Home At Last

How the Sy Reising Award Led One Great-Grandson to Alpha—and to Jesus Christ

Danny Reising stands on the right, as members of the SJE Men’s Club presented the 2024 Sylvester Reising Stewardship Award to Theresa Birlson.

Sometimes God uses the most unexpected invitations to change a life.

For Danny Reising, it wasn't a dramatic vision or a miraculous sign. God invited him to change through the annual awards ceremony he had attended for years without giving much thought.

Every year, Danny would come to St. John the Evangelist to represent his family as his great-grandfather's legacy was honored through the Sy Reising Award. He would smile for the pictures, congratulate the recipient, and leave.

He wasn't Catholic. He wasn't even particularly interested in becoming Catholic. Yet every year, without realizing it, God was bringing him back to the same place. Looking back now, Danny sees that those visits weren't coincidences. They were invitations. They were the beginning of a journey home.

A Legacy Greater Than an Award

Danny grew up in Dyer and shared a close relationship with his great-grandfather, Sylvester "Sy" Reising. The extended family lived together for years and as Sy grew older, he continued to live in the family home, allowing great-grandson and great-grandfather to spend years together.

The annual award bearing Sy's name recognizes faithful service within SJE. For Danny, however, it initially represented only family tradition. As the dutiful great-grandson, he'd come to the ceremony, smile for the pictures, and leave.

Danny describes himself as part of "the lost generation" in his family—the only generation not clearly raised in the Catholic faith. There was some belief in God, but little religious formation.

Meanwhile, his wife, Sofia, was a cradle Catholic. Danny used to tease her, joking that she got her religion and her exercise all in one on Sundays. Behind the jokes, however, something deeper was stirring. When he was honest with himself, he says, "I knew I wanted faith. I wanted God. I just didn't know what that looked like."

"I'm Home."

Four years ago, Danny and Sofia began quietly visiting different churches. Then came another Sy Reising Award ceremony. Nothing about the ceremony itself was particularly different. But Danny was. "I couldn't tell you a word of the homily," he admits. But for the first time, he came with his eyes open.

He looked around and saw something he had never really noticed before. Not an organization, not a building, but a family. It all hit home. He turned to Sofia: “I'm home. I want to become Catholic.”

Soon afterward, Danny entered OCIA. Although he had been baptized as an infant, he received the rest of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil three years ago. To this day, the Easter Vigil remains his favorite Mass. "Everything throughout Holy Week leads to that moment when people receive the Sacraments and the Church celebrates Christ's victory over death."

Now, one of his greatest joys is watching friends from his men's group prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. And they are so excited, too.

Alpha Changed Everything

Danny's conversion to Catholicism was only the beginning. Like many Catholics, he was learning the teachings of the Church. But something more was waiting.

About a year after entering the Church, Father Sammie Maletta encouraged parishioners to experience Alpha. Danny listened. And other men he respected told him they loved it, so he signed up.

"I didn't really know what I was missing on a larger scale until Alpha," he says.

It was so impactful! Alpha isn't simply another parish program. It is an invitation to encounter Jesus Christ in a personal way while building authentic friendships around a shared meal, engaging video talks, and honest small-group conversations.

At SJE, Alpha has become one of the primary ways people begin—or begin again—their relationship with Christ. Some participants have never attended church. Others have been Catholic their entire lives. All are invited exactly where they are.

Danny quickly discovered that Alpha wasn't about having all the answers. It was about allowing God to meet him where he was. The experience transformed him so deeply that he kept coming back. He has now experienced Alpha as a participant, a helper, co-host, and a host.

His recommendation is simple. "Everyone should do Alpha."

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When Faith Becomes Real

Ironically, some of Danny's hardest days came after becoming Catholic. Relationships within his family became strained. He lost the job he loved. His family lost the home they hoped to purchase and his grandmother died.

Everything seemed to be falling apart. Then came Alpha Prayer Night. Danny almost stayed home, but others encouraged him to come anyway.

As the evening unfolded, the prayer team began mentioning different burdens people might be carrying—fear, grief, uncertainty, brokenness. Danny remembers thinking, "They're describing me."

"It was me they were talking about." For the first time, he walked forward to receive prayer. "I dropped to my knees in prayer and was sobbing." That evening became one of the defining moments of his faith. Not because every problem instantly disappeared. But because he knew he wasn't carrying them alone.

Today, his daily prayer has become remarkably simple. "Your will—not mine, Lord."

That surrender changed everything. The job loss turned into a wrongful termination case, and Danny was welcomed back to work. The house they desperately wanted never materialized. Instead, God led them somewhere even better.

"We were trying to shoehorn ourselves into buying that house," Danny says. "God was saying, 'No, guys. That's not how we're going to do this.'"

Today, Danny and Sofia live in a beautiful, newly built home in St. John with their three-year-old daughter, Daphne. Looking back, Danny can clearly see God's providence. "He had something better planned than anything we could have dreamed."

From Receiving to Serving

Alpha naturally led Danny deeper into parish life. And Josh Schultz invited him into a men's group and later into The Rescue Project. Danny jumped in with both feet. "I loved it from the very beginning."

He laughs when describing himself. "I'm a Martha, not a Mary." He's happiest setting up, cleaning up, anything behind the scenes where few people notice. He doesn't seek attention. He simply wants to serve, and that's exactly what disciples do. Today, Danny continues helping wherever he can while encouraging other men and even women to encounter Christ.

This fall, his favorite Alpha participant will be his wife. Danny will stay home with Daphne so Sofia can experience Alpha without distraction. "As a family," he says, "we're excited for what's next."

A Father's Prayer

Danny's testimony isn't one of a perfect life. There is still pain. There are still family relationships that remain broken. "It hurts," he admits. "But I'd rather follow God's call."

His greatest hope now isn't for himself. It's for his daughter. "I went to Christ hard," Danny says. "My goal is for Daphne to have a boring testimony.” He smiles as he explains. He doesn't mean boring in the ordinary sense. He means he prays she will never have to wander as he did.

He hopes she grows up loving Jesus, receiving the sacraments, trusting God through every season, and walking faithfully with Christ from the very beginning.

What every Catholic parent longs for.

Your Invitation

Danny's story began with a grandfather's legacy. It continued through the Sacraments. But one of the deepest turning points came through Alpha. Whether you've never stepped inside a Catholic church, have questions about faith, have drifted away from God, or have faithfully attended Mass for years, Alpha is for you.

There are no expectations. No pressure. No difficult questions you have to answer. Simply come, share a meal, meet new people, and discover—or rediscover—the love of Jesus Christ.

At SJE, Alpha begins Tuesday, September 8, and everyone is welcome.

Danny thought he was simply attending another parish event. Instead, he discovered a family.

He discovered hope. Most importantly, he discovered that the God he had been searching for had been inviting him home all along. Perhaps God is inviting you, too.