Mapping the Landscape of Catholic Voices
Wrestling with the Church
Rosie Delacruz
Cambridge, MA (USA)
Born in 1960, practices every day
"There are also wonderful parishes that create rich, genuine communities for church families to grow and expand." Read more…
Brian Stransky
Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
Born in 1971, practices every day
"Like many, I lived a sinful life outside of the Church for many years and even considered myself an athiest for a time. Once I rediscovered my faith..." Read more…
Oilibhear Twomey
Belfast, Northern Ireland., UK
Born in 1975, practices every day
"...while things are not easy in the church, the heart of the church is seeking to be the heart of the man of Nazareth." Read more…
Aileen O'donoghue
Potsdam, NY (USA)
Born in 1958, practices every week
"I am an astronomer and came back to the Catholic church as a graduate student (I had grown up Catholic). I came back because I could not shake my sense of and longing for God, but the God I believe..." Read more…
Rachel Pokora
Lincoln, NE (USA)
Born in 1968, practices every week
"While I have grown used to my situation in Lincoln, it is still painful to me to have been turned out by the Church that means so much to me. Especially painful is the fact that almost no one in..." Read more…
Imelda Hinojosa
Hawthorne, CA (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every day
"I am deeply touched by the love shown for the female energy/representation of the Blessed Mother." Read more…
Fabio Arce
Queretaro, MX
Born in 1966, practices every week
"The worst scandal in the Church is not of a sexual nature, nor the riches and the lifestyle, no, for me the worst scandal is the lack of love in the Church, the lack of community, the lack of human..." Read more…
Cheryl Blake
St. Louis, MO (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every day
"I have seen beautiful cathedrals, representations of God's Kingdom on earth, where wonderful choirs have filled the archways and resounded off the mosaics. My favorite image, however, of..." Read more…
John Knutsen
Berkeley, CA (USA)
Born in 1969, practices every day
"I was born during the pontificate of Paul VI (truly a modern prophet) and raised in the turbulent years immediately following the Second Vatican Council. I walked away from the Church when I was..." Read more…
David Dixon
Altoona, IA (USA)
Born in 1976, practices every day
"Our church's history is filled with good and some bad stories but if the church had not existed, we'd live in a radically different culture today." Read more…
Bonnie Amesquita
DeKalb, IL (USA)
Born in 1955, practices every day
"It's even my secret belief that a rosary that's been blessed feels different -- that once blessed, it allows me to hold it and the hand of God at the same time -- and it is responsible for me..." Read more…
Lorraine Murray
Decatur, GA (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"When I returned to the Church in my forties, I found what I had lost during those 20 years, which was meaning, joy and hope. I also found forgiveness for the abortion." Read more…
Philip Carrizosa
San Francisco, CA (USA)
Born in 1952, practices every day
"I take solace in the fact that the Church is alive and strong in the hearts and souls of its members. Although we may disagree, in good conscience, with the hierarchy and its teachings, our faith..." Read more…
Laura Northrup
Albany, NY (USA)
Born in 1981, practices every week
"What keeps me planted in Catholicism, even as I struggle with whether or not I believe in a single personal God, is knowing that it is a tie back to my ancestors..." Read more…
Harry Kelly
Alexandria, VA (USA)
Born in 1956, practices every week
"I grew up as a Catholic in Central Massachusetts during the 1960s, attending Catholic schools until I left for college. Virtually everyone I knew was a Catholic. I describe the faith as like..." Read more…
Eileen Little
Cardiff, UK
Born in 1960, practices every week
"What provides me the most solace in the practice of the Roman Catholic faith with my two children (7, 5) is the connection I feel to the history of my recently deceased mother's family of Irish..." Read more…
Hazel Philbrook
Portland, OR (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"I became a Catholic when I was in graduate school in the early 1970's. It was not a time when religon and especially Catholicism was part of the popular culture of young people. From the time I..." Read more…
Kevin O'brien
Canton, OH (USA)
Born in 1957, practices every week
"On Holy Thursday, Father came up to me and placed the Eucharistic bread in my hands. He said the tradtional "Body of Christ." I responded with an untraditional: "We are". He moved on.
