Saint Training (19 page)

Saint Training
is a novel. But that doesn’t mean that it’s all fiction. I drew from my own childhood experiences to write it, making it loosely autobiographical but told through the lenses of a storyteller. Most of the characters are fictional, especially Mary Clare’s classmates, teachers, neighbors, Saint Mary Magdalene Convent, and Mother Monica. But there really is an order of Good Shepherd nuns, some of whom have historically worked with unwed mothers and their babies. What the reader can count on to be real are the historical events and social milieu of the era.

The year 1967 was a tumultuous time in the United States. We were embroiled in an unpopular and, many felt, unjustifiable war in Vietnam. Young men were drafted into the army by the thousands and people protested in the streets. Some draftees burned their draft cards or moved to Canada to avoid serving in a war they thought was wrong. Others who opposed the war, like Matthew, applied for CO status, which meant they could do government-assigned work instead of serving in the military.

The Civil Rights Movement was still in full force as well. The Milwaukee riots were real. Father Groppi and Archbishop Cousins were real people. Father James Groppi (1930-1985), a priest at St. Boniface parish on the north side of Milwaukee in 1967, was renowned for his zealous crusading for civil rights. His involvement with the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, brought attention to the priest, but it was his tireless work against social injustices in Milwaukee that made him famous. He became an advisor for the NAACP and organized protests against segregation in Milwaukee public schools and marches for fair housing. The 16
^th
Street viaduct in Milwaukee was considered the division between the north and south sides
and was the site of daily marches in 1967. Later it was made a historical landmark and renamed the James E. Groppi Unity Bridge.

The attention Father Groppi brought to the Catholic Church placed the Archbishop of the Milwaukee diocese, Archbishop Cousins, in the difficult position of having to take a stand on the Civil Rights Movement and Religious involvement in issues of social change. He met the challenge when, in August 1967, he gave his speech
Christian Conscience and Community in Crisis,
in which he declared that it was “the sacred duty of the faithful, the priests, and the Religious of our time and of our archdiocese to root out of their hearts and to free their communities of any prejudice that would make men anti-Jewish, anti-Negro, anti-Mexican, or anti anything else that would render them anti-Christian in practice.”

The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was responsible for much of the confusion in the Catholic Church. Pope John XXIII had called the council of bishops to convene for spiritual renewal of the Church and to bring the Catholic Church into the modern world. The sessions began in 1962 and ended in 1965, but the effects of the council’s decisions had only recently begun to show in the Church. The Mass was changed from Latin to English (or whichever language the people in the parish spoke), the liturgy changed, and laypersons were called to participate more in the Mass. The altar was turned around so that the priest faced the people. People receiving Communion no longer knelt at rails and received the wafers on their tongues, but had them placed into their open hands. Priests like Father Groppi began incorporating more contemporary music into the Mass. The Church improved its relationship with non-Christian religions and Christians of other faiths. And the council opened the door for sweeping changes in Religious orders. Like Mother Monica
and Sister Charlotte, nuns began altering their habits. As convents took a good look at themselves and their traditions, many nuns chose to leave the convent altogether.

The teaching style in Catholic schools also changed. The authoritarian Baltimore Catechism, which had been a staple in Catholic schools for years, was tossed out. The idea that God is to be feared was replaced by a more accepting attitude, teaching that God was a God of love, not anger.

The women’s movement in 1967 was also in its early stages. Betty Friedan’s book
The Feminine Mystique
(1963) sent shockwaves throughout America while striking a deep chord in the hearts of women, giving voice to genuine concerns. My mother did return to school and work in the 1960s in spite of having many children. And like Mary Clare’s mother, she had to endure the judgment of friends who felt that a woman’s place was in the home.

The 1960s were not only confusing, but frightening. And the call to “question authority” had a profound effect on every kind of authority—from government and police forces to churches, physicians, and teachers. The movement forced us to take greater responsibility for our own thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Though many longed for the security of having the world interpreted for them, the overall effect of this change was greater personal power and freedom.

Many people put time, energy, love, and caring into helping me make this book a reality. Without them I would not have ventured along the arduous but immensely rewarding path of writing this book.

Thanks to my wonderful team agents, Minju Chang and Kendra Marcus, who took the risk of signing on a first-time author. They offered a comprehensive critique of my work and were available every step of the way through the publishing process.

I could not have asked for a better editor. Kathleen Kerr is warm, charming, funny, patient, and a joy to work with. She is always open to discussion and her skilled editing made a big difference in the final product.

Thanks to Cynthia Leitich Smith, my advisor at Vermont College, who skillfully helped me sink my teeth into revision and critical writing during my first semester in the MFA program. Thanks to Mary Rockcastle and the faculty at Hamline University for developing an amazing MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. A special thanks to Carolyn Coman, whose work I emulate and who mentored me during my second semester at Hamline. She helped me delve deeply into character and plot.

And then there’s Gary Schmidt. How can I ever express the gratitude I feel for this wonderful man who mentored me for a full year at Hamline? He’s not only one of the best writers I know, but one of the best teachers. He greeted my novel with enthusiasm and offered a vision that helped me bring my idea to fruition. When I became discouraged he’d remind me, “You’re the only one who can write this book Elizabeth,” and I’d manage to carry on.

Thanks to my wonderful critique group Ann Bausum, Georgia Beaverson, Pam Beres, Judy Bryan, Kathleen Petrella, and Jamie Swenson for their support and honest feedback over this and other manuscripts during our seven-year odyssey (so far). You guys are the best! Thanks to my friend, travel buddy, and roommate Jodell Sadler, who sat up late during residencies, laughing and playing with ideas for this book.

A special thanks to Donald Ackerman, who took the time to share experiences as a Milwaukee police officer during the 1967 riots.

Last but not least, I want to thank my mother, Audrey Mettel Fixmer, and sisters. My mother is almost always the first person to set eyes on anything I’ve written. A published writer herself, she offers a critical appraisal but is always encouraging. My sisters have shared all the ups and downs throughout the whole process, and I know they’ll be there for me as I write my next books.

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