Rigelhof went all the way through the Catholic education system, from altar boy to seminarian, before finally becoming disillusioned with the Church. He paints a picture of a world that is both safe and frightening: safe because he lived in a well-ordered universe, where daily events took place according to the ringing of buzzers, and where well-meaning restrictions protected even his intellectual life; frightening because he lived in constant fear of breaking rules and, above all, constant fear of sexual abuse. The subject matter is disturbing, but Rigelhof writes so well that his book is worth a read.T. F. Rigelhof. Nothing Sacred: A Journey Beyond Belief. Fredericton, New Brunswick: Goose Lane Editions, 2004. Paperback. 236 pages. ISBN 9780864923820. $21.95.
