A Saint and a Sinner: The Rise and Fall of a Beloved Catholic Priest by Diane O'Bryan and Stephen Donnelly
A Saint and a Sinner: The Rise and Fall of a Beloved Catholic Priest
by Diane O'Bryan and Stephen Donnelly
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Ratings 4.5/5
Synopsis
Ex-priest Stephen H. Donnelly’s memoir, A Saint and a Sinner, is an immersive experience into the world of a Catholic priest and a brutally honest account of Stephen’s journey of sinfulness. At age 42, Stephen was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. As he stood before God, the bishop, and the congregation, he made promises he struggled to keep. Three years into his priesthood, he descended into a world of cocaine and alcohol abuse. Fellow priests intervened, and after multiple stints in rehab, Stephen turned his life around and became well-known in Alcoholics Anonymous circles as the “Irish priest with a problem. During his seven years as Associate Pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, Huntington, New York, he became known among parishioners as a “rock star.” They were among the best years of his priesthood. He was Stephen: the man, the Catholic, and the priest at his absolute best. But in 2018, while assigned to a new parish, the unthinkable happened, and it threatened to destroy everything he held dear.
My Thoughts
We all have demons—parts of ourselves that we don’t like to acknowledge but we see lurking inside us—parts of ourselves that cause us to do irrational and selfish things not out of love for ourselves, but out of fear for ourselves. But no matter how hard we try to ignore our demons, they’re always there, bubbling up to the surface, seeping out from the lid we try to keep on them. And the harder we try to hold that lid down, the more challenging our lives become. A Saint and a Sinner: The Rise and Fall of a Beloved Catholic Priest by Diane O'Bryan and Stephen Donnelly
Is an amazing memoir of a man who battles his inner demons. superb memoir… Stephen Donnelly's journey from a former Catholic priest . . . His story, of fighting to be himself, battling and conquering his addictions, but Stephen Donnelly gives us such a fresh, absorbing take that it deserves to bring his book into the bestseller lists.
I read this book on my birthday eve. I couldn't put it down. I was waking up extra early to read this, delaying meals, delaying gym, putting life on hold, literally! I really, Really loved every page. There's a Lot to get from his memoir. It's awe-inspiring. His transformation can be experienced first hand through this account.
A great book and easy to read. This is someone who has looked closely at themselves and gained an understanding of how they 'tick' and continue to do so through life's many twists and turns.
This is one of my top three memoirs, all time. Highly recommended!
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