I..." Read more…
Patricia J Fontes
Hopkinton, RI (USA)
Born in 1936, practices every day
"Not very long ago, I read an article about what keeps young people in the Catholic Church. I was particularly struck by the comment of a 17-year-old who said something like this, "The main place..." Read more…
Angela Coghlan
Philadelphia, PA (USA)
Born in 1945, practices every day
"I find it very ironic that I have come back to my Catholic roots in the midst of the sexual abuse revelations that have rocked the church, especially in America. This homecoming points to an..." Read more…
Carol Balaun
Cleveland, GA (USA)
Born in 1945, practices every day
"I am a "cradle Catholic from a devout family. I attended 12 years of Catholic school and three more years at Catholic colleges. In 1962, at age 17, I entered the convent and stayed for five years...." Read more…
Barb Mcrae
Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
Born in 1957, practices every day
"I was raised Roman Catholic and attended parochial schools for 12 years. In college, I joined the Presbyterian Church (USA) and am now an ordained minister. I am so glad for my RC roots. I am..." Read more…
Jean Sheridan
Yarmouth, ME (USA)
Born in 1937, practices every day
"As I sat at Mass on Easter Sunday morning this year, as I have for nearly every year of my longish life - I am now 70 - I reveled at the beauty of the setting - the elegant liturgy, the flowers,..." Read more…
Tess Starecheski
Richmond, VT (USA)
Born in 1955, practices every day
"I was born and raised Catholic, remained "unchurched" for many years, and finally found my path. I am a Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Mystic (I know, quite a mouthful!). Here is my story:
When..." Read more…
Vincent Schauf
Oak Forest, IL (USA)
Born in 1963, practices every week
"I find many positives in the Catholic Church, and they are part of the reason why I continue to be a practicing, active Catholic. I love the sacraments as a way to come closer to Jesus. I..." Read more…
Scott Pomfret
Boston, MA (USA)
Born in 1968, practices every day
"Sixty thousand people showed up in Yankee Stadium to celebrate Mass with Pope Benedict XVI. Tickets were in short supply. Several sold on Ebay for more than $200. According to newspaper reports,..." Read more…
James Benedetti
Santa Barbara, CA (USA)
Born in 1952, practices every month
"As a lifelong Catholic, my religious experiences and education has shaped my life and that of my immediate family very profoundly. Also, many other people at work, school, and elsewhere have been..." Read more…
Cecelia Lucas
Milwaukee, WI (USA)
Born in 1979, practices every day
"My understanding of the Catholic faith is deeper and richer now that I am not a practicing member of the Church than it was during all those years I called the faith my own. Attending a Catholic..." Read more…
Margaret Bitz
Fargo, ND (USA)
Born in 1938, practices every week
"I find solace in the knowledge that Christ is the source and summit of my life. There may be many different authorities in my church who speak, but the bottom line for me is that Jesus' word is the..." Read more…
Stacy Flood
Alpharetta, GA (USA)
Born in 1960, practices every day
"I go faithfully because Jesus is in the Eucharist and if Tim is with Jesus, he is also in the Eucharist. So for a brief moment every week, I get to hold Jesus and Tim in my hand. Can it get any..." Read more…
Ruairi O'murchu
State College, PA (USA)
Born in 1924, practices every day
"My Irish Catholic faith has three pillars: Sacraments, Saints, Scriptures. Our sacraments all involve some appropriate, loving, human touch -- for we are people who need to actually feel the..." Read more…
Fr Shawn O'neal
Bryson City, NC (USA)
Born in 1969, practices every day
"I pray that both the Church and the world are transformed so the Church no longer appears to be an impediment to unity with God." Read more…
Deborah Winarski
Chicago, IL (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every week
"I am Catholic, and I am lesbian. After twenty years of searching, I have found a parish where I can be acknowledged and welcomed for all of who I am -- without denial or fear. My parish is one of..." Read more…
Patricia Booker
Franklin, TN (USA)
Born in 1956, practices rarely
"The Liturgy and its cyclical nature are a comforting reassurance of Christ's presence with us. I have felt that way since I was a child. However, as an adult, I have found myself searching for..." Read more…
Chinh Pham
Westminster, CA (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every day
"The Roman Catholic Church is an institution made up of men with tragic human frailties and also with great divine inspirations. As a religion, it is the Word made flesh and dwells among us. It is..." Read more…
Jonathan Jones
Peabody, MA (USA)
Born in 1953, practices every week
"I am concerned with what I see as a retreat from the liturgical reforms, back to the Tridentine rite, because I see as trying to return the laity to the role of observer of the Eucharist..." Read more…
Timothy Hunter
Palm Springs, FL (USA)
practices every day
"The biggest institutional problem for Roman Catholicism as it affects me is what steps are being taken to restore the Church to its glory and harmony prior to the ill-stared "Second Vatican II..." Read more…
Teresa Orourke
Tulsa, OK (USA)
Born in 1956, practices every day
"I take solace in the quiet peacefulness of the Church; the incense, the Holy Communion (community) and mystery make me feel part of something greater than myself. I love the tradition, the..." Read more…
Peter Zelchenko
Chicago, IL (USA)
Born in 1962, practices every day
"I married into a Catholic family. My Filipino mother-in-law's generation was quite devout, but my wife's generation had fallen away. If anything, I am more observant and hopeful about Catholicism..." Read more…
Patrick Beeman
Toledo, OH (USA)
Born in 1985, practices every day
"The attraction of Catholicism on a purely human level is encompassed by a rich tradition of philosophy, art, ethics, literature, theology, poetry, mysticism, and charitable service. How could one..." Read more…
Janice Mayer
Des Moines, IA (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every day
"I was born a “cradle Catholic.” About age 50, I publically announced to my family and close friend, my departure from the catholic faith. This departure came after a lifelong and constant..." Read more…
Ebeth Weidner
Winterville, NC (USA)
Born in 1958, practices every day
"What I find solace within the Catholic Church is the many prayers, saints, and 7 sacraments we enjoy to bring us closer to our Triune God.
