints in Heaven. We are all one in the Mystical Body of Christ. Those who simply enjoy going to Mass, or go to Mass because they are required to do so, are not among Christ’s group of true, serious followers. But they may become true and serious followers, someday, by the grace of God. Our Lady has led a great many souls to Christ, throughout history. Christ’s true and serious followers are gifted by grace– and are few. It makes no sense to count up what seems to be tge number of souks dedicated to Him. Those who leave the Catholic Church for various reasons– may someday come right back, gifted by the grace of God. Christ knocks and knocks persistently, at the door of every heart. You never know what may happen. He and His holy, Most Blessed Mother are always at work, silently, unseen, seeking to help and to save suffering souls, everywhere.
The theological belief in an invisible Church is Protestant rebellion against the One True Church-the Catholic Church.
Read the spiritual classics, study the Catechism, simply get involved in the Catholic Church. You will find out that the True Christ, in His Mystical Body, is the invisible, “Hidden Christ.” All the saints and spiritual writers talk about that. We have, amongst us, at any time in history, a great many prayerful believers, silently following Our Lord, invisible and “hidden” from our poor, mortal, human eyes– unknown, “hidden saints.” You cannot have any idea as to whom you may be attending Mass with, worshiping God alongside you. Spirituality is “hidden,” invisible. In the very long history of the Catholic Church, we also have a great many unknown saints, invisible to all, who silently adore God in Heaven, and help souls on earth. Not all saints are formally canonized. Among them may even be someone that you might have known, even an elderly auntie or grandma, who daily prayed the Rosary for you and many others, or a nun who taught you in Catholic school, a priest at your church, a poor, humble, and good person of no significance, that you saw daily, etc. etc. Christ walks daily amongst us, invisible, unseen. The truth is, that the True Christ, in His Mystical Body, is invisible, hidden from our very eyes, known only to God. We can never know the degree of holiness, hidden in those amongst us, practicing the Catholic Faith. Christ is invisible to our earthly eyes, hidden from the world, invisible and hidden in the Sacraments, prayers, sacrifices, and good works for others, of Catholic believers, and of course, invisible and hidden from human eyes, in the Holy Eucharist. When we receive Holy Communion at Mass, or kneel to adore Him at Eucharistic Adoration– He is invisible and hidden from our earthly eyes– it is no longer a little white round wafer– it is truly Jesus Christ. We “see” and know Him by Faith, not with our poor, mortal human eyes. And Christ is hidden in our neighbors. “Whatsoever you do to the least of My brothers, that you do unto Me.” (St. Matthew 25:40) The True Church of believers, and holy Saints– the Mystical Body of Christ— is invisible, hidden from poor, mortal human eyes.
A Sacrament is “an outward sign of an inward grace.” Christ is fully Present in all of our holy Sacraments, giving countless, beautiful, living graces of Himself, directly to you, from Heaven. We can see the “outward signs,” in church, with our mortal eyes– but it is only through prayer and closeness to Our Lord, that we can begin to “see” and know His “inward graces.” Regardless of our capability– the graces really are there! Frequent, proper reception of the holy Sacraments, and living a prayerful life, very responsible each day, close to Christ, obedient to Him– away from the dark, ignorant, sinful world, all around us– begins to destroy all impurities and sins, and all interest in and attachment to sin. We become more whole in mind, body, emotions, and spirit. God created us “in Imago Dei,” in His Divine Image. Christ slowly restores that marred, lost Divine Image in us. At times when we fall–
which Christ knows all about, and understands– we should confidently begin again, after Confession and penance– because He is waiting for us, ready and eager to do His Divine work in us! When your soul gets closer and closer to the Beloved, your only desire is Him, and to live, move, think feel, and breathe, in Him. You begin to see the world, and yourself– through His eyes only, not your poor, disfigured, wounded, mortal eyes. You are motivated to serve Him and avoid sin and laziness and weaknesses and errors of the flesh– because of Divine Love, for your love of Christ– not out of guilt, fear or scrupulosity. This is among the ancient teachings of the holy Saints. Love to read 1John Chapter 4, especially, 4:18. I could read that a hundred times! It has often been quoted by Saints who write about God’s tremendous, complete love for us. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” I think that good Catholic religion teachers and catechists of today, should all teach our Catholic Faith in this way.
When the Saints refer to the “Hidden Christ”, they are talking about the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
Christ is among us. God is everywhere.
But you pivoted again.
The idea of the Church of believers is not incorrect but it is not Catholic teaching.
Yes, all the baptized no matter how sinful are members of Christ’s Body.
A person who is not baptized is not.
