For Thomas Powell, a rising 12th grader at Bishop England High School, things were a little different. As a non-Catholic, his relationship with God was something quite special.

Thomas became non-speaking around the seventh grade due to an illness. He currently has apraxia, a disorder of the brain and nervous system in which a person is unable to perform tasks or movements when asked, even though they understand the words.

These days, Thomas has shown significant success communicating through the computer. His mother Dawn explained that the program he uses is called Spelling to Communicate (S2C), and recently he expressed, through the keyboard, a desire to become a Catholic. Thomas shared that it felt like a calling from God.

“The idea that God knew me so amazingly well that he chose me and wanted me, seemed astounding,” he wrote. “I started talking to God all the time, and he helped me understand why I have apraxia. I answered the subtle feeling about becoming Catholic by actually praying to God all the time. I felt like I had a friend in God. When I was young, he was the only person I could talk to.”

Thomas attended St. John School in North Charleston then started high school at Bishop England. He explained that he was able to dive deeper and learn more about the Catholic faith, but that he still felt somewhat trapped in his head.

“I battled through feeling lonely and like God wasn’t there. I felt like God forgot about me and my actual desire to go and be Catholic. I spent a lot of time praying and asking God to stay near me in my struggle. 

“I slowly actually felt him again. I kept learning little by little. When I was a sophomore, I got to go to a retreat with my class. I thought a lot about my struggles that day. I decided to offer them up to God for the first time. When I finally did that, I felt like a new person. Now, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my body,” he wrote.

His mother shared that he just completed the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (formerly RCIA) process and was confirmed on May 13 at St. Clare of Assisi Church during an all-school Mass. She also shared that she and her husband Dunston are very proud of Thomas, especially for deciding on his own to become a Catholic and successfully completing the program.

“It was completely self-initiated by him,” Dawn said. “He saw the path and he worked hard to get there. We couldn’t be more proud of him,” and Dunston added that Thomas plans to pursue a college degree in theology and would like to go on to seminary.

Kristen Common is the director of Options, an all-inclusive program for children with intellectual disabilities, at Bishop England. She said that Thomas always inspired her.

“I have been honored to share this journey of faith with Thomas as he has come into his Catholic identity,” Common said. “He helped me renew my faith too. He has such a strong belief in God. How could I not be inspired by that?”

Father Andrew Fryml, Bishop England chaplain, said Thomas has been an amazing gift to the community.

“His conversion to the Catholic faith this year and his devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament has inspired me and so many others. Every conversation with Thomas revolved around his desire to receive the holy Eucharist and to be one with Jesus. I walked away edified and inspired to follow Jesus more closely as a priest whenever I spoke with Thomas. I am so proud that God is doing such amazing things in his heart and that his parents, Msgr. [Lawrence B.] McInerny, Stella Maris and Bishop England has been so supportive of his desire to be one with Jesus and the Church,” he said.

“He will change how the Catholic Church views those with neurological differences. He will pave the way for so many. I am excited to see what the future holds for Thomas,” Common said.