The first book written by Fr. Michael Brisson, L.C., current general director advisor, is a novel that will lead the reader to confront important themes such as identity, purpose, justice, sin, and ultimately, redemption.

Father Christopher Hart, a young priest from New York and a fan of classic cinema, is inadvertently recruited by the mafia to hear the confession of a man condemned to execution. Playing a key role in the White Death—a mafia ritual in which a condemned person is allowed to confess their sins before being murdered—was not one of the duties he expected when he first became a pastor. Should he simply do his job and cooperate with the mafia for the sake of souls, or find a way to stop the violence?

This is the premise of “Death in Black and White: A Novel” (Muerte en Blanco y Negro: La novela), the first book written by Fr. Michael Brisson, L.C. This captivating novel will not only entertain but also challenge the reader to confront important themes such as identity, purpose, justice, sin, and ultimately, redemption.

Writing has always been an important part of Fr. Michael’s life: he began writing fiction as a teenager, returning home from work at Domino’s Pizza and staying up until three in the morning writing stories on his computer. But when, in 1995, after graduating from high school, he entered the Legionaries of Christ novitiate in Cheshire, Connecticut, he found it difficult to find time to write stories amidst his busy life of studies and ministry. It was not until many years later, when Fr. John Connor, L.C., and Fr. Daniel Brandenburg, L.C., a published author, asked Fr. Michael when he would finally write a book. Persistently challenged by these priests, and recalling the Parable of the Talents (“and the servant who buried his only talent in the ground out of fear of losing it instead of investing and multiplying it“), Fr. Michael decided to sit down and write a book.

Immediately, Fr. Michael knew he did not want to write a spiritual book. “I am a storyteller, not an academic,” says Fr. Michael. “I knew I didn’t want to write a spiritual book because many spiritual books have already said things so well, and I need to read those first before I can write mine.” But when he began to think about his own life, his experiences as a priest, and the many times he had witnessed the light of God shining in the darkest corners of humanity—particularly through the sacrament of confession—a story began to take shape. Inspired by his favorite authors growing up, such as Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Allan Poe, Fr. Michael started writing a collection of stories based on these experiences from his own life and from other priests he knew.

“I am a storyteller, not an academic. I knew I didn’t want to write a spiritual book because many spiritual books have already said things so well, and I need to read those first before I can write mine.”

The first story Fr. Michael wrote centered around an elderly woman he had known, who had been lovingly and faithfully married to a paranoid schizophrenic for 60 years. The second story was a fictional account inspired by a real story told by a friend, in which a priest is taken to an abandoned farm by a mafia member to hear the confession of a young man about to be executed.

Before Fr. Michael realized it, and as he continued writing, these two stories connected and took on a life of their own, and the book he would write would not be a collection of stories but a novel following the saga of a young priest from New York who becomes the involuntary confessor of the mafia.

But beneath the drama and suspense of the novel’s story lies a message that Fr. Michael has seen repeated over and over again in the confessional: “God uses every event in our lives, no matter how tragic or sinful, to bring us back to Him, and everyone, no matter how dark their life, can be saved. As St. John says, ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5). The light of grace can penetrate any darkness.”

Although he quickly emphasizes that the priest in the novel is not based on himself, many of the protagonist’s experiences are drawn from encounters with God’s mercy and forgiveness that Fr. Michael has had in his own life as a priest, particularly in the confessional, and it is these powerful moments that continue to inspire him not only as a writer but in his vocation as a priest. “I love hearing confessions— the bigger the sins, the better! Saying those words, ‘I absolve you,’ and seeing the joy on the face of the sinner, the one who hasn’t gone to confession in 50 years, the one carrying that burden of sin without being able to fly— with those few words and the sign of the cross, they are set free and rise from the ground, tears of joy running down their face. What could be better?”

And although Death in Black and White is a work of fiction, it conveys the true story of God’s redeeming love, in a way that speaks to readers and invites a personal response. “The unique advantage of fiction is that you can explore the depths of human experience in a way that allows the reader to confront issues freely, without—if done well—feeling preached to or coerced. If done well, telling a ‘true story’ (true in the metaphysical sense, not factual) can be fun, exciting, and interesting, but also deep, real, and moving.”

In addition to hoping that people find the story an enjoyable and entertaining read, Fr. Michael also hopes that readers leave with a renewed belief that God is always willing to forgive them, no matter how many times they err, and that even in their sin, God can use them to achieve a greater good. “I hope people realize that there is hope for everyone. We just need to do God’s will as it is presented to us in this moment, and let God be God.”

Father Michael Brisson, L.C., with his novel “Death in Black and White”.

 

About the author: Fr. Michael was ordained a Legionary priest on December 12, 2009, in Rome, at St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica. In his first assignment, he was appointed superior of the community of the territorial leadership in New York and director of the men’s and women’s sections of Regnum Christi. From 2010 to 2013, he served as local apostolic coordinator for New York and superior of the Legionary community in Thornwood, New York. Since 2013, he has served as territorial secretary for the North American Territory, superior of the Legionary community in Cumming, Georgia, and chaplain of the Regnum Christi Consecrated Women in Atlanta. He currently serves as the general counselor of the Legionaries of Christ and is working on his second novel.

If you want to learn more about the author and the book, you can visit: http://fatherbrisson.com/

If you wish to purchase the book: Amazon.