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A Jesuit Tale
A Jesuit Tale begins when Mark, Tom and David meet at a Jesuit novitiate in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1968. Mark is looking for a worthy alternative to his father's professional ambitions. Tom is a fiery idealist, and David is an intelligent young man unsure of his sexuality and place in the world. In spite of radically different backgrounds and personalities, they become friends.
Tom's journey deeper into his Jesuit vocation, which leads him to Guatemala during a volatile period of civil unrest, sets the stage for the friends' greatest test of faith and loyalty. When Tom is taken captive by a Guatemalan death squad, David and Mark, no longer Jesuits, rush to his aid.
Tom's journey deeper into his Jesuit vocation, which leads him to Guatemala during a volatile period of civil unrest, sets the stage for the friends' greatest test of faith and loyalty. When Tom is taken captive by a Guatemalan death squad, David and Mark, no longer Jesuits, rush to his aid.
404 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2000
About the author
John Shekleton
4 books22 followersJohn Shekleton is a writer living in Minneapolis. He is a former member of the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order. This committed society of men introduced him to the wonders of philosophy and allowed him to engage deeply with the world.
“Bellosio” is Shekleton’s fourth published novel.
After leaving the Jesuits, Shekleton stumbled into a career in technology with The Star Tribune, the major newspaper in the Twin Cities.
He has been published in Commonweal Magazine and various software trade magazines and did some reporting for the now defunct Equal Times, an LGBTQ weekly newspaper.
He self-published three other novels, two of which stood out in the Writer’s Digest independent writing contests. A Jesuit Tale (2000), a story of vocation; Father Tierney Stumbles (2011), the tale of an HIV+ priest. He Lands in Palm Springs (2020), an exploration of Fr Tierney’s love triangle in Palm Springs. It was a finalist in the romance category for the Midwest Independent Publisher’s Awards, 2021.
“Bellosio” is Shekleton’s fourth published novel.
After leaving the Jesuits, Shekleton stumbled into a career in technology with The Star Tribune, the major newspaper in the Twin Cities.
He has been published in Commonweal Magazine and various software trade magazines and did some reporting for the now defunct Equal Times, an LGBTQ weekly newspaper.
He self-published three other novels, two of which stood out in the Writer’s Digest independent writing contests. A Jesuit Tale (2000), a story of vocation; Father Tierney Stumbles (2011), the tale of an HIV+ priest. He Lands in Palm Springs (2020), an exploration of Fr Tierney’s love triangle in Palm Springs. It was a finalist in the romance category for the Midwest Independent Publisher’s Awards, 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 4, 2025
Beautiful!
Let me say upfront that I won a copy of this book. however, that has not at all influenced my rating or this review.
When I first learned about the book, I was underwhelmed by the reviews and unsure if I would like the story.
the first few chapters were more of a slow boil. I know not everyone likes that, but I enjoy taking the slower route because when I read I like to really get to know the characters. This story covers decades and Shekleton makes sure to let readers get wrapped up in each scene. As a cradle Catholic and someone who has worked with many religious, I appreciated seeing the humanity of David, Mark and Tom along with the various supporting cast members along the way. By the time I got to part 3, I was absolutely absorbed in the backdrop of this final stage of the story. Having grown up during the time of the Central American revolutions, teaching the idea of Liberation Theology to a generation of students, employing refugees from the Sandinista military, and meeting guerrillas when I traveled in Guatemala, this was a mesmerizing read.
Shekleton’s story won’t end on a note that everyone will like—was it too “convenient”, too “far-fetched”, too “Hollywood”? Decide for yourself. but I found the balance of storytelling and realism, because it is a book with people at its center, to be page-turning bliss.
Let me say upfront that I won a copy of this book. however, that has not at all influenced my rating or this review.
When I first learned about the book, I was underwhelmed by the reviews and unsure if I would like the story.
the first few chapters were more of a slow boil. I know not everyone likes that, but I enjoy taking the slower route because when I read I like to really get to know the characters. This story covers decades and Shekleton makes sure to let readers get wrapped up in each scene. As a cradle Catholic and someone who has worked with many religious, I appreciated seeing the humanity of David, Mark and Tom along with the various supporting cast members along the way. By the time I got to part 3, I was absolutely absorbed in the backdrop of this final stage of the story. Having grown up during the time of the Central American revolutions, teaching the idea of Liberation Theology to a generation of students, employing refugees from the Sandinista military, and meeting guerrillas when I traveled in Guatemala, this was a mesmerizing read.
