SPIRIT WOW: WEIRD CATHOLIC TALES

THOUGHTS OF AN ESCAPED PANDA

Recently I was asked by someone I knew to meet with a gay Catholic writer about a project they were working on. I didn’t really know anything about the project, the person, or really the person who put us together. But I said yes, mostly because they asked. Sometimes I think my job is to help people who have been hurt by the Church to find their way. I’m like the underground railroad for beaten-up Catholics.

I appreciate the significance of that role when I’m asked to take it, too. If I’ve learned anything hearing confessions, it’s that until a person allows themselves to actually feel the fury and pain of what they’ve been through, there’s no way for them to find freedom, whatever that looks like—forgiveness, peace of mind, cutting ties. So if I can offer a space that helps people feel those things, let’s ride.