Hidden Christ– you did not read my comments correctly. I was trying to state the truth, that Christ is “hidden,” always, and we cannot “see” Him with our mortal eyes, only with the eyes of Faith. Priests, catechists and missionaries, for centuries, have always dealt with that fact, in teaching and preaching the Catholic Faith. Christ is “hidden” in the Blessed Sacrament, and in all the Sacraments. We cannot “see” Him with our own two mortal eyes of flesh, when we receive a Sacrament– but yes, He is truly present! When we serve Christ in our neighbors, we cannot “see” Him, can we? We serve Him only by Faith! St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata could not possibly “see” Christ in the poor and destitute that she helped. Her Faith guided her. She often talked about that. Also, she spoke of the fact that you cannot “see” the unborn child in the mother’s womb, and Christ is “hidden” in the unborn child– that is His child! We must always go by Faith alone– that is in every Catechism. No one can possibly “see” God. The True Church, of true, dedicated believers, committed to Christ– is impossible for you to “see,” and there may be impostors — even criminals, clerical sex abusers, etc. — as well as saints, all around us, in the Church! This is a very, very simple everyday observation, not just a theological concept. That is why it is impossible to know and to “count” the numbers of believers, in the Church, at any given time. Who are the real believers? Who are the imposters– the “Judases,” the “Joe Bidens,” the “Nancy Pelosis?” Etc. And they, too, are listed amongst all the other Catholics, and write big checks to support the Church! Can you “see” the Ohio “Catholics” who voted, along with non-Catholics, to pass the law to enshrine Abortion in the Ohio Constitution? Can you “see” those false “Catholics,” in any church?? Today, many Catholics in the post-Conciliar Church, sadly, are not true believers. And anyway, the numbers of Christ’s own, true, dedicated believers, will always be small, in any era. Does there seem to be too few Catholics attending Mass? Do not worry about statistics. Our Church always needs to get busy, like missionaries, or like St. Francis of Assisi, or St. John Vianney, the famous Cure d’Ars– to teach and preach, and lead all to Christ.
And, the angels rejoice over that one. Jesus said, “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).
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He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
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Someone asked him, ‘Lord, will only a few people be saved?’ He answered them,
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‘Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough’
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After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’
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And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
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Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where [you] are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
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And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.
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And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
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For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.'”—Luke 13:22-30
This proves that Pope Francis the Great’s synodal vision for the church is a success. A new springtime is emerging after the dark, cold winter under JPII and BXVI. It’s like the grip of Mordor has been loosened over Middle Earth, and all is well once again.
JPII and BXVI were brilliant and Pope Francis is brilliant. True Apostles of the Holy Spirit.
Pope Francis stands on the shoulders of giants.
Every Vatican II pope — all of them — JXXIII, PVI, JPI, JPII, BXVI, FI have been brilliant, saintly, monumentally influential and effective leaders of Christ’s Church. It’s like the VII Church can do no wrong when it comes to popes. I can’t wait to see who our next pope will be, but I know he’ll be even better than the rest because things just keep getting better and better in the Church. It’s like there’s some law of evolution since VII than means each pope is more spiritually fit than his predecessor. Survival of the spiritually fittest.
It’s not the Pope’s fault people don’t listen to them.
“…but I know he’ll be even better than the rest because things just keep getting better and better in the Church…” I should be glad for your optimism but I fear Pope Francis, in undoing the legacy of JP II and Benedict XVI, might challenge your blithe assessment of the popes. You can’t wait until the next pope? What if he strives to undo the legacy of Francis? Still all good?
Pope’s don’t have legacies. All of them are instruments in the hand of God. They Holy Spirit guides them.
John 3:8
“Popes don’t have legacies…” Benedict saw his great work, Summorum Pontificum, destroyed by Francis. It matters not a whit if you deny the idea of legacy–the effect was the same.
You are silly.
Pope Benedict XVI would have done exactly what Francis did.
” It’s like the grip of Mordor has been loosened over Middle Earth…” It would be good to know just exactly what Francis has done to warrant the praise of a new springtime in the Church, and what JP II and Benedict did that caused you to declare their rule was like unto Mordor. Could you kindly elaborate?
To new springtime and giants– It does not matter who is pope. Tammy Peterson was originally wary of joining the Catholic Church, due to the tremendous problems in our Church, today. She also considered joining the Orthodox Church. Tammy Peterson’s conversion is very personal, it is of God– of Christ and His Most Blessed Mother, who granted her a miracle of healing of cancer, through praying a Rosary Novena. It has nothing at all to do with the pope, and his problem-filled modern Church. Tammy Peterson is the Blessed Mother’s convert.
It would be wonderful, if Tammy Peterson became a big Pro Life advocate, too. Canada desperately needs help with Pro Life issues! I also feel badly because Ohio fell today, and Ohioans voted to enshrine Abortion– Baby Murder– as a constitutional “right!” Unborn children need all our love and prayers! And lots of hard work, to help convert people to Respect Life, from conception to natural death.
I told you Ohio would vote that way. It’s going to spread nationally. Pro-life republicans running for state offices were soundly defeated too. Sorry to say, but this country is now thoroughly left-wing, and it ain’t going back. Give up dreams of MAGA 2.0.
Time for Catholics to stop pushing politics; time to pivot to living lives of holiness.
Some posters here and on Lifesite News seem to think that right-wing politics is holiness. It’s not.
