Whoever can make a recording of this hymn, please do so, and we’ll share it with the world!

Adventures with the Holy Spirit: A Journey with RUACH

by Deacon Charles Louis Durban

This book is dedicated to and is about the merciful and at times semi-miraculous consolations and interventions of the Holy Spirit, without which neither this book nor perhaps even the author would still be traversing the crooked path that God weaves through our broken but redeemed human lives. In short, it is a memoir of how the Holy Spirit pursues and protects us in our spiritual journey of life. It is a journey most easily viewed in the rear-view mirror.

Paperback $14.95 | Kindle $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“Charlie’s book, Adventures with the Holy Spirit, illustrates how the Holy Spirit is alive and active in our lives.” – Carol Hess, parishioner, Incarnate Word Parish, St. Louis, MO

“In Adventures with the Holy Spirit, Deacon Charles Durban recounts numerous surprise experiences of being saved from disappointment or disaster by a mysterious presence in his life which he calls the saving work of Ruach, or the Holy Spirit. For even the casual reader these incidents will trigger memories which will now have a far deeper meaning because of a ‘Presence’ which is now recognized for the first time. ‘There is Someone with me and He is taking me to a place with a new purpose and a new meaning.’ I hope you enjoy the adventure!” – Bishop Robert J. Hermann, author of Come Alive in Jesus! Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“Using his own life journey in the Spirit, Deacon Charlie Durban offers his readers a possible template for looking at the manifestations of God’s abiding presence in the reader’s life experience. This can be a great tool for individual faith exploration or a group study approach. Read the whole book and discern how it might relate to your own story.” – Deacon J. Gerard Quinn, J.C.L.

“What we learn through another’s journey can enhance our own recognition of the influences in our own journey. I have been fortunate to journey in a professional career with Charlie for 40 years. Together, we have shared our faith experiences, discussed our differences, and agreed that God is present in our lives. In Adventures with the Holy Spirit, Charlie provides insight and a template for us to examine our journey and to recognize that the paths opened to us and traveled are influenced by the presence of the Holy Spirit. As you read this life journey, I encourage you to stop at the end of each chapter and reflect on your own journey as I did. Consider where has the Holy Spirit made its presence known for you at various times in your life journey? By traveling with Charlie, you will awaken to what you hadn’t perceived and in turn see God’s Presence through the Holy Spirit in your journey. A wise man once told me, ‘We are all here to walk each other down the path to the end.’ The experiences that Charlie has shared show us that we are not walking that path alone.” – W. Dennis Derr, Ed.D., LPC, author of Building Personal Resiliency; A Simple Book of Practice for Living a Life of Resiliency

“At times laugh-out-loud funny and achingly sad, Adventures with the Holy Spirit is a spiritual Odyssey with a deeply personal edge. Deacon Charlie Durban has distilled the wisdom of a full and fascinating life in prose that is both eloquent and conversational. Tag along with Ruach (spoiler alert: Ruach is Hebrew for Holy Spirit) and your own adventures will take on that much more meaning.” – J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B., Saint Louis Abbey, author of Humility Rules and The Eighth Arrow

“Charlie Durban’s engaging personal testimony encourages us to look for the hidden patterns in our own lives, the times in which the Holy Spirit is working even when we don’t recognize it. I enjoyed Adventures with the Holy Spirit and the contemplation it inspired. The author recounts a variety of God-incidences in his life, ranging from the simple to the remarkable, from both before he realized God was pursing him and later after he consciously began seeking to follow God. His stories offer ideas for how we can spot the workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. For Charlie, the progression of small miracles in his life resurrected his faith and led eventually to discerning his vocation as a deacon. From Charlie’s ‘yes’ flowed many graces. Major setbacks turned into new opportunities. His deeply personal testimony about the workings of the Holy Spirit in his daily life, as well as his reflections on faith, hope, charity, and gratitude, impart light to others on their faith journeys.” – Lynda Rozell, author of Journeys with a Tin Can Pilgrim (St. John’s Press, 2021), In Plain Sight Hidden (St. Bona’s Press, 2022) 

“Deacon Charles Durban addresses often overlooked contributions the invisible Holy Spirit dispenses constantly in the course of our lives. His desperately necessary message to a culture caught in the misbelief all predicaments can be assuaged through recourse to relativism or scientism, is constructed upon personally experienced, inexplicable, beneficial events which should encourage in the reader, a practice of confidently asking the Holy Spirit to intercede in our daily challenges. All will benefit from perusing this concise, yet well substantiated narratives that rekindles a trusting Faith in God.” – Joseph J. Hurley, M.D., author of the forthcoming book about El Camino, Why are you walking?

