From the Gun to the Pulpit

About the Book

This book is about how one man’s journey as a Chicago Police Officer helped him to seek out his true calling in life. It explores in detail his life on the mean streets of Chicago. It provides an up close and personal look at how death, danger and destruction affected him mentally and spiritually. His experiences on the streets led him to resign and begin another chapter in his life. This new chapter began with him studying at Candler school of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia. His personal mission was to become a protestant minister. However, the Lord had other plans. His experience at Candler helped him to embrace his Roman Catholic tradition and eventually enabled him to answer his call to the priesthood.

About the Author

Father Andrew Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 30th, 1966. He graduated from Loyola University with a Bachelors of Arts in Theology in 1990, and joined the Chicago Police Department in 1991. Father Andrew Smith was known as Officer Smith until his resignation in 2001. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he received a Masters of Divinity degree from The Candler School of Theology at Emory University in2004. He immediately returned to Chicago to study for the Roman Catholic Priesthood at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, and was ordained on May 23rd 2009. Father Andrew is currently the Associate Pastor of St. Ailbe Roman Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.