The Spirit in the Desert: Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites in the Owens Valley - Paperback

by Brad Karelius (Author)

Father Brad Karelius's vocational path did not protect him from the trials and tragedies inherent in human life. When his teenaged son began suffering from seizures, the Episcopal parish priest sought strength and solace in the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada's Owens Valley. The primitive, ancient beauty of the desert provided Father Karelius with a sense of connection to God that his work in an Orange County Latino barrio could not. Over the years, he has made regular pilgrimages to the area, and in The Spirit in the Desert he invites readers to follow suit. While he acknowledges that different people may seek peace and serenity in different places-by the ocean, during a walk in the rain-Karelius's deeply personal guidance through his beloved desert makes for an earnest spiritual travelogue.

Author Biography

Father Brad Karelius has served as a parish priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles since 1971. Currently, he is a pastor in Santa Ana's Logan Barrio, an immigrant community. For the past thirty-five years, he has also taught philosophy and world religions at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo. By focusing on Native American spirituality, he is able to illustrate the universality of mystical encounters with the holy and sacred across world religions. He and his wife, Janice, a nurse practitioner, have two children and live in Laguna Niguel, California.