Area teacher's book on St. Tarcisius published

By Rob Herbst

The Catholic Week

MOBILE – St. Tarcisius may not be well-known to many Catholics, but his heroic story is spreading thanks to Caroline McDonald. 

McDonald wrote a children’s book, “The Treasure of Saint Tarcisius: Hero of the Eucharist,” which was recently published by Our Sunday Visitor. A book launch will be held following the 10 a.m. Mass on Aug. 11 at St. Ignatius Parish, where McDonald also serves as a school teacher.

Who was St. Tarcisius? He was a boy believed to be around age 12 who lived in ancient Rome when being a Christian was against the law. Tarcisius bravely volunteered to bring the Eucharist to Christians in prison when a group of boys tried to steal the Eucharist during his trek. 

Tarcisius died protecting the Eucharist.

McDonald’s interest in St. Tarcisius dates back about 20 years when she was searching for material to help prep her oldest boys for First Communion. She said came across a book from the 1950s that highlighted many saints, including St. Tarcisius.

“(My boys) gravitated to the story and latched onto it. He became kind of our little family patron and we would say everyday ‘Dear Jesus, help us to be courageous and love Jesus in the Eucharist like Tarcisius,” she explained.

McDonald then told Tarcisius’ story when she began assisting at an annual First Communion workshop at St. Ignatius. Soon-to-be First Communicants would act out the story of Tarcisius.

“This went on for 10 years and parents would say ‘I would love to get a book on that. Do you have anything?’” she said. “Well, the only thing I had was this out of print anthology and Pope Benedict also had a beautiful address in 2010 homily to altar servers.”

McDonald said she was encouraged to write a book on Tarcisius. It was easier said than done for McDonald, a full-time educator and mother of five children, to find time to write. But COVID-19 hit in 2020 and McDonald was stuck at home with more time.

Not that she needed it for the first draft.

“Honestly, I literally wrote it in 20 minutes. The story had been such a part of my family’s life that it just came out,” she said.

Getting the book published was trickier.

McDonald contacted publishers online and heard some feedback that Tarcisius’ story was too violent.

“Our kids unfortunately … this is the world we live in. It’s very violent. Schools all across the nation have monthly fire drills and monthly lockdown drills and active shooter drills and you have to teach kindergarteners how to run zig-zag across the playground.

“I really think he’s kind of the antidote. He’s the perfect saint for right now. I found stories of young people acting heroically in the face of great evil is inspiring. It’s not disturbing.”

Our Sunday Visitor agreed and emailed McDonald in 2022 about working together. The book is illustrated by California-based Gina Capaldi, a middle school art teacher who is also Catholic.

“I’m so grateful to her that she said yes,” McDonald said. “Every page was beautiful. I feel the Lord’s hands were in that.”

McDonald said she never saw herself as a published author, but she now has more projects lined up. Her book on St. Agnes, a sort-of companion to St. Tarcisius because she was also a martyr, is scheduled to be published in 2026. 

As far as writing stories that include violence, McDonald stressed that St. Tarcisius ultimately has a happy ending.

“Look what happened – the Church was able to spread because of his sacrifice,” she said. “(I tell children) you and I are sitting here and you’re about to receive your first Holy Communion because of what this kid did. We can still receive Jesus. If those martyrs didn’t lay down their lives, the Church never would have spread.”