I Was Gone Long Before I Left: What Living in the Monastery for Twenty-Five Years Taught Me about Life - Hardcover

by Peter C. Wilcox (Author)

In St. Teresa of Avila's classic spiritual book Interior Castle she describes a difficult period of time in her spiritual journey when she said, "When I think of myself, I feel like a bird with a broken wing." When I left the monastery thirty-eight years ago, this was exactly how I felt. I Was Gone Long Before I Left is the story about my interior struggle to leave the monastery after living this lifestyle for over twenty-five years. It explores the reasons why I went to the monastery, why I stayed, why I eventually left, and what I have learned. Maybe more importantly, it describes the many years of mental anguish, confusion, and depression that I went through to finally make this decision. It has brought back many painful memories and experiences and called for an honesty and vulnerability that I found daunting. For over thirty-eight years, I have been unable to write about my experience of life in the monastery because I felt ashamed. For years, I thought about leaving, but couldn't make this decision because I felt paralyzed psychologically and emotionally. Now, after all these years, I have found the courage to share my story.

Author Biography

Peter C. Wilcox, a psychotherapist and spiritual director for over thirty years, holds a doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of America and has taught at the Washington Theological Union, Loyola University, Maryland, and St. Bonaventure University, New York. For many years he has directed retreats and conducted seminars on personality development and spiritual growth, and he is the author of six books. Dr. Wilcox and his wife, Margaret, live in Aiken, South Carolina.