After 32 years as a priest, I have developed a level of confidence as a preacher, teacher and counselor. Now, at the age of 57, the time is ripe for me to re-focus my energies and to explore new areas of growth, both personally and spiritually. Finding My Voice as a Writer captures the essence of my sabbatical. My proposal has three parts.

(1) I have always loved to write and relish the opportunity to develop my skills at the nationally-recognized Iowa Writers' Workshop.

(2) I would then travel to Rome, Italy -- a city where I lived and studied for over four years. My three weeks there would allow me to re-connect with my professors and do research in the latest developments in spirituality, my area of specialization. Because of my previous experience and my present connections there, I would be able to make excellent use of the three weeks. It would also be a time to savor the delights of a truly wonderful city.

(3) My sabbatical journey would end with a week-long retreat at New Melleray Abbey near Dubuque, Iowa. There I would integrate the wisdom gained during the seven previous weeks and prepare to re-acclimate myself to parish ministry.