The Archbishop, in his talk after the book's release, focused on the loss of meaningfulness that occurs at midlife, the reassessment and renewal of identity, and the issues around intimacy that the book addresses, which are particularly important in the lives of priests and religious. He congratulated the author of the book. He observed that the book is a "magnum opus" – an excellent compendium of ideas designed to help all understand the dynamics of transformational processes in midlife and post-midlife and to age gracefully.

The Provincial Fr. Davis highlighted the seamless weaving of psychology and spirituality throughout the book, which is a fundamental feature of all the programs that the author has conducted over the past 25 years.

In introducing the book, Fr. Parappully made a reference to the Foreword to the book by Br. Philip Pinto, two-time Superior General of the Christian Brothers, saying: "No work on mid-life that I have come across contains such a thorough, detailed and panoramic treatment of such a vast range of topics in such a practical manner. I recommend it wholeheartedly to the seeker of life."

Fr. Parappully also referred to the Afterword to the book in which M. A. Joe Anthony, S.J., the current Editor of JIVAN and the former editor of the New Leader: "This book is a treasure. You will do well to buy copies to gift to your friends who are approaching midlife or have already passed it. They are sure to appreciate your thoughtful gift. Bishops and Major Superiors can achieve what they have failed to achieve over the years simply by getting their priests or religious to read and discuss the contents of this book."

In introducing the book's contents, structure, and style, Fr. Parappully pointed out that the focus of the book is on the pathways to health and happiness in the second half of life. After presenting the experiences that indicate awakening to psychological midlife, he went on to describe some of the major dynamics of midlife and the transformational processes that one must engage in during midlife to make the second half of life meaningful, satisfying, and fruitful.

The last few chapters of the book describe the dynamics of the post-midlife years, particularly those related to aging gracefully, and the types of spirituality relevant to that period of life. Each chapter features real-life stories to illustrate its content and introspective questions for readers to engage with, making the reading experience a personal and transformative process.

The author has over 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist and workshop facilitator. He was the Founder President of the Conference of Catholic Psychologists of India for six years, the founder secretary of the Salesian Psychological Association, South Asia, for nine and later its President for six years. He is the primary editor of the two-volume bestseller "Psychosexual Integration and Celibate Maturity: A Handbook for Religious and Priestly Formation." He is currently the founder and director of the Sumedha Centre for Psychological and Spiritual Wellbeing at Jharmari, Punjab, where he facilitates various psycho-spiritual wellbeing programmes and retreats.

St. Paul's Media publishes the book and is available at all St. Paul's outlets and online at

https://stpaulsbyb.com/product/psychospiritual-dynamics-at-midlife-and-beyond-guideposts-for-a-healthy-and-happy-second-half-of-life/

A 4-week training program based on the book's contents will be held at the Sumedha Centre for Psychological and Spiritual Wellbeing in Jharmari, Punjab, from August 17 to September 13, 2025. For information and registration, contact: sumedhcentre@gmail.com