Porntip Kriruck Marie Friese, 51, was a Buddhist in Thailand when she married her husband Will and came to the United States 25 years ago. Throughout their marriage, Will faithfully attended Mass never pressing Porntip to join his faith.

With Will’s work in the Air Force, including assignments at embassies in Eastern Europe and Asia, the Friese family spent many years living overseas. While stationed in Italy two years ago, Porntip’s curiosity about the Catholic faith grew.

“I was mesmerized by how calm and serene the Catholic Mass was and how beautiful the cathedrals are throughout Italy,” she said.

While growing up in Thailand, Friese would see Catholic missionaries in the streets, but didn’t really have a chance to talk to them. It was in the United States that she saw how Catholicism was lived by ordinary people.

“My husband’s family has been a good example,” she said. “I was with them and I saw how faithful they were and that they went to church every week.”

When the couple decided to retire and move to Hawaii, she was spurred to examine more seriously her husband’s religion.

“I was fascinated by how my husband and daughter always attend church,” she said.

Will and their daughter Angeline, now a freshman at Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki would stop at Star of the Sea Parish every day for Mass during Lent. Her daughter also began preparing for her confirmation at Holy Trinity Parish.

Friese herself attended Mass at Holy Trinity Church with her family every Sunday.

She expained the decision to be baptized in an article she wrote for the parish bulletin.

“After a long internal struggle, being torn between remaining Buddhist and yearning for Catholicism, I broke the news of my desire to become a Catholic to my family on my 50th birthday early last year,” she said.

Friese said that her husband was completely supportive and she immediately enrolled in the parish RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults,class. Holy Trinity has a unique way of preparing their catechumens. Fourteen parishioners take turns teaching from the standard RCIA catechism book.

“I like the arrangement,” she said. “They are all good.”

Friese said that, when she is baptized, her desire is “to be the best Catholic I can be.”

“I no longer have any questions left in my mind but to step forward to become a faithful Catholic,” she said.

“I want to help people, unfortunate people,” she said. “My husband is a good example and I will follow him in helping the church and supporting orphanages. We do a lot of charity work.”

Friese has asked that her fellow parishioners’ help guide her and her RCIA classmates in the process.

She also encouraged Hawaii Catholic Herald readers to pray for her and all of the catechumens during the Easter vigil.