Old Traditions, New Paths: The Priesthood of Merrick Moses 

Merrick Moses is a man of many labels: Old Catholic priest, Benedictine monk, and LGBTQ+ advocate. But don’t let the “old” in his titles fool you – at nearly 50, this Reverend Brother has fire enough to walk by his faith. The Baltimore resident, who loves ”to pray the rosary while I’m walking,” describes himself as a cradle Roman Catholic — which means he was born right into the church through his family. But Moses’ journey to the priesthood wasn’t a straight path.  He grew up in Queens, New York, with a Roman Catholic dad from Panama and a mom from Pittsburgh.  RELATED: Where Do Folks Leaving Traditional Church Go? “My Roman Catholic side was really Roman Catholic, like with altars in people’s houses and incense and novenas and rosaries,” Moses says. Meanwhile, his mom’s side of the family “were Baptists, some Seventh-Day Adventists, and an aunt who was a Jehovah’s Witness,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many times I was called a papist, one who believes in the authority of the pope.” RELATED: The Hidden Pain of Church Hurt Moses recalls he “always loved church — so much as a child that I would play mass, with...