{"id":81281,"date":"2026-06-08T06:50:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T11:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbard\/?p=81281"},"modified":"2026-06-08T07:11:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T12:11:22","slug":"meet-lay-dominican-catholic-writer-sarah-greydanus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbard\/2026\/06\/meet-lay-dominican-catholic-writer-sarah-greydanus\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Lay Dominican Catholic Writer Sarah Greydanus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

One of the joys of conducting these interviews is seeing how much each writer embraces his or her skills as a calling to write. It is something that has seeped into their bones and the fiber of their being. Our latest writer incorporates her Catholic identity into her fantasy stories. She has incorporated her very life with Catholic identity by becoming a lay Cath0lic Dominican just like my wife has become a Lay Carmelite. It\u2019s easy to see where she gets her talent and love of writing as her father Deacon Steven D. Greydanus is a very wonderful and profound Catholic writer over at SDG\u2019s Dailies & Sundays | Substack<\/a>. He even allowed be to share one of his articles on our blog. And now I\u2019m pleased to have his daughter tell us about her thoughts on her work and Catholic writing in general. I think you\u2019ll be delighted as well as you\u2026<\/p>\n

Meet Lay Dominican Catholic Writer Sarah Greydanus<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1. Tell something interesting about yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a lay Dominican, for which I\u2019m profoundly grateful. That doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m a nun or quasi-nun; I and my fellow lay Dominicans are true laity, but we belong to the Order of St. Dominic and live a form of the Dominican Rule that\u2019s suited to our lives in the world. We pray Morning and Evening Prayer; all the members of our fraternity (local group) meet once a month; we commit ourselves to ongoing study of our Catholic Faith; and we each have some form of apostolate (mine, unsurprisingly, is in writing and editing for Catholic media). I\u2019m less than a year from perpetual profession, God willing.<\/p>\n

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2. What makes a good Catholic writer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

First of all, to be a good Catholic anything means living our call to love God and our neighbor with all our hearts. Being united with Him is the center from which all the fruitfulness in our lives will come. Second, because He made us writers, we cultivate our writing as an extension of that first point. By being the best writers we can be, we give glory to Him and service to our readers.<\/p>\n

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3. What do you like about being a Catholic\/Christian writer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In writing I find the joy of doing what I was made to do; something very deep at the core of me comes to life and is fulfilled. And in my Catholic faith God assures me that the beauty and goodness my heart longs for constantly, and senses in the artistic world, is true in the world we live in. I\u2019m trying to express something much greater than I know how to say in words. You might say we\u2019re living in the greatest, most beautiful story there is, and all the stories and poetry we produce are each a unique way of paying homage to that great and wonderful reality.<\/p>\n

4. What is the main focus of your particular writing or what do you like to write about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I write poetry occasionally.<\/p>\n

\n

To Those I Knew<\/a>
\nJanuary 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

We\u2019re told this life is like a storied mountain.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen mountains steeped in mist.<\/p>\n

In mist things emerge and fade,<\/p>\n

shift and metamorphose.<\/p>\n

Each scene of our climb is yielded<\/p>\n

only for a minute.<\/p>\n

And even we ourselves are not what we were,<\/p>\n

nor what we will be.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to grieve what\u2019s left behind,<\/p>\n

easy to fear what comes ahead,<\/p>\n

lonely in this pocket in the mist.<\/p>\n

Still one thing stays fixed \u2014<\/p>\n

a light-speck burning at the peak,<\/p>\n

burning beyond the mist,<\/p>\n

burning at the trail\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

It tells us the trail has an end.<\/p>\n

There, from the summit,<\/p>\n

we look for a different view.<\/p>\n

There, in the light,<\/p>\n

the climber can see the trail below<\/p>\n

as he never saw it then.<\/p>\n

There all the scattered things are brought together.<\/p>\n

The mists obscure the burning speck,<\/p>\n

yet can\u2019t quench it,<\/p>\n

can\u2019t bar us from desiring it.<\/p>\n

Hope is the end of the trail,<\/p>\n

the summit where air is clear.<\/p>\n

Hope is the light burning above the mist.<\/p>\n

See you there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I\u2019ve contributed articles to various Catholic websites including articles at\u00a0 \u00a0Homiletic & Pastoral Review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This inner attitude of charity will show itself in exterior interactions. If we can see each other as God sees, made in His image, manifestations of His goodness, our interactions will be marked with courtesy and charity. We will be more disposed to listen to one another, to truly communicate and seek to understand. Again, this way of living can\u2019t be learned in a day nor achieved by unaided human nature; the Holy Spirit brings it about in us, if we seek His help.<\/p>\n

