Hey, Father

After More Than Thirty Years on the job, Fr. Gordon Douglas still finds that each day brings plenty of surprises to keep him on his toes. The only thing he knows for sure is that every day someone is sure to call out, "Hey, Father!" And often when he hears those words, a poignant story follows. Here's a collection of such stories -- sometimes heart-warming, sometimes provocative -- about young people who are struggling to make sense of their lives. Their triumphs, defeats, and challenges have left a lasting impression on those around them. In these pages you'll meet ... the senior heavyweight wrestling team captain who never missed a practice, competed in seventy-four matches ... and had cerebral palsy. Rebecca, a recent grad and single mother who made the hard but courageous choice to deliver her baby and give him up for adoption. Ryland, whose suicide attempt -- jumping off the highest bridge over Puget Sound -- left him wheelchair-bound and brain-damaged. Katy's classmates, who couldn't forgive the man who had brutally murdered her and her mother.

Fr. Gordon Douglas is a diocesan priest and has served for more than thirty years as a chaplain and religion teacher at Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle. He has written articles appearing in Catholic Digest and several other publications, drawing from his extensive experience in campus and parish ministry. Fr. Douglas lives in Seattle with a border collie and a golden retriever named Abraham and Isaac