Diocesan Priest

I have always wanted to serve God as a priest, and I was ordained over 20 years ago. I am in my late 40s. I maintain a benevolent and cordial demeanor, and I always welcome my parishioners to come to me with their troubles. I am assigned to a parish with a beautiful old cathedral, and I live in my own house nearby. I enjoy serving and connecting with this community. I hope to someday attain the rank of bishop, something that I have striven for since my seminary days. Ambition is not necessarily a sin. I have a number of secrets that I must keep hidden, or else I risk being defrocked and excommunicated. I must tread carefully. This is my cross to bear. I stand to lose everything if my brethren and congregation learn of my dark history. The things I have done continue to haunt me. My past is storied, and it will follow me for the rest of my life. I changed my ways to enter seminary and become a priest. I was ordained in my late 20s and have never looked back. However, I have hidden my background and past from the Church. I cannot let anyone find out about what I had done.