New Memoir Highlights Upbringing in a "Precarious Web of Lies" to Hide That His Father was a Prominent Roman Catholic Priest

Author recounts his journey to discover his true identity and reconcile with his hidden family history

BERLIN, Mass., Jan. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When Mary discovered she was pregnant, she and her lover, Father Ralph, chose to give birth and raise their baby instead of opting for abortion or adoption. Secretly, they acted as full-time parents without disclosing that the father was a Catholic priest. Their lives became a tangled and precarious web of lies to their own families, friends, and their son.

In "My Father, The Father," author Tony Beadle memoir details the story of his high-profile Catholic priest father and his mother, and how they raised him in an environment of love, lies, and secrets. The intent was twofold: to avoid disgracing an unwed pregnant mother and to prevent damaging the father's career as a well-known parish priest and fundraiser for the cardinal in Boston, and thus the image of the Catholic Church.

"My childhood was unique and loving, despite its complicated and duplicitous nature," said Beadle. "It all helped to make me who I am today."

Beadle explains that his father led a dual life, spending half of every week with his family in in a small rural town south of Boston, and the rest as a pastor of an affluent church nearby. His mother, who had lived near family members and many relatives, maintained a complex repertoire of lies and actions that kept Beadle and his father's existence a secret from them. Twenty-five years after his birth, Beadle met his relatives, garnering decidedly different reactions from both sides.

"Roman Catholic priests are asked to do enough in their roles, but they cannot even enjoy the wonders of being a parent or experiencing personal love," said Beadle. "I'm hoping my story would be a cautionary tale about the Church's demand that priests remain celibate, even as the ranks of Catholic priests decline in the US."

"My Father, The Father: a memoir of love and double lives"
By Tony Beadle
ISBN: 9781665773461 (softcover); 9781665773478 (hardcover)
Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author
Tony Beadle enjoyed a career as both a professional classical double bassist and a symphony executive. A magna cum laude graduate of Boston University, Boston, Mass, he performed with the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and various Broadway pit orchestras before joining the faculty at the Longy School of Music. After being awarded a fellowship by the League of American Orchestras, Beadle held leadership roles with the Erie Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony. He later returned to the Boston Pops as manager where he expanded touring and recording initiatives. In 2010 he served as President and CEO of Rockport Music, Rockport, Mass, where he launched a new concert hall, participated in major capital campaigns and planned over 100 events annually. Tony is now happily retired in Central Massachusetts. To learn more, please visit myfatherthefather.com.

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SOURCE Archway Publishing