Shekleton’s story won’t end on a note that everyone will like—was it too “convenient”, too “far-fetched”, too “Hollywood”? Decide for yourself. but I found the balance of storytelling and realism, because it is a book with people at its center, to be page-turning bliss.
July 9, 2017
In the opening pages, we meet Tom, David and Mark, three young men who have discerned a call to the Jesuit priesthood. I almost stopped after I read about 1/3 of this novel, as it seemed to portray Jesuits-in-training as falling prey to all kind of sins, especially sins of the flesh of one kind or another. All manner of sin including what, in the 1960's was considered depravity.
David and Mark wrestle with their respective vocations, and, after several years, leave the seminary. Tom, alone, remains a Jesuit, although the three remain friends.
The second half of the book looks at Tom's life in Central America as a minister to the poor and downtrodden, and at life in Guatemala where the division between rich and poor is sharp. This part, I think, is the real meat of the book, and, with a short introduction of characters and background, could almost stand alone. I wish this book had been divided into "Part 1" and "Part 2".
I read this EARC courtesy of Indie Reader In-Store. Pub date 07/12/15
David and Mark wrestle with their respective vocations, and, after several years, leave the seminary. Tom, alone, remains a Jesuit, although the three remain friends.
The second half of the book looks at Tom's life in Central America as a minister to the poor and downtrodden, and at life in Guatemala where the division between rich and poor is sharp. This part, I think, is the real meat of the book, and, with a short introduction of characters and background, could almost stand alone. I wish this book had been divided into "Part 1" and "Part 2".
I read this EARC courtesy of Indie Reader In-Store. Pub date 07/12/15
December 18, 2019
This is a failed novel. I am not sure what is about. It was a fun read because I spent 5 years of my life as a Jesuit, but as a whole there is no plot line, no story. There is too much navel gazing and too much gratuitous sex. I am not sure that the sex added anything to the story. This novel left me feeling sad.
September 12, 2010
Story of three young men following a calling.
August 25, 2020
IndieReader Review
A Jesuit priest is kidnapped by Guatemalan reactionaries, and two old friends from seminary must stage a rescue.
Tom, Mark and David all, as young men, felt a call to become Jesuit priests. As the story begins, each of them answers that call and enters a seminary in Wisconsin, and are assigned to each other as roommates and study partners. Their friendship grows and deepens through their time there, even as two of them leave the seminary for other paths. But when the remaining Jesuit priest is called to Guatemala, and becomes a fierce defender of the rights of the poor, he is kidnapped by the reactionary UDA, and his friends must stage a rescue.
A JESUIT TALE is just that – a passionate, lyrical exploration of the nature of Jesuit faith and its effects on those who practice it. The characters are complex and three-dimensional, the plot thought-provoking and intense, and the whole book pervaded by a sense of spirituality. Even the two young men who leave the seminary find their lives entirely changed by their Jesuit practice and its teachings, and the bond between the three is forged indelibly in the loving mutual support and adolescent sparring of seminary brotherhood. Minor characters, too, have substantial backstories that feed into the plot and drive their actions, and even the quotes that begin the chapters have their own underlying connections to the story as well. The writing is eloquent and poetic: the Spirit “leave[s] subtle tracks on mind-sand”, and a female character describes herself in thought as “a smudge of matter, the soft mounding of a few trace metals and the fluidity of water”. While rooted in Jesuit tradition and practice, the book leaves room for readers of all faiths to find spiritual food for meditation and thought.
A JESUIT TALE is a powerful tale of spirituality and the strength of the trained and inspired human soul under difficult conditions.
A Jesuit priest is kidnapped by Guatemalan reactionaries, and two old friends from seminary must stage a rescue.
Tom, Mark and David all, as young men, felt a call to become Jesuit priests. As the story begins, each of them answers that call and enters a seminary in Wisconsin, and are assigned to each other as roommates and study partners. Their friendship grows and deepens through their time there, even as two of them leave the seminary for other paths. But when the remaining Jesuit priest is called to Guatemala, and becomes a fierce defender of the rights of the poor, he is kidnapped by the reactionary UDA, and his friends must stage a rescue.
