Talking of Michelangelo: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell in the Burgundy Region

Maria V. Gallagher finds a healthy dose of wit and wisdom in the new spiritual memoir by Peter A. Giersch.

Talking of Michelangelo: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell in the Burgundy Region

By Peter A. Giersch

Published by Sophia Institute Press

As a mom, it’s not every day when I find myself discussing the artist Michelangelo. But maybe I should. And I think that is the point behind the new spiritual work, Talking of Michelangelo: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell in the Burgundy Region.

Author Peter A. Giersch is quite talented at exploring the truths of the Catholic Faith in an endearing, winsome way. Talking of Michelangelo is like a love letter to the Church, a glorious missive originating in the Burgundy region of France.

My daughter earned a college degree from an institution of higher learning in that same area; while she attended classes online, she completed her exams during a visit to France. That will probably be my closest French connection, since I don’t foresee heading overseas any time soon. But that’s the beauty of a great book, isn’t it? They take you to places you never dreamed possible.

Finding God Through Travel

Part travelogue, part spiritual memoir, Talking of Michelangelo gives readers a chance to tag along as Peter A. Giersch journeys through France and inside the teachings of the Catholic Church. It would be the perfect book to tuck into your purse or tote bag for those moments when you are waiting in the school carpool lane or nursing your little one to sleep. It could even be a companion for you in the waiting room on your next doctor’s visit.

Many of us, trying to juggle the cost of children’s dance lessons, sports programs, or scouting fees, cannot afford a European getaway. But through the pages of Talking of Michelangelo, we can see life from a foreign perspective. And often that is the key to understanding the truth in our own lives as well as the lives of our family members and friends.

Discovering the Lord Through Intense Prayer

In reading this distinctive work, I recalled the importance of connecting with Christ through a retreat. Taking the time to walk away from day-to-day responsibilities and communicate with God can be rejuvenating to the soul.

If you are in a season of life that does not permit the luxury of a religious retreat at a monastery, reading Talking of Michelangelo can be the next best thing. The author paints a vivid portrait of his time in France, and his enthusiasm for the locale is infectious. I will have to debrief my daughter someday about her experience in France but, in the meantime, I greatly appreciate the author’s descriptions of the scenery and sensations of his trip abroad.

Peter A. Giersch is refreshingly vulnerable in Talking of Michelangelo — he speaks movingly of his struggles against sins of the flesh. His everyman experience with iniquity demonstrates how we are all relying on God’s saving grace to pull us through. His writing is quite intimate and captivating; in sharing his secrets, he is opening a window into his soul.

His openness drew me in and made me contemplate my own foibles in a new way. How many times have I allowed sin to separate me from the love of God? Why did “Cafeteria Catholicism,” where one selectively chooses the teachings one wishes to follow, hold such intrigue for me as a young person, but leave me cold now? Talking of Michelangelo helps provide a gateway to greater self-knowledge along with knowledge of the faith.

In the Daily Gospel Reflections I have written for CatholicMom.com (see the reflection for March 12, 2026, for instance), I have had the great opportunity to take a deep dive into the Word of the Lord. I felt that reading Talking of Michelangelo was a similar experience. In its pages, I was able to discover a closer relationship with the Lord. And, in our heart of hearts, isn’t that what we are all searching for?

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Copyright 2026 Maria V. Gallagher
Images: (top) detail from cover