Who was Flannery O’Connor?
While visiting my daughter in Milledgeville, Georgia, we decided to explore the town with a specific interest in Catholic sites. Milledgeville served as the capital of Georgia during the Civil War. It is now home to three college campuses. We explored two of the three campuses – Georgia College & State University and the Georgia Military College. The military college campus was my favorite.
Located near both campuses, we found the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. This church was built in 1874.
As we researched the history of this beautiful church, the name Flannery O’Connor was at the forefront of our discovery. Flannery O’Connor is considered one of America’s greatest fiction writers. She is also considered one of the greatest apologists for Roman Catholicism in the 20th Century. I first learned of Flannery O’Connor from Bishop Robert Barron and the Word on Fire Institute.
After a few more google clicks, we learned that the home of Flannery O’Connor – known as Andalusia Farm – is also located in Milledgeville. After attending Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and getting a bite to eat in the beautiful downtown Milledgeville area, we decided to explore the Andalusia Farm and learn more about Flannery O’Connor.
Flannery O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925. She moved with her family to Andalusia in 1938 after her father was diagnosed with Lupus. Flannery’s father died when she was 15 years old. Flannery attended the Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville which is now known as the Georgia College & State University. Flannery then attended graduate school at Iowa State University. Writing was a gift she knew she wanted to share with others.
In 1951, after a misdiagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Flannery was correctly diagnosed with Lupus. Because of this illness, Flannery moved back home to Andalusia where her mother could take care of her. Her mother, Regina Cline O’Connor, not only cared for her daughter, but ran the farm which consisted of 14 buildings and over 520 acres of land used for dairy and beef farming.
Despite Flannery’s illness, she wrote two novels and 31 short stories while living on the Andalusia farm. After attending morning Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church each day with her mother, Flannery would spend three hours writing. One of her famous short stories was, The Life You Save May Be Your Own. This story was published in 1955 and adapted into a television production in 1957 starring Gene Kelly.
Flannery lived 13 years on the Andalusia farm and died in 1964 at the age of 39. Flannery’s writing reflected her Catholic faith and frequently examined questions of morality and ethics. After her death, her stories won the 1972 U.S. National Book Award for Fiction.
Flannery O’Connor is an inspiration to all of us who love to write, read, and learn truth.
The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor would make a GREAT holiday gift. I am sure there is someone on your gift giving list that would be inspired by the work of this great writer.
Happy Reading to all!
Another great gift idea is my latest book – Mary’s Life Journey & Her Amazing Yes! – click on the Amazon button below to order your copy.
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