At the end of four years' time, at graduation, we were down to 12. At our reunion that we had several years ago, only 1 out of the 52 actually made it to ordination and priesthood. So there you go, there's your numbers.
I have a much wider, freer view about spirituality. I feel that people need to pursue it on their own, personally. You know, let it be theirs - a personal relationship with their soul, or their God, or with their church.
I have no bad memories of childhood. No abusive friends or parents or anything. It was really, really easy and nice.
I left because I decided it just really wasn't for me, and I got a better understanding of what the Catholic Church needed from its priests and ministers.
I studied with the idea of becoming a Catholic priest.
I was born in 1950 - April 25, 1950.
I was born in a little hospital, in Jamaica Hospital, everybody who drives out to Kennedy Airport knows where it is.
I was born in New York.
I was born in Queens, New York, which is a suburb of New York City.
I was unwilling to - without getting too philosophical about it - I was unwilling to structure my spirituality in the way that the church wanted me to structure it.
I went whole hog at the actor's lifestyle - really embraced it. I had by then known how much I loved acting already, because I discovered acting from a teacher in the seminary - that's the first place I ever did it, in the seminary.
I'm very cautious about talking about how actors got where they got, as though there is in fact a plan or a way. There is no plan, there is no way, there's no sure set, there's no handbook, on how to get to be an actor.
Interesting enough, we had a reunion of the 12 of us who graduated, right? The only one who wasn't there was the guy who became a priest, and he was literally in prison in Libya, for being a Catholic priest. Isn't that interesting? Everybody else made the reunion but that guy.
Like I said on my bio on my webpage, I was born at an early age, I was close to my mother.
My childhood is completely... when I look back, it was '50s in New York, upper-middle class, it was completely idyllic and golden and wonderful - sweet in every way.
Oh great, I get to stand in a dark room with a spotlight on me, I get to talk, everybody else has to sit quietly and listen to me.
So when I was 13, I basically left home and never returned and lived at home again. I would come home for a week at Christmas and two weeks in the summer only.
Talk about culture shock. I went from vespers and early to rise, early to bed and prayer sessions, to pot, theater, staying up late and, you know.
That was my aspiration, so I was there in a seminary with just boys who were studying to be priests. Pretty rigorous schooling; we never got home, we stayed there all year.
That wasn't a musical, that was a straight play, but what I discovered is that for the most part, I was getting cast in musicals in New York.
There was discipline involved, but I got a wonderful education. I got a much clearer understanding about me and my spirit and how my personal relationship with my soul and my God, as it were, because you spend a lot of time sorting that stuff out. Really, it was a good thing, actually.
Very intense first summer out, to be 18 years old and never having gone on a date, never having smoked a cigarette, never had a drink, even a sip of beer, never kissed a girl, all of those things. It made for a fairly intense first year out.
We were just a gaggle of kids, and everybody played together and had a good time. You know how kids can be completely horrible - abusive but fun. But anyway, it was a nice childhood.
On April 21, 2007, Peter Jurasik was one of six local Wilmington, N.C. performers and personalities who were part of a radio story telling event, "Many Stories to Tell," on WHQR. The theme of the event was "family ties." Mr. Jurasik teaches locally at University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Peter attended the University of New Hampshire, graduating with an acting degree.
Peter worked with his future Babylon 5 co-star Bruce Boxleitner in the movie “Tron”.
Peter is a member of the comedy group Village Idiots.
Peter is married and has one son.
Peter won the Reader's Universe award for 'Best Supporting Actor in a Genre TV Series' in 1996.
Peter wrote a science-fiction novel, "Diplomatic Act" in 1998.
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