My hope for the future is that the Catholic Church in..." Read more…
Jim Farrow
BINGHAMTON, NY (USA)
Born in 1975, practices every day
"Authentic Catholicism is much more than a religion. It is a psychology, an approach, and a way of life. What do I find beautiful about this faith? Where does one start? The Virgin of Guadalupe. The..." Read more…
Carole Zemont Ndiaye
Baltimore, MD (USA)
Born in 1945, practices every month
"Like thousands upon thousands of Catholics in the U.S., I spent half a lifetime away from the church -- pushed out the door by the exclusive, judgmental language and male-dominated and broken..." Read more…
Penny Younce
Luray, VA (USA)
Born in 1963, practices every month
"I belong to a small parish in a small town, and I find the simple Mass the best." Read more…
Sylvia Mcgeary
Chatham, NJ (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every day
"I considered becoming a sister at one point during my high school years. But desire for children of my own was the deciding factor for me. " Read more…
Ted Snyder
St. Paul, MN (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"I do not believe the answer is for disaffected lay people to walk away, but to find ways to continue to work for change while continuing to be faithful to our baptismal calling." Read more…
Nancy Normandin
Lake George, NY (USA)
Born in 1953, practices every week
"God is found in many places. I serve Him best in the Catholic Church." Read more…
Mary Posa
Kearneysville, WV (USA)
Born in 1963, practices every day
"I struggle with being a Catholic. Several things have prevented me from leaving the Catholic Church. The first is the knowledge that no one group of people, no matter how "faithful" will be..." Read more…
Marcia Enyart
Fairfax Station, VA (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every day
"I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools from second grade through high school. In addition to school I was blessed with a mother who tempered what I learned in school with acceptance of..." Read more…
Patricia Guilbeault
Boulder, CO (USA)
Born in 1946, practices every day
"My Catholic faith, as part of a local church community, helps me to face the evil in ourselves and in the social structures of the world. I question whether the U.S. Catholic hierarchy has really..." Read more…
Daniel Vicencio
Skokie, IL (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every week
"As a cradle Filipino-American Catholic, the beauty and power of the Catholicism lies in the unified diversity of the faith. Rooted in a number of diverse Catholic traditions..." Read more…
Maryann Siebert
West Orange, NJ (USA)
Born in 1945, practices occasionally
"The Catholic Church will always have a future, though that future in the United States will not mirror the present one. When he was a cardinal, Pope Benedict predicted that the Church would be a..." Read more…
Dottie Owens
Reading, PA (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every day
"The word Catholic means universal. That assures me that no matter where I go to Mass on Earth it will be the same format, prayers, readings, etc. Quite literally, we're all on the same page. As for..." Read more…
Tim Kelley
Roswell, GA (USA)
Born in 1956, practices occasionally
"I constantly question when the hierarchy of the Catholic Church will wake up to the 21st century and realize that priests can fulfill their duties quite easily as married men. Also, I am still..." Read more…
Kim Franke
Portage, MI (USA)
Born in 1949, practices every day
"I have tried and tried to quit. To walk away, to find some other spiritual home. I keep coming back because being Catholic is hard wired into my very psyche." Read more…
Mark Griffin
Fairfax, VA (USA)
Born in 1950, practices occasionally
"I learned a long time ago a lesson that "we" are the Church not the clergy." Read more…
Cherylann Ganci
Minnetonka, MN (USA)
Born in 1953, practices every day
"There have been bad leaders before in the Church -- there will be bad leaders again -- and yet the faithful overlook the human failings of the hierarchy, speaking in deafening silence Jesus' dictum..." Read more…
Marita Hoffart
Minot, ND (USA)
Born in 1939, practices every week
"I struggle with Church. Following the 1960's changes in Church, I have always been on the cutting edge of lay involvement in liturgy and all matters of church. Three years ago our pastor retired..." Read more…
Tim Fischer
Crystal City, MO (USA)
Born in 1961, practices every week
"Having been raped by Father Norman H. Christian around 1972, I stayed with the church as a child. I have since left the catholic church. I Have had a long spiritual journey that I have described in..." Read more…
Cyndy Goodson
Macon, GA (USA)
Born in 1956, practices every day
" I have wrestled with sharing my reflections on this topic. However, I feel it necessary to respond, although it is with excruciating pain and deep sadness that I do so.
