Story of the Second Exodus Apostolate

Photo of Marty Barrack

Hi. I’m Marty Barrack. Born and raised Jewish, I was baptized a Catholic on Easter Vigil, March 25, 1989. March 25 in the traditional English calendar is said to be the anniversary of the Fall of Man, the Annunciation, and the Crucifixion.

My completion story was published in Envoy Magazine, March-April ’97, and won first prize in its category from the Catholic Press Association for all Catholic magazine articles published that year. A more detailed account appears in Pat Madrid’s excellent book, Surprised by Truth 2. It is an exhilarating journey.

A few weeks after I was baptized, Jesus gave me a very specific mission: “Communicate My Word as far and wide as you can.” I began work on a trilogy of Catholic novels, but soon a sense emerged that He wanted something else: a book that would help Jews seeking to swim the Tiber into the Catholic Church. I began working on Second Exodus. Jesus had blessed me with the friendship of the late Deacon Frank Earley, who introduced me to the late Father William Most. Both men were excited about the project, and Father Most agreed to write a foreword for it. When Father John Hardon saw it, he too was excited enough to write a foreword. Second Exodus, the book, was born.

Father Hardon realized that, no matter how many questions Second Exodus answers, there will always be more. The Second Exodus apostolate exists to be a living book that will help each Jew who seeks Christ walk toward the Cross and salvation.

The apostolate retains its focus on Jews inquiring into the Catholic faith by highlighting the Israelite origins of the Church. However, it has also attracted interest for its zestful defense, and its remarkably clear illumination, of the Catholic faith. It pursues all three objectives with great relish in the joy of service to Christ:

Israelite origins of the Catholic Church

Defending the Catholic faith

Illuminating the Catholic faith

Many faithful Catholics believe the time is fast approaching when great numbers of Jews will stream into the Church and become once again God’s Chosen People in the new and true Israel. Some have speculated that Second Exodus may be part of God’s plan.

The Second Exodus apostolate is built on prayer and intercession. But its story is complete only with Irene, my beautiful wife since 1967. Her Catholic purity of heart, her cheerful patience, and her willingness to take on much that would have distracted me, have made this apostolate possible.

Photo of Irene Barrack