Sohrab Ahmari, Author of From Fire by Water, to Speak at College

Sohrab Ahmari was a teenager living under the Iranian ayatollahs when he decided that there is no God. Nearly two decades later, he was received into the Catholic Church.

Mr. Ahmari recounts his tale of conversion — from a strident Marxist and atheist to a faithful son of the Church, prompted by the Mass — in his newly published book, From Fire by Water: My Journey to the Catholic Faith. He will discuss the book and his conversion when he visits Thomas Aquinas College on the afternoon of March 17.

An Iranian-American journalist, Mr. Ahmari is an acclaimed author and a contributing editor of the Catholic Herald. He previously served as a columnist and editor for the Wall Street Journal opinion pages in New York and London and as a senior writer at Commentary magazine. The Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia, has heralded him as “one of the finest minds and writers of his generation.”

“We are delighted that Mr. Ahmari will address our students, faculty members, benefactors, and friends,” says Anne S. Forsyth, director of college relations. “He is a brilliant young voice in the Church and in the world, and his story of conversion is a wonderful, timely reminder of the depths of God’s grace and mercy.”

The event will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the College’s newest building, the St. Cecilia Lecture and Concert Hall. “We are grateful that, with our new lecture hall, we can open this talk to the public,” adds Mrs. Forsyth. “We hope that the occasion will inspire old friends to return to campus, and perhaps draw in some new ones, as well.”

Admission is free for all guests who RSVP via the College’s online form.