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UNEASY STATES OF GRACE

By Paula Dáil

In the wake of Vatican II and the social and political turmoil of the 1960’s this story reveals the depths of honest, enduring love that can exist between a priest and a woman. Told simultaneously in Monsignor Sam Kennedy’s and Gillian Spencer’s voices, this book entwines several themes: The Catholic Church, Vatican II, forbidden love, and the social and political turmoil of the 1960’s. At its center, this is a story of intense human struggle, love and death.

Told simultaneously in Sam’s and Gillian’s voices, the reader is taken into their struggle to remain true to themselves, yet profoundly grace one another’s lives in spite of an institutional Church that, while proclaiming human compassion, in reality believes only in power and in itself. Most of all, this is a story about how dreams spun from tender threads of hope never really die, despite all the barriers thrown their way.

REVIEWS

Uneasy States of Grace is an intense page-turner that takes the reader on a 13 year journey through the truths of forbidden yet enduring love between a priest and a woman…an insightful, exquisitely written masterpiece and a must read as the debate over celibacy and a married priesthood surfaces once again.” - The Dodgeville Chronicle Newspapers, Inc.

“A fabulous, thought-provoking read…” —Dr. Alice Thieman, New Mexico

Posted February 1, 2005, 4:07 PM EST: Uneasy States of Grace is a beautifully written story of human conflict created by the Catholic Church’s flawed message about priestly celibacy and intimate love. Cleverly written in two voices, Msgr. Sam Kennedy’s and Dr. Gillian Spencer’s, the reader becomes quickly engaged into the lives of these two characters as they struggle to meet each other on equal footing yet completely surrender to the overwhelmingly intense power of the love that passes across all barriers existing between them. The story is emotionally rich but must be carefully read because insights into the complex psyches of these two people are not immediately obvious and nuances of their intimacy, which the author takes great care with, can be easily missed. Nevertheless, the writing is very compelling and well crafted, making it the sort of book that can be read more than once and enjoyed more fully each time. I feel sure the story is based upon the author’s personal truth because no one could write with such emotional clarity without the deep knowing that comes from experience. Further, the author says the story was “given” to her, and she dedicates it to the man who wanted it told, thus writing it as a novel is a clever way to keep her promise to him, yet not reveal more than she wants to. She leaves her reader wondering, which is exactly what a good book should do. Unquestionably the Catholic Church would take issue with this story or, more typically, attack the author for revealing a fact the church would rather keep secret - that some, perhaps many, priests do have an ongoing intimate relationship with a human being as well as a spiritual relationship with God, and that this is psychologically healthy behavior. Ultimately, we the readers feel privileged to have known, albeit briefly, Msgr. Kennedy and Dr. Spencer because they teach us so much about intimate, enduring human love. The irony is that this lesson comes from two people who weren’t supposed’ to love one another at all, at least this is what the Catholic Church would say. 5 stars. Anonymous

Posted January 23, 2005, 1:04 PM EST: Uneasy States of Grace reveals the depths of human struggle - the conflict, the pain and the joy - when a priest finds the love forbidden him by the Catholic Church. Written from the viewpoint of both main characters, Monsignor Sam Kennedy and Gillian Spencer, Paula Dáil takes her readers on a 13 year journey through the truths of their experience, and gives us an insightful, exquisitely written masterpiece. Readers will wish to have known Sam and Gillian, because their lives would undoubtedly be richer for it. In reading this story, some will remember the 1960’s Catholic Church with nostalgia, some will draw comfort, and others will find courage. In the end, every reader will realize that any life having experienced the kind of love Sam and Gillian shared has been profoundly blessed, regardless of the Catholic Church’s position on a celibate priesthood. I give it at least 5 stars. Pat Reilly Priest Struggles With Devotion to God and Love for a Woman.

Posted January 13, 2005, 6:50 PM EST: Uneasy States of Grace is a love story that explores the deep conflicts that inevitably arise when a handsome, young priest (Father Sam Kennedy) and a beautiful, bright, student (Gillian Spencer) meet at a Midwestern university and find themselves strongly attracted to one another. The attraction evolves into a beautiful relationship, purely platonic, yet with love as deep and commitment as strong as any marriage ever. The book is also about a love affair between Kennedy and the Roman Catholic Church. More accurately, it’s a love/hate relationship on his part. Kennedy loves being a priest and administering to parishioners. But he is an independent thinker and detests such church policies (not the theology, he points out) that demand celibacy, disallow priests to marry, prohibit birth control, and ban women from being priests. Reared from birth to become a priest by a strong-willed Irish Catholic mother, Kennedy seemed destined to become at least a bishop, perhaps even a Cardinal. But his disagreements with church practices, his violation of church policies, and his love for Gillian Spencer result in a growing inability to come to terms with who he is or who he wants to be. Both Kennedy and Spencer know their relationship cannot result in an affair lest it destroy them. Both also know that it can’t end in marriage unless Kennedy resigns the priesthood, a move he can¿t bring himself to do. Eventually, the matter is settled for them when Father Kennedy is killed in a small plane crash. (I haven’t ruined the book for you; you learn of his death on page one.) Structurally, the book is written in alternate chapters headed Sam or Gillian and in the first person, a neat literary device that allows each to tell his and her story. The epilogue is written by Gillian and it is a wonderfully written, moving account of a woman’s spiritual love for a man and the way she dealt with his untimely death. Most men who read this book will wish they could be the object of such a devoted love. Finally, the Catholic Church probably won¿t like this book, but it should be required reading for every man who is considering becoming a priest. 4.5 stars – Ben Edwards

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