Father Michael Dunn considers his stuttering to be a blessing.

“I believe that my stuttering has made me a more compassionate, patient and understanding person in my dealings with others,” said the priest, who is a pastor in Weston, Conn.

The priest recalled the poor treatment he received as a child when classmates mocked his speech.

But when he made the decision to enter the seminary — he was going for a graduate degree in counselling at the time — he was heartened by how his superiors treated him.

“They were always very supportive and helpful and remained more confident than I was that my speech would not be an issue for me,” he said.