So, here's a question:

[MineralMan]

How many people in this group knew people during their youth who eventually became priests, ministers, pastors and the like? Do you remember those people? What were they like when you knew them?

I've known just a couple. Both were people who had difficulties with social integration as young people. Both were awkward and uncomfortable with friendships and with the opposite sex. Both were shy and withdrawn. I do not know how they fared in their chosen profession, since I did not continue to see them after leaving school.

One became a Catholic priest; the other a Methodist minister.

[zipplewrath]

1. Couple

One of them was a nice simple guy. A bit shy. I later came to suspect he was probably gay. I long ago lost track of him.

The other was just a quiet, contemplative kinda guy. Really patient, never a harsh word said about anyone. Really good listener. Struggled for a bit with becoming a priest. He's now a Monsignor. Conducted my mothers funeral.

[Pachamama]

2. A good friend of mine in College had been tied up by a man who over Thanksgiving holidays broke into

...the college dormitory on our campus. My friend was a fellow RA with me. He rowed crew and he stayed behind instead of going back home for holidays.

He was in his dorm floor with his girlfriend and the man broke in to the practically empty dorm. He tied up my friend and then repeatedly raped his girlfriend for nearly a day as he had to listen and couldn’t do anything.

It was horrific and both he and the girl left school. They were both traumatized and never returned. But I kept in touch with him and he entered the priesthood to deal with the emotional healing. He is not a Catholic Priest (even though he was raised Catholic) and he eventually married and has a wonderful family and his oldest son now attends our University and rows and his dad visits.

There was healing and he helps heal people. I do not know what happened to his girlfriend. I have never asked him but I did hear from friends she struggled for years with addiction and dependency and depression. I hope she is ok. But in this case I believe joining the priesthood and church helped heal. I also think (as a now a former practicing Catholic) that Priests should be able to marry and have families.

[Pendrench]

3. Hi MineralMan - I knew a couple of friends from high school who eventually became Catholic priests,

but I only knew one really well.

We went to high school together - very funny, very bright guy, lots of friends - and he actually dated more than I did

He's been a priest probably for 30 years now - still a great guy. He eventually became the priest at the high school we both attended (my son also went there) and for a time was the priest at our parish, so we were able to reconnect (he eventually became the pastor at a church in Baltimore).

In addition to his work with his parish and the high school, he also runs a place called My Brother's Keeper, whose mission is to offer aid and support to the poor and homeless.

We probably see each other twice a year now.

Wishing you well and peace.

Tim

[IphengeniaBlumgarten]

4. I knew someone in college whose career objective was to be an Episcopalian priest.

I think he regarded it as a socially acceptable and perhaps even socially advantageous role. I did not sense any religious aura. He was actually rather irreverent -- I remember his comment on the virgin birth was "Big issues over little tissue."

I did not keep in touch, do not know how he turned out.

[Major Nikon]

5. Yes, my father

He came from a devout Christian family and wanted very much to become a Christian pastor and eventually got an undergraduate degree in divinity. The problem was the more he learned about Christianity, the more he realized what a fraud it was. He eventually went on to become a Unitarian minister. Due to his experiences if you ever asked him what to believe in, he would always say something to the effect of you'll have to figure that one out on your own. Instead of indoctrinating us with belief, he taught us how to think for ourselves and to always be curious about the world around us. I never developed a belief in a higher power despite basically growing up around the world of his UUA church.

[Cartoonist]

6. While in Catholic school

I knew a family that was devoted to our church. One of the girls was in my class. Her older brother did odd jobs for the parish, like manually tarring the parking lots. He went on to the Holy Order.

[The Genealogist]

7. One of my cousin's kids became a minister

Some kind of right wing church, gospel of wealth type deal. He was a holy terror when he was growing up. I spent a Thanksgiving with his family, and he was throwing temper-tantrums at age 13 that my father would have clobbered me for at age 5. If someone told me this kid was now involved in some Jim Bakker level shit, I'd not be a bit surprised. He has this smarmy, snake oil salesman vibe. I'd not trust him as far as I can throw him.

I'll also mention a classmate of mine who went on to be a minister, Disciples of Christ. He was one of the popular kids in a school where reputation was everything. He changed a lot. I've seen a video of him speaking up for LGBTQ protections before my local city council.