This is the story of the author's nine years in a Catholic seminary and monastery in the 1950's and 1960's.
Scandals regarding recent sex abuse among priests have outraged and shocked many. Understanding these events is difficult for most people. Exploring how priests develop their thinking about themselves and their sexuality may give some insight into how the problem developed. The training and early experienece of these priests remains relatively unexplored. What was seminary and monastic life like for seminary students? What was it like to come of age in a sheltered environment? How did seminary students grapple with sexuality? Begin to understand these questions through the author's experience.
Excerpt
I missed the comfort of my family and the familiarity of my room and belongings as I lay in the cold anonymity of the dormitory. I had a top bunk because one happened to be open when I arrived and I tthought I might like one for some reason. It provided me a good view. Some students slid quickly into bed while others stayed up in the dark to practice their exercises...
After falling asleep, I dreamed of home and everything I knew there. Nothing here was familiar and each hour seemed to hold new expectatios of behavior which were quite foreign to me. I supposed I could get used to it. I seemed to think I would just magically become a priest and did not consider all the steps of going through philosophy and theology before ordination, A long road, and I had only completed one day. Maybe I would be more at peace with the realitity of what I had chosen in the morning.
A passionate and poignant memoir written by a woman whose life has been guided by the words: "I am here to learn how to love well." The book is a deep examination of relationships, family, motivation, and honoring of the Self.
For a time, I perched myself on a flat rock, comparing my life with the Guyandotte River. Just as its tributaries replenish it daily, changing it in some small—sometimes great—degree, so have the day-to-day occurrences of life changed me. Like the ri
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