Raised Catholic (Can You Tell?)
The author grew up with two very different parents. His mom was an Irish Catholic who prayed every day that her only son would become a priest. His dad was a Navy man who liked to joke, “Son, never take a job where you have to wear a dress to work.” So Ed found a path right in the middle.
He studied theology in college and then taught religion at a Catholic high school. That’s where he discovered what he loved most—being a storyteller. He became a kind of modern‑day jongleur, a wandering storyteller who sometimes sang, sometimes played music, and often shared funny or thoughtful tales from the Bible.
Ed Stivender spent many years as both a student and a teacher in Catholic schools, and those memories inspired this collection of stories about growing up Catholic in the 1950s, before big changes came to the Church. His stories are filled with humor, kindness, and the everyday adventures of school, family, and faith.
