Soul Searching: My Life and Career in the Catholic Faith

There are a number of admissions one can make in life which carry a certain stigma, rightly or wrongly. Certain health issues, or addiction, or a criminal past, are fine examples. In my case, the stigmatized admission I carry in my life is my subscription to the Roman Catholic faith.

Most religions have sustained a certain bad press over the years, mostly due to the bad things people have done in the names of those religions. Catholicism is no exception, as demonstrated by the sexual deviance and hate-induced fanaticism over the course of history. Such well-documented horrors can make it hard for ordinary Catholics like me to stand up and openly admit my faith, aware as I am that I risk condemnation by association with these terrible situations.

However, the Catholic community is not, nor should it be, defined solely by its failures, bad though they are. There are many of its members, including me, who have done their utmost to do good things and contribute positively to their world and community, because of their faith and not in spite of it.

Let me give you an insight into the part my faith has in my life. Since I was young, I've been a member of the Holy Name Church in Chelmsford, which is twinned with the churches of Our Lady Immaculate and St Augustine's. This parish has provided me with a community of good people to belong to, in which support and kindness for each other has been shown continuously.

For me personally, I've also managed to find a sense of purpose within this community, due to the multitude of roles I've served therein. I used to be an altar server, spending ten years assisting the various priests I've known. I also spent three years administrating the parish website, ensuring the weekly newsletter was available for access for those who needed it.

I've written extensively for the Parishioner Magazine, on topics relating to the Catholic faith. Currently, I serve as a reader, taking part in special events like Christmas and Easter. I also operate the livestream, ensuring that mass can be accessed by folks who are unable to attend in person.

As an autistic man who's struggled to find his place in the world alongside other people, these roles have enabled me to develop myself and find a purpose for my life. Without this, my life would have been significantly lacking in the depth and richness I've since found.

My faith has also taken me further afield outside of our parish. Throughout my adolescence, I spent some time volunteering with the Brentwood Catholic Youth Service (BCYS). I've been on amazing pilgrimages to Lourdes (five times: 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018), and I had the privilege of joining the youth service at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, in 2016.

These adventures gave me a chance to serve and engage with a wide range of people, which expanded my perspective and views on life beyond anything I could have previously imagined. I've met elderly people, young people, and people with special needs. All of these have come from their own backgrounds, and lived their own lives, forming a unique amalgamation of souls within the Youth Service. Interacting with these souls, and benefiting from their wisdom and kindness, was a joy.

I've also been fortunate enough to attend lovely retreats in various settings across the UK. I've been to Walsingham House (associated with the BCYS), and to Sion Community in Brentwood. In 2013, I attended Invocation at Birmingham Cathedral. All of these retreats introduced me to fabulous people, providing a space for us to bond, network and connect with one another.

Many people throughout history have been unfortunate to have suffered the worst that religious faith has to offer. People have been persecuted, discriminated against, tortured and executed, all in the name of faith. This is a horrific tragedy and an immense injustice, especially when contrasted with the immense power for goodness that religious faith can and should inspire people to pursue and enact in their lives.

I can't speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself. The experiences of Catholicism I've listed have shown me the good things that people can do under the guidance of religious faith. I'm fully aware that religious faith is not the only way to do good things in the world, but it certainly helps for those of us who apply ourselves to it. Religious faith may not make you an inherently good person just on its own, but it can help you to discern ways and means to find goodness within yourself and enact that goodness in the tangible world.

In summary: my Catholic identity does not necessarily make me better or set me higher than anyone else, but nor does it deride or lower my standing as a human being. It enables me to live the best life and be the best person possible, and that's why I stand by it and defend it.