Father Greeley was at the top of his form when Ascent Into Hell was published in 1983. His examination of the workings of the Catholic church and priestly vocation may have shocked Catholics, but it is a fascinating look into the inner sanctums of a world that is mostly unknown to the rest of us. The contradiction in the title refers to Hugh Donlon’s climb to the good life that becomes his own private hell on earth. 

          The Church, like the rest of the country, underwent wrenching changes during the 60’s that are still having their effects today. Just as the secular world experienced upheavals in the American family, the Catholic church too experienced a shift in its underpinnings. The lesson to be learned here, though, and it is that God is there for you, no matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve fallen. Though the world fails us and we fail ourselves over and over again, His love never does. Greeley, himself a side-tracked priest, takes on the Church by maintaining that once a priest, always a priest. Hugh begins the story as a dedicated albeit overworked priest who, as a result of his manipulation by his family and the Church hierarchy, is sidetracked from his mission. His own fatal flaws include an uncontrollable attraction to the opposite sex, which is definitely off limits to a celibate priest, and an inability to forgive and forget. 
      
          A combination of events catapults Hugh out of the priesthood, and into a forced and ghastly marriage. He becomes a financial success, but is then victimized financially by his own brother. The process by which God rescues Hugh from himself is awe-inspiring.