We would like to extend our congratulations to IPS Alumnus Michael Cahill on getting his first book published! Catholic Watershed is a compelling book that openly discusses the ever-changing Catholic Church and its hope for an even brighter future.
As a 1984 Loyola IPS graduate, Cahill commends the program for helping him keep in “touch with the importance of real people and their struggles to be faithful.”
As for his most memorable courses and professors at IPS, Cahill spoke fondly of Dick Westley and Jim Zullo. Westley taught “Form Me A People” and “Redemptive Intimacy,” two classes based on the work of Chicago priest Leo Mahon, one of Cahill’s true heroes. Zullo taught “Psychology of Young Adults” which meant a lot to Cahill, both academically and personally.
“This book focuses on the importance of the pastoral in relation to the doctrinal,” states Cahill, “or, another way of putting it, the Church as community in relation to the Church as institution. Much of that emphasis was stressed at IPS.”
About the Book
Catholic Watershed provides readers with a close look at how the Catholic Church has changed since the Second Vatican Council.
In order to write the book, Cahill interviewed six priests who were ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1969. They opened up to Cahill about their seminary training, assignments, triumphs and disappointments.
Through interviewing these men, Cahill was able to write about topics that are rarely openly discussed within the church, especially by priests. These include:
- Their personal spirituality
- Their relationships with fellow priests and cardinal archbishops
- Celibacy
- The sexual abuse crisis
Cahill chose these six priests because they were classmates of one another and had good reputations. Moreover, he was aware that they’d likely be retired when the book was published and therefore, would be more frank about the topics at hand.
The motivation for writing this book came from his desire to explore what became of the Catholic Church he grew up admiring. Cahill struggled to feel comfortable in a Church that seemed to be rejecting much of what he learned from an entire generation of Catholic leaders.
It was with the loss of a dear friend, Father Bob “Red” McLaughlin, that gave him the final nudge to investigate these queries. Cahill realized now was the time to share the stories of priests who lived through three distinct periods of American Catholic history: the pre-Vatican II, Vatican II and post-Vatican II.
When asked if he thought the spirit of “aggiornamento” unleashed at Vatican II was still vibrant today, Cahill replied, “It is vibrant at the parish level and our Pope is bringing that vibrancy back for the universal Church. Faithful priests like these 6 men, as well as many great laypeople and religious, have kept the spirit alive, even in the face of much criticism.”
About The Author
Before beginning his journey at IPS, Cahill had been studying at Mundelein Seminary to become a priest. After deciding that priesthood was not for him, Cahill chose to continue his education at IPS.
“It was a happy time in the sense that it coincided with the period of my engagement and then wedding to Cathy O’Connell, herself a Loyola Grad.”
After IPS, Cahill worked as an alcoholism counselor for adolescents at St. Elizabeth Hospital for two years. With a growing family, Cahill then decided to become a financial planner, which has been his primary occupation for 27 years.
Regarding his first book, Cahill concludes, “It was a labor of love that I thoroughly enjoyed, especially having the privilege of interviewing these 6 good men.”
If interested, you can purchase the book here.
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