A Saint and a Sinner: The Rise and Fall of a Beloved Catholic Priest

Ex-priest Stephen H. Donnellys memoir A Saint and a Sinner is an immersive experience into the world of a Catholic priest and a brutally honest account of Stephens journey of sinfulness; a cautionary tale of the struggle between good and evil that exists within all of us. At age 42 Stephen was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. As he stood before God the bishop and the congregation he made promises he struggled to keep. Three years into his priesthood he descended into a world of cocaine and alcohol abuse. Fellow priests intervened and after multiple stints in rehab Stephen turned his life around and became well-known in Alcoholics Anonymous circles as the Irish priest with a problem. During his seven years as Associate Pastor of St. Patricks Church Huntington New York he became known among parishioners as a rock star. They were among the best years of his priesthood. He was Stephen: the man the Catholic and the priest at his absolute best. But in 2018 while assigned to a new parish the unthinkable happened and it threatened to destroy everything he held dear.