I said that to our Pastor, right after Vatican II, when he noted excitedly, that the Church was no longer going to be strongly leading us, as in the past– we must all learn to “make our own decisions.” Don’t call him or all the other priests– you have to now “grow,” humanly, and “make up your own mind!” Otherwise, we all would never “learn and grow,” we would all just be like babies, tragically dependent on the Church, “telling us what to do.” And we must get involved in politics, too, because that would be the only way to help spread Christ’s teachings and morality in society. The “Social Gospel” was now the way to go. Not pursuing spirituality and holiness, for yourself— because that is an “escape from real life,” that is “too selfish.” Don’t waste time in the Church in prayer, religious devotions, spiritual reading, etc. Go out into the world and get active, get busy. I said, “No. To pursue spiritual development is not “selfish.” It is a necessity. You need good, common sense, you must not be immature, and abuse spirituality. And the Social Gospel is worthless, unless you are close to Christ, doing it for Him. We are not secular Social Workers, out to help ameliorate society’s ills, from a Godless, secular standpoint.” The Catholic Church, formerly a huge bulwark, a “bastion” of Christian teaching and morality– for all the world to listen to and respect– was no longer going to be a big voice in the world. I disagreed with our pastor. Getting involved in politics was wrong. I had a good friend, a lovely mother of three children in the parish school, married to the Mayor. The Mayor often talked about the problems of the city. He and other political leaders relied on the Catholic Church and all the other churches, for guidance and support. Especially during the late 1960s, he and other dedicated political leaders, badly needed the support of the Catholic Church, and all the other churches. But post-Conciliar Catholic leaders kept saying that the Church had been too heavy on discipline, “too mean, too controlling,” in all the centuries, prior to the Council– and now, the people would simply have that responsibility. Not the Church. Our pastor had ideas of political candidates and places where we all could “get involved.” Again I said, “this is a disaster.” No. The Catholic Church needs to resume her role of leadership, guidance and support. Just do it well, as Christ would– follow His example. Don’t be abusive of power. But sadly, that is not what the Catholic Church wanted anymore.
At that time, my friend and her husband, the Mayor, were in their twenties. People used to get married and start families, right out of high school. Most people were married by the time they were in their early twenties. Not everyone went to college– it wasn’t necessary. After this Mayor finished his term, he decided to leave politics. He took a good job in a rural area, in another state, and he and his wife happily raised their family there. Just like what “ex-Californians” of today are seeking, for a better quality of life for their families, and a better place to practice their religious faith, too.
Perhaps you were bothering your pastor too much?
“Bothering the pastor too much?”
“don’t call him or all the other priests”
I have never known any priest to say this.
I have known people who just wanted the priests attention so bad that they would bother them about anything.
Go discuss current matters of the Church intelligently, at your parish, with your Pastor and fellow parishioners. Vety good thing to do.
Go discuss current matters of the Church intelligently, at your parish, with your Pastor and fellow parishioners. Vety good thing to do.
One track mind.
Sending prayers for Ms. Peterson!!! Well, I have to say-trying to pin down her husband’s beliefs sure has me scratching my head. A priest who is very active on social media wrote the following today: “In a 2017 interview, Peterson was asked if he was a Christian; he responded, “I suppose the most straight-forward answer to that is yes.” When asked if he believed in God Peterson responded I think the proper answer to that is no, but I’m afraid He might exist.” In a podcast with Douglas Murray and Johnathan Pageau, Peterson stated that God is the ultimate fictional character which is “at the top of the hierarchy of attention and action”. Writing for The Spectator, Tim Lott said Peterson draws inspiration from the Jungian interpretation of religion and holds views similar to the Christian existentialism of Søren Kierkegaard and Paul Tillich. Lott also said that Peterson has respect for Taoism, as it views nature as a struggle between order and chaos and posits life would be meaningless without this duality. He has also expressed his admiration for some of the teachings of the Easter Orthodox Church. Writing in Psychoanalysis, Politics and the Postmodern University, Daniel Burston argues that Peterson’s views on religion reflect a preoccupation with what Tillich calls the vertical or transcendent dimension of religious experience but demonstrate little or no familiarity with (or sympathy for) what Tillich termed the horizontal dimension of faith, which demands social justice in the tradition of the biblical prophets.”
We would have significantly less problems with legalizing abortion, if all Catholics were taught their Catechism well, and if Canon 915 was required to be applied to dissenters on abortion. Catholics would then help to uplift our Nation to excellent Judeo-Christian beliefs, morality, and values, and many babies’ lives would be saved from murder. There would be much less promiscuity, abortions, and illegitimate children, and many more Catholic weddings and then, Catholic families, all practicing the Faith, together. Many more souls would practice the Faith well, lead virtuous lives, and possibly attain Heaven after death– and help more souls lost and suffering on earth, from Heaven, along with all the other Saints there. We would have more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and there would be more holiness, and more Saints, too, appearing on earth.
Back to Mrs. Peterson, the interview is very good. I am sorry that we got distracted with our usual silly bickering.
The doctors first thought I had a treatable cancer. But then they realized that it was a very aggressive type of kidney cancer, so aggressive that no one had ever survived it, because it just metastasizes to your body and you die quickly. So it is usually diagnosed when people are already dead.