WHEN THE BOOK IDEA was first pitched to Fr. Peregrine Fletcher, O.Praem., of St. Michael’s Abbey, it seemed like too much of an endeavor.
FR. FREDERICK SCHMIT, O.PRAEM., LEFT, HOLDS THE COVER OF “SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL THROUGH THE AGES” AS FR. PEREGRINE FLETCHER, O.PRAEM., DISPLAYS AN INTERIOR PAGE AT ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
TAN Books, a Catholic publisher that had worked with Fr. Peregrine on two previous illustrated children’s book projects, had suggested a similar project about St. Michael the Archangel.
“It felt daunting,” said Fr. Peregrine, the Master of Novices at St. Michael’s Abbey.
Although he had written and illustrated two previous children’s books – the multi-award-winning “My Name Is Philomena” and “The Snail and the King” – Fr. Peregrine thought that the idea of not only illustrating but writing the text for St. Michael, whose existence and history predates the Gospel and New Testament and continues today, might overwhelm him.
However, when he struck up a conversation with the abbey sacristan and master of ceremonies, Fr. Frederick Schmit, O.Praem., whose homilies he had admired, a partnership was struck and “Saint Michael the Archangel Through the Ages” began to form.
The two were a well-suited pair who had nearly parallel paths to the priesthood. Fr. Frederick entered the monastery in 2011 and was ordained in 2021, and Fr. Peregrine entered the Order in 2013 with ordination in 2019. With their similar builds, hair and glasses, the two could be mistaken for brothers or even fraternal twins.
For Fr. Peregrine, an accomplished visual artist whose pieces adorn areas of the monastery, it was the perfect solution.
He shared, “I could really concentrate on the illustrations,” which include pictures on every page. “It gave me the opportunity to focus on the art, and I could really let go.”
The project took about two years to complete, including one extension, with the clerics regularly meeting to go over progress, and make sure the words and art were complementary and had the right flow and arc.
“Sometimes he would come to me with an image and ask if I could write for the image,” Fr. Frederick said. “What is going to capture the image and still have a structure?”
Similarly, the two would discuss story transitions, what needed to be kept or what could be edited.
“It was harder than I thought it would be,” said Fr. Frederick, for whom it was his first foray into children’s literature for 7-10-year-olds. “I didn’t want to ‘water it down’ but also still put it in a language children can receive. I also wanted it to have enough variety for the parents reading.”
Generally, books in this genre tend to be about one-third the length, so they can be read in one sitting. That accounts for the handy bookmark ribbon, which Fr. Frederick joked “is a present to parents.”
The book is divided into three sections: the early history of the archangel in heaven and with the Israelites; his role as protector of the Church and interactions and appearances with humans from popes to peasants; and his ongoing service as a guardian until the final resurrection.
Simply wrapping their arms around the story was among the bigger challenges, the fathers said, who initially considered framing it through a grandfather telling a story to a child.
A JOURNEY OF LEARNING
Although St. Michael is the namesake of their abbey, both fathers spent a lot of time researching and studying up on the archangel.
“My own devotion grew along with my appreciation for all he did,” Fr. Peregrine said. “We can only give a glimpse. Each saint with whom he interacted could be his or her own book.”
“There were saints to whom he appeared that we never heard of,” Fr. Frederick said. “We also found threads in Scripture that bring it all together.”
Fr. Peregrine said his favorite illustration is of St. Aubert, whom the Archangel had to poke in the head, before he built the fabulous monastery of Mont St. Michel in France. Not surprisingly, the fathers came in over budget when they completed the first draft.
“We included so much that when it finally landed, we had to pare it back,” Fr. Peregrine said. “We had to tell the story with just the details. Without that, it would be an encyclopedia.”
Fr. Frederick joked that maybe an appendix should have been added.
Fr. Peregrine said he added a few “Easter eggs” as a surprise and treat for local readers, including personalities and a representation of his home abbey on the St. Norbert page.
With a busy daily schedule, Fr. Peregrine said he would wake up early and work in 20-minute increments to finish. He was also introduced to digital art with a stylus and pad, after using colored pencils and gouache paint in his previous efforts. He refuses, however, to even consider artificial intelligence.
“I hope,” he said, “that readers see this is from the heart.”
WHERE TO FIND THE BOOK
“Saint Michael the Archangel Through the Ages” is available online from TAN Books, The Catholic Company, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. It can also be picked up in person or ordered at bookshops and retailers including; St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, Christ Cathedral Shop on the Christ Cathedral Campus, St. Paul’s Catholic Books & Gifts in Anaheim and JMJ’s Catholic Books and Gift Store in Placentia.