Born into an Irish-American Roman Catholic family, I attended Catholic school until my sophomore year in high school when we moved to northern New Jersey. After high school I spent some time as a Benedictine monk. It was during that time when I discovered my homosexuality. I left the cloister for home and remained there until it became difficult for me to be myself. I met and had an affair with a man named John. This was the touchstone for me to leave home and start my own life. It was rocky for several years. I fell away from the Roman Catholic Church and into the world of sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and I was even a Hindu for a little while; but something was missing big time. Eventually I rediscovered my faith through the Episcopal Church and became very active in that community of faith, though I didn't give up my libertine ways. This caused great conflict. I got on a plane and headed for San Francisco where people were waiting for me. They helped me get off all the drugs I had been taking and gently guided me toward a fuller life of faith within the Church.

A few years later I met my present partner and have been with him for 25 years. He was the first man I truly loved and I believe the first man who truly loved me. He supported me through many faith struggles. As a result, one Sunday morning I woke up and decided that I wanted to drop in at the local Lutheran church just to see how they worship. The pastors there greeted me with open arms and open hearts. I knew I had found a spiritual home at last. In the past 6 years with this parish I have become involved in its worship life which gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction and through which I have learned a great deal about the teachings of that spiritual giant Martin Luther; though I actually describe myself as a somewhat unorthodox Lutheran Christian because I've made it my business to find out about other faith/belief systems all of which have contributed to my own personal faith.

During the course of my union with my partner I was led to return to school to study nursing and eventually earned my degree and became a registered nurse and have remained so for some 20 years. My clinical practice, in addition to general medical/surgical nursing, included acute rehabilitation (spinal cord, brain injuries), cancer and AIDS, infectious diseases, and care of the elderly. Retired from clinical practice, I now work in a law firm as its HIV Services Director, company nurse, and attend to various routine office duties.

So, that's me such as I am. There's a lot more I could say, but there's not enough space to say it all. Thank you for taking time to learn a little about who I am.