Welcome to A Life of Virtue!
This website was launched in 2010 by Derek Rotty. Derek is a convert to the Catholic Church, a husband, a father of three beautiful children, and a full-time parish minister. Since 2008, he has sought to spread the message of virtuous living to adults and teens alike. The message of virtue is intimately connected with the Gospel, and there is no more important message for the modern world!
Derek was born and raised into a non-Catholic Christian home. As a child and youth, he received the basics of Christian doctrine and support that he received from the community, both of which placed his life on the firm foundation of Christ. Without that firm foundation, his later growth in Christ would not have been possible.
Derek was a fairly typical teenage male: more concerned with sports, video games and members of the opposite sex than with religion. Certain events during his teenage years also caused him to develop a cynicism toward life and religion. Rather than the pursuit of holiness, he chose to pursue the things of the world and the flesh. That trend lasted through high school and into college. At his worst, Derek was on the brink of alcoholism and generally void of purity, humility, and charity anywhere in his life. These years of false happiness caused him to critically examine life’s most important questions.
Derek understood that truth exists. Most importantly, he understood that a person’s life must conform to truth, whatever that might be. The period of questioning and pondering, along with a few light nudges from a woman and her supportive family, allowed this seeker to understand importance of religion.
This conviction led Derek to retrace his religious upbringing as he searched for truth. He found his way home to the Catholic Church in 2004, spurred on by the beauty of its worship, its historicity, and its moral teachings. Another great part of the story is that the woman who brought him to the doors of the Church said “yes” to his marriage proposal. She became his wife and the mother of his children!
In hindsight, however, Derek’s reception into the Church was only the beginning of a much more important conversion: the conversion of his heart toward authentic love for God and fellow man. It has taken eight full years, and probably the rest of his life, to fully understand that Catholicism, Christianity at its fullest, is a way of life rather than simply the acceptance of doctrines and historical facts.
In July 2008, Derek received a clear message from God that he was not leading a virtuous life in a manner “worthy of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:27). Because of two powerful experiences, he realized that transformation was necessary. Since that time, the grace of the Almighty has worked slowly yet efficiently to bring Derek to a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, a host of virtues: charity, mercy, justice, humility, obedience, patience, docility, generosity, and a host of others.
Day after day, God has worked to transform Derek’s life through the Sacred Scriptures, the doctrines of the Church, Derek’s wife and children, and the youth and families to whom he ministers. It is glorious that the Spirit of God has breathed into this man, brought him to new life and a more intimate knowledge of the Living God (cf. Ezekiel 37:5-6). The grace of God has worked in order to make Derek ready to confirm his “call and election” (2 Peter 1:10); to “give the best of himself” (CCC 1803); and to become a partaker “of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). For the first time in his life, Derek came to God as a “living stone,” ready to rest firmly in the walls of God’s “spiritual house,” the Church (cf. 1 Peter 2:5).
The purpose of this website and all the resources it offers is to share the message of virtue. Everything within these cyber-pages is designed to assist others as they “ascend the hill of the Lord,” “stand in his holy place,” and “seek the face of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 24:3, 6). Derek wants to help every other human being find the abundant life of joy (cf. John 10:10; 1 John 1:4) that he has found by cultivating virtue.
“Virtue is the utmost of what a man can be. It is the realization of the human capacity for being.” “Virtue is a revolutionary thing in the the midst of our world, and it will win the world!
If you are interested in hearing more about Derek Rotty’s conversion to the Catholic Church or his transformation in virtue, please send an email to him or visit his blog.