“Charles Durban writes with honesty and inclusivity about his journey to find his most confident and spiritual self. Even if Durban’s journey to find the Spirit in his life doesn’t parallel your own, the book reflects a life fully lived with an open heart and will help any reader begin to clarify the meaning of faith in their own life. With professionalism and a sense of humor, Durban invites the reader into a complicated and blessed life.” – Rachel Eve Moulton, author of Tinfoil Butterfly

“Although I was Deacon Charlie’s spiritual director for a 30-day Ignatian silent retreat at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House in Sedalia, CO., I really had no idea what I would encounter in his “Adventures with the Holy Spirit”. I set aside portions of two back-to-back afternoons and read the book. It is excellent! Charlie is a very good writer. I found it an easy and pleasurable read. Adventures highlights the finding and experiencing of God in the everyday experiences of an ordinary life—which, indeed, makes the life extraordinary. I can imagine this book to be a very positive read for many Christians.” – Fr. E. Edward Kinerk, S.J., Director, Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House and former President of Rockhurst University 

“What a grace I have enjoyed to have personally heard many of the stories Charlie recounts of his adventures with his ever-present companion, Ruach. I wish I could capture for you his wonder as he would bring each story to life. His awe was always contagious. Let Charlie’s stories inspire you to find Ruach in your life and believe.” Susanne Harvath, Ph.D., author of The Augustine Way Workbook

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Deacon Charlie Durban has served St. Anselm parish in St. Louis, MO, for 15 years. His professional life of 50 years included mental health programs in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Missouri; and, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) regionally, nationally and internationally. His parish assignments included Assistant to the Pastor and Director of Liturgy. He served for 5 years as Assistant Director of Psychological and Counseling Services at Kenrick Glennon seminary. Somewhat retired, he remains very active leading men’s prayer groups, St. Vincent de Paul conference, Kairos prison ministry, and a variety of parish assignments. He and his wife Penny co-teach Counseling Skills to the men in deacon formation and several classes of the Archdiocesan Spiritual Direction program. He is also an Army veteran, serving at the Pentagon and one year in Vietnam. Along with his professional training and education, Deacon Charlie has also completed the two-year professional certification in Spiritual Direction at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO. Semi-retirement has increased his hopes of getting out once a week for 18 holes of golf, usually with a variety of results. Fortunately, his parish golfing buddies are generous with their “gimmes” on the greens. He and his wife Penny eagerly await the grace of grandchildren and further “adventures”.

OTHER CATHOLIC MEMOIRS

In Whom I Am Well Pleased by Edward T. Byrne

In Whom I Am Well Pleased by Edward T. Byrne

In Whom I Am Well Pleased by Edward T. Byrne Your child’s suicide feels like the biggest parental failure of all.  Any parent wants to be prepared for the worst, but no one ever anticipates the horror actually happening until it is too late.  In alternating chapters,...

read more
All is Grace! My Life by Fr. Julius D. Leloczky, O. Cist

All is Grace! My Life by Fr. Julius D. Leloczky, O. Cist

All is Grace! My Life by Fr. Julius D. Lelóczky, O.Cist. Son of a baker, Julius Lelóczky was supposed to continue the family business, the French style patisserie. He instead felt he was called to be a monk and priest, during a time when in communist Hungary all...

read more
Pain of Grace: Living and Suffering with Dignity

Pain of Grace: Living and Suffering with Dignity

Women of Grace with Johnette Benkovic (September 11 & 12, 2023) - When God Offers Us the Cross: Steps to Mining the Treasure, Part 1 and Part 2Pain of Grace: Living and Suffering with Dignity by Joni J. Seith Walking her readers through her conversion from a...

read more
An Unlikely Gardener: Prose and Poems

An Unlikely Gardener: Prose and Poems

An Unlikely Gardener: Prose and Poems by Francis Etheredge This book began as a failed article about gardening; however, having written one, several more followed and so it became a short book, wonderfully enriched by the criticisms of my eldest daughter and a...

read more
Non Nobis Domine: No para Nosotros, Señor

Non Nobis Domine: No para Nosotros, Señor

Non Nobis Domine: No Para Nosotros, Señor by Marge Giangiulio Un relato honesto y convincente de la vida de Marge Giangiulio y de las personas afectadas por una efusión de la bondad y la misericordia de Dios. En rústica: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99 TESTIMONIOS "En el...

read more
God’s Memoir by Kristina Olsen

God’s Memoir by Kristina Olsen

God's Memoir by Kristina Olsen, OCDS, PhD God's Memoir invites you into the mind of God in an imaginative exploration of how God might think about Bible events and our lives today. We consider Creation, the birth of Jesus and the role of the family, as well as art,...

read more
How is God Involved in Evolution?

