Meet Catholic Writer Jim Sano Author Of The Father’s Son

Jim has a real passion for writing, and it shows in his answers to the interview questions. He is someone who appreciates the craft of writing and those who do it. A particular blog post of his describes his journey.

In my teens, I remember thinking it would be cool to write a book someday, a real story that would have an impact on people and one I would be satisfied with. I didn’t need to have it published or read by a lot of people. I guess it was an early version of a bucket list item for me, but I thought of it more as living life as an adventure. At fifteen, I thought about what I wanted out of life and how to make it meaningful – how to make a difference. I used to listen to neighborhood men in their seventies talk about regrets they had in their lives and it usually boiled down to their priorities and relationships. There was a book in there somewhere. –So You Want to Write a Novel? — Jim Sano

His picture on this blog post says it all for writers.

So get ready to meet a writer who will teach you some things about writing. It’s time to…

Meet Catholic Writer Jim Sano

1. Tell something interesting about yourself.

I grew up in a large Irish/Italian family, and my parents were very different from each other, which gave me the gift of being able to see things from different perspectives. One thing they did share was a commitment to family. Growing up, while I always thought it would be cool to write a novel, I never would have guessed I would actually be doing it, but my faith gave me a purpose in pursuing storytelling. I’ve been blessed to have a wonderful wife who grew up Protestant but has embraced her Catholic faith in such a beautiful way, and two incredible daughters. I was a high school teacher after college, but ended up working in high tech for many decades before researching and writing The Father’s Son. It has been an amazing journey since that time, and I have been blessed in so many ways.

2. What makes a good Catholic writer?

Jesus taught wisdom and truth through telling of intriguing stories and relatable characters. There is something about a good story that draws people into what you want them to take away from your message. Having strong characters helps the reader want to take this journey with them and hopefully take something from it that moves, inspires, or changes them. Fulton Sheen wrote, “Any book which inspires you to lead a better life is a good book.” Weaving the wisdom and beauty of the faith into a good story is done in very different ways by each Catholic author, but it should always be in a way that allows the reader to see how that faith applies to real-life struggles and to relationships with God, others, and ourselves.

“With great joy and deep gratitude to God, I am pleased to announce the Mass for the Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, will take place on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 2 pm Central time at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. With anticipation of a great number of people wanting to participate, we chose this location because of availability, being indoors, and the close proximity to the Diocese of Peoria. – +Bishop Louis Tylka, Diocese of Peoria –Statement Regarding Beatification Details of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation

3. What do you like about being a Catholic/Christian Writer?

I was saddened by watching so many Catholic leave the Church before they had a chance to learn and know the beauty and wisdom of the faith Christ gave us. We are all called to evangelize in some way, to make a difference in life, and I felt a call to share the faith through storytelling. I spend a lot of time researching and working out the arc of a story before sitting down to write. When I did this for the first book, I had expected to face the very painful process of architecting each line, paragraph, and chapter – but the story, characters, and scenes I hadn’t expected seemed to flow from the Holy Spirit, and it ended up being the most fun I had ever experienced. I think that, and all the amazing people I have had the opportunity to meet around the world, have been the greatest gift and joy of this time. What makes all the research, writing, and years of editing worthwhile are the folks who tell me how much a book changed their lives. That is a gift from the Holy Spirit that touches me most.

4. What is the Main focus of your particular Writing or what do you like to write about?

I am working on my ninth and tenth novels, and the stories have featured a wide range of characters, plots, and settings. Many of the Father Tom Series stories are set in Boston and feature someone in the local parish who is struggling in some area of their life, embarking on a journey of unexpected friendships, emotions, and spiritual growth. Many of the stories include a mystery to be solved that deepens the main characters’ story. This has included Boston mafia, kidnapping, Black gang realities, a heist at the Isabella Gardner Museum, a serial killer, navigating the dangers of the cartels on the Mexico-Texas border in search of a daughter, or a murder mystery in Maine. The stories draw you in, but it is the human journey that gives it meaning.

5. How does your Catholic Faith influence your writing?

My Catholic faith is at the core of why I write and ultimately what I want to share. Faith is about our relationship with God, with our family and friends, and with ourselves. All three are often stunted or denied when we do not have a healthy emotional and spiritual life to offer others, so many of the character journeys include a gradual healing of wounds and the ability to see how much God loves us and has a purpose for us. God wants us to live life abundantly, but that does not mean we will not face challenges, loss, or suffering along the way. If faith does not have an impact on the meaning and quality of our life and relationships, it is not the faith God intended – so I try to weave into each story a connection between our faith and our ability to live life with joy and purpose despite the cards we have been dealt.

6. What’s your favorite article/Post/book/story you have written?

All the stories have been fun to write, and I’ve learned a great deal researching for each one of them. I will always be most fond of my first novel, The Father’s Son, which teaches everything I hope my daughters and readers know in life. I have had a number of readers come to me to say they were going to try to reconcile with their dads after many decades of estrangement, after reading this deep story. I can’t tell you how much that has meant to me, and I pray for them.

