A moving and insightful memoir of a rookie firefighter who struggles to overcome the challenges of his dangerous job while growing in his Catholic faith. It fills a literary gap today as it deals with life in the emergency services from a singularly Catholic worldview, and delves into the central problem facing Catholic men in the modern workplace: How to preserve your faith in the face of a secular society that has abandoned God.

The story highlights the highs and lows of life in a fire station - the camaraderie, the humor, the thrill and the heartache. What makes it unique is that it uses the platform of adventure and a true story of a firefighter to explore themes central to Christianity: How each of us must face the reality of our own brokenness, and how grace builds on nature, making it relevant for all modern believers trying to be faithful in the midst of daily personal challenges and pressures.

It recounts actual incidents in the daily life of a firefighter in America that serve as a backdrop for the deeper challenges it explores, including mental health, bullying, self-control, maturity, conflict resolution, and how does a Catholic conduct himself in today’s workplace when people often reject or are hostile to the Gospel.  

The Proving Grounds reveals how grace is always at work behind the scenes, purifying our understanding and motives, honing our character to greater maturity, and sometimes in very surprising ways. The reader is placed in the shoes of an ordinary working man struggling to make sense of what is both traumatic and beautiful in life.