Does the place that first taught you about love also quietly teach you shame? For many raised in strict traditions—especially Catholicism—belonging is often conditional. You’re told you fit in, but only if you behave, believe, and love within a pre-built box. When your identity breaks that box, the choice is agonizing: Do you abandon yourself, or do you abandon the system?

In this episode of Unchurched, host Edna White sits down with Bill Hulseman, a ritual designer and former Catholic school principal, to discuss the intersection of faith, queer identity, and spiritual wounding. Bill shares insights from his debut book, six to carry the casket and one to say the mass, reflecting on his years inside religious institutions and the courage it takes to reclaim your own narrative.

We dive deep into deconstructing faith, navigating institutional religious trauma, and finding the path toward spiritual agency. If your personal truth has ever collided with your religious upbringing, this conversation is for you. Learn how to stop working against your wiring and start leading with power.

Key Topics:

• Healing from Catholic Guilt and church-induced shame.
• The journey of LGBTQ+ belonging in spiritual spaces.
• How to reclaim your story after leaving the institution.

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