“‘As I see it, the whole trajectory of the church is toward the era of the Spirit, when each will know the truth in his heart and there will be no need for extrinsic authority…By being rejected by church leadership, gays and lesbians have had to ask God directly if they can live authentic Christian lives, and they are getting [positive] answers. They’ve come to see church teaching on homosexuality as destroying their self-image, so they’ve had to take direct access to God, based on prayer, spirituality and freedom of conscience.'” An intriguing profile of Jesuit priest and author of the pioneering book, The Church and Homosexuality, Fr. John J. McNeill — or as many gay Catholics refer to him, “the man who saved my life” — in this week’s National Catholic Reporter.