When I was in high..." Read more…
Cookie Anderson
Milwaukee, WI (USA)
Born in 1943, practices occasionally
"I was born into the big"C" Catholic church however I now belong to the little "c" catholic church. The humungous errors of the church rangeing from burning heretics at the stake, killing..." Read more…
Joseph A. Izzo, M.A., L.I.C.S.W.
Washington, DC (USA)
Born in 1948, practices every day
"I consider myself a "recovering Catholic" after having been baptized and raised in that tradition. I was a member of a Roman Catholic teaching Brotherhood (Xaverian Brothers) from 1965 to 1982,..." Read more…
Alex Mikulich
West Hartford, CT (USA)
Born in 1960, practices every day
"I am a cradle Catholic who always found the mass to pulsate with the overflowing presence of God's creative love. Our liturgical celebrations invite us to wonder and ponder at everything from the..." Read more…
Thomas Roddy
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Born in 1968, practices every day
"Last week, I was reminded of my Catholic upbringing when I was present at the White House for the State Arrival of the Pope. When Speaker of the House Pilosi acknowledged Benedict's connection to..." Read more…
Darcy Demarco
Las Vegas, NV (USA)
Born in 1962, practices every week
"I went to Catholic school, and generally liked it. We had religion class every Tuesday, and were expected to be able to recount the sermon from the Sunday before. Although in the 8th grade I..." Read more…
Paula Sullivan
Tulsa, OK (USA)
Born in 1942, practices every day
"I was born into the Catholic faith in 1942. I was a public school student in Connecticut in the late 1940s and was treated with disdain by the nuns who taught us the catchecism on Sunday..." Read more…
Jim Gessner
Navarre, OH (USA)
Born in 1938, practices every day
"The Catholic Church is first and foremost a power structure where leadership represents power over. My mother and her generation believed such silliness as eating food after midnight and receiving..." Read more…
Marjorie Conner
Alexandria, VA (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every week
"Redemption. Redemption is a key feature of the Roman Catholic faith in which I was raised. I am saddened by the very conservative philosophy of the Arlington, Virginia Diocese. I found a..." Read more…
Jeff Smith
Rego Park, NY (USA)
Born in 1964, practices every week
"I am a lifelong Catholic. I am gay, male and 43 years old. I have had a few opportunities and reasons to walk away from Catholicism through my life and yet I choose to remain a member of this..." Read more…
Brian Hanifan
Fernley, NV (USA)
Born in 1975, practices every day
"I take solace in the fact that despite my straying from God I was able to very easily repent of my past and be welcomed back into God's loving embrace with the greatest of ease. God's Mercy is..." Read more…
Wayne Schell
Jerseyville, IL (USA)
Born in 1949, practices every week
"I find myself doubting more than I ever have in my life. I wonder if the Catholic Church is really guided by The Holy Spirit. The Church seems off course to me. I find that the liturgy of the mass..." Read more…
Frank Schweigert
Saint Paul, MN (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every day
"The Catholic faith is not just a head trip. Throughout its history, the Catholic Church has taken the body seriously, tying matters of spirit to physical presence, commmunity, worship, social..." Read more…
Bev Beltramo
Grosse Ile, MI (USA)
Born in 1960, practices every day
"Not unlike so very many others, I have had a love/hate relationship with Catholicism my whole life. I left the church for many years: I believed the Church was hierarchical and sexist. As proof..." Read more…
Beth Weir
Milford, OH (USA)
Born in 1965, practices every day
"I am 43 years old and a cradle Catholic. I attended Catholic grade and high school, and consider being Catholic part of my identity, my heritage. That doesn't mean, though, that I have or do always..." Read more…
Suzy Nauman
Arlington, MA (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every week
"I am a "cradle Catholic", born 6th in a family of 11 children. My early childhood memories include the pre-Vatican II Latin mass and Catholic culture, and later, the excitement and "fresh air" of..." Read more…
Donald Kopis
South Bend, IN (USA)
Born in 1961, practices -----
