Where God leads, God provides

“How are we going to talk to seekers?” Fr. Tim Boyle asked his audience at a recent Art of Accompaniment presentation. He was speaking about how we can address one of the Renewal goals to “Be a Church of Encounter and Witness”, specifically when engaging with people outside our parishes.

​Fr. Boyle elaborated, “What we are looking for is a common language we can use to talk about the presence of God in the world.” As I listened, I thought of one possible answer. It is literature, specifically Catholic literature. When people read they connect with the words on a personal level; they ponder, they feel emotion and their hearts as well as their minds open up. It might not result in conversion but it may create curiosity, and that’s a good place to begin to encounter God.

Good Catholic fiction whispers to the reader. It whispers truth and goodness in a way that does not overwhelm. It also highlights Catholicism as a positive part of characters’ normal lives.” ~Ben Galeski

While there is no single definition of Catholic literature (as opposed to Christian literature which is quite formulaic), Ben Galeski a Catholic writer says, “Good Catholic fiction whispers to the reader. It whispers truth and goodness in a way that does not overwhelm. It also highlights Catholicism as a positive part of characters’ normal lives.”

​With this in mind, I set out to investigate the work of two such writers in our diocese. One was Galeski himself (St. Mary’s Parish, Brooks) and the other was Maria Marianayagam (St. Luke’s Parish, Calgary). Both could be considered “emerging writers” having published their first books relatively recently.   

Where God leads, God provides

Maria Marianayagam is an engineer who began writing during the Covid lockdown. “I had prayed about what to do after the birth of my second daughter,” she said.

“With the support of my husband, I started writing and querying agents.”

​She also took courses to learn her craft and improve her writing. Crediting God’s good grace, Maria secured an agent quickly which led to several book deals, some for manuscripts that were still in process. 

This spring Maria released two board books in the Baby Virtues series, Baby Hope and Baby Courage. They depict preschoolers epitomizing virtue in their daily lives. In June 2024, Maria will release The Amazing Power of Girls which showcases multi-cultural girls embodying science concepts. Maria can identify with this.

​“In school I was a creative writer but I was also drawn to math and science. There are so many parts to us that contribute to who we are.”

Maria’s vocation as wife and mother is most important to her but she also values her Sri Lankan heritage and her Catholic faith. “My faith informs everything that I write, it’s impossible that it wouldn’t,” she said. Future books will further reflect Maria’s diversity, including her upcoming middle-grade novel No Purchase Necessary. Ironically when this novel was first shown to publishers, one asked if she could “tone down the Christianity”. She insisted, “Kids should think it’s okay to be living with these values. You can celebrate your ethnicity and your Christianity. You can have strong faith and be a scientist.”

Special visit to Clear Water Academy, a private Catholic school in Calgary, during Literacy Week.

We need to be open, even if God seems to be blocking what we want to do, so that we don’t keep knocking on the door that’s closed instead of heading to the door that’s open." ~Maria Marianayagam

Asked about her faith journey as a writer, Maria was unequivocal. “God’s grace provided me with so many amazing opportunities. Where God leads, God provides. Prayer is so key. There were lots of possibilities I was considering, a home business, blog, etc., until I really listened to the Holy Spirit. We need to be open, even if God seems to be blocking what we want to do, so that we don’t keep knocking on the door that’s closed instead of heading to the door that’s open.”

Any person or group in the Diocese of Calgary who wishes to purchase Maria’s books can get signed copies at Owl’s Nest or Indigo Market Mall bookstores. Learn more about Maria’s upcoming events and connect with her through her website marianayagam.com

If you feel inspired, take the shot

Ben Galeski is a career educator who challenged himself to write a book as a “bucket list project”. He had long admired Catholic writers like Michael O’Brien for the holiness of his characters. “They are people trying to remain virtuous in tough situations,” Ben said. (Read Ben's article: "Can a fiction evangelize?")

​Having decided on Catholic fiction, Ben then needed to find topics to explore. Being a social studies teacher, he chose the Franklin Expedition for his first novel Starvation Cove (2022), and World War I for his second The Good Heart (2023). The first is told from the perspective of an agnostic struggling with the concept of a benevolent God and the second follows a Southern Alberta soldier into a war Ben calls “sheer tragedy”. In addition to exploring the characters’ moral conflicts, the books contain fascinating historical detail and gripping plots. “I’ve always been interested in the drama of humanity in history,” Ben said. (Read: "From one Catholic novelist to another" by Quinton Amundson, Catholic Register). 

Ben’s own history has always been guided by his faith. “I think it’s important to open space in your life to discern God’s plan,” he said. ​“For me, I made a fundamental shift in my career leaving school administration and going back to classroom teaching, which allowed me the time and mental bandwidth to explore new avenues like writing. I also have a very supportive wife who encourages me and is my #1 fan.”  This father of five older children carved out time to write every day from December to February. “Maybe I’m a winter writer!” he joked

Ben talked about his new novel in an interview with Martin Shields

Asked for advice to those still discerning their calling, Ben said, “If you feel inspired take the shot. Listen to your gut, follow the sense of excitement. So often we get stuck in things we feel we have to do but in fact we have choices. God wants us to be happy. It may not happen overnight but even the prospect of change can be exciting.”      

Any parish or school groups in the Diocese of Calgary who wishes to purchase copies of Starvation Cove or The Good Heart for use as a book study can obtain signed copies directly from the author, thereby saving on shipping from Ontario. Connect with Ben by emailing [email protected] or visit bengaleskiauthor.ca. Sets of books purchased directly from the author with have 30% of the sale donated back to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Brooks, Alberta.

So often we get stuck in things we feel we have to do but in fact we have choices. God wants us to be happy. It may not happen overnight but even the prospect of change can be exciting." ~Ben Galeski

To Ben and Maria and all Catholic writers, I say, “Thank you! Keep whispering truth and goodness one page at a time.”

---

Written by Alice Matisz for Faithfully. ​Alice lives in Lethbridge with her husband Don. She is a member of All Saints Parish where she volunteers to bring the Eucharist to a long term care home. She enjoys reading, writing, baking and painting. 

Photos credits: Maria Marianayagam, Ben Galeski, and Clear Water Academy.