Story Secrets - Saint Brendan's First Voyage

This week, on May 16, we celebrated the feast of Saint Brendan the Navigator, the Irish monk whose sea voyages became the stuff of both Christian devotion and mythic imagination. He’s often remembered for his legendary journey across the Atlantic—possibly even reaching the shores of North America centuries before Columbus.

But saints don’t start out as legends. They begin, like all of us, with small steps. Quiet questions. A restless heart.

A Personal Spark

While I was in Ireland, I had the joy of speaking with Fr. Conor McDonough OP, who radiates love for the early Irish saints. He helped me rediscover Saint Brendan—not just as a wild adventurer, but as a man of deep prayer and profound trust in God's guidance.

He also reminded me that Brendan’s story still speaks today—especially when we’re unsure of the path ahead.

Not long after, I came across a beautiful article by Thomas Salerno, which nudged me to sit down and write. What would Brendan's first adventure have been like? The one that lit the fire in his heart long before he ever saw the open sea?

The Story

This week’s podcast episode features a brand-new short story I wrote to honor Saint Brendan’s feast day. It imagines the saint as a young boy, setting off on his first little voyage—not across oceans, but across a river near home.

There’s wonder, danger, treasure, a strange creature, and a tug toward something deeper.
And at the heart of it, the seed of a calling.

If you prefer reading to listening, you can read the full story here