I Could Never Do That 16 Fr. Rich Andre- Finding Faith, Forgiveness and Personal Fulfillment
This week, we take the theme quite literally because my guest is Fr. Rich Andre from St. Austin Catholic Parish here in Austin, Texas. Yes, a Catholic Priest. Quite literally, I could never do that! But, here's the thing. For much of his adult life, Fr. Rich never thought he could either. He tells us about the moment that the call to priesthood literally crossed his mind even though he was well established in his career as an Engineer. We're all called to serve each other. In fact, I think that's the recipe for happiness and fulfillment.
Ever since "I Could Never Do That" started, I've wanted to have Fr. Rich as a guest for a few reasons. First, he's very funny and quite engaging! I want to dispel the myth that even I had of priests who are just a bunch of old men that are "out of touch" with the real world. Fr. Rich is the opposite. He talks about his recent multi-day hiking adventure in the Grand Canyon with several of his engineering buddies. Plus, he was also recently selected to speak and mentor at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference! He's definitely NOT out of touch!
The other reason I wanted to hear Fr. Rich talk was perhaps a little selfish. 2017 has been a tumultuous year, certainly with political discourse, mass shootings, hurricanes, wildfires and more. My faith has been shaken and I suppose I just wanted and needed some reassurance that we're all going to be ok...as long as we remember to, you guessed it, be of service to those in need.
This isn't at all a conversation about Catholic conversion. However, if you've been feeling a little lost, angry, or disillusioned, I think you'll take away some beautiful insight on finding faith, forgiveness and personal fulfillment regardless of your calling.
I hope you'll share it with others this holiday season and carry his messages into 2018.
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