Julia Wade, a parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Richardson, authored the children’s book “Joseph’s Workshop,” to be published March 19, 2024, which teaches about the virtues and carpentry tools of St. Joseph. Wade is pictured reading the book to her son Patrick, 3, in her home. (Amy White/The Texas Catholic)
By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
Julia Wade, a soon-to-be-published author from Richardson, said her childhood was filled with more screens than books.
“I didn’t really have this childhood where I read all the time. I was definitely a screen child,” she said.
However, with the birth of her first child nine years ago, she decided she wanted something different for her own kids: a childhood steeped in stories. She committed to daily reading with her children—a commitment that would eventually lead her to an unexpected adventure: her own published children’s book.
“I thought it would be really hard to read to children,” Wade said. “You always hear that kids don’t want to read; kids aren’t interested in books.” Instead, she noticed the joy and curiosity her children expressed following frequent reading.
“It’s amazing to hear how much they comprehend,” she said. “That is the fruit of simply reading at home… learning by memorization and hearing and constantly getting that stimulation of the imagination.”
Wade, who now lives in Richardson with her family, grew up in Florida but moved to Texas for a voice program at Southern Methodist University. After graduating from the program in 2008, she pursued a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from the University of Dallas and served as a campus minister there. After working at Bishop Lynch High School for five years, she decided to retire to be a stay-at-home mother to her children.
Wade now has five children—two daughters and three sons—with her husband Matthew. The family attends St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Richardson.
As a stay-at-home mom, Wade kickstarted two ministries for mothers. One ministry is a retreat for women who have endured miscarriages. The second mothers’ ministry is a group for stay-at-home moms.
“We would pray together with our intentions, we would read a text together, and then afterwards we would take the kids to the chapel and pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of the blessed sacrament,” Wade said, adding that the group also engages in volunteer projects.
This group, which still meets regularly, would eventually—and rather unexpectedly—contribute to the publishing of Wade’s book.
The book
Wade’s journey to becoming a published author began one day when she was reading to her