What I plan to post about

 Hello Readers!

If you are just joining me here, I’m an ordained Catholic priest who opted to leave the Church a few years ago to pursue love, romance, marriage, and family.  I have a lot of stories to tell.

Posts here will be in one or more of these areas: Faith, Intimacy, Communication, or Memoir.  I'll address questions that are often not explained in the typical routine of going to Mass.  

Some examples:

FAITH

• During Mass, why are bells rung at the elevation of the host and chalice?
• Why do we stand for receiving holy communion nowadays—instead of kneeling—and why do some churches still practice kneeling?  Is it better to stand or kneel for Holy Communion?
• Are there alternatives to abstinence and Natural Family Planning that a married couple may have, as they plan the number and spacing of their children, and still be fully compliant with Catholic doctrine?

INTIMACY

• Are women really supposed to be submissive to husbands?
• Is there a theology for orgasmic pleasure?
• "My pastor told me that if my husband is viewing porn, it means that I'm not availing myself enough to him for intercourse." My thoughts and critique on this.
• What is "pre-ceremonial sex," how is it different from "pre-marital sex," and can it be acceptable?

COMMUNICATION 

The heart of the Christian journey is, “What do you want me to do, Lord?” and “What are my spiritual gifts?”  The Enneagram is an amazing tool that can catapult your journey with Jesus by helping you to deeply know yourself and others. 

• Peter, the first Pope, was likely an Enneagram type SIX.
• Saint Francis of Assisi was likely Enneagram type SEVEN.
• Tips for being in relationship with a type ONE (and TWO and THREE and all the types).

MEMOIR

• Excerpts from some chapters.
• Insights into what Celibacy really means for those in priestly or religious life.

I plan to post at least once per week.  I invite you to ENGAGE with me, by sending me your comments—let me know what you enjoy and what you may dislike. And please send any questions or suggested topics that I can address! This will help me to write meaningful posts.

— Paul

Welcome!

Hello Readers,

I’m an ordained Catholic priest who opted to leave the Church a few years ago to pursue love, romance, marriage, and family.  I have a lot of stories to tell.

Since I’m no longer Catholic in the institutional sense, that is, I don’t attend Catholic Mass, I write FREELY of my experiences in my early twenties when I was full of hormones and ready to start dating, only to discover God calling me to leave my career in engineering and go into ministry!  I write about my wrestling with celibacy in a raw exposé, revealing to readers the various steps in my journey from layperson to ordained priest.  From childhood to college, application to attend seminary, my years in seminary, and years of parish work as a priest, I catalog the scandals, questionable morality, temptations, and seductions that were a part of my life.  And finally, the decision to leave ministry after falling in love a few times.

Besides tidbits on my upcoming MEMOIR, I will be writing stories that reveal insights I gleaned from my ministry in the areas of FAITH, INTIMACY, and COMMUNICATION.  My hope is that you will find these refreshingly different and relevant.  More about this in the next post.

I am intending this content for Catholics, former Catholics, and anyone who may be fascinated—or concerned—with the inner workings and mystique of Catholicism.  If you are scarred or traumatized by an experience involving your Catholic faith, this may be cathartic for you.  If you love your faith and want to experience and understand it more deeply, you too may be fascinated.

Initially, I plan to post once per week.  I invite you to ENGAGE with me, by sending me your comments—let me know what you enjoy and what you may dislike.  And please send any questions or suggested topics that I can address!  This will help me to write meaningful posts.

 

– Paul

 Writer of upcoming memoir,

Always a Priest:  A coming-of-age story of sexual urgings and a love of the divine