My name is Paul Mansell, a San Diego native. I grew up, was raised, and educated in the South Bay. I am a graduate of SDSU receiving a BA in Political Science and an MA in Educational Technology. My spiritual journey began as a child. I attended a community church with a racially diverse congregation. I religiously went to Sunday School, Youth Group, and Bible Study.
The most formative spiritual moment of my young life was seeing the movie “Brother Sun and Sister Moon.” The joyous faith of St. Francis and Sr. Claire stirred my heart, convincing me that God had filled His creation with wonder and awe, it is only for us to see it.
I studied Philosophy at college, especially the nature of God, feeding my heart and my mind bread and wine to the glory of God. While at college, I discovered the wonder of the Holy Bible and read it thoroughly, becoming part of my daily life. I wanted to live my life to the honor of God, as St. Francis did.
Between my 20s to 40s, I traveled from denomination to denomination from the United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, and Methodist Church–spending most of the time with the UCC. The call of Mary and the sacraments kept tugging at me, and moving me forward along my spiritual pathway. I had an answer to prayer at the death of St. John Paul II, to return to the Holy Mother, Roman Catholic Church with Her arms were wide open, waiting for me. I converted to Roman Catholicism in 2006 and am active in the adult education ministry at my parish.
I have a dual diagnosis and work as a consumer advocate for an agency that serves people who live with developmental disabilities. I support self-advocacy in the community. Self-advocacy is people with developmental disabilities speaking up for themselves, their wants, needs, and concerns, making decisions, following through on their decisions, and being responsible for their decisions. I am an officer of San Diego People First, and the State-wide Self-advocacy Network. I specialize in client empowerment through person centered planning and self-determination.