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A former priest with the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie is bringing his book tour to the Sault.
Rick Prashaw has published Father Rick, Roamin’ Catholic, his 'crooked, straight' faith memoir of ministry years and then proud Dad to his trans son.
Prashaw will be at the Water Tower Inn from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 23.
Prashaw scorches a 'God Bless America' religion that, instead of asking for genuine divine blessing, has wrapped country flags and political, and corporate agendas around God, says a press release.
The full details of Prashaw's visit to the Sault are in the release below:
Rick Prashaw, a former priest in the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie and staff to Tony Martin, has published Father Rick, Roamin’ Catholic, his “crooked, straight” faith memoir of ministry years and then proud Dad to his trans son. His storytelling mixes joy, mischief, and biting commentary on the troubles in the Catholic Church and other religions.
After a reading in Espanola June 22, Prashaw lands in Sault Ste. Marie at the Water Tower Inn Thursday, June 23, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Those unable to stay for the program can swing by anytime after 6 p.m. for a signed book.
“The eyes of some friends gloss over at the mention of faith,” laughs Prashaw, a priest from 1980 to 1991 in North Bay, Sudbury, Garden River and Batchewana Bay, as well as studies in Rome.
“Then they dive into the stories, enjoying the irreverence, miracles, good works and good people like Father Don MacLellan and Father Brian McKee, alongside the sobering commentary.”
“Father Rick, Roamin’ Catholic is an eye-opening memoir shining a light on faith, religion, and the little-known life of priests,” the book’s back cover states. “My faith was now more Roamin’ than Roman Catholic, a God bigger than any catechism taught me. Be who we are. Love who we love. A believer, still standing.”
Prashaw’s intriguing memoir keeps in mind all Catholics — devout, practicing, conservative, liberal, lapsed, recovering, cultural etc. He scorches a 'God Bless America' religion that, instead of asking for genuine divine blessing, has wrapped country flags and political, and corporate agendas around God.
There’s unflinching criticism too on clergy abuse, residential schools, and what Prashaw labels as religion’s wrong judgment on LGBTQ folk and a submissive, second-class citizenship for women.
To make a 70-year story contemporary, Prashaw used Covid-19 isolation after a Mexico writing trip to tell his faith journey in the book to a niece. This storytelling technique allowed him to address current subjects like the pandemic, the papal apology for residential schools, Black Lives Matter issues, declining religious affiliation and church attendance, and the polarized Joe Biden-Donald Trump “uncivil wars”
Prashaw is excited to return to Sault Ste. Marie where in 2019 he hosted a packed reading for his first memoir, Soar, Adam, Soar (Dundurn Press). The cover of Father Rick, Roamin’ Catholic (Friesen Press, February 2022) is a photo of him playing priest as a child. He’ll have books for sale and to sign. The book is also available or can be ordered in paperback, hard cover, and e-book editions at indie, Indigo, Coles, Amazon, and the Friesen, Press bookstore.
For further information: Rick Prashaw, [email protected]