''...and if Duffy should appear...''

About the Book

Students attending tiny St. Mary’s Academy in Lorain, Ohio learned and lived many traditions. One such tradition was a secret, underground song that referred to the gruff, cigar-chomping, athletic-loving Pastor at St. Mary’s, Monsignor James J. Duffy. The title of this book, “…and if Duffy should appear” is a line from that song. In the seven years he spent at St. Mary’s and then Lorain Catholic High School, Stephen Francis met and befriended some memorable characters, including Mackie MacGregor and Conor Flanary. Despite being a good student, Francis got into just enough trouble to experience the strange and severe discipline as handed out by the mean nuns and intense coaches. Nuns with names like Snakes, Tubby Rita, Hurricane Elna and the frightening Principal Biggy Rat, all influenced the way students lived and grew while at St. Mary’s. Coaches like John Flowers and Jim Englund may have been even more influential, as athletics was such a large part of the lives and story at St. Mary’s. “…and If Duffy Should Appear” will appeal to anyone who grew up in the turbulent 1960’s or 70’s, anyone who ever attended Catholic schools at any time, and anyone who participated in high school athletics in any era. It is a book about Stephen Francis and his friends, people who remain his friends even today. It is a book about growing up and establishing relationships and making decisions, both good and bad. It’s a book about a first love and how that love can influence many decisions. Stephen Francis and his friends were seniors in 1970, which means they were impressionable teenagers discussing live news events in government class after the Kent State riots in May of that year. Francis’ oldest brother was at Kent State that day, and one of the four students killed was from Lorain, the setting for this story. Both hilarious and heart-warming, “…and If Duffy Should Appear” is a nonfiction narrative sure to trigger emotions and memories.

About the Author

Stephen Francis is the pseudonym for Michael S. Burke Mike Burke started writing professionally as a fourteen-year-old sportswriter for The Lorain Journal. He graduated from Lorain Catholic High School in 1970, Defiance College in 1974 (BS), and Eastern Michigan University in 1975 (MA). He retired after 30 years of teaching and coaching tennis, basketball, football, and speech at Napoleon High School in Ohio. He continues to teach as an adjunct professor of speech at Defiance College (Ohio). The author of numerous articles and books, Mike is also a member of The Ohio High School Speech League Hall of Fame, The Lorain Sports’ Hall of Fame, The Ohio Tennis Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame, and The Defiance College Athletic Hall of Fame. Mike is the Founder and President of The Vocal Point, an educational and motivational speech organization. He and his wife Jane live in Defiance, Ohio and The Villages, Florida, and can be reached at burke@bright.net Mike’s most recent book, “… and if Duffy should appear,” is available on-line through Xlibris.com, Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Barnes & Noble.com