ALARIC MARK LEWIS
ABOUT ME
Alaric Mark Lewis, born in 1966, was instilled with a love of books from a very early age by his mother, who died when he was seven years old. This experience was naturally, formative, and from early on seemed to birth a desire in him to discover the mysteries of life and death through the lens of poetry, literature, ritual, and faith. An avid journaliser, from childhood he kept a record of his search, and very soon developed in life two passions: writing and spirituality. These led him to St. Meinrad College (Indiana) where he received the Bachelor or Arts in 1988, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake (Illinois) where he received the Master of Divinity in 1993.
Ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1993, he went to serve as parochial vicar in a parish in south-central Illinois, where he got to wear a number of hats: priest, renovation coordinator, teacher and preacher. It was during these years that he developed and honed his homiletical style, patterned after the idea of Fredrick Buechner of "listening to your life." HIs sermons - well received on the part of his parishioners - stressed the importance of paying attention to the stories and traditions of our families, and in so doing garnering a better understanding of the stories and traditions of faith.
In 1995, at age twenty-nine, he was diagnosed with cancer and began a very public battle with that disease. In 1997, cancer-free, he returned to the monastic community which had formed him in college, and entered into Saint Meinrad Archabbey, a community which followed the Rule of St. Benedict. It was here, immersed in the ritual life of a monk, that Lewis began writing in earnest, working as both an author and editor for One Caring Place Publications of Abbey Press. HIs first book was published in 1999.
In 2005 Lewis was received as a priest into the Church of England. After serving congregations in Italy and Spain he now serves as parish priest for three Norwich city-centre churches: St. George Colegate, St. George Tombland, and St Giles-on-the-Hill.