Q&A: Is there a Catholic Saint With Whom You Viscerally Connect?
Q: There is a tradition in Catholic discipleship training of seeking out a saint with whom you viscerally connect. I understand this happened to you in selecting both Saint Helena and her son, Constantine. Could you please tell us about this experience?
Davis Bunn: I was introduced to the tradition in the early days of my walk in faith. At the time I was working as a consultant and trying to carve out the time and the discipline to write, which I already knew was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I started going to a monastery as an act of desperation, trying to quiet the struggle in my head, create some space to work through all the impossible questions over faith and these conflicting calls on my time and my life.
My favorite retreat became a monastery run by the Discalced Carmelites (men and women who devote themselves to a life of prayer). One time while up there I read the autobiography of their founder, Theresa of Avila. I was deeply moved by her ability to create a very real and concrete structure from her experiences of silence.
But much as I felt drawn to her, I also found that her life and her aims were just too distant from my own. She wanted to draw increasingly away from the world in order to focus exclusively upon God. I wanted to draw God into the world, or at least do my best, through my creative efforts.
And yet, it was this internal dialogue with Theresa that led me to study other saints. And it was this study that brought me to Helena and her son, Constantine. Who struggled from the moment of their faith-awakening with the conflicts between their hunger for God and their positions within the world.
The Pilgrim released July 17, 2015, from Franciscan Media.
Question for my readers
What person has played a key role in helping your faith grow?
Previously in this Q&A Series:
How historically accurate are the people, places, time period, and events in ‘The Pilgrim’?
What qualities did you read into the character of Saint Helena?
