Author embraces the present

When the Rev. Joseph Sica first thought about entering the world of publishing, he had no idea what he was in for.

“The problem with publishing is that unless you have a book already published, they do not want to take a chance on you,” Sica says.

However, in the seven years since publishing his first book, this priest and author has returned to writing with his latest work “Forgiveness: One Step at a Time.”

After being approached by Twenty-Third Publications to write a book on the nebulous topic of forgiveness, Sica, assistant pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Scranton’s South Side, took some time out to think about it.

“I sat down and tried to figure out, ‘What would I say? What do people go through to forgive?’” he says.

While pondering these questions, Sica soon began to realize that forgiving someone is a process. The result is a 10-step program which guides the reader from ruin to release.

Sica describes his writing process as “the old-fashioned way”: making notes, generating outlines on index cards and revising his work with pen and paper before typing it up. A bibliophile with an affinity for psychology and self-help books, Sica peppers his writing with stories and uses short testimonials to help readers relate to his message.

“I get letters from people all over the country,” he explains.

This approach, however, has not gone without criticism. A series of recent articles have lambasted Sica. The Catholic Register, a Canadian publication, called his work the “Oprahfication of forgiveness,” asking: “Isn’t this dumbing down knowledge and wisdom?” Also, a recent Times Leader story called Sica’s work “high on morals, low on originality.”

“You learn in life that you are always going to have critics, cynics and detractors,” says Sica. “Not everyone in life is going to like you. If everyone likes you, then you are doing better than Jesus.”

In particular, the Times Leader observed that Sica did not properly attribute the sources of the stories used in “Living with Passion,” a recent short booklet Sica wrote specifically for the Catholic Lenten season. When asked about the merits of these claims, Sica did not hesitate to provide an answer.

“I would never intentionally go and take someone’s stuff and not give them credit,” Sica says. “Every effort has been made to try to find the source of these stories. In the event that we can’t find the source at the time of printing, we will give credit to the person in the next edition.”

Sica also points out the difficulty of tracking down where some stories originate and who they belong to. In recent years, the Internet has provided a means of communicating and sharing ideas that was previously unavailable. Sometimes, however, information can be changed and distorted, so as a precaution Sica uses Copyscape, a software program that allows authors to crosscheck their content while safeguarding against plagiarism. Scanning his work is routine and becomes just one more step in the writing process for Sica.

But admirers, as well as critics, have also noticed Sica’s latest book. On Feb. 28, Sica went to New York City to participate in a roundtable panel discussion on “The Strategy Room,” an hour-long program on the Fox News Network hosted by Lauren Green, to talk about forgiveness. Sica says he welcomed the opportunity to discuss his book and the idea of forgiveness in front of a national audience.

“It was nice, and it was different,” Sica recalls. “They give you time to talk about your stuff, and then everybody weighs in.”

Sica wrote “Forgiveness” while in the midst of personal and legal troubles. In early 2008, he and his lifelong friend, Dunmore businessman Louis DeNaples, were charged with perjury by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s office for allegedly lying about ties to organized crime figures. This sparked a 14-month legal battle before the charges were dropped in April 2009. There was never a trial, and Sica’s record was expunged. Sica had a stake in forgiving and applied it to his own life.

“It is important to practice what you preach,” he says.

Sica has since learned that, just like life itself, making amends with oneself and others is not easy, but it is a worthwhile endeavor.

With 2003’s “Embracing Change: 10 Ways to Grow Spiritually and Emotionally” in its seventh printing, and the success of his latest work, Sica has shown that his message has resonated with readers, and he hopes to continue writing. However, don’t ask him about the future. Living life in the present moment is all that matters for this 54-year-old Scrantonian.

“I am not worried about tomorrow — it hasn’t come yet. And maybe it won’t come for me,” he explains. “But today’s a time I’ve never seen before, and I can’t look in the rearview mirror — I just got to live right now.”

w