DEI GRATIA: Catholic Fun Fact: John Wayne was a lifelong Presbyterian who officially converted to the Catholic Church just two days before his death in 1979.

Catholic Fun Fact: John Wayne was a lifelong Presbyterian who officially converted to the Catholic Church just two days before his death in 1979. Raised in a Protestant household, he affectionately referred to himself as a "cardiac Catholic"—meaning he always intended to… pic.twitter.com/GOUpUesLuh

— dei gratia (@DeiGratia64) June 24, 2026

from Dei Gratia, 

Catholic Fun Fact: John Wayne was a lifelong Presbyterian who officially converted to the Catholic Church just two days before his death in 1979. Raised in a Protestant household, he affectionately referred to himself as a "cardiac Catholic"—meaning he always intended to officially join the faith before he passed away. His journey to the Church was shaped by decades of surrounding himself with Catholic family and friends: All three of his wives and all seven of his children were Catholic. His first wife, Josephine Saenz, prayed faithfully for his conversion. As he battled stomach cancer in 1979, he was formally baptized and received the last rites by Archbishop Marcos McGrath. He expressed regret for not joining the Church earlier, often blaming his "busy life". Today, one of his grandsons, Father Matthew Muñoz, serves as a Catholic priest.