How is God Involved in Evolution?

How is God Involved in Evolution? by Joe P. Provenzano, Ron D. Morgan, and Dan R. Provenzano We have been searching for a satisfying answer to this question nearly all of our adult lives, and both Joe and Ron are almost 80. This journey of 50 years led us on an...

read more
My Catholic Conversion by Kristina R. Olsen

My Catholic Conversion by Kristina R. Olsen

My Catholic Conversion Kristina R. Olsen This is the conversion story of a Carmelite tertiary. Through a series of spiritual adventures and with the help of supportive friends, professors and spiritual guides, she learned about God's will for her to enter the Catholic...

read more
The Daughter of the King by Dorothy Cusick

The Daughter of the King by Dorothy Cusick

The Daughter of the King by Dorothy Cusick Counseled by a priest to put her children in an orphanage after being evicted from her home, Dorothy Cusick's mother, Mary, was in danger of falling into despair. Poetically written, Dorothy's story of how her mother faced...

read more
Non Nobis Domine: Not Unto Us, O Lord

Non Nobis Domine: Not Unto Us, O Lord

Non Nobis Domine: Not Unto Us, O Lord by Marge Giangiulio An honest and compelling account of the life of Marge Giangiulio and those touched by an outpouring of God’s goodness and mercy. Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99 TESTIMONIALS "In today’s noisy, busy world, we...

read more
Will the Real Church Please Stand!

Will the Real Church Please Stand!

Will the Real Church Please Stand! A Conversion Journey from Fundamental Baptist to Roman Catholic By Anne Stokes Born into a devoutly Fundamentalist Baptist home, and baptized at the age of six, I was raised to believe that Baptists practiced the truest form of New...

read more
Seeing God’s Face: A Catholic American Woman in India

Seeing God’s Face: A Catholic American Woman in India

Seeing God's Face: A Catholic American Woman in India by Kiki Latimer My mother taught me at a young age the old adage that: life isn't fair. But we were living, growing up, in a country, the United States of America, that was founded on the idea of justice for all,...

read more
The Call to Prayer: Intimate Moments with God

The Call to Prayer: Intimate Moments with God

For more on Medjugorje, check out these other En Route books! Penny Abbruzzese's Medjugorje: My Lifelong Journey with Our Lady, Queen of Peace. Peter Breen's Prodigal Pilgrim. Barbara Lorenzo’s Miracle Mission at Medjugorje. The Call to Prayer: Intimate Moments with...

read more
A Gospel Path to Racial Healing

A Gospel Path to Racial Healing

A Gospel Path to Racial Healing   by Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes and Deacon Larry Oney   Racial eruptions continue to highlight our need for deeper racial healing. This book begins with two contrasting stories of a black deacon and a white bishop. They...

read more
Miracle Mission to Medjugorje: A Journey of Faith

Miracle Mission to Medjugorje: A Journey of Faith

For more on Medjugorje, check out these other En Route books! Penny Abbruzzese's Medjugorje: My Lifelong Journey with Our Lady, Queen of Peace Peter Breen's Prodigal Pilgrim Forrest Yanke’s The Call to Prayer Miracle Mission to Medjugorje: A Journey of Faith by...

read more
Memoir of Grace (Children of the Cross) by Aqif Shahzad

Memoir of Grace (Children of the Cross) by Aqif Shahzad

Memoir of Grace (Children of the Cross) by Aqif Shahzad Memoir of Grace (Children of the Cross) helps us to see the wonders and miracles that God has provided through the works of Mary Kloska, a woman from the first world who has touched the hearts of those in the...

read more
Eugenio Zolli: Prophet for a New World

Eugenio Zolli: Prophet for a New World

"The life of Eugenio Zolli, chief rabbi of Rome during the Second World War, is in itself a prophesy for a new world. After years of research that led to the publication of the French edition, I am happy to present this book to an American public. From his studies in...

read more
Chosen One

Chosen One

Portion of the proceeds will support the Corpus Christi Hope House. Chosen One: From Homeless Infant to Priest at Home in My Heavenly Father's Heart by Fr. Bob Shaldone, SOLT This is a story of the life of Fr. Bob Shaldone, SOLT, whose earthly mother gave him up for...

read more
Stepping Up!

Stepping Up!

