Former porn star converts with Mary’s help (I)

Bree Solstad expected nothing, if not mockery, when she announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, her “life-altering conversion” to Catholicism and subsequent decision to quit sex work.

“Honestly, it was never my intention for the world to know my story,” Solstad revealed in an exclusive interview with CatholicVote. “I still feel it’s hard to believe that I could be a Christian inspiration to someone,” she said, adding that she could have simply retired and deleted her social media accounts. 

(...) About a year ago, I had an opportunity to go to Italy and spent months preparing. The majority of the places I wanted to visit were churches, because in Italy that is where all the great art is located. But once inside these beautiful old basilicas, cathedrals, and churches, something changed in me and I began to appreciate the art and the churches themselves for the theology they expressed. My heart was being pierced by beauty and I began to notice more than just the beauty of the art. 

(...)  In Sorrento and Rome, I remember seeing the Virgin Mary on street corners all over the place. I noticed her in side chapels of churches and even on my barista’s bracelet.  It was a surreal experience, but I really felt like Mary was calling me. Each time I entered a church, I felt compelled to seek her out. I wanted to greet her and ask her to help me with the effects of the tragedy that had previously occurred in my life. 

(...) Mary is grace and mercy personified. She’s helped me come to see the benefits of tragedy, suffering, and loss. She has shown me how to go through this life when you’re faced with struggles and pain, and to get through them with dignity and with a faith that is even stronger than before. I love her so much. I tell her that every day. I often pray the Rosary while I’m stringing the beads for my new business. I also pray on each Rosary before I send it out. I talk to Mary a lot about my desires, about my past life, about the tragedy I experienced. 

In Italy, I felt like I wasn’t ready to talk to God but I could talk to Mary because, sure, she was sinless, but she was a human and also suffered through so much pain and loss. But she did it with grace and dignity and steadfastness. She’s the mother of my God. I admire her. I look up to her. I ask for her guidance and help quite often.

Madalaine Elhabbal on April 26, 2024

www.catholicvote.org