"What remains important to me about the Catholic Church is the sacrament of penance, which is one of forgiveness. Ironically, this forgiveness is lacking in the Church's position on marriage,..." Read more…
Lorna Grade
Milwaukee, WI (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every week
"I was born in 1954 at the height of the Baby Boom and before the changes instituted by Vatican II. My mother was Catholic and of Polish lineage. My father was German and English, raised with a..." Read more…
Ann Picard
East Fairfield, VT (USA)
Born in 1952, practices every day
"For me, the Catholic Faith has always been the backbone of my life. My understanding of Catholicism can be summed up by acknowledging Jesus Christ's example. His sacrifice for others and seeing..." Read more…
C. Deprey
Sheboygan, WI (USA)
Born in 1935, practices every day
"I think the church will change from top down to bottom up. It will loose all the pompousness and flagrant wealth and begin to open up a new consiousness based on love, not dogmatism. The..." Read more…
Paul Johnson
Milwaukee, WI (USA)
Born in 1973, practices every day
"For me, the Catholic Church's sacramental tradition, it's strong emphasis of God making contact with us through the ordinary everyday, is the reason why I am still a Catholic. It also has a strong..." Read more…
Steven Shea
Milwaukee, WI (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every day
"I find the Roman Catholic faith beautiful. I like its wisdom tradition and rituals.
My biggest concern is corruption and abuse of office within the church. We need greater transparency and..." Read more…
Elizabeth Rhinesmith
Charlottesville, VA (USA)
Born in 1984, practices every week
"The ritual and the tradition build a sense of community that is one of the most beautiful parts of the Catholic faith. This tradition creates a community out of the 1.3 billion members, who often..." Read more…
Pat (Patricia) Shechter
Boston, MA (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every week
"There is so much that I love about the Catholic Church -- The Sacraments; the two thousand year old tradition of monasticism and prayer; the Communion of Saints; its mystical tradition; Gregorian..." Read more…
Phil Dekoning
Bozeman, MT (USA)
Born in 1975, practices rarely
"I'm 32 years old and, if asked about my religion, I describe myself as a "recovering Catholic." And I mean that in the sense that, just as a recovering alcoholic doesn't drink, a recovering..." Read more…
Betty Ford
Ocean Pines, MD (USA)
Born in 1935, practices every day
"When I was young, Catholic Church meant institution, hierarchy, rules and regulations, going to church. I grew up immersed in these things. When they became second nature to me, I began to explore..." Read more…
Peggy Kerr
Mount Vernon, IA (USA)
Born in 1955, practices every month
"My family and I are converts to the Catholic Church. When our children were still in school we relocated to a town that did not have an ELCA Lutheran Church, the type of church we were raised,..." Read more…
Charlene Dorrian
Silver Spring, MD (USA)
Born in 1936, practices every day
"I love the liturgy, especially as updated by Vatican II. I value the Eucharist and its place in our Church, and take pride in the church's Social Teachings. I treasure the vision of the gospel..." Read more…
Barbara Simmons
Naperville, IL (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every week
"My profoundest concern regarding the Catholic Church involves its persistent ignorance of the divine feminine. Its patriarchal structure leaves little room for affirmation of half its members...." Read more…
John Smyth
GLENCOE, IL (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"My greatest concern: The few priests we have now are aging and retiring. Parishes will have to be turned over to the Laity. Deacons are not coming forward fast enough, and Women are not being..." Read more…
Kathleen Smith
Anderson, IN (USA)
Born in 1938, practices every day
"What I find most beautiful and gives me the greatest solace in the Catholic faith that I profess is the glimpses of God's love that I discover when I open myself to life and all that it lays at my..." Read more…
George F. Nealis
Babylon, NY (USA)
Born in 1937, practices every day
"I find the Roman Catholic Church today consistant with gospel values and speaking out on them.
I believe the rigid adherence to magistirial authoriy is in correct and even denies the basic..." Read more…
James Paul
St. Louis, MO (USA)
Born in 1970, practices every week
"The history of the Catholic Church is full of long-standing and rich tradition and positive action, but it also reveals many less-than-compassionate and -inclusive aspects -- sometimes including an..." Read more…
Patrick L. Driscoll
Rehoboth Beach, DE (USA)
Born in 1940, practices every day
"The Roman Catholic Church has been the bedrock of Christianity. Early in its history the purity of our faith was spread in all its simplicity, love, to the known world. Like all communities, it..." Read more…
Pauline Gogin
Waukesha, WI (USA)
Born in 1940, practices every week
"It is rich is tradition, but my hope is that we can go back to having the women become more valued in our church. I listened to your broadcast today with a woman Rabbi and wondered when we were..." Read more…
John Metzler
McLean, VA (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"Regarding solace and beauty:
The richness of the Catholic tradition allowed me to find my niche, which is with the Jesuit tradition and Ignatian Spirituality. The Jesuits emphasize intellectual..." Read more…
Jesse Benedict
Buford, GA (USA)
Born in 1980, practices every day
"Thank you for the opportunity. I was born and baptized Catholic. My mother was raised Catholic. My father, well, has always avoided spirituality. I was brought back to the Catholic church after..." Read more…
Donna Hogan-Kelley
Omaha, NE (USA)
Born in 1946, practices every day
"I remember my Grandma Murphy gaily saying as she set off for confession, "Now I'll go scour my kettle!" My mother named their relationship in what I now hear as warning tones, "Mother" I add to..." Read more…
Mary Boys
New York, NY (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"I am a lifelong practicing Catholic, a member of a religious order for over 40 years (aka "a nun"),a theologian and religious educator who has been involved for many years dialogue with Jews. With..." Read more…
Lacey Louwagie
Duluth, MN (USA)
Born in 1981, practices every week
"Both sides of my (rather large) family are Catholic, so part of the solace I take in Catholicism is the connection to my childhood and my history. But all my life, I've examined and been at odds..." Read more…
Teri Davis
Tustin, CA (USA)
Born in 1965, practices every day
"To me, the most beautiful aspect of being a practicing Catholic is the oneness I feel with Catholics around the world through the celebration of the Mass. The Scripture readings and the Eucharist..." Read more…
Pasquale Amendolia
Bayside, NY (USA)
Born in 1930, practices every day
"The Catholic Church seems to be concerned with almost mind numing focus on non faith issues like abortion and homosexuality.I believe that Jesus Christ never concerned Himself with these issues. In..." Read more…
James Ligman
St Louis, MO (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every day
"Even though the pastor here preaches love, acceptance and inclusion, the Bishop has chosen to: excommunicate him and the Church Board -and- begin the process of having the pastor removed from the..." Read more…
Angela Miotto
Greenbelt, MD (USA)
Born in 1938, practices every day
"As an almost 70-year-old "cradle Catholic", I find my spiritual anchor in the Sacramental life of the Church, particularly the Eucharist. The joy I find in this very treasured gift of Jesus is..." Read more…
Francis Burns
Grand Rapids, MI (USA)
Born in 1963, practices every week
"Last week, I listened to your program on Humanism with interest. I found your request for feedback on Catholicism intriguing because I am a former Catholic, who is now an agnostic. For most of my..." Read more…
Carroll, Rev. Mrowicki
Linden, NJ (USA)
Born in 1940, practices every day
"I am a married Catholic priest performing weddings for Catholics and mixed faith couples who cannot obtain their local priest to do their ceremony since they want it outside the church building. I..." Read more…
Robert Brown
St. Charles, MO (USA)
Born in 1957, practices every week
"I grew up Roman Catholic in a family that has been RC as far back as we can trace our geneaology to 16th century Germany. I went to a Catholic grade school and remained active in the Church through..." Read more…
Christina Sever
Corvallis, OR (USA)
Born in 1945, practices occasionally
"I have been a Catholic for 30 years. I married a “cradle Catholic” and after a couple years of going to Mass with him, fell in love with the Mass and became a Catholic. I’d been raised in a very..." Read more…
Constance Stannard
Coralville, IA (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every day
"I grew up in the Church, and took it for granted in my life. Then I married a divorced man, outside the Church, and found how much I missed full communion with it. Eventually, through a..." Read more…
Sue Bielenberg
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Born in 1965, practices every day
"I converted to Catholicism because of the opportunity for close union with the creator thru the sacraments, meditation, and community observances made to focus the mind and soul on the Eternal. I..." Read more…
Patricia Engen
Dillingham, AK (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every week
"It appears that the Catholic Church in the U.S. is going the way of religious traditions in Europe, as people drop away. This is very sad to me, but I do not support the heirarchy of the church..." Read more…
Jodie Peschl
St Cloud, MN (USA)
Born in MN, practices every day
"What I find unsettling is the lack of inclusiveness in the Catholic Church. And the continual domination of men, most noteably, white caucasian men. The catholic church is "The Good Old Boys"..." Read more…
Carol Andersen
Madison, WI (USA)
Born in 1946, practices every day
"I find beautiful the tradition of the saints and Mary, the beauty of the liturgy, the belief that Christ is in the bread and in the people receiving the bread. I find beautiful the way that..." Read more…
Ellen Cosgrove
Silver Spring, MD (USA)
Born in 1953, practices every day
"I was raised Catholic. I reject it and other established religions for many reasons.
I prefer a faith that is accepting, generous, timeless. I don't understand how a religion can refuse to honor..." Read more…
Casey Rousseau
W Hartford, CT (USA)
Born in 1970, practices every day
"I was shunned by the Catholic church as a child. Since my mother, a devout Catholic in her youth and again now in late middle age, was disheartened by the church around the time she discovered she..." Read more…
Maria Molinari
Oakland, NJ (USA)
Born in 1965, practices every day
"I find in the Catholic faith reflections and ideas that pertain to my daily life; its challenges, its appreciation of beauty, its need for community. It is to me like great literature; the more I..." Read more…
Judith Smith
Boynton Beach, FL (USA)
Born in 1944, practices every day
"My Catholic faith unites me with Christ through the scriptures, through the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Father and the Bishops and through other members. Together we are united with Him and with all..." Read more…
Christine Geary
Dublin, PA (USA)
Born in 1949, practices every week
"I love going to Mass to receive the body of Christ. It is my lifeline...The Catholic church has the fullness of truth.. I feel in my heart that it's the one, true church and I'm so grateful to..." Read more…
Timothy P. Crowley
Minneapolis, MN (USA)
Born in 1959, practices every week
"I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools. As a student at a Benedictine University, I grew to love the rich tradition of the Benedictine values--community, justice etc. As students we..." Read more…
Antoinette Mcnichol
Stamford, CT (USA)
Born in 1950, practices -----
"I was a practicing Catholic for 53 years. I left the church 5 years ago for 3 major reasons. 1) the Catholic church has refused to take responsibility for the pedophile scandal, 2) the Catholic..." Read more…
Joe Leisz
Ames, IA (USA)
Born in 1974, practices every week
"My favorite thing about being Catholic is our tie to a world-body through the Mass. It’s almost meditative in its complexities, and a wonderful way to bring centeredness to a weeks work. The..." Read more…
Richard Starkey
New York, NY (USA)
Born in 1931, practices every week
"Growing up Catholic - attending Catholic schools through college - was, in retrospect, an overly
repressive experience. I remain a practicing Catholic because of both my comfort with the community..." Read more…
Tom Mcguire
Detroit, MI (USA)
practices -----
"I was ordained a Priest, 1967, in Maryknoll, a Catholic mission group, sent to Hong Kong, 1969, married my Cantonese teacher, Florence Ying=pin Tsang. Because I married, I was forced to leave the..." Read more…
Gabriel Gillen
New York, NY (USA)
Born in 1968, practices every day
"My hope for the Catholic Church arises from my concern for it's future. I walked into a bookstore the other day and three shelves (in the religion section) were dedicated to atheism. While this is..." Read more…
Theresa Harsma
Owatonna, MN (USA)
Born in 1956, practices -----
"Here is my story. I don't know that it answers your specific question, it is simply my experience. When I was 8 years old, I stayed at my aunt and uncles for a week. I was a Catholic girl who..." Read more…
Dennis Obrien
Middlebury, VT (USA)
Born in 1931, practices every week
"I am the chair of the Commonweal Foundation. We publish "Commonweal," the premier voice of "liberal" Catholic thought in America. The publication is 85 years old, and has been called by historians..." Read more…
Irving Warner
Fife, WA (USA)
Born in 1941, practices occasionally
"I am a lapsed Catholic, but actually came to the faith at 14 years of age, and departed it as a practicing Catholic at age 18. I'm now 67, a writer, and interested in numerous things historical,..." Read more…
Kevin O'leary
Brooklyn, NY (USA)
Born in 1975, practices every day
"Asked these questions, I think of Sister Joan Chittister, who was on your program and -- as entrenched as she is in the Catholic faith -- spoke volumes that I couldn't as a gay lapsed Catholic who..." Read more…
Harriet Burr
ARCATA, CA (USA)
Born in 1947, practices every day
"It is a great joy for us to receive the bishop of Rom here in our country. He is the third one to come and visit us. Having lived in Guadalajara, Mexico for many years, my family helped found St...." Read more…
Nancy Solderitsch
Rosemont, PA (USA)
Born in 1951, practices every week
"I am the oldest of my parents' eight children. I remember my mother going to be "churched" after number 6, 7, and 8. She needed to be forgiven for having had a baby before she could receive..." Read more…
Anne Marie Kraus
Iowa City, IA (USA)
Born in 1953, practices every day
"My concern with the Catholic Church is that it is more about exclusion than anything else. Having "fallen away" in the late 1960's for all the obvious reasons (exclusion of women, the view that..." Read more…
Sylvester L. Steffen
New Hampton, IA (USA)
Born in 1933, practices every day
"In regard to Pope Benedict's April 2008 visit to the U.S., what worries me about the Catholic Church (I am a Roman Catholic) is its inside culture of self-destruction that is driven by its (the..." Read more…
Victor Hola
Dexter, MI (USA)
Born in 1954, practices every week
"I am 54 years old and when I was 21 I joined a Benedictine order for monks. I was steeped in a very beautiful tradition of facing reality and being present in the moment. "Staying in the here and..." Read more…
Amy Golm
Dubuque, IA (USA)
Born in 1966, practices every day
"As a forty-something Catholic, I was born and learned Catholicism in the post-Vatican II American church. Over time, I not only grew very close to the Church, but I have also become one for whom..." Read more…
Martin Kurylowicz
Canton, MI (USA)
Born in 1950, practices every day
"I wanted to submit this article I wrote, if you think it may be helpful in addressing a hopefully more precise look into the problem that the Vatican is repeating regarding their pronouncements..." Read more…
Thom Dunn
Newport, NH (USA)
practices every day
"I am a former Catholic. God said in not so many words, "Do not silence those who speak of God even though they may not be of my flock." This is how I view the Catholic Church. As far as how I view..." Read more…
Helen Ayers
Omaha, NE (USA)
Born in 1946, practices every week
"Undoubtedly, the person of Jesus is the most attractive part of my faith plus the long line of believers in faith who've preceded me. I find faithfulness to the gospel through such traditions as..." Read more…
Paul Scollan
Meriden, CT (USA)
Born in 1946, practices every month
"I am 62 years old, married 22 years (second marriage), and father of five sons. I left the Catholic Church because of disagreement on matters of faith, doctrine, and "the rules" regarding divorce..." Read more…
Michael Heaney
West Chester, PA (USA)
Born in 1936, practices every day
"Active liturgy, more involvement by laity, increase awareness of community and "outreach" to those impoverished from hunger, physical loss, lack of shelter, loneliness and sickness. A major..." Read more…
Richard Sullivan
Tulsa, OK (USA)
practices -----
"I am 69 and a devout Catholic all my life. I spent several years in seminary and am married to one woman for 42 years. What I love about my Catholic faith is the incredibly rich sacraments and..." Read more…
Adam Pasternack
Westerville, OH (USA)
Born in 1984, practices every day
"The Catholic faith is most beautiful because at the heart of it all stands love. God is love, has created us and the world out of love and for love. God has personally revealed himself in the..." Read more…
Dana Greene
Atlanta, GA (USA)
Born in 1942, practices every day
"The historic "staying power" and the global reach of the Catholic Church are both very important in giving me hope. And we do need hope now more than ever! What with the abuse and cover-up scandals..." Read more…
Stephen Uhl
Oro Valley, AZ (USA)
Born in 1930, practices -----
"Stephen Uhl was destined by his mother to become a priest. He was a Benedictine monk in Aurora, Illinois, for 17 years and a Roman Catholic priest for 11 years. Then he became an agnostic..." Read more…
Raymond Grosswirth
Rochester, NY (USA)
Born in 1949, practices every week
"As a married priest, I am very active in the drive toward changing the policy of mandatory celibacy for priests. It is an outdated policy that has been in place since 1139.
Since I am not..." Read more…