Deacon Jim Russell is a lifelong St. Louis resident, cradle Catholic, husband, father of eleven and grandfather of two. Ordained to the permanent diaconate in 2002, Deacon Russell serves as Family Life Coordinator for the Office of Laity and Family Life in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Missouri. He previously worked in full-time parish ministry for fourteen years. He remains an active supporter of Catholic radio and the Catholic blogosphere (some of his posts can be found at the “Virtual Vestibule,” the official blog of the Archdiocese of St. Louis (http://blog.stlouisreview.com/). Deacon Russell’s theological interests include the sanctity of marriage, the work of Pope St. John Paul II, and Catholic teaching on same-sex attraction.
For part one of this series, go here. For part two, go here. Having spent some three years studying and engaging the ideas in the “Spiritual Friendship ” collective, it’s clear to me that there are a number of profound…
