Hello, Priesthood, Goodbye (Paperback)

Leaving the priesthood is a matter of decision-making in which priests experience "struggle of faith, personal commitment, and the dark night of the soul" (Hickson & Gudz, 1995, p. 5). It is also considered as a long process of searching for one's soul (Rice, as cited in Hickson & Gudz, 1995). Moreover, priests who left experience a number of injustices, isolation, confusion, and anxiety (Catholic Answers Staff, 2016). According to Fernandez (2001), although there are a lot of factors that affect priestly departure, people usually think that being involved with a woman is the primary reason.