7. What is your favorite topic/subject to write about?

I think the scenes in books or movies that move me most are when a person believes they can be loved and are loved by another. People face wounds of abandonment, abuse, or suffering and often avoid the pain of facing and healing those wounds. One psychology professor I admire taught that we seek to avoid facing our fears and hurts to cope, but our coping adaptations turn into maladaptations that prevent us from living and loving relationships. Trust has been broken with God and people; we have to be willing to tolerate discomfort to push through that fear and heal. We can rarely do that on our own, and it is through the unexpected friendships that come our way that help us to take that journey to wholeness.

8. Favorite scripture verse.

There are so many. But here’s one.

Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. -Isaiah 41:10:

9. What Are you currently working on?

I am a working on two novels. One is called The Fighter, about a 34-year-old underground boxer who has been inexplicably abandoned by both parents at fifteen and his 19-year-old daughter is ready to leave him, bringing back his intense fear of aloneness. He enters into a boxing championship tournament and reluctantly accepts to have Angelo and Father Tom in his corner. This ramp up when he is being forced to take a dive in the championship fight, he is mixed up with a mafia and black gang war, and his daughter is kidnapped.

I recently finished a draft of the first historical novel I’ve written, called On the Crest of the Hill. After several years of researching slavery in Louisiana, African history, the Civil War, and the history of Black Catholics in America, I was honored to write the story of Samuel James Jacob, whose father was born free in West Africa and was captured into slavery, while Sam was born into slavery seeks the true meaning of freedom on his journey. I think readers will learn a lot and enjoy Sam’s story.

10. Name a favorite saint or Catholic, or some other figure who inspires you in your life.

I would have to say that both Mary and Joseph showed how we respond to God in our lives with complete faith and trust. My mother, Rita, had that kind of faith before and after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and being bedridden for twenty-five years. Every day she would greet you with a smile that let you know how much she loved and cherished you, and you could tell how much she believed she was loved and cherished by God. Her example has always been the strength of my faith and my life’s priorities.

11. Who is your favorite Living Writer?

I will have an odd combination of writers to offer. When I was in high school, I could not put down The Godfather by Mario Puzo. He wouldn’t be my favorite writer, but he did grab my attention. For some reason, I always enjoyed the classics, so The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer have been favorites of mine, but it is Shakespeare who would be my favorite for his ability to weave wisdom, psychology of the human person, and relationships into his stories, packed with so many memorable and meaningful lines of poetry.

12. If you could have lunch with any deceased writer, who would it be, what would you eat, and what would you talk about?

I could say Dante to understand how he delved into his stories of hell, purgatory, and heaven in such a deep and visual way that never lost sight of the characters involved, but I think I will have to go with the Apostle John to really hear what Jesus was like from the perspective of the one He loved. We would probably have some good bread and wine to talk about all he experienced over his life.

13. Name a favorite movie/tv show or music you find worth sharing with others.

I think of the movies I’ve watched over and over for different reasons. I loved “The Godfather.” I’ve watched “To Sir with Love” many times, and it was one of my inspirations to teach and make a difference in my life. I loved the movie adaptation of “Les Misérables” and its moving journey to justice and love. If I were home, sick on the couch, I think I would put on “Andy of Mayberry.”

14. Can you see one of your books being made into a movie or tv series?

Each of the stories definitely has that possibility. I would love to have the Father Tom Series taken up by Netflix as a faith-based series. We will have to grab Fr. Mike Schmitz to play Father Tom Fitzpatrick before he too old for it. One of my books was an adventure story written for middle grade readers called The Journey that would make for a fun fantasy type production.

15. Favorite Historical event.

I will have to rely on my image of the scene in Jesus of Nazareth where He tells the story of the Prodigal Son to Matthew and the sinners, and Peter and the apostles are watching on to this tale that reveals to the world the kind of love and mercy the Father has for each one of us. The Resurrection may be a more powerful event, but this storytelling moment explains why God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that we could be with Him.

This interview was published on March 25, 2026

The Feast of the Annunciation

The day these events took place

1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism.

1725 – Bach’s chorale cantata “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1“, is first performed on the Feast of the Annunciation, coinciding with Palm Sunday.

16. What else do you want people to know about anything?

For me, I would say that listening to what my role might be to spread the good Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide the stories and writing of each one has been something I hope everyone has a chance to trust and follow. If someone had told me I would be doing this ten years ago, I would never have believed them – but I realize now it wasn’t just me attempting to do this. The gift back to me has been connecting with so many wonderful people, Catholics, non-Catholic Christians, and even atheists who have read and appreciated that work, which I have to give the Holy Spirit credit for.

Learn More at
www.jimsano.com

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