Body of Christ

Director of communications for the biggest parish in the archdiocese by day and novelist by night, Sarah Razner wears many hats. But both her roles involve telling interesting stories about dynamic people who seek truth and goodness in the world — and in themselves. “As I am creating a character, usually one of my main questions I ask myself is, ‘How will they become better throughout this story?’” Razner said. “I think that’s one of the questions we ask ourselves as humans, and as Catholics, too: How do we become better people?”

  • Born and raised in Fond du Lac, Razner has a degree in communication with minors in English writing and history from Marian University.
  • Before taking her position at Holy Family five years ago, Razner worked as a reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter and Gannett.
  • Razner comes from a close-knit family who grew up involved at the parish; today, she is most involved with Holy Family’s Human Concerns ministry. She has two sisters, is the proud aunt of three kids and a doting dog mom to her pup, Pippa.
  • Razner published her debut novel, “In Name Only,” in February. It is geared to a young adult audience age 15 and older.

Tell us about your faith journey. You were raised Catholic — was faith something that was always important to you?

Some of my strongest childhood memories are attending Mass with my family on Sunday, ushering with my dad and, after, walking over to my grandparents’ house for treats. My parents instilled the faith into us and showed us how to trust in God even when you are struggling.

My faith grew as I got older. When I was studying in England, the university I attended, St. Mary’s University in Twickenham, was Catholic and offered Mass on Sundays.

How did that impact your faith?

Away from my family and my parish, I realized that when I attended Mass, it was because I was making the choice to and not because it was a tradition I was simply following along with, and that helped me to realize how important my faith was to me.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, working out, going to concerts and musicals, reading novels, watching tennis, writing and trying things that test my creativity.

You have a background in journalism, but how long have you been writing fiction?

I have been writing stories since elementary school, but I began to take my writing more seriously in college. Although I enjoy writing nonfiction, I love the freedom that comes with fiction, and the ability it offers us to imagine different worlds and to step into different lives that we do not get to experience firsthand.

 

Where did you get the inspiration for your novel?

Usually, my writing process starts with me jotting down an idea, be it a phrase or a sentence. My book, “In Name Only,” actually sprung from a couple of lines of dialogue. For years, I have been interested in political and royal dynasties, and how the image of perfection they project is very rarely the reality. My novel explores this through the perspective of 16-year-old Nathan Campbell, who is born into the ultimate political dynasty — his grandfather was president, his uncle currently is president, and his father is a senator.

How does your Catholic faith inform your writing, especially when you’re engaging with complicated themes of right and wrong, and writing for an audience that isn’t exclusively Catholic?

When I think of my Catholic faith, I think of meeting people with love and acceptance, and that’s how I approach my writing as well. So much of our existence is rooted in common experience. My audience may not be exclusively Catholic, but everyone knows how it feels to want to be accepted. We all know what it’s like to struggle with right and wrong. When I am writing characters who make poor choices, I find myself returning to those tenets of decency and compassion that I find in my faith. Doing what we believe is right is not always easy, and sometimes, we falter. Sometimes we choose what is wrong. We see that in the Bible. But that’s also what I love about writing characters. You get to see them grow — to learn how to stand up for what is right, to forgive, to act with kindness, to move forward and to do better.

What’s your secret talent?

My ability to retain random facts. What some people see as useless information, I see as the key to one day winning “Jeopardy.”

What TV show are you currently bingeing?

I am not currently bingeing any shows, but my go-to comfort binge is “Ted Lasso.”

Who is someone you admire?

I admire the late Pope Francis and how he led with kindness, stuck up for those on the fringes and sought to bring people together.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

I think the best advice I’ve received is to always persevere. There have been many times, particularly in my writing, that I have wanted to give up, but I’ve been encouraged to keep working, and I have been grateful that I have. Nothing we do is ever wasted, and we can always learn from it.