After only six dates, John and Charmaine were at a crossroads. They decided to marry and agreed that God would be the foundation of their family. However, John soon  became disillusioned in his faith and he stopped attending church services. Charmaine also stopped attending with their three children. A few years passed, then John announced he wanted to start attending church again — but this time, the  Catholic Church. It was Pope John Paul II who influenced his decision.

Pope John Paul II’s health was declining, and then he died in April 2005. His life and accomplishments greatly impressed John, who soon bought the book Catholicism for Dummies and read it cover to cover. “I realized everything I thought I knew about the Catholic Church was incorrect,” said John.

John asked Charmaine to visit the Catholic Church with him. She did — reluctantly. While Deacon John had his heart set on becoming Catholic, Charmaine needed more time. She met with the parish Faith Formation Director, Linda Johnston, several times. Through their conversations, Charmaine learned the history of the Church and the consistent truth it has taught over the past 2,000 years. Charmaine was particularly struck by St. Justin Martyr’s description of the Mass and the Eucharist written around 155 AD.

Deacon John and Charmaine were received into the Catholic Church on Epiphany Sunday, 2006. Their children received the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The family eventually settled at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle because of its children’s program and the warm welcome they had received from a parishioner named Steve McCann.

“To this day we are grateful for the courageous way in which Steve introduced himself to us and welcomed us to the parish. At that moment we knew we had found our parish home!”

Since then, the Carters have actively striven to grow in their faith and to fully serve the Church. They were both commissioned through the Diocese’s Lay Pastor Ministry Institute (LPMI) in 2013, and John was ordained a deacon in 2017. They both obtained master of theology degrees from Saint Leo University. Charmaine earned an advanced catechetical certificate and completed coursework at both the University of Dallas online Catholic Biblical School and the School of Spiritual Direction at the Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence.

Charmaine subsequently retired from medicine and began working full-time at the Cathedral. She is currently working on a second master’s degree in Hebraic Studies at Yeshiva University.

During their journey, they have also experienced tragedy. In 2014, they mourned the loss of their daughter Courtney, who suffered from Lupus, at the young age of 19. This challenged their faith, but it was also their faith that helped them move forward.

“Scripture has always been my anchor. Scripture reveals the truth about God. It teaches me how to live out my faith. When Courtney died, and all the emotions were just overwhelming, I still had the truth that God exists. Jesus died for me. Just because bad things happen doesn't change who God is,” said Charmaine.

Together, Deacon John and Charmaine lead the parish’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), to help people who are inquiring about the Catholic Church to understand the teachings of the faith and to discover how to have a relationship with Jesus through the Sacraments and prayer. They also both teach in the LPMI program and lead the Cathedral’s GriefShare ministry, which helps others who have had a loss of a loved one.

The Carters have touched many lives within their parish community and beyond. Their journey exemplifies faith, resilience, and unwavering dedication to God's service.