Imagine: What would happen if Catholics everywhere started living this way? If each of us put first our Faith, and our bond therein, and united as brothers and sisters? If, when disagreements arose, we handled them accordingly, looking to our one Church for guidance and truly seeking resolution? Might not the children of the Church become a powerful force for change in the culture, instead of being more voices in the clamor of the world?<\/p>\n

You and I may not be in a position to change the world. But each of us can change our own hearts.
\nCan We Be Recognized As Christians? \u2013 Homiletic & Pastoral Review<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But my first love is fantasy.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve published three books via KDP, and am working toward traditional publishing for my fourth completed manuscript. In order of publication:<\/p>\n

Eyes of the Night Sky and Other Stories<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>A family seeking help for an ailing son makes its way to the lost world where a mysterious healer dwells \u2026 a young girl descends from her home high in an arbor to the perilous twilit world beneath the forest roof \u2026 a ruined castle attracts monsters, but still holds the splendors and powerful secrets of its builders \u2026 No adventure or world is like another in this collection of ten stories, a celebration of glory and wonder, in all their forms, whether taking shape in an alternative world or breaking into our own.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Power in the Snow<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> On a remote mountain, a young girl discovers a hidden world where legends live on. Befriended by a Snow Elf, she becomes part of the mountain\u2019s unique life\u2014but her adventures bring her face to face with long-hidden fears and an important decision about her future.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Living Fiddle<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> Christina\u2019s happy childhood world is swept away when a pair of witches attack her family and take her captive. When unexpected help comes from a young man named Roland with a magic fiddle, Christina bends her own mysterious gifts toward a bid for freedom\u2014but the witches won\u2019t let her go easily! Inspired by the Grimms\u2019 fairy tale \u201cSweetheart Roland,\u201d The Living Fiddle<\/em> blends magic, memory, and love in a tale of a young heroine discovering her power, facing her fears, and finding her place in the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The coming book is The Cursebreaking of Lord Montaryn\u2019s Daughters<\/em>, centering on three aristocratic sisters who have grown up in the shadow of their eldest sister\u2019s scandalous disappearance. At the betrothal of the next eldest, signs of trouble quickly spiral, forcing the sisters to confront a secret society of dark sorcerers, an even greater threat that lurks behind it\u2014and their own wounds and differences.<\/p>\n

5. How does your Catholic Faith influence your writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I was very young, my dad gave me a piece of life-changing advice: \u201cIf you\u2019re Catholic, your imagination will be Catholic.\u201d Much later I found a similar remark in the letters of Flannery O\u2019Connor: \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be better for you to discover a meaning in what you write than to impose one? Nothing you write will lack meaning because the meaning is in you.\u201d I don\u2019t have to try to make my stories Catholic; they have the stamp of Catholic thought in them because that\u2019s the kind of thought that produced them. That\u2019s not to say that I don\u2019t always have to learn to be a better Catholic and a better writer! Of course, I can and should always improve in both areas. It is to say that the influence you\u2019re asking about happens naturally, because our Faith molds our hearts, our spirits (at least it\u2019s meant to do that), and art comes out of the human spirit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

6. What\u2019s your favorite article\/post\/book\/story you have written?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like to think I get better with each new project. It\u2019s hard to be objective because I\u2019m so much in love with each one as I do it.<\/p>\n

7. What is your favorite topic\/subject to write about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In fiction, anything that shows the world in its beauty and wonder and magic.<\/p>\n

In nonfiction, probably the lives of the saints.<\/p>\n

8. Favorite scripture verse.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have many, but my go-to is John 15:9-11: \u201cAs the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love \u2026 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.\u201d<\/p>\n

9. What are you currently working on?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I just started a middle-grade fantasy novel about a boy who grows up underground and discovers the outside world at about twelve years old. The working title is The Boy Who Found the Dangerous Place<\/em>.<\/p>\n

