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Soldier finds the Catholic Church after six years of spiritual darkness
- Emily Woodham
- 5 hours ago
- 6 min read
By Emily Woodham
Staff Writer
Staff Sgt. Colton Sabala spent six years away from the Christian faith.
“From the time I was 20 until I was 26, I wasn’t really anything,” he said. “I call it my ‘Jonah experience.’ I was totally swallowed by the whale. I was telling Christ, ‘I don’t want you. I’m doing good without you,’ but God had different plans for me.”
Colton was born and raised in Twin Falls. His family attended a Baptist church until he was 6, when they switched to an evangelical, nondenominational church. He continued in his faith through high school. On Jan. 3, 2012 he enlisted in the Army National Guard.
“Of my choices I wanted to specialize in, they told me I had to choose chaplain assistant or something else,” Colton recalled. “They told me that a chaplain assistant was essentially a bodyguard of the chaplain, and I’d do all kinds of exciting security detail work like the Secret Service. It turned out that you’re only a bodyguard in heavy combat zones.” He then added with a chuckle, “I’ve done none of that in terms of being ‘a bodyguard.’ In all reality, it’s been a ton of real-world ministry in the community and organizations. It’s been good, and fruitful even during my estrangement. The Chaplain Corps gave me a sense of belonging when I felt like I had little to grasp onto.”
About two years into his service with the National Guard, his church faced a scandal.
“It was pretty cataclysmic, and I lost my faith,” he said. “I was putting my faith in the people of the church instead of in Christ.”
As a result, Colton felt completely lost and betrayed. He found it hard, or nearly impossible, to put his faith into anything more than secular science. During the time of his estrangement, he faced many challenges, including social acceptance, identity, substance abuse and grief. People close to Colton often reiterated to him that his personal journey that led him to estrangement was so close to the story of Jonah.
He was closer to God than he realized, and all the while his testimony was bringing others to Christ.
No matter how far Colton thought he had distanced himself from God and the church, he had always felt comfort in St. Edward Catholic Church in Twin Falls. There was a spiritual calm that came over him when he was near St. Edward’s.
One encounter truly scared him. While scrolling through his phone, he found a video of himself praying fervently to Christ and singing worship songs outside a parish. What troubled him most was that he had no memory of recording it or how it ended up on his phone.
Despite unbelief, he continued as a chaplain assistant. It was the only line of work at which he felt he was good. It provided him comfort as he helped the soldiers of the units he served. He felt convicted to help others find what was important to them.
Toward the end of 2017, before his second deployment to the Middle East, his first sergeant had an honest conversation with him that would later be the catalyst for his conversion.
Colton recalled, “He said he was concerned about me. I asked him, ‘Why?’ I did what I was told to do, I loved my job and supported the soldiers. I gave the soldiers whatever they needed without question, and this was the only thing that gave me gratification and peace of mind. But my first sergeant said, ‘Yeah, but you’re not doing anything for yourself. If this job is your true passion, I’d like to see you be more religious or spiritual.’ It seemed like an oxymoron that I was working in the Chaplain Corps at that very moment.”
Colton was very taken aback by what his first sergeant had bluntly told him.
“It really bothered me for a long time. Whether I realized it or not, that was the whale spitting me out, so to speak, and it wasn’t a nice landing; most people would land on their rear end, but I landed straight on my neck. I had to ask myself why I was bothered so much by what he said and if I truly belonged working in ministry.”
He had more than a year to think about it while in the Middle East. This was where God truly started to work in his life. Being so far from home, he began to discover the true person God had created him to be.
Colton realized it was exhausting living as an agnostic.
“In my estrangement from God, I had to learn a lot about religion to defend my agnostic beliefs,” he said.
In July 2020, when he began working full time at Gowen Field in Boise, he began to humble himself to God’s plan. “I began dabbling in Christianity, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to stick.”
Two years later, the Chaplain Corps conducted baptism training at Hidden Lake near McCall.
“My state chaplain is a father figure to me, and he was a real thorn in my side about needing to be a better guy,” Colton said.
He felt the urge to be baptized and knew that he could no longer distance himself from Christ, but he wasn’t sure where to go next.
“I had such a bad experience in the church I went to when I was 19 that I knew I didn’t want to go back to a non-denominational church. I just wanted a relationship with Christ.”
However, he found it difficult to live out his new Christian faith.
“I knew I needed community and accountability, but I didn’t know where I could place my trust. I told God that He really needed to help me out. I asked Him to give me three signs so that I would know what to do. I received way more than three, and fast.”
Of the many signs that God gave Colton, these were the most profound: after praying for God’s help, one of the first signs was realizing how often he felt compelled to go to St. Edward Church for comfort.
Another sign was through Father Germán Osorio, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise. He was also a chaplain at Gowen Field. One of their in-depth conversations revealed two signs: a coincidental conversation about hypocrites, which ended up being the liturgy for the very next day’s weekday Mass. Also discovering that he had seen Father Osorio as a young seminarian at St. Edward’s when Colton was growing up in Twin Falls. near St. Edward Church and often
The most powerful sign came during a foot-washing ceremony he took part in with the Chaplain Corps during the summer of 2025. A chaplain candidate, with whom he had grown close and who was Catholic, washed his feet.
“I was raised that strong men don’t cry, and I tried my best not to cry. But the ceremony was just so powerful. I couldn’t help it. I thought, ‘OK, God, You are really pushing this Catholic thing.’”
For a second time, he felt the Holy Spirit flow directly through him, from the bottom of his feet to the hairs on his head. At that moment it was clear to him that he needed to become something larger than himself, and after more than a half-decade of praying, he chose to pursue the Catholic faith.
Colton began OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes in October 2025 with Father Osorio. He received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist from Bishop Peter Christensen at the Cathedral this year during the Easter Vigil.
“I have felt so welcomed by the Catholic Church, and I am so grateful that I can receive the Eucharist. I am home.”
His favorite Catholic devotion is the rosary.
“I learned the mysteries by heart in the first few days of being a catechumen,” he said. “I carry a rosary with me everywhere and pray it every day; sometimes multiple times a day.”
In gratitude for the Catholics in the military who helped inspire him on his journey, he ordered rosary kits for soldiers from Combat Rosaries for Heroes, a Wisconsin-based Catholic nonprofit organization founded by Father Richard Heilman.
He hoped to revitalize the Catholic community among his ranks and promoting his devotion to God and the rosary.
“I just really appreciate Father Osorio and everyone who has been a part of the process and made an impact on my life, and I credit all things in my life to our Lord Jesus Christ. He is risen,” Colton said.