This is more than I ever expected
I started this Substack back in November of 2021, then under the title of Pope Francis Generation. I had just started grad school for counseling, and I wanted a space where I could bring together all of my writing. I chose Substack because it allowed readers to throw a few dollars at me if they wanted, which helped justify the precious time I spent on this hobby.
Five months later, while still a grad student, I quit the full-time parish job I had held for the past eight years. The circumstances that led to this decision were unfortunate and unexpected. Kristina and I decided that it would be best for me to keep going to grad school full-time instead of finding another job.
This hobby had to unexpectedly turn into a small source of income. I partnered with Dominic de Souza and started the Pope Francis Generation Podcast. And you, dear readers, supported me through that transition in more ways than I can count.
The Growth of Third Space
So much life has happened in the four years since then, including working as a counselor and changing the name of the Substack and podcast to Third Space. I’ve felt called to step into spaces to talk about abuse in the Church, and the more I’ve stepped forward, the more doors God has opened for me to walk through. And again, you, dear followers, have supported me through these changes.
Today, Third Space has over 2,600 subscribers! Look at what we have built together:
Dozens of podcast interviews and articles
Over 150 people have attended my Spiritual Abuse Workshop (many at zero or low cost)
I recorded a catechetical video series on the infinite dignity of every human person
Sarah Carter and I host monthly live recordings on Pope Leo
I’ve led small online groups studies of several papal documents, including Fratelli Tutti and Dilexi Te
Coming soon: A pre-recorded version of the Spiritual Abuse Workshop, new resources on Pope Leo’s imminent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, and an essay for an upcoming book by Riot + Reverence Press
All of that is subsidized by the immense generosity of 67 paid patrons. In one sense, that’s a small number, less than 3% of subscribers. But in another sense, it’s a huge number because you, dear paid subscribers, have received nothing extra from me for your financial support. I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Without your financial investment, Third Space would not exist in its current form.
The Reality of the Gig Economy
This Substack is a crucial part of my “real job.” Like many millennials, my family’s income is in the gig economy. I work part-time as a professional counselor, then the rest of my income comes from consulting and coaching work about spiritual abuse in the Church and Third Space. I never anticipated that this Substack would become a real job, a key source of my income. But it has. And I’m grateful for it.
Obviously, I’m not the first creator to make an income off of Substack. However, many of the professional Substackers put some or all of their content behind a paywall. And that's great! Writers and podcasters deserve to be paid for their work. But I’ve decided not to do that. I always want Third Space to remain a resource that’s completely free and accessible to everyone who can benefit from it, regardless of their financial situation. That’s important to me.
But I’m realizing that you don’t know what I need unless I tell you, unless I ask.
The reality is that writing the essays and preparing for/recording podcasts take a significant amount of time, research, and emotional energy every week. Time and effort that, if I’m going to keep growing Third Space, also need to have financial growth. In the past year and a half, the overall subscribers have doubled, but the paid subscribers have essentially stayed the same.
My family also has more immediate financial needs. After ten years of living in the small town where I used to work at the Catholic parish, we moved. We moved to be closer to family—for our kids to live closer to grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins. So we sold our home back in December and have been living with in-laws since then, waiting to buy a house. But the housing market here has not been friendly, and costs have gone up in those months of waiting.
Invitation
If you have the resources and value Third Space—if you open these emails and listen to the podcast—if you believe these conversations are important for the People of God, please consider becoming a paid patron today.
You won’t get exclusive bonus content for upgrading. You’ll get the knowledge that you’re directly keeping these resources free for thousands of others, supporting my family, and ensuring Third Space can continue to grow.
There are two ways to help. The first is becoming a paid subscriber. There are three paid subscription options:
The second is to make a one-time contribution via PayPal (paul@faheycounseling.com) or Venmo (@catholicthirdspace).
As a special bonus, if you sign up for the $500 tier (or make a one-time contribution of $500 or more) before Memorial Day (May 25), you’ll receive a Third Space sticker and a print of this brand-new pastel sketch by Kristina (at Painted Sanctuary) of the Lost Sheep as a small token of gratitude. (I snuck this picture of the unfinished draft:)
Thank you for reading, listening, and being willing to navigate this Third Space in the Church. This is more than I ever expected.
Peace,
-Paul