Originally published at National Catholic Register
Belén Perales, a 60-year-old Spanish woman, lived for 35 years as an atheist, turning away from the Catholic faith in her teens after a series of traumatic experiences.
However, her life changed dramatically on a visit to the tomb of St. John Paul II in the Vatican, where, according to her, she had a profound revelation that brought her back home.
A Life Marked by Pain and Rebellion
Perales was born into a Catholic family, the eldest of four siblings, but from a young age she felt a baseless but deep sense of abandonment. “I always had a feeling that nobody loved me,” she confessed in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.
Constant moving from one city to another due to her father’s work fueled her insecurities, creating a deep emotional wound. “I developed a kind of wound of [feeling] abandoned,” she recalled, and although moving around made her more adaptable, it also fueled her resentment.
Her faith began to falter in her teens after being abused during a stay at a boarding school. This episode marked a breaking point in her relationship with
