Where To From Here? by Ursula Paul

Author:Ursula Paul [Paul, Ursula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780995443945
Publisher: A and A Book Publishing
Published: 2017-07-27T14:00:00+00:00

Part Two

Joe

Chapter One

As Joe looked back on the past two years, he wondered how he had survived. Would I have survived without the friendship of Julian and Eddie, he often thought. Yet he was always aware that they too had inner battles with which to contend. There had also been times when he had been there for them, as well as the times in which they had been there for him in the painful times.

He also knew he was making a free choice. Since Vatican II he was aware of many priests, including a few in his ordination year, who had sought and received dispensation from their vows. They had gone on to an apparent happy and successful life in the secular world. He was also aware that many had married – in the majority of cases within a Catholic church ceremony. Yet he also knew, some in frustration, some in anger, some in inner pain, had walked away completely from the Church in which they had served for many years.

Why had he remained to serve in a Church, many of whose rules and regulations he seriously questioned! There seemed to be no clear answer. Some inner force was leading him, at times holding him still. The God in Whom he still firmly believed no longer seemed the centre of the official church in which he served. Yet he still felt the call, not only to stay but to stay and confront.

As CYMS chaplain he watched with pride as Tim and his helpers forged ahead with plans for growth of the Club. His years as chaplain, he knew, he would remember with happiness – happiness not only in witnessing its growth, but happiness in the knowledge of the help it had been to its members. There were also so many memories of weddings and Baptisms apart from the many social functions over the years.

And Naomi! In the years since they had found and lost each other, they had had only brief encounters. She was now a school principal – with an excellent reputation he had heard. He had written – rather than phoned – to tell her he would be in Melbourne the following week and to ask for a meeting. He had not referred in any way to the fact that he would be leaving the country in two weeks’ time.

A few months earlier he had heard of the need for chaplains for the forces going overseas to fight in the Vietnam war. A spur of the moment decision, he applied. After a couple of intense interviews, his application was accepted. He had already spent a week home with his parents. He knew they would not be happy with his decision. But, as he also expected, they backed him in his choice. With parents, siblings and his many nieces and nephews, the week was a happy family one. He knew prayers and blessings for him would always flow from his home area.

The week before the three friends had managed to meet.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.