10. Name a favorite saint or Catholic or some other figure who inspires you in your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may be common to say St. Th\u00e9r\u00e8se of Lisieux, but some things are popular for a reason! She\u2019s so well known, and sometimes sentimentalized, to the point that I think the power of her story may be forgotten. In a time and place when the truth of our Faith was being obscured on the one hand by modern skepticism and on the other by rigorist, Jansenist theology, she rediscovered the authentic teaching of the Gospel practically on her own. Her \u201cLittle Way\u201d is simply a revival of the fundamental Christian reality that Our Lord loves us infinitely and unconditionally; that all He wants from us is our confident, childlike love; that everything we do can become part of our journey home if it\u2019s done in that free spirit of love. Also, not only is her autobiography a spiritual masterpiece, but her letters are treasures, as are her poetry and plays, making her a most fitting patron for a writer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

11. Who is your favorite living writer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Probably Kelly Barnhill. Admittedly I\u2019ve only read her children\u2019s books, but those novels are the kind I aspire to write: gorgeously crafted fantasy worlds framing plots and characters of depth and substance, presented in a way that\u2019s accessible to kids as well as engaging for the open-minded adult.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If we can expand the category to \u201cmodern writer,\u201d I would also like to mention Patricia McKillip, who died just a few years ago. Her many books show an extraordinary grasp of how to translate the spirit of fairytale and myth into contemporary storytelling.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

12. If you could have lunch with any deceased writer who would it be, what would you eat and what would you talk about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tough choice, but right now Caryll Houselander. I imagine it would be a very profound conversation in which food would be forgotten and the topic would range all over. If you\u2019ve read any of her works, you probably know what I mean. If not, I highly recommend you go find one.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people know the sheer wonder that goes with falling in love, how not only does everything in heaven and earth become new, but the lover himself becomes new. It is literally like the sap rising in the tree, putting forth new green shoots of life.\u201d
\n\u2015\u00a0Caryll Houselander,\u00a0<\/span>The Reed of God<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

13. Name a favorite movie\/TV show or music you find worth sharing with others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At least some readers will certainly be familiar with my dad\u2019s writings on film. I\u2019ve grown up watching, discussing, and learning to appreciate a variety of movies, and could talk much more on this subject; but I\u2019ll confine myself to highlighting the third Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man<\/a>,<\/em> which came out last year. Besides being a thrilling murder mystery, it\u2019s a penetrating exploration of how our faith can go wrong when it\u2019s distorted and what it can be when it\u2019s lived authentically. The whole Knives Out trilogy is very much worth seeing\u2014and having seen the first two is helpful for going into the third with a better knowledge of the detective, Benoit Blanc\u2014but the third film can be watched on its own.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

14. Can you see one of your books being made into a movie or TV series? Who would you want to star or direct?<\/strong><\/p>\n

For reasons indicated in the above question, I think often about how my books would play out as movies. Perhaps because they\u2019re fantasy, I sometimes imagine them in animation, and like to picture how magic would be manifested in animated effects. I\u2019d especially love to see them in the animation of either Studio Ghibli or Cartoon Saloon, whose styles are very different but both gorgeous.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

15. Favorite historical event.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assuming Biblical events are off the table? I think Tuesday, December 12, 1531, the manifestation of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The whole trajectory of Mexico was transformed that day: fear, ignorance, hatred, bigotry, cruelty, and despair gave way to hope, healing, faith, joy, charity, and a new unified nation. To know that such a thing happened gives me hope.<\/p>\n

The Woman Behind the Words \u2013 Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This interview was published on June 8, 2026<\/p>\n

The day these events took place.<\/span><\/p>\n

1789<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0James Madison<\/a>\u00a0introduces\u00a0twelve proposed amendments to the United States Constitution<\/a>\u00a0in Congress.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1906<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Theodore Roosevelt<\/a>\u00a0signs the\u00a0Antiquities Act<\/a>\u00a0into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of\u00a0public land<\/a>\u00a0with historical or conservation value.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1953 \u2013 The\u00a0United States Supreme Court<\/a>\u00a0rules in\u00a0District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co.<\/a><\/i>\u00a0that restaurants in Washington, D.C., cannot refuse to serve black patrons.<\/p>\n

1962\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Skeeter Davis\u00a0<\/strong>recorded\u00a0\u2018The End of the World\u2019\u00a0<\/em>at RCA Victor Studios in Nashville. The song was released in December the same year and it became a chart-topper in 1963.<\/p>\n