Former Seminarian Shares Journey from Religious Life to Freedom in the Relaunch of His Book ‘Uncollared’

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 23, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — At the age of 13, David F. Yep left his home in Rockford, Illinois to embark on what would become a 13-year journey in Catholic seminary life. It’s a journey he brilliantly breaks down in “Uncollared: Your Heart Knows the Way, Re-Learn How to Listen to It” (ISBN: 979-8992585452 [ebook]; 979-8992585469 [paperback]), which has just been relaunched with a fresh introduction by Elevate Press.

Image caption: “Uncollared: Your Heart Knows the Way, Re-Learn How to Listen to It,” by David Yep.

Born the sixth of eight children, Yep was a contemplative young boy who would climb trees with his lunch and books, deep in thought for what seemed like hours. He went from this suburban childhood to the Immaculate Conception Apostolic School in New Hampshire, and later to religious formation in Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria.

“Uncollared” details Yep’s journey and presents 12 lessons in freedom that emerged from hisexperiences in religious life and beyond.

In the book, Yep details his first days in seminary, when he entered a strictly regimented lifestyle. “From that moment on, every minute of every day was scheduled,” he writes, “from the amount of time we had to shower and dress ourselves, to the activities we took part in during the day, to the ever-so-short ‘free times’ we were allowed.”

His experiences included picking strawberries with immigrants in Germany and organizing youth programs across Austria. “I wanted to change the world, and dedicate my life to the service of others,” Yep writes of his initial calling.

However, after years of internal struggle, his path changed: “My heart was pretty clearly telling me that I did not want to live without marriage and sex.” When he finally left religious life, he recalls, “I was flying home to a country I hadn’t lived in for a decade. I was going home to a family who I had left a long time ago, both them and I growing and morphing massively while being apart.”

“Uncollared,” Yep emphasizes, is not as much about the answers as it is about learning to ask yourself the right questions. He writes, “It is a lesson for anyone who wants to evolve, a letter to anyone who feels stuck, a message for anyone who asks themselves whether there is something more to life.”

“Uncollared: Your Heart Knows the Way, Re-Learn How to Listen to It” is available now on Amazon.

About Elevate Press Publishing

Elevate Press publishes memoirs and prescriptive non-fiction by top entrepreneurs. For more information, visit https://elevatepresspub.com/.

News Source: Elevate Press

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