First novel celebrates faith, evangelizes

By Tanya Connor
 The Catholic Free Press

A local priest and deacon recently published a book about teenagers discerning a vocation.
No, it’s not an autobiography or a “how to” manual. It’s a brief fictional story – which could have really happened.
In “Nicholas Gilroy: Our Lady and the Guardian,” Father Stephen M. Gemme and Deacon George E. O’Connor weave a tale about the unabashed devotion and troubling adventures of boys who meet on their first day of high school seminary.
“It’s a wonderful story to encourage vocations to the priesthood,” Father Gemme said.
Deacon O’Connor’s wife, Joyce, had a lot to do with the book, suggesting that Father Gemme write it. She said she wanted to stay home, in the background, but she also wanted to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. She contributed ideas for the book and helped edit it.
Father Gemme said grandparents want the book for their grandchildren, and mothers have commented on social media that their sons are considering priesthood because of it.
“It’s humbling,” he said. “It’s wonderful. But this is how God works” – he choses the wounded. Father Gemme has wrestled with a gambling addiction. And Deacon O’Connor has such poor eye-sight he can’t read the book without significant magnification.
Both were once teachers. Father Gemme taught at St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School and Deacon O’Connor taught grades 6-8 at St. Mary Elementary School in Clinton.
The book is geared to youth from middle school through high school. Father Gemme said someone wanted several copies for his sixth-grade religious education class, and home-schoolers use it. (The book’s main character Nicholas Gilroy was home-schooled before entering high school seminary.)
The first public signing of books was at the diocesan Worcester Catholic Men’s Conference in March, Deacon O’Connor said. Amazon sales spiked after that, and the book is also available at local Catholic bookstores, he said.
“I’ve got quite a few comments from adults,” he said. One man said he was on his third reading. Others have said it leads back to Jesus, it’s simple and straightforward.
“This book is intended to celebrate our Catholic faith; it’s a wonderful tool of evangelization,” Father Gemme said. For example, one chapter is about the Eucharist.
“It’s wonderful teaching” (taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church), he said. “It’s things like that that make it a special book.” And some people are “just discovering the Divine Praises through this book.”
Marian devotion is also featured prominently.
“Any authentic devotion to the Blessed Mother leads you to Jesus Christ, and that’s what this book does,” Father Gemme said. “I wouldn’t be a priest without the Blessed Mother.” He said his mother is devoted to the Virgin Mary and, on his ordination day, gave him the Miraculous Medal he now wears constantly.
“We give all the credit to our Blessed Mother,” Mrs. O’Connor said. She and Father Gemme explained how the book came about.
In the summer of 2015, “Joyce sent me an email and said she had been praying the rosary,” Father Gemme said. “She felt some day we’d write a book and it’d be about the years I spent in the seminary,” at St. Mary’s in Baltimore.
“He had told us how happy he was there,” Mrs. O’Connor said. He was at peace doing God’s will and growing spiritually.    
“The book would not be possible unless the three of us worked together,” Father Gemme said, adding that they all came up with ideas: show beautiful Catholic truths and a spiritual boy and include a conversion story.
“But it was Our Lady,” Mrs. O’Connor said. “We dedicated this story to her – and all the stories.” (Yes, three sequels are planned – to take characters abroad for sophomore, junior and senior years of high school seminary.) “We did the first book in three months,” in 2015.
They spent the next year seeking a publisher, and ended up self-publishing it in 2017 through Archway Publishing, Father Gemme said.
“One of the good things about self-publishing – we own the book,” said Deacon O’Connor. Nobody can change it and any proceeds go to the authors.
“The reason Our Lady gave us this book was to help (Father Gemme) pay people back,” Mrs. O’Connor said.
In February 2015 Father Gemme had pleaded guilty to stealing from St. Bernadette Parish in Northborough, where he had been pastor, and from its elementary school. He was put on probation and ordered to make restitution.
He acknowledged a gambling addiction and received treatment. He said he now serves at Catholic Charities’ Crozier House for men in recovery from addictions and celebrates Masses around the diocese as needed.
“Because of my gambling addiction, I was not allowed to function as a priest” for some time, Father Gemme said. He said he asked a fellow priest, “How do I make up for this?” and was told, “Be a good priest.” Father Gemme wondered how to do that, given the circumstances. Then Mrs. O’Connor asked him to write a book.
Father Gemme said his portion of any proceeds will go toward paying restitution, and the O’Connors can choose what to do with their proceeds. Mrs. O’Connor said some of their proceeds will go toward the next book.
The three said they refused repeated requests that would have allowed Paramount Pictures to make a movie from the book.
“We said ‘no,’ because we have to protect the Catholic identity,” Father Gemme explained.
They hope to find a Catholic publisher to pick up the first book and publish the second, which is almost done, and eventually have a DVD made of the books, Deacon O’Connor said.
“This is all rooted in prayer,” Father Gemme said. “The purpose of all of these books is to give glory to God.”