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‘It’s been a great journey’

MOORESVILLE — Father Mark Lawlor has been writing down humorous insights and valuable lessons he has learned over the past 30 years. He compiled them into a book, “Lessons & Stories From the Journey: Reflections From The Life of a Joyful Priest,” and it has soared to the top of the charts on Amazon for books written by clergy.

The pastor of St. Therese Church admits the book was a labor of love that has taken him decades to bring to fruition. His inspiration was a book he found in the library at St. Meinrad Seminary: “The Lord and I: Vignettes From the Life of a Parish Priest,” by Father Vincent Fecher.

“I started over 30 years ago, writing down some insights and experiences. I started in seminary taking notes with the idea that I would finish it someday,” Father Lawlor explains.

He says the occasion of his 60th birthday was the catalyst for finally finishing the work.

“This book is not scholarly, but it is from the heart,” he says.

The process of writing the book was a positive experience, he says. “I laughed and I cried. It was good for me to share my experience, my transition from an engineer to priestly formation, then as a parish priest for the last 27 years.”

Father Lawlor dedicated the book to three important women in his life who have passed away: his sister, his mother and his grandmother. There are also chapters in the book that pay tribute to people who have had a profound influence on his life and his vocation.

There is a chapter to the late Bishop William G. Curlin, the third bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte. Bishop Curlin ordained Father Lawlor to the transitional diaconate in 1994 and to the priesthood in June 1995. He was a dear friend and mentor to Father Lawlor, visiting him at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte often in the years when Father Lawlor served as pastor there. Father Lawlor was among the priests who prayed the rosary at Bishop Curlin’s bedside before he passed away on Dec. 23, 2017.

“Bishop Curlin always lived the priesthood in the way Pope St. John Paul II expressed: ‘The priest does not live for himself, but for the Church and for the sanctification of the People of God,’” Father Lawlor says.

The book’s theme, he emphasizes, is that he considers himself an unlikely candidate for the priesthood. He marvels at all the grace and joy the Lord has poured out upon him since he answered the call to become a priest.

“It’s been a great journey! Life is a journey, and we hopefully learn things as we go.”

—SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

Get a copy

Father Mark Lawlor’s book, “Lessons & Stories From the Journey: Reflections From the Life of a Joyful Priest,” is available from Amazon.