Stepping Up!: How Christ Turned My Pain & Suffering into Hope & Joy by Caitie Crowley WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING? Caitie Crowley was in a traumatic car accident on her way home from work and almost lost her life. She couldn't walk for 10 months....

read more
Ennobling Encounters

Ennobling Encounters

Congratulations to Dick Bishirjian for being a finalist in the American Best Book Awards (2022)!Ennobling Encounters by Dr. Richard Bishirjian In this memoir, Dick Bishirjian tells of how his life has been enriched by the many noble persons he has met over the course...

read more
Providential by Steve Mamanella

Providential by Steve Mamanella

What is God’s will for our lives? And how does our own free will intersect with God’s plan?   What is God’s will for our lives? And how does our own free will intersect with God’s plan? In Providential, an autobiographical exploration of the gift of God's Providence,...

read more
東尼的50,000個 巧合神蹟

東尼的50,000個 巧合神蹟

This is the TRADITIONAL VERSION. (点此进入):东尼的50,000个 巧合神迹 [Click Here for Simplified Chinese] 本頁面提供了這本書的詳盡內容介紹。 若您希望直接購買,請點選以下連結: #1. 點此訂購 (電子書)#2. 點此訂購 (平裝書)請使用有語言轉換功能的瀏覽器,自動將英文譯為中文瀏覽所有東尼的書+免費項目,點此進入Tony's 50,000 Co-Incidence Miracles (Traditional Chinese) 東尼的50,000個...

read more
东尼的50,000个 巧合神迹 – 安东尼.嘉锡雅(Anthony F. J. Coscia)著

东尼的50,000个 巧合神迹 – 安东尼.嘉锡雅(Anthony F. J. Coscia)著

(This is the SIMPLIFIED VERSION)  (點此進入):東尼的50,000個 巧合神蹟 [Click here for Traditional Chinese] 本页面提供了这本书的详尽内容介绍。 若您希望直接购买,请点选以下连结: #1. 点此订购 (电子书) #2. 点此订购 (平装书)请使用有语言转换功能的浏览器,自动将英文译为中文浏览所有东尼的书+免费项目,点此进入Tony's 50,000 Co-Incidence Miracles (Simplified Chinese) 东尼的50,000个...

read more
Dear Momma by Alex Gotay

Dear Momma by Alex Gotay

Dear Momma: “Views” from a Wayward Child, Convert, Ex-Jarhead, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt to a Son of Mary Alex Gotay How do Mary and Hip Hop connect?  Keep reading…Mary has many dense theological points that sometimes miss points of prayer for the average teen...

read more
Tony’s 50,000 Coincidence Miracles, Book 2

Tony’s 50,000 Coincidence Miracles, Book 2

Just Page Down for our book in English,  or Click on the links below for Translated Versions. And if you just want to order the book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, you can page down to the bottom of this web page (to item number 10) to order your book. FREE ITEMS …...

read more
Holy Land Chronicle: A Journal of the ‘Fifth Gospel’

Holy Land Chronicle: A Journal of the ‘Fifth Gospel’

Holy Land Chronicle: A Journal of the ‘Fifth Gospel’ by Fr. Jeffrey “Skip” Thompson, MSA Fr. Jeffrey “Skip” Thompson, MSA, a Missionary of the Holy Apostles, has created an intellectually stimulating and visually delightful photo-documentary of his experiences in...

read more
The Story of Holy Apostles College and Seminary

The Story of Holy Apostles College and Seminary

The Story of Holy Apostles College and Seminary by Dr. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson and Prof. Robert Hubbard The Story of Holy Apostles College and Seminary is a yearbook of over sixty years of a Catholic seminary and college located in picturesque Cromwell, Connecticut. Dr....

read more
The Family on Pilgrimage: God Leads Through Dead Ends

The Family on Pilgrimage: God Leads Through Dead Ends

The Family on Pilgrimage: God Leads Through Dead Ends by Francis Etheredge Restless, bitter beyond hope, an unconscious pilgrim becomes conscious at forty that failing to find himself was the moment God awaited to give a sinner the gift of faith, transforming agonies...

read more
Becoming a Handmaid of the Lord

Becoming a Handmaid of the Lord

Becoming a Handmaid of the Lord From the journals of Ronda De Sola Chervin (written between 1977-1996), this autobiographical book explores a life of love and loss from a widow, mother, grandmother, professor of philosophy and theology, an international speaker and...

read more
The Fabric of Our Lives

The Fabric of Our Lives

The Fabric of Our Lives Assembled and Edited by Dr. Ronda Chervin Reading the Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Ronda was moved by the ‘everywoman’ quality of that montage of memoirs of Chinese-American women. Years later, while patching together a quilt for her bed and...

read more