The Conversion of Gary Sinise
(Is.6:1-8; 1Cor.15:1-11; Lk.5:1-11)
We often think of Christian conversion as a quick, one-off event. But for so many people, like the Hollywood actor Gary Sinise, conversion tends to be a slow process.
Gary was born in Chicago in 1955, into an unchurched family with a long history of military service. At school he was quite rebellious and much preferred music to his classes, but then he discovered acting, through which he met Moira Harris. They married in 1981 and had 3 children.
In 1994, Gary acted as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the movie Forrest Gump. Like the actor himself, Lt. Dan came from a family of war heroes. He’s sent to Vietnam where he loses both legs in an ambush. He survives, but becomes very bitter about being robbed of martyrdom.
Lt. Dan later finds himself on a shrimp boat in Alabama, battling a terrible storm and facing his demons. Again, he survives, but this time he becomes a new man, at peace with God. He has a new wife, new prosthetic legs and new hope.

Shortly after Forrest Gump was released in 1994, Gary Sinise was invited to attend the Disabled American Veterans’ convention in Chicago, to receive an award for so honestly portraying a catastrophically injured veteran. [i]
In his autobiography, Grateful American, he says he was stunned by the welcome he received from 2,500 veterans – ‘a sea of men and women, many with scars, prosthetics, burn marks, crutches, and wheelchairs.’
‘What have I ever done?’ he wondered. ‘Here are all these wounded and disabled veterans – men and women who have sacrificed so much.’ And all he’s done is find his mark and say his lines.
Then he realised: Lt. Dan had come to symbolise the country’s injured veterans, who too often had been cruelly ignored, insulted and even assaulted by others. And he wondered how he could help.
He started supporting veterans and first responders, including paramedics and firefighters, through fundraising and public speaking. And his Lt. Dan Band began performing for charitable causes.
In the meantime, Gary’s family struggled; his wife Moira had become a chronic alcoholic. One day, at an AA meeting, someone said to her, ‘You need to become a Catholic. You need to convert.’
The effect was powerful, because in 2000 she did just that. Moira became a Catholic. She also decided to send their children to a Catholic school, but Gary resisted. He couldn’t see the point.

Eventually, however, he agreed. They started attending Mass together, and Gary began noticing the Church’s positive influence on his family.
On 9/11 in 2001, when thousands died at the World Trade Centre, Gary was devastated. At a memorial Mass that Friday, he heard that service to others is a great healer of broken hearts, and he felt compelled to do something.
He started visiting hospitals and war zones, entertaining on military bases, and raising funds for children in Iraqi schools.
He found that the more active he got, the more his own broken heart was relieved. And he began to wonder if God had given him a life mission.
In 2010 he surprised his family by joining the Catholic Church, and in 2011 he formalised his many projects by establishing the Gary Sinise Foundation.
In today’s Gospel, Luke tells the conversion story of the apostle Peter, and it spells out the stages we all tend to go through as we gradually turn towards Jesus.
It begins by simply observing what’s happening from a distance. Then it involves listening to what’s being said, and allowing it to move our hearts. Next, it involves accepting small commitments within our comfort zone, helping where we can.
Then we’re amazed when the call becomes specific and deeply personal, and something powerful happens inside us. And we start to feel unworthy, perhaps even scared. But then we’re reassured. And finally, that’s followed by acceptance and a deep, personal commitment to Jesus.
These are the steps we all typically experience in entering the life of Christ, and they certainly applied to Gary Sinise.
How do they apply in your own spiritual journey?
In closing, here’s a passage from the book Jesus Calling that Gary likes to quote. It reflects how God works through us to bless others. [ii]
I am creating something new in you: a bubbling spring of Joy that spills over into others’ lives. Do not mistake this Joy for your own or try to take credit for it… Instead, watch in delight as My Spirit flows through you to bless others. Let yourself become a reservoir of the Spirit’s fruit.
Your part is to live close to Me, open to all that I am doing in you. Don’t try to control the streaming of My Spirit through you. Just keep focusing on Me as we walk through this day together. Enjoy My Presence, which permeates you with Love, Joy, and Peace.
Amen.
[i] Gary Sinise, Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service, Thomas Nelson, Nashville TN, 2019. https://faithgateway.com/products/grateful-american-a-journey-from-self-to-service?variant=39265150566536
[ii] Sarah Young, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence, Thomas Nelson, Nashville TN, 2004.