The New York Times recently offered an informative overview of the faith journey of presidential prospect Jeb Bush, who converted to Catholicism in 1995. There are some telling passages that suggest Bush has a convert’s appreciation for his chosen faith. For example:

“I love the sacraments of the Catholic Church, the timeless nature of the message of the Catholic Church, the fact that the Catholic Church believes in, and acts on, absolute truth as its foundational principle and doesn’t move with the tides of modern times, as my former religion did,” he said in the speech in Italy in 2009. (Asked by email recently what his concerns were, he said only: “I loved the absolute nature of the Catholic Church. It resonated with me.”)
 

And this:

As governor, Mr. Bush turned to Catholic ritual at crucial moments. In 2004, he attended Mass in Pensacola after the area was hit by Hurricane Ivan. In Tallahassee, he would at times join a group of state employees who prayed the rosary on Mondays in a Capitol chapel, and he went to Mass at Blessed Sacrament, a parish near the Governor’s Mansion.

 

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including America, Commonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator