As many of you know, I was in seminary for five years, and left in 2017. Since that time, I haven’t actually talked about it that much publicly. This blog never really existed for me to talk about myself, and so it never seemed like the right time to get into it. But I know that people have had questions and I should probably shed a little more light on things. Short answers: I loved seminary, there was no scandal either with me or with the seminary, I left on good terms because I didn’t feel like God was calling me to ordination, the subsequent years have validated this belief, and I am currently happily married with an adorable 9 month-old baby girl named Stella Maris.
A while back, Simcha Fisher asked to write a bit about my story for America Magazine as part of a broader piece about what it’s like when leaving seminary or religious formation goes well, and when it doesn’t. After it was published, I initially refrained from sharing the piece, because I didn’t want to get into a whole big debate about one of the other stories shared. But the more I think about it, the more I’m not convinced that’s a good enough reason not to share it. Simcha did a really good job with my story, better than I’ve done or probably will do. So if you’re interested, here’s her America piece.
Joe – Thanks for sharing. Great article, very insightful and graceful. I think it takes a lot of courage and God’s grace to make that type of discernment and change. God has a plan for all of us and it even includes the twists and turns we encounter along that path and most of the time those twists and turns, like on a hike, are what allows us to see the amazing. God bless you, your wife, and your absolutely adorable little girl! Please keep writing too – I always look forward to your posts and I hope you get a new book out soon!
Thanks, CS! For those who don’t know, I have two books out this year:
Who Am I, Lord?: Finding Your Identity in Christ (Our Sunday Visitor, 2020)
Pope Peter – Defending the Church’s Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis (Catholic Answers, 2020)
Joe,
Thanks for sharing. May the Lord continue to bless you and your family on your journey through life.
p.s. Need more podcasts more often. Jk. I know you are extremely busy.
Thanks, Duane! And we’ve run into a combination of technical and scheduling issues over the past couple of weeks, but we should be back to normal soon!
Always good to hear the personal side, though I appreciate that you hold this venue for a clear purpose. I wish that recipe and food blogs would learn from you! No one needs a 2,000 word life journey of their cat before getting to the bourbon chicken recipe.
Seriously, I appreciate you as a brother in Christ and as a friend. It is a joy to see you so happy with your family!
Rev. Hans,
Let the record show that I laughed aloud at this. Why do recipe authors feel the need to do this?
Hi Joe – Beautiful post, picture & family, God bless you all.
The article was great and a tremendous service to all Catholics. I am now a little more than halfway through a 5 year Permanent Diaconate formation program. I love our Seminary weekends so much and have experienced both seminarians and diaconate candidates, who I’ve dearly loved, discern out. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, we’ve had to do “remote formation” since March (and likely through the end of this year, at least). I do miss the Seminary!
In my eyes, you are brave and a hero for your willingness to answer our Lord’s call and honestly follow where ever it leads, no matter the consequences. As alluded to in the article, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). There are many vocations and you are fully discerning yours (good for you). I enjoy your writing, benefit from your apologetics and catch your podcasts sometimes. I too have found the personal, emotional and psychological benefits of formation to be a wonderful byproduct of the process (and a bit of a surprise for me).
Whatever the vocation, our Lord does the work, through the Holy Spirit. We just need to cooperate and try to stay out of the way.
Thank you for this. Blessings to you and your family!
I read today the America article, I was about to be ordain and got my Master of Divinity but it was not my call to be ordain, I just left in August. I am trying to adjust to secular life. Any advice about how to put your seminary experience (ministries) in your job resume? Or potencial jobs? I was thinking about doing one year CPE intership but those were cancel because of the pandemic. The transition is not easy.
I rediscover your blog about every 6 months and I always find it so valuable. I desperately hope that you are still continuing with advanced theological studies. Whether cleric or lay, you clearly have a real gift for theology.
As someone who all-too often assumes that if I want something, it is not the will of God, I really like the story of your discernment. When I had just joined the Church, a nun saw me praying and said I should be a priest. So I immediately went to the vocation’s director and tried to sign up. In my cynicism, I thought they’d be glad. Perhaps that was how it was before Vatican II.
But I was somewhat confused about the following article, about a trans person who ends in a state of apostasy. It is confusing to me to place a story like that alongside your story, in which you drew closer to God.
In one story, the person ended up in a better state than before, in the other story, the end was worse. I don’t understand. I mean, unless I misunderstand Church teaching, hiring people to do surgery on yourself to change the appearance of your biological sex is morally wrong.
I don’t say this to condemn them. But I just don’t understand why the article was like that.
God bless you. Sincerely. I am honestly willing to be open to not being loving enough. I am not striking like a viper. I am genuinely confused.