While connecting me up to various machines and monitors and placing nitroglycerine tablets under my tongue, the doctor looked at me early on and said: "You waited too long to get here, sir." I was petrified. There was no immediate response on my part, only a deep sense of fear entombed by a completely paralyzed inner spirit. Much to my surprise, he spoke again: "Sir, you've waited too long to get here. You're not going to make it." And he continued: "If you believe in God, this is the time to make peace." In that very moment, I said to myself, "What do you mean, "If you believe in God?" Of course I believe in God! I'm a man of faith and a Catholic priest!"
Fr. John Tourangeau, O. Praem., a Norbertine priest who had an afterlife experience following a major heart attack, emphatically states, "Heaven is for real!" Within this enlightening and hope-filled book, Fr. John weaves a powerful and dynamic tapestry of the Kingdom of God at hand through the exploration of Christian tradition, Sacred Scripture, Catholic teaching, as well as his own lived experiences.
John has been an ordained priest for nearly 30 years and is a member of the Norbertine Community, residing at St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, WI. Since 2012, John has been traveling around the country sharing his life story in a presentation entitled “Heaven: Is it for real?” From 2012-2015, over 10,000 people have attended more than 35 presentations; the success with which these presentations were received has resulted in the publishing of To Heaven & Back: The Journey of a Roman Catholic Priest by John Tourangeau and Travis Vanden Heuvel. A thumbnail sketch of John’s life as a Norbertine and priest includes service as a transitional deacon and newly ordained priest at Providence of God Parish (Chicago, IL), followed by a move to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM. There he served as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community (Albuquerque, NM), followed by pastorates at St. Gertrude Parish (Mora, NM), Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (Clovis, NM), San Francisco de Asís Parish (Ranchos de Taos, NM), and St. Anne Parish (Albuquerque, NM). During those years John also served as Vicar Forane (Dean) and later as a member of the Presbyteral Council. Later, John would return to St. Norbert Abbey and serve as Vocation Coordinator and Pastor of St. Norbert College Parish. John did his undergraduate studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. He holds a Master of Divinity Degree with Mission Specialization from Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago (1986), a Master of Social Work Degree (MSW) from New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM (1997) and is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the State of Wisconsin. John also holds a Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA) from The University of Phoenix, Albuquerque, NM (2003), and is in the middle of a Ph.D. program in Organization Development.
