John Yep, president of Catholics For Catholics shared this Friday Sept. 12, feast of the most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an emotive final heartfelt salute to his brother and friend, Charlie Kirk:
We’re both from Chicago. He founded TPUSA at his parent’s home in Lemont, IL a few blocks from my house. His first TPUSA event was in Rockford, IL where I was born. He knew my parents and brothers. As we joked, we watched the 1990s Chicago Bulls and our grandmas both watched EWTN.
After high school, Charlie went on to found TPUSA. I went off to Seminary to discern a priestly vocation.
Over a decade later, we reconnected at America Fest in 2022 in our new home city of Phoenix, AZ. Catholics for Catholics was just a few months old and I was excited to tell someone I looked up to about our tiny new organization focused on getting Catholics engaged in the fight to save America.
He was gracious and encouraging of our work. He talked to me of his Catholic roots through his grandma and then asked me for a favor. He asked me if I knew any Catholic priest he could talk to.
A couple weeks later he was sitting in the office of a dear priest friend. On his way over he asked if I would be in that meeting. I said no, I think it’s best you meet alone with him.
The relationship between that priest and the Kirk family became very close. It became source of great strength for them during these last tragic last days. It was a providential connection that was made and I am forever honored to have played a role in connecting this great warrior for Christ with a noble representative of Christ’s Church in this Catholic priest.
Charlie was the kind of guy who would wake up and send you a scripture quote in the morning. He lived and breathed his faith. I would of course fire back with a picture of Adoration from my own time of prayer that day and “rub it in” that he couldn’t be with the Eucharistic Lord. I was trying in my own poor way to witness to my own Faith and invite him closer to it.
CHARLIE KIRK WAS MY FRIEND
Final Salute to a Brother in ArmsJohn Yep, @USAYep President Catholics for Catholics @CforCatholics
We’re both from Chicago. He founded TPUSA at his parent’s home in Lemont, IL a few blocks from my house. His first event was in Rockford where I was… pic.twitter.com/hHh4lGLkUt
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) September 13, 2025
We had good debates via text about politics and faith. After his famous debate last winter with Michael Knowles about Catholics vs Evangelicals, I sent him a long text afterwards as Michael’s noble efforts didn’t convince him completely about Catholicism.
Charlie, I wrote, let’s meet up in private and talk about your hang ups with transubstantiation, Mary, and the Papacy. If I lose our debate, I’ll make a donation to TPUSA. He responded seconds later with a “Yes! Let’s do it!”.
Such was our relationship. Yes, we worked together. Catholics for Catholics was the official Catholic partner with TP Action during the 2024 Election. We helped chase 2.1 million Catholic voters in the 7 swing states. This alone was something I’ll never forget. We achieved the greatest landslide among Catholic votes in US history. I learned a lot from Charlie and his team during this time. They were the pros and I was taking notes.
But our relationship always transcended work. We both loved the Lord. I would see him at Morning Mass and we would fist bump on our way out as we both headed to the battlefield of spiritual warfare.
One of my last memories with him came last May. I was in Rome and there was a Conclave going on. I was on point to cover it for several major media outlets. When the white smoke came out, I had to make a choice. I knew I had one of the best viewing points to witness history but could only accept one interview request from the dozen that were blowing up my phone. Who would I go live with?
I didn’t have any doubt. It had to be on the Kirk Show. Charlie was my man and I loved his audience. When the words rang out in Saint Peter’s Square, “Habemus Papam”, it was Charlie in the booth and me high up looking over the piazza doing live coverage. I was able to do the play by the play for his audience on what was happening as the new Pope Leo addressed the crowds.
At the end of the stream, I knew it was a bit bold but I asked Charlie if I could end it by leading his popular show with a prayer. Air time is limited on shows and maybe prayer wasn’t the best thing to do. But I didn’t have any fear asking Charlie. Why? Because, I knew Charlie loved the Lord so much. He would approve and he did. Never mind it was the worst spontaneous prayer ever, I was cold and my hand was shaking from holding the phone up for over an hour. I guess that’s why Catholics usually just stick to “Hail Mary’s”. But it was special in its own way as it was the last time I was on his show.
When the news broke that my friend took a bullet to the neck CforC jumped into gear. We quickly got 12,000 people across the country doing a live rosary for his survival. I could barely talk during it as my mind was on his 2 small children who might be losing their dad in some hospital in Utah. During the Rosary, our Lord took him home. He died. I was crushed.
Stifling back the tears, we knew it wasn’t time to rest. Charlie wouldn’t do it. We immediately, switched gears and began to organize a prayer vigil. I was part of Charlie’s Church family where he often came. The people there wanted to assemble. Catholics were messaging us from all over Phoenix to see if we could get together to pray. And so we did. With just 3 hours notice, over 500 people assembled near Charlie’s home with a flock of media there to cover it. We prayed the rosary for the soul of my friend and for his dear family.
My last text to Charlie was sent after I knew he was already dead. While I knew he wouldn’t be reading the text from this earth I knew he would read it from above. Here’s what I wrote:
And such was my friendship with the great Charlie Kirk. But it’s not over. The blood that ran down his white FREEDOM shirt was a witness to the world of his love for Jesus Christ. You truly are FREE now Charlie. And, friend, if you’re worried about your dirty white shirt there’s good news. You are among those who have survived the great tribulation, you have “washed your robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev 7:14
It’s time now to honor Charlie’s sacrifice with our own renewed commitment to never give up fighting for America or as he would say, “living to make Heaven crowded.”
Your friend,
John Yep
CHARLIE KIRK WAS MY FRIEND
Final Salute to a Brother in ArmsJohn Yep, @USAYep President Catholics for Catholics @CforCatholics
We’re both from Chicago. He founded TPUSA at his parent’s home in Lemont, IL a few blocks from my house. His first event was in Rockford where I was… pic.twitter.com/hHh4lGLkUt
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) September 13, 2025
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