Father Lawrence Goodwin, CJM, has lived in 25 cities and four countries, and when asked for his advice on moving he keeps it simple: “Don’t!”

Some of his other locations include Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines, as well as Phoenix, Miami, Key West, and San Diego. A native of Canada, Fr. Lawrence immigrated to America in 1987 and became a citizen in 2007.

It makes sense that this accomplished traveler is a CB amateur radio enthusiast and has been since he and a childhood friend across the street built antennas and established a base station. He’s used a CB radio in his car while driving across the continent four or five times, including from San Diego to a small town 12 hours northeast of Quebec City on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. He uses the radio “mostly for practical things” but also has found plenty of good conversations there.

One of Fr. Lawrence’s favorite places to travel to is the Holy Land, where he often takes tour groups. “I’m planning a tour in November. Join me!” Touring the Holy Land, Greece, and Turkey is “an eye opener for many people,” he said, noting that it changed him.

“Seeing the scale of the area, how really small it is, makes things much more real,” he said. “Once you go there it really changes the way you understand scripture. People often say it’s like the 5^th gospel. It’s a practical application for the historical importance of scripture, which is a rich historical document.”

When he isn’t moving or driving, Fr. Lawrence enjoys gardening—veggies and flowers, especially roses—and hiking. Since coming to Louisville, he has explored trails in the Iroquois, Tom Sawyer, and Pope Lick parks.

Perhaps Fr. Lawrence’s most surprising factoid is that he was a fashion photographer in Miami Beach in the 1990s and that it was his work in that “horrible industry” that solidified his conversion to Catholicism.

“That world, with its objectification of people, is truly horrible,” he said. “As I became more and more aware that I couldn’t do this work anymore, I started changing my life. This led to my conversion and baptism in 1997.”

Fr. Lawrence said that the creativity of the photography and developing film in darkrooms was fun, and noted that no matter how small the pixels, “you cannot beat Kodachrome color.” Even so, he said, he “wouldn’t show anybody” his work from that time because “the entire industry is so degrading for women.”

Today, Fr. Lawrence is happy to be with Catholic Charities of Louisville even though he still misses the beauty and the beach of San Diego. “Louisville’s a nice city and easy to get around.” He “really enjoys” his work at Catholic Charities, which since he arrived has pivoted from Parish, Schools, and Advocacy Engagement Coordinator to Director of Mission.