Tony Agnesi: The Story of a Storyteller and Man of Fatih

Have you ever met someone who really made you stop and think, or even rethink, your faith life? Or perhaps you read an article, essay or book by someone and realized much later what a positive influence their words had on your life’s course? I’m talking about making you really think and even consider making some positive changes.

How Social Media Can Open Doors to Greater Faith

A few years ago when I joined Twitter, and made many new connections both with people I knew and many that I did not know. One of those connections was when I came upon Tony Agnesi. What caught my eye with his Twitter profile were a couple words about him that intrigued me; “Catholic” and “Storyteller”. Being a person who loves to write and read other’s stories, those words inspired me to find out more about Tony Agnesi and his ministry. I discovered right away that Tony has written many short stories of faith, including faith-filled podcasts. Tony’s online ministry is called “Finding God’s Grace”, and it certainly is about finding God’s grace. As soon as I experienced Tony’s writings, I started following him on Twitter and reading his meditations – hence I am here today writing about him and hoping my readers will become acquainted with his work.

As some of my readers know, I love our current Pope for many reasons. One of the biggest reason is how he has touched my life personally in his mission to help us put our faith into action. We all have friends and acquaintances, maybe even ourselves, who our wonderful prayer warriors, and very active within different ministries offered at Church. However, if we wish to make a difference in the world, not just “at church”, we need to be aware of the Holy Spirit and of God who is alive in each and every person.

I came across a recent quote from Pope Francis which reminded me of Tony and his ministry.

“We cannot become starched Christians, those over-educated Christians who speak of theological matters as they calmly sip their tea. No! We must become courageous Christians and go in search of people who are the very flesh of Christ, those who (need help most)! –Address, St. Peter’s Square, Vigil of Pentecost with Ecclesial Movements, May 18, 2013

I think this quote from Pope Francis sums up what I am trying to convey here. Our faith must lead us to reach out with kindness to all of our family, friends, neighbors, people we know and people we don’t know. Reaching out to people we love and like, and even our enemies. We are all aware of the story of Jesus on the cross and his mission. I appreciate Tony Agnesi and his ministry for reflecting Pope Francis’ statement and for assisting me in my daily life to be inspired to love and reach out to those hardest to love. Because as we all know, it is not an easy task. And now, about my friend Tony…

A Simple Man of Faith

Tony Agnesi is a Catholic man, husband, father, broadcast executive, radio host and a storyteller from the state of Ohio. Since I had my initial conversion back in 1999, I have always had a heart for ways to make faith something real for anyone who is struggling and searching for God in their daily lives. As soon as I started reading Tony’s meditations and listening to his messages, I felt a renewed sense of hope for my life, especially a sense of encouragement to continue on my daily journey with God and bringing his love to others. That is what Tony’s ministry is all about. Quite simply, Tony has a way with words and the ability to bring a powerful message about God’s love to his listeners even with a short two or three minute podcast or “read”.

Tony was born in Youngstown, Ohio – a blue collar steel town. His father was a plasterer and cement mason, and his mother was a stay-at-home mom. His parents were both second generation Italian immigrants. Tony’s mom a devout Catholic and his dad an Italian Methodist. (There are links below to more stories about Tony’s childhood and upbringing. I believe you will find them inspiring and interesting, too!)

Tony and his wife Diane have been married 43 years. They are childhood sweethearts, born on the same day (February 23) in the same hospital and have been together for 50 years. They have always had a Christ-centered marriage, which has helped them through many tough times throughout their marriage, something that all married people experience. In Tony’s own words – “She is a true example of a compassionate Catholic, serving on the board of the local pregnancy center. She has been involved in Eucharistic Adoration every week for over 25 years, and she considers her hour with Jesus the highlight of her week”. These words alone speak of the kind of relationship Tony and Diane share. It is something very special. (Tony offers this reflection on his wife’s philosophy here.)

Tony and Diane have two adult sons, Matthew in Orlando, Florida, who is the director of Engineering for CBS Radio and Mark in Tarzana, California who is a broker of rare vintage guitars. Matt is single and Mark is married to Jacqueline and they have a son, Nico. Tony and Diane adore their little grandson Nico. They have a little genealogical joke about Nico. He is in the CIA! He is a Cuban/Italian/ American.

The Gift of Faith in Storytelling

Tony has had a long career (50 years in 2016) in radio, first as a talk show host and later as a broadcast executive. He is currently Senior Vice President and Director of Operations for the Rubber City Radio Group in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. His success in radio has been attributed to his ability to teach, train and motivate by storytelling. Tony’s grandmother was a storyteller and so was his mother. People say that Tony has a story for any given situation. He loves the fact that Jesus and he both share this storytelling trait, similar to Jesus telling Parables to his disciples.

Over the years, many people have asked Tony to write down his stories to preserve them for the next generation. Hence, his meditations and podcasts are quite a treasure. Whenever I’m feeling a sense of discouragement in my own life, I go to his website and listen to a podcast.

Tony’s ability to share a story and encourage others is a testimony to His God-given talent. When Tony was a Freshman in college, he was told by a college professor that his writing ability was at about a sixth grade level, so he was discouraged at that time from journaling many of his life lessons and stories. Years later when Tony began to write his weekly blog, he had asked a teacher friend to read some of his stories and offer him a grade level she felt his writings were appropriate for and she said “seventh grade”. He joked that “at least I was up a grade level since 40 years plus had passed since college”! Tony is a man of gratitude and humility, undeterred in his mission.

The title of Tony’s podcast is “Finding God’s Grace” and for the last three years Tony has done just that. He has found God’s grace in every day life. He has completed his 100th episode, and the ministry has brought many blessings to his life and to others. In addition to his meditations and podcasts that can be found on his website, Tony is also involved in a prison ministry that he has been involved with for the last 10 years.

Tony also works with the homeless in his area and with several organizations dealing with homelessness. I have enjoyed his meditations on these subjects since I believe there is much work to be done in our country in reaching out to those in need who are ever so close to all of us – the homeless. In addition to all of the work Tony does in these ministries, he is also on the board of directors with Living Bread Radio in Canton, Ohio and with Catholic radio stations in and around the Great Lakes area.

Making Faith Real Through Mercy

When I was meditating and praying on the topic for this article, I decided to write about Tony Agnesi because his ministry has made a very big difference for my life. He speaks on issues that touch our hearts and help us to minister more to our brothers and sisters in need. We are called to love the unlovable and be a friend to the friendless. If I had to sum up what I have learned from Tony Agnesi, it is this: We are called to make a difference to others by the love and listening ear we give to all those we meet. Learning to love better. Learning to be a “real Catholic” not just by words and theological terms and matters, but by reaching beyond ourselves in bringing God to every person we encounter.

During the next liturgical year starting this Advent, Pope Francis has called for a “Year of Mercy”. Let us all consider this call to show mercy to ‘the lesser than these’ of great importance to our lives. Our faith is defined by the mercy we show. It is about Jesus Christ who died for us to save us from our sins and help us to achieve Heaven through good lives and through sacrifice which is the core of love. Let us imitate him.

Thanks to my friends Tony and Diane Agnesi for being living witnesses to the mercy of Jesus Christ. Please visit Tony Agnesi’s ministry to learn more and be inspired for the Lord!