New Beginnings

P.A. LaFlamme's memoir, New Beginnings, he describes what it has meant to be a Catholic priest and a gay man. In this his debut, he speaks of a life so indoctrinated by faith that when he came to understand his sexual orientation he was forced onto a whole new career path and a whole new life. He retraces his dark, Dickensian childhood after the death of his mother, his relationship with a distant father and a cold teacher who fueled his disconnection, and his decision to enter the seminary straight out of high school. What follows for him as a parish priest for over a decade in utter conflict; one in which he feels shame, self-loathing, and fear until he makes the decision to leave the priesthood and live the life he was meant to lead.