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When I was around nine, I became an altar boy. I was in the, in the, as an officer, an altar boy, I was in there for, I would say, a good 5 to 6 years.
I continued to remain active in the Catholic faith. Even as a teen, while I did what I did, partied and had this crazy lifestyle, wannabe rockstar lifestyle
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Stories of Faith
My name is Brother Michael Soares. I was born in Karachi, Pakistan. I was raised there in my teens and then subsequently moved to Canada and now reside in Toronto.
I had a decent upbringing. Although it’s a poor third-world country, my parents were able to provide the best that they could for me. I went to a great school.
But then subsequently, things changed, as I think my teens changed in terms of the political violence and the unease in the country.
I was about 18 when I moved. Initially, it was to Europe and then from Europe, subsequently to Toronto, Canada.
Wannabe Rockstar
It’s a total ride: carefree, no care in the world. Sported a long haircut. Listened to heavy metal music. Partied like crazy. It was just the lifestyle that we, I guess, saw on TV, and we adapted to it, so yeah, there were no concerns. We just loved living the way we did.
So I was born and raised Catholic. It was all about Sunday mass, and at times, even going for early morning mass with my father.
When I was around nine, I became an altar boy. I was there for, I would say, a good 5 to 6 years.
I continued to remain active in the Catholic faith. Even as a teen, while I did what I did, partied and had this crazy lifestyle, wannabe rockstar lifestyle, I still believed in the higher power. I still believed in the importance of prayer, and I never let that get away from me.
Didn’t Know Who To Ask
I had a lot of questions, but I just didn’t know who to ask. For my parents, you know, they did their best—and, to try and explain things—but because it was solely being taught and told what the Catholic faith was all about, that’s what I took to be the truth. I never questioned—we were not allowed to question. I never questioned anything. I just went with how things were. So there was no other resource—an outlet that I could approach at the time.
And I think coming to Canada, I, in a sense, lost myself with everything that was going on around me. I just took whatever I was doing to a whole new level. And while it was initially fun, it also had its downsides.
And that downside led me to a very dark path—patch in my life—where, I was at, I was uneasy, rather, with the way things were going. It led to a breakdown in my relationships. It led to me being distant from my kids. And so I kind of hit rock bottom. I wasn’t happy. While I stopped doing the things I was doing, I just wasn’t happy with myself. I was consumed with work at the time. No quality of life. And I just needed change in my life. I didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know exactly what the change was.
I Wanted To Learn More
It just so happened that it was at that point when I was invited to an evangelical mission, and I think this was back in 2010.
And, upon listening to what was being preached, initially, it upset me. And so, I walked out of the evangelical mission because I did not like what I heard.
One of the verses for the topic being discussed was about who is going to be saved. And it was at that point when it was taught that the members of the Church Of Christ is the true church and the members would be saved. And, you know, coming from a Catholic background, I just walked right out.
So, while [my] career and everything was great there was something lacking from within myself and I think that something lacking was my faith, my belief in God. Belief in what I have heard and understood in the past and so I just wanted to give it a try.
After about two months from that day, I accepted the invitation to come to a Bible study. And it was there in that Bible study that the topic being discussed was something that was of interest to me. And the manner in which it was explained, was being explained. Kind of got my curiosity going.
And so, I wanted to learn more, simply because it impressed me. But when I came there were lots of people greeting me and it made me feel nice. So I was not out of place. When I walked into the lobby I was still curious, I was still interested. That was the message: give it a try. And maybe something in there will appeal to you. That’s why I finally came back.
It also, you know, gave me a break from the kind of life that I was living, which was simply work and home, work and home. So it was an outlet when I came to meet some brothers and sisters who were also there for Bible studies and supporting the Bible study activities. And one thing led to another.
Weeks later, I signed up to be a Bible student, finished my course in Bible studies and then eventually baptized.
I like the fact that the minister at the time also invited me to ask questions. I remember having the debate about certain topics, and I think after the, you know, 6 or 7, Bible studies, I was comfortable. I felt like I was at peace with myself. I could feel my thoughts changing.
I felt this eagerness to want to learn more. I personally suffer from OCD and, and one of the things about me is that I will never do anything if I don’t give 100% to it.
Encouraged To Ask Questions
The ministers encouraged me to ask questions, no matter how weird they would sound. They said that to me simply because they wanted me to remove all sorts of doubt and reservations from within myself. So they welcomed it. What I was amazed about was, each time I asked the question and I would see the minister open the various verses of the Bible to help me understand and if I did not accept the verse as the answer, they would actually spend time telling me, referring to other verses.
I was going through a very rough patch, in my life, I was lonely, my distance myself, from everyone around me, my friends included. So initially when I came here, they welcomed me without even knowing anything about my past.
And so I suddenly started feeling a lot of love. I started feeling like. Like, I’m being welcomed into this whole new family. It’s like a different chapter in my life. And I just came back for more because it made me feel good. It made me feel positive about myself. It boosted my self-confidence. And at the same time, I was also learning so much about the Bible that I never really understood or I had no clue about.
So I was just focused on one thing only at that time. And that was, to continue with my Bible studies so that I could learn a bit more about my faith, just immerse myself in it.
I Could Feel Change
And so I just wanted to finish everything with understanding. And I just started feeling great. And I was convinced at that time, I guess I convinced myself that I was on the right path simply because I could feel a change from my attitude from my well being to where I am today.
My turning point in life, because I felt change and I felt a higher purpose. Better purpose in life.
I Am At Peace
My happiness now is not about what I have, and I do not have. My happiness is that I am at peace. There is no better feeling than to be at peace in my life, with myself, my relationships with everyone around me. That is my true happiness.
And I firmly believe that the manner in which I am now living my life, will eventually lead me to the Holy City.
And I’m not perfect. I’m not saying that, but I would definitely like to improve on the quality of my faith, like to to continue to remain obedient to the teachings that I receive. I would love to continue to help the Church Administration whenever called upon, to make sacrifices when called upon, because that is my love for the Church, for the administration, and ultimately, our Father in heaven.
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