No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy

Author Fr. Donald Calloway talks about his book at Shrine of St. Joseph

Father Donald Calloway, a Catholic priest of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, retells his compelling life story in No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy. As a rebellious, destructive youth, Fr. Calloway spent his adolescence living an immoral life with constant promiscuity, criminal activity and nightly partying. Beginning at the age of 11 he began smoking marijuana. Before the age of 18 he was consuming heroine, cocaine, opium, mushrooms, LSD and excessive amounts of alcohol. Fr. Calloway became a follower of the Grateful Dead and even has a Grateful Dead tattoo on his arm. To this day he doesn’t remember how that tattoo got there.

For a while, Fr. Calloway lived on a military base in Japan since his stepfather was an officer in the Navy. Fr. Calloway joined a Japanese Mafia, running money between casinos and stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise. This caused an international scene in which he was eventually arrested and thrown out of the country.

Upon Fr. Calloway’s return to the United States he was checked into a rehabilitation facility, which proved to be ineffective. The drug use continued, so did the promiscuity, and theft. One day when he woke up he found himself strapped to a gurney. He was institutionalized again, this time into a psychiatric unit for 3 months.

After Fr. Calloway’s release, he went to his parent’s house, living the same destructive lifestyle. Feeling depressed, emptiness filled his being. He contemplated ending his life. Alone in the house one night, the dead silence freaked him out. Looking to fill the time he browsed his parents’ bookshelf, hoping to find a National Geographic magazine for the pictures.

To hear the “rest of the story” and how he became a Catholic priest, come hear Fr. Calloway speak at the Shrine of St. Joseph (544 W. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz) on Thursday, January 29 at 7:00 p.m. Don’t Miss The Opportunity! The talk is FREE and open to the public.

Photo: Fr. Donald Calloway