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Good morning Crusaders,
Growing up on Summit Street in Sioux City, John O’Kane, Heelan Class of ’65 had dreams of playing Major League Baseball. Why not? By the age of 16 he had pitched 13 no hitters and loved the game. John played C.Y.O. baseball in high school (when Heelan did not have a team) and pursued baseball in college, but injuries would throw John a change-up and send him down another path.
After graduating from Loras College with a degree in accounting, John decided to pursue a love that he discovered almost by accident: writing. This passion came about while earning a master’s degree at the University of Nebraska in Social Sciences. “I was a terrible English student growing up but really found out by accident and the encouragement of some professors of a talent that I had in writing,” said John. That encouragement would eventually lead John to earn his P.H.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Minnesota.
Today, John is a novelist, journalist, and publisher. He is the author of eight books: two in literary journalism, three collections of essays, two collections of short stories, and one novel. His essays, articles, and stories have appeared in HuffPost, CounterPunch, Musing the Masses, and The Boston Globe, in addition to various creative and scholarly publications, he has taught at USC, UCLA, MIT, and UCI. He is also the publisher and editor of AMASS Magazine.
This journey of John’s is one that led him to the heart of Rome—and to one of Europe’s most prestigious literary honors. Decades later, the Heelan alumnus stood on European soil as the author of The Accidental Jesus, a novel that earned him 4th place in the international literary fiction competition hosted by the Pegasus Foundation—an event often called the “Oscars of Literature” in Europe. There has even been a script for a movie developed for The Accidental Jesus.
O’Kane’s novel explores the complex legacy of Catholicism in Europe, drawing deeply from his experiences and reflections during his time in Rome. With its rich narrative and spiritual depth, The Accidental Jesus captivated judges and readers alike, earning O’Kane a place among the world’s finest literary voices.
“I never expected this story, which began as a quiet meditation on faith, identity, and tradition, to resonate so far from home,” O’Kane shared in an article about his experience receiving the award. “I was even able to share a copy of my book with Pope Francis prior to his death.”
John, looks back on his roots in Sioux City often will join his other classmates from the Bishop Heelan Class of ’65 for their 60th high school reunion the weekend of August 8th and 9th. “I haven’t missed one yet.” Not always in line with the Dean’s office at Heelan, John recalls maybe sneaking out of school early his senior year to play some pool downtown with classmate Jim Redmond. “They may or may not have withheld my diploma for a short time!”
John resides in San Pedro California, also the setting for his novel, and still has family here in Sioux City; his brother Jim, ’69 and twin sisters Susanne O’Kane and Rosanne McNerty, ’73.
For Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools, John O’Kane’s achievement is a reminder of how far a Heelan education can take you—not just across the globe, but deep into the heart of timeless questions about faith, purpose, and humanity. John found his love of the writing game and sometimes the best in life happens by accident!
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