I will always remember 2014 as, 'the year of book deals'.
 |
| Tom Leopold, Yours Truly, Gussie Leopold, Barbara Leopold |
The idea for a book grew from the positive response to my interview with Tom Leopold. The 1,800 word piece on Tom’s conversion story is the most popular piece of journalism that I have ever done.
I knew that we’d done something right when Stuart Reid, former deputy editor of The Spectator, wrote to me and called the interview, ‘your fine piece’.
Tom and I set about planning a book on his conversion-to-Catholicism story, and began approaching publishers. During the summer, we were offered two different book deals, which didn’t work out. Then, third time lucky, we found a great publisher. I hold dear to the fact that a great friend’s prayers were the reason for this good success...
Goodbye, great friend…
In August, my best friend and I took a trip to Wales and saw Richard Collins for the last time. It was one of my happiest memories of 2014, eating cheese and a fine red wine with Richard and his family.
Then on the 11th of October, we lost a great friend, the prayer warrior, Richard Collins. It’s still hard: in the past month my brain has been planning e-mails to Richard with shopping lists of prayer requests. He was one of the most generous people that you could ever meet.
When God brings takes one light, he gives another. I have become good friends with John Carmichael, a lawyer extraordinaire, in fact it would be hard to find a brighter legal eagle.
When God brings takes one light, he gives another. I have become good friends with John Carmichael, a lawyer extraordinaire, in fact it would be hard to find a brighter legal eagle.
TV production and TV appearances…
 |
| Filming the first episode of Extraordinary Faith in California |
I had a hand in producing the first few episodes of a new show on the Tridentine Mass, Extraordinary Faith. The scripts that I co-wrote were broadcast on EWTN in April and July.
Following a piece I wrote, my giddy self was invited onto Canadian TV to spout the opinion on Pope Francis, ‘the liberal media are in love with a Pope of their own creation.’
I still think that many liberals have concocted a Pope of their own making: when they opine that he will allow gay marriage and ordain women priests. While ahem, the interview that Pope Francis did with La Nación may mean that me and many orthodox-minded people have been slightly in love with a Pope of our own creation.
The first full 12 month pontificate of +Francis was 2014. The year saw a role reversal of epic proportions: in the reign of +Benedict, it was Catholic bloggers who loved him, and the mainstream media who loathed him. In the time of +Francis, it is the Catholic bloggers who are reluctant to love, and the secular media who are very eager.
In November it was an amazing experience to put on my TV producer’s hat, and advise on getting a comedy script onto US television.
TV celebrity Paul Shaffer kindly put in a good word for me with David Letterman, so that 'Dave' may be induced to give me an interview for The Spectator. No joy yet, but I live in hope.
My greatest passion: interviewing people
I was granted an interview with Nigel Farage in late May. After UKIP had victories in the European elections, leaving the Conservatives in third place for the first time in a nationwide pole.
On a frosty day in November, I spent some time with Cardinal Dolan in New York. +Dolan ate three juicy hamburgers from the buffet. He was familiar with my interview with other princes of the Church. +Dolan has agreed to do an interview with me, but we have not set a date.
 |
| Winter 2014 Mary O'Regan, Cardinal Dolan, Regis Philbin |
New York, New York
In November, I made a trip to New York, and spent time with Tom Leopold and his family. Staying with the Leopolds, I had that strange feeling in the same manner as, ‘have I been slipped hallucinogenic magic mushrooms?’ It felt surreal and dream-like to travel in the Leopold’s car that has a Rosary hanging from the mirror, and a gold cross that glimmers when the New York winter sun shines on it. In their Manhattan apartment, Tom has a life-sized Rosary with wooden beads as big as cups.
You see, I had been praying the Rosary for Tom for yearsbefore his conversion. I never thought that he would become Catholic, never thought that I would meet him and NEVER in my wildest dreams did I imagine that he and I would be writing a book together!
On the subject of the Rosary, I can say that I’ve offered the Rosary every day for the past 365 days. Phew, made it! Let’s hope that my feeble efforts at prayer will mean that I can say of 2015 that I said the Rosary every day.
I introduced Tom and his beautiful wife, Barbara to the world of Padre Pio. 2014 marked the 50th anniversary that Pope Paul VI lifted the restrictions on Padre Pio.
While in beautiful America, we passed many a serene day in Connecticut, where the sun was incredibly strong, warming the brown forest floors that would break like bread-crust underfoot.
A few more New York photos...
Here we are meeting the stars of the reality TV show, The Sisterhood...
A literary love affair…
My novel, Love for Beginners has given people laughs and given sensitive souls a few shocks. It continues to enjoy a lot of attention from Russian readers. It brings in a small income. I’ve been given cause to be delighted that I turned down one publisher who didn’t have enough funds for a print-run, and who asked if we could publish it online and split the proceeds. Having published the novel the way that I did, I don’t have to share the profits.
All you need is LOVE…
Faithful readers may remember a post that I wrote complaining about the time a young lad rejected me on account of my pious witterings. Never fear, things turned around. During the feverishly hot London summer, I dated a fabulous guy, who had that rare combination of being extremely wealthy and generous. I have two spiritual directors; a priest and an archbishop. On my first date with Mr Marvelous, my archbishop-spiritual-director was texting me to find out how things were going. In due course, I told His Excellency that wedding bells would not ring.
 |
| Still a singleton, walking in my natural habitat of West London |
New Year’s Resolution
OK, I confess, I LOVE being introduced to young, hot actors at parties. It strokes my 30 year-old ego to have a celebrity think I’m younger and worthy of selfies (amusingly sad, I agree). It’s the ‘young’ part that’s troubling. I have decided to give a wide birth, I mean, berth to the younger of the young uns.
I re-read my life’s script, and decided there is only a walk-on role for a much, much younger actor. So, I will avoid robbing the actors’ nursery of their most baby-faced.
Proof of my commitment: I was really very taken with Ansel Elgort, after watching The Fault In Our Stars four times. (You don’t want to know how many times I’ve read the novel). A friend of mine in NYC offered to introduce me to him, and I said no, on the basis that he’s 20. If on the very slim chance that he liked me back, I doubt he’d be ready to marry me for some time. *SIGH*
St Anthony found me a bed…
I’ve written about St Anthony finding me soap. Now, he’s onto bigger and better things! In my flat, I had an ordinary, decent mattress. But I wanted something that would be found in the presidential suite of a five star hotel. I asked St Anthony to find me such a mattress. My landlord was moving away from the UK, and volunteered to give me their ‘old’ mattress that is so luxurious it would trump the ones found in a palace.
Take note, Papal Nuncio, + Menini, if Pope Francis ever visits England, I’ll let you borrow my mattress for the Nunciature’s papal bedroom. Papa Francisco, que duermas y descanses bien…
I’d like to finish this reflection and look forward to the future. I wish all my readers and friends a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you enjoy a new year that is one of the best you will spend on this earth.
Let’s remember St Thomas More’s letter to his daughter, Meg where he wrote:
Pray for me, as I will for thee, that we may merrily meet in heaven.