On Remaining Catholic

A reader writes:

It is very difficult to read your blog some days. The pain leaps off the monitor and sears me. It does sound like you are in stage three - enlightenment  - of Battered Women's Syndrome. Please help yourself and your soul; break away from the church.

Another writes:

I deeply admire your staying in your church. It needs men and women of courage to stay and bear witness to its sick and sinful ways. I do the same in my Presbyterian Church, which disallows gay pastors, even though we have many, which disallows gay marriage, which I find reprehensible.

But I stay because I believe, and I live by hope, not because I'm an optimist, but because one of the gifts of faith is hope--and hope spurs perseverance, and perseverance says I will not quit until justice has been done. We must fight.

Again, I read your blog and I follow your 'way' because you are committed to the faith. I've known enough people, colleagues, and grad students to know that committed people are the ones that attract my admiration, because they aren't cynics, they believe in something.

I recently decided to work part-time as my church's youth pastor, the lowest status job in the church, but I know in youth and children lies the kingdom, so precious, so fragile, so beautiful.

Keep the faith, my friend. Jesus will lead us into a better way, a clearer way, someday, someday, I pray.