Breakthrough by Fr Rob Galea

When he was a teenager, Fr Galea suffered an existential crisis. Bullied at school, he sat alone in his room night after night, and he eventually turned to bad company and even shoplifting. He felt abandoned although he had a good and loving Maltese family. Eventually, he decided to join a Catholic youth group which changed his life and led him on the path to bring a priest in Australia.

In this book, Fr Galea tells his life story and the pitfalls on the way to his becoming a priest. He had to overcome several obstacles, including depression, while he was studying. He also fell in love before hearing the call, and had to choose between his girlfriend and the priesthood.

I found Fr Galea's description of his parish and the people in Australia the most interesting part of the book. He was surprised that we are such a secular and agnostic society compared with Malta which is very religious. His struggles to bring young people back to the 

Church sounds very tough but his decision to 'take the church to the people' is an excellent one. He also inspires people with his music.

I also liked Fr Galea's helpful suggestions about prayer and the Sacraments.

This is well-worth reading, especially for young Catholics.

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.