A well-known Eastern Christian Priest named Father Hilarion Heagy, based in California has given up Christianity and embraced Islam. He now goes by the name Said Abdul Latif. According to Heagy, he had been drawn towards Islam for the past 20 years but only recently decided to convert.
"It is not possible for someone to publicly be a priest and monk while privately being a Muslim"
According to the news outlet Ummid, Father Hilarion Heagy has described his conversion to Islam as a "homecoming" and considers it a return to his original faith. In a blog post, Heagy wrote that his conversion to Islam feels like a return to his authentic faith, stating that the Quran recognizes the worship of God alone and submission to Him as the ancient practice even before birth. Hilarion Heagy used a verse from the Holy Quran to support his decision to convert to Islam. He quoted from chapter 7, verse 172, where it is stated that God brought forth the descendants of Adam and made them testify regarding themselves, asking if He was their Lord. They replied affirmatively and were cautioned that they would not be able to claim ignorance of this fact on the Day of Judgment. Father Heagy was previously a Russian Orthodox Monk, and his kind, holy, and patient nature had earned him respect among his followers. In 2003, he converted to the Antiochian Orthodox Church but later left it in 2017 to join the Eastern Catholic Church. After completing his training at St. Nazianz's Holy Resurrection Monastery, he became a Byzantine Catholic priest-monk. He has now converted to Islam.
Heagy explained to the news outlet Ummid that people who convert to Islam refer to it as a "reversion" rather than a "conversion" because it is a process of returning that can take a long time.
"According to Heagy, he has been receiving sincere messages from Muslims ever since he announced his conversion to Islam".
Heagy has expressed his gratitude towards the Muslim community for the warmth and hospitality he has received from them since converting to Islam. He has said that he has never experienced such kindness before. However, he also acknowledged that the future is uncertain, and taking a leap of faith into the unknown can be nerve-wracking
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