A Fresh Start: How a Leader Found Faith Again

Vice President JD Vance has released a memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, on June 16.
The book chronicles his journey from a Protestant upbringing, through atheism, to Catholicism.

The Path to Baptism

• 2019 – Vance is baptized at St. Gertrude Priory, a Dominican church in Cincinnati.
• He selects Saint Augustine as his patron saint and cites the intellectual appeal of Catholicism as a key draw.
• Prior to this, he had never been baptized and felt no strong church ties during childhood.

Loss, Service, and Spiritual Drift

• 2005 – The death of grandmother Bonnie Blanton Vance weakens his sense of purpose.
• After serving in Iraq as a Marine Corps media officer, he says he “no longer was a Christian.”

A Turning Point at Yale

• Vance meets his future wife, Usha, while attending Yale Law School.
• Usha becomes an “anchor,” encouraging him to return to church life.
• Their Sunday mornings are described as hectic, yet she remains a steady influence.

Interfaith Support

• Usha is of Indian heritage and practices Hinduism; she never intended to convert.
• Her faith inspires Vance to honor her beliefs, prompting regular attendance at services and a renewed spiritual quest.

The memoir offers an intimate look at how personal relationships, loss, and intellectual curiosity can reshape one’s faith journey.