By XAVIER SMERDON
FOR 14 years one Werribee resident has been trying to put his life journey on paper, and now he has achieved his dream.
Paul Rogers started writing his autobiography in 2000 and many edits and rejections later, it has finally been published.
The book, Untracked, tells the story of Mr Rogers’ life, which started in a commission area of Ashburton.
After leaving school at 15-years-old to become an apprentice, he eventually decided to become a Catholic priest.
After seven years of training in the seminary Mr Rogers was ordained as a priest and spent the next seven years holding sermons throughout Melbourne before being sent to Werribee where he worked as a priest for three years.
The next few years created the spark that would lead Mr Rogers to alter his life drastically.
“I found myself more unsettled with what the Catholic Church was saying about issues such as its attitude towards women and the way they wanted priests to live in a big house all by themselves,” Mr Rogers said.
“The more questions I asked the more silence there was. Whenever I questioned the hierarchy I was pushed aside.
“I felt that if I stayed in the Church I wouldn’t be true to the community or to myself.”
Mr Rogers left the Catholic Church at the age of 38 before getting married and starting a new life.
He said he was overwhelmed to see his story in print.
“When I opened the first box of books my hand started shaking,” he said.
“There’s a great sense of relief, but also pride. When I was able to give the book to key people that helped me in the process, that was quite uplifting.”
Mr Rogers said he hoped that readers of the book would reflect on their own lives.
For more information on purchasing the book email paulrogers@tpg.com.au
