It was the late 1960s, and Father Charlie was teaching at a high school run by his community of priests and brothers. When the school unexpectedly lost its principal to the turmoil of the times, Charlie was surprised to find himself elected to the post. “My new office had a bar,” he recalls, “and I became its best customer.” Drinking soon became a problem for the new principal – so serious an issue that his Provincial removed him before the end of his two-year term.
Decision time
“Back then, the community did not quite know what to do with an alcoholic priest. I was friends with the mayor of the village where the school was located, and he asked me to come work for him. My Provincial let me go, with the understanding that it would be for one year only.” Thirteen years later, Charlie was invited back to the high school as associate principal. “My title had changed, but I had not. I was still drinking.”
In 1987, an intervention by his superiors brought him to Guest House. “I went with the intention to prove that I was not an alcoholic. I thought I’d made my case during the initial evaluation. But the staff knew better, so I stayed.”
Finding where I belonged
On his departure, the community assigned Charlie immediately to organizing long-weekend retreats for alcoholics in recovery. “I led retreats here for 12 years, and I loved it. I felt I had finally discovered what my ministry should be.” Charlie also began conducting periodic retreats for Guest House alumni in Michigan.
He has served his community in several assignments since then – on the formation staff at their seminary, and as Superior of a medical facility. Now in retirement, Charlie still does 12-step meetings, or an intervention where it’s needed. “As an active alcoholic, I often felt I was out of place. With the help of Guest House, I finally knew where I belonged.”
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