A JESUIT TALE is just that – a passionate, lyrical exploration of the nature of Jesuit faith and its effects on those who practice it. The characters are complex and three-dimensional, the plot thought-provoking and intense, and the whole book pervaded by a sense of spirituality. Even the two young men who leave the seminary find their lives entirely changed by their Jesuit practice and its teachings, and the bond between the three is forged indelibly in the loving mutual support and adolescent sparring of seminary brotherhood. Minor characters, too, have substantial backstories that feed into the plot and drive their actions, and even the quotes that begin the chapters have their own underlying connections to the story as well. The writing is eloquent and poetic: the Spirit “leave[s] subtle tracks on mind-sand”, and a female character describes herself in thought as “a smudge of matter, the soft mounding of a few trace metals and the fluidity of water”. While rooted in Jesuit tradition and practice, the book leaves room for readers of all faiths to find spiritual food for meditation and thought.
A JESUIT TALE is a powerful tale of spirituality and the strength of the trained and inspired human soul under difficult conditions.
May 12, 2026
What stayed with me after reading A Jesuit Tale was the way friendship becomes the book’s moral center even as faith, politics, and identity begin pulling the three men in radically different directions. The novel treats vocation not as certainty but as something constantly tested by history, desire, and disillusionment.
I especially appreciated how the story uses the Jesuit novitiate setting as more than religious backdrop. The disciplined spiritual environment sharpens the contrasts between Mark’s resistance to inherited expectations, Tom’s growing idealism, and David’s struggle with sexuality and belonging. The shift from Minnesota to politically volatile Guatemala also changes the novel’s emotional register in an effective way, moving the story from introspective formation toward external danger and ethical confrontation. The tension between institutional faith and lived human loyalty gives the narrative much of its emotional weight, particularly once the friends are forced to act outside the structures that once defined them.
This book will reward readers interested in morally driven historical fiction where political unrest and spiritual questioning remain deeply personal. I finished it thinking about how belief is often measured less by doctrine than by what people are willing to risk for one another.
I especially appreciated how the story uses the Jesuit novitiate setting as more than religious backdrop. The disciplined spiritual environment sharpens the contrasts between Mark’s resistance to inherited expectations, Tom’s growing idealism, and David’s struggle with sexuality and belonging. The shift from Minnesota to politically volatile Guatemala also changes the novel’s emotional register in an effective way, moving the story from introspective formation toward external danger and ethical confrontation. The tension between institutional faith and lived human loyalty gives the narrative much of its emotional weight, particularly once the friends are forced to act outside the structures that once defined them.
This book will reward readers interested in morally driven historical fiction where political unrest and spiritual questioning remain deeply personal. I finished it thinking about how belief is often measured less by doctrine than by what people are willing to risk for one another.
November 17, 2025
Three men, with much different upbringings, become best friends when they heed their call to become Jesuits. Randomly thrown together as apartment mates, they support each other through their training, able to express to each other their fears and doubts about their calling. They help each other with their struggles. A life long bond is formed.
The book spans the time frame from training until about their early forties. Two drop out of the Jesuits, but one stays in and ends up in Guatemala, during turbulent times. The other two are determined to rescue him when he is kidnapped. Is their love for their friend enough to save him?
As a recovering Catholic, I enjoyed reading this book. It seemed pretty realistic, with the expressions of both the joy and doubts of their faith. The platonic love between the three is also realistically written. You come to know the three men very well. A good story about the journey through friendship and faith. #GoodreadsGiveaways
The book spans the time frame from training until about their early forties. Two drop out of the Jesuits, but one stays in and ends up in Guatemala, during turbulent times. The other two are determined to rescue him when he is kidnapped. Is their love for their friend enough to save him?
As a recovering Catholic, I enjoyed reading this book. It seemed pretty realistic, with the expressions of both the joy and doubts of their faith. The platonic love between the three is also realistically written. You come to know the three men very well. A good story about the journey through friendship and faith. #GoodreadsGiveaways
July 28, 2025
I won this in a giveaway so I feel obligated to leave a review. Honestly I read about 10 pages of this and it wasn't for me. The writing is very good and I'm sure there are other people out there who enjoy this book.
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November 8, 2025I found it a bit hard to read. I would not recommend this book unless you have a strong curiosity about Jesuits or a connections to them somehow.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews