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Meet Catholic Writer and Sports Lover Mary Jo Thayer

Meet Catholic Writer and Sports Lover Mary Jo Thayer

Last updated on: July 31, 2026 at 6:56 am by Mark Wilson

Meet Catholic Writer and Sports Lover Mary Jo Thayer 2026-07-31T06:56:11-05:00 Mark Wilson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Recently I read Author Mary Jo Thayer’s recent novel ‘Running Out of Sand’ and she asked me to write a blurb for her book. This is what I said.

In Running Out of Sand Mary Jo Thayer introduces us to her very real and flawed character Silvester. He exemplifies the struggling Catholic who wrestles with sin, addiction, and guilt while at the same time embracing the sacraments to aid him in his fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. While he struggles to give up his vices, he also gives in to the promptings of grace that leads him to consistent repentance. As someone who has struggled with sinful habits I can relate to the ongoing battle. ROOS gives us a story in which we journey along with a young man in the latter half of the 1950’s into the 1960’s as he continues to grow in resolve to conquer what enslaves him to sin with by clinging to those grace filled moments that connects to Christ.

It’s great when I can connect with other writers and enter into their world of writing. And now Mary Jo has returned the favor by conducting an author interview where you can learn more about her and the craft of writing as you…

Meet Catholic Writer and Sports Lover Mary Jo Thayer

1. Tell something interesting about yourself

I love sports. I grew up watching a lot of them with five older brothers who played and a dad who enjoyed sports on television. I ran track in middle school and high school, and running remained my exercise of choice for many years. As my husband neared retirement, I began to golf. I have grown to love golfing and playing pickleball. And I still water ski. Once every summer, I triple ski with our two daughters, which is a fun highlight of my favorite season.

Robinseed – Own work

2. What makes a good Catholic writer?

Good Catholic writers must believe in Holy Mother Church and all Her teachings. They must have a good grasp on both the letter of the law and the spirit of the law and be able to convey eternal truths with a heart of love. Their goal should be the conversion of souls. Catholic teaching can seem complicated, even to Catholics, so a good Catholic writer should be able to explain things in a way that is understandable, thought-provoking, and entertaining. Their aim should be glorifying God through their work so that His love and truth resonate.

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

I love the Church as a divine entity from all eternity, and I’ve studied enough history to keep me in the Church, even when the men who run the human side fall prey to the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Throughout my writing, I weave in Catholic teaching and enlighten those who might have misconceptions about the Bride of Christ. Because I write about the tough stuff of life, my writings garner a readership outside of Catholics. Protestants, Jews, and non-Christians have read and enjoyed my work. I do not take this lightly, and all credit goes to the Holy Spirit.

4. What is the main focus of your particular writing, or what do you like to write about?

I enjoy writing about eternal truths, which are things I think about more often as I near my seventh decade. Becoming a published novelist shortly after I turned 60 was a huge surprise to me. I did not know that God had given me this talent until it began to manifest after I retired from teaching moral theology at Lansing Catholic High School in Michigan. My first novel, Close to the Soul, the seed of which began in high school from something that had happened to a girl I knew, and probably a few others, too, poured out of me in a matter of weeks. From that time on, my writing has been focused on telling the stories I believe God wants me to tell—stories of hope and healing about the tough stuff of life. And now I have a series, which I’ve named Sand and Soul. Water with a beach is a mesmerizer and catalyst for soul-searching.

5. How does your Catholic faith influence your writing?

I am a Catholic through and through. The lens through which I view the world, and every person in it, is rooted in Catholic history, teachings, the sacraments, scriptures, and the Theology of the Body (TOB).

Rob Croes / Anefo

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

I’m happy with all of my published work, but the short story I wrote for the Catholic Writers Guild anthology Pilgrim Tales was really fun to write. It’s called “The Glorious Pilgrimage of Margaret Henderson.” Holding the place I do in my birth order, I grew up around a lot of older people. My siblings-in-law came into my life when I was a little girl. I lost my first sibling at age 20, and my last parent died when I was 47. Since then, I’ve lost two more siblings and two siblings-in law. I’ve watched a fair amount of suffering, you could say. In writing that short story, I was able to reflect on our roles within the church pilgrim. I was able to tie in glimpses of the hardest losses in my life and bits of inspiration that I gained from each of them.

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

Without a doubt, the human person, as created in the image of the Trinity, is my favorite subject. I heard Christopher West speak on The Theology of the Body in the late 90s. Something took root in my heart, and my personal and professional lives were changed profoundly. I began to see every human person differently. And everything I have taught or authored, from that point on, has been infused with the eternal truths of God’s redeeming love through a TOB lens.

8. Favorite scripture verse.

The one I go to most often is Romans 12:12, which says, “Rejoice in hope, endure tribulations, be constant in prayer.” One of my spiritual mothers suggested that verse to me when illness and injury were big parts of the family John and I were raising.

9. What are you currently working on?

Currently, I am excited to have the second novel in my Sand and Soul series, Running Out of Sand, recently launched. The next year or two will be all about promoting that novel by visiting book stores, guesting on podcasts, and scheduling speaking events. The Sand and Soul series can be explored at maryjothayer.com

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

Saint John Paul II comes immediately to mind, of course. Through TOB, my heart was opened so wide to Christ that I’ve not been able to keep quiet about it! I also love St. Thomas More, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Joan of Arc, St. Augustine, and St. Teresa of Calcutta.

11. Who is your favorite living writer?

This is a hard question! Because of my relatively new avocation as a Catholic Christian author, I’ve had the opportunity to spend more time reading novels by Catholics involved in the Catholic Arts and Letters resurgence. I have been inspired by the novels of Ellen Gable, Jim Sano, (who also did a Catholic Bard interview) Rhonda Ortiz, and Denise-Marie Martin, but this list is nowhere near exhaustive. There are so many gifted writers I’ve come to love.

Prior to my journey as a novelist, I devoured Catholic apologetics books, especially those by Scott Hahn, and TOB books from Christopher West. Recently, I had the opportunity to give Christopher West a copy of Close to the Soul. We traded books, which was meaningful to me as a TOB educator and novelist.

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

Since I can only pick one, I must say Saint John Paul II. I think I could sit and listen for hours about his philosophy of the human person and what it all means in light of eternity. It’s impossible, but I would love to have GK Chesterton at the same table. And we would eat local food, pertinent to the region where we were meeting, and I would mainly listen to the two of them.

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

I’ve recommended the original A Man for All Seasons at least a hundred times. It teaches us so much about the history of the Church, the authenticity of Catholicism, and the mind of a saint. I find it one of the most inspiring films. So much so, that I showed it every year in my moral theology classes. I also love the original Joan of Arc, and in 2024, I had the opportunity to visit Rouen, France, where she was burned at the stake, which was a somber experience.

14. Can you see one of your books being made into a movie or tv series? Who would you want to star or direct?

Readers have asked for my books to be made into a movie. There has even been a little chatter about it from someone who is more closely connected to that industry than I am. If I were ever given this profound opportunity, I wouldn’t be that fussy about who directed it or starred in it. However, I would want them to be committed to the storyline and the message of hope and healing that God has waiting for every human person.

15. Favorite Historical event.

As a child just shy of age ten, I remember being fascinated by the Apollo 11 moon landing. As an adult, I was happily captivated by the election of Karol Wojtyła as the new pope in 1978.

This interview was published on June 24, 2026

The day these other historical events happened.

1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract.

1938 – Pieces of a meteorite land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. The meteorite is estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth’s atmosphere and exploded.

1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington.

1987- Spaceballs opens in theaters.

2012 – Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise.

Mike Weston – Lonesome George 2 | December 10, 2006 | Mike Weston | Flickr

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

To share some personal tidbits, I am married to my high school sweetheart, John, whom I’ve loved since 1975. Together, we raised our children—sans pets—in season-rich Michigan. We enjoy hosting gatherings and playing golf and pickleball together. We love our faith and family, most of all, and have been blessed with oodles of good friends who have journeyed with us through our life of faith. And as an author, I am grateful for my readers, especially those who take the time to connect and leave a review, because that is how this resurgence of good Catholic literature will continue to grow and influence the world.

Learn More:

([email protected])
maryjothayer.com
Facebook.com/maryjothayerauthor
Instagram.com/maryjothayerauthor

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