Vestments - Softcover

Reimringer, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 157131086X ISBN 13: 9781571310866

Publisher: Milkweed Editions, 2011

Synopsis

Let me begin today, illumined by Thy light, to destroy this part of the natural man which lives in me in its entirety, the obstacle that constantly keeps me from Thy Love.

Taught this prayer as a boy by his grandfather, James Dressler recites it each time he’s tempted by earthly desires. Originally drawn to the priesthood by the mystery, purity, and sensual fabric of the Church, as well as by its promise of a safe harbor from his tempestuous home, James finds himself just a few years after his ordination attracted again to his first love, Betty García. Torn between these opposing desires, and haunted by his familial heritage, James finds himself at a crossroads. Exploring issues in the Catholic Church and in life, and infused throughout by a rich sense of the history and vibrant texture of St. Paul, this is an utterly honest and subtly lyrical novel.

About this title

Review:

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

MINNESOTA BOOK AWARD WINNER

Reimringer knows well the landscape of the Catholic Church seminary mentoring, rectory loneliness, the bonding of men of the cloth and he writes about these things with a combination of affection and ruthless honesty. He also knows the fragility of the human heart, broken as is the body of Christ at Eucharist, with an embedded promise of healing.”
America: The Catholic Weekly

"Vestments is a pitch-perfect account of priestly life."
Commonweal

Luminous. . . [a] beautiful debut.”
Pioneer Press

A stunning debut.”
ForeWord Reviews

In this potent debut about a wayward yet devout young priest who struggles to reconcile his faith with longings of the flesh, Reimringer has crafted a suspenseful, illuminating, and highly readable saga. . . . Reimringer excels, most notably, at revealing how the sensual delectations of Catholic ritual and the forbidden delights of the flesh are part of the same continuum, as sin and repentance feed off each other.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Through his thoughtful themes and lyrical prose, Reimringer effortlessly restores a measure of dignity to the priesthood even as he pays tender homage to the working-class roots of St. Paul.”
Booklist

A plainspoken but finely turned debut novel. . . [James Dressler] is full-blooded in a way fictional proests so often aren’t, and he stars in an admirably complex study of family ties.”
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Ribald and wry, concerned at heart with faith and forgiveness, Vestments is a rich, involving debut.”
Stewart O’Nan, bestselling author of Emily, Alone

This book knows the soul of the great old city: the yellowing taverns and fraying neighborhoods, the sense of grace in decline, the doubtful saints wrangling their disbelief. John Reimringer writes with the confidence and observation of one who was there at the time and is there still, and his novel has the knuckles and shouting and beer breath of glory.”
Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a River

In this memorable, skillful novel, Reimringer writes compassionately about the tie between violence and yearning, the calls of the body and the calls of the spirit. Many writers can write well about one or the other. The gift of this writer is his rich understanding and love of both. Vestments is a wise, wide, and eloquent book.”
Erin McGraw, author of Lies of the Saints

Deeply rooted in history, burning with family furies, and told by a narrator-priest you find yourself rooting for (and wondering about), this is a captivating novel, scene by scene.”
Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist’s Daughter

A compelling tale that provides a little-seen, interior, first-person point of view of the priesthood.”
Library Journal

From Publishers Weekly:

Starred Review. In this potent debut about a wayward yet devout young priest who struggles to reconcile his faith with longings of the flesh, Reimringer has crafted a suspenseful, illuminating, and highly readable saga. James Dressler, a Catholic working-class kid from St. Paul, Minn., with a barroom brawler father and a "piece of work" mother, sees the Catholic Church as both his salvation and his moral compass. Following his ordination, James gets assigned to Saint Hieronymus Church in Pretty Prairie, Minn., alongside his friend and cynical, skirt-chasing fellow priest, Mick. James joins a poker group run by fellow priests, and the internecine conflicts and accommodations within the clergy are artfully depicted, as are James's efforts to square his earthly cravings with his priestly station--he's basically a regular guy who loves sports and drinking, and yearns for female companionship. Soon enough, James ends up in trouble and goes back to St. Paul, where an old flame awaits. Reimringer excels, most notably, at revealing how the sensual delectations of Catholic ritual and the forbidden delights of the flesh are part of the same continuum, as sin and repentance feed off each other.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 157131086X
• ISBN 13: 9781571310866
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432