the church and why-part one of?

hi everyone
  about my junior year of high school, I started to question the pracices of the Roman Catholic church.  And I was a faithful member, singing in the boys choir through grade school and contemplating of becoming a catholic priest;  i figured i would get the collections on christmas for my vacation somewhere warm, free house, dicounts from just about everyone, and i would, of course have a housekeeper, as all priest's residences had.  most were old Polish women, etc., and that was out!  She would have to be drop dead gorgeous, etc., etc. Hey, there was always death bed repentence and I surely could forgive myself!

Seriously, I had my application filled out for the seminary-where guys go to learn latin and how to do priest stuff and I had an inteviev with father houtt, at st. Phillips in Linesville. As he asked me questions, he became full of rage and yelled at me because I didn't say the word "father" at the end of each answer i gave.  I left and told myself i would never want to become like that.

Since I worked 24/7 in my parents little ice cream stand, I took an hour Sunday morning to go to mass.  I quit going, and, not wanting to offend my folks or be lectured, I would just go and park and rest for an hour or go to the drug store and read Popular Mechanics or Photography mags.  then go home.

My senior year it dawned on me I should apply to a college. I did. only one. Gannon college(now a university), in Erie, Pa. And yes it was a catholic school.  Far enough from home but close enough to visit during the holidays.  In college, the only church service i ever attended was one at St. Peter's Cathedral-a folk mass, in which I played my guitar and sang with margie and her younger brother. I guess they were after the college crowd.  I picked the music and songs, etc.  the good thing: during communion we were first in line to sip the wine  from the gold chalice after the catholic priest.  And they spared no expense in getting the best wine;  and the three of us spared no time in gulping down a goodly portion of the wine.  Naturally, we sung and played better afterwords.  More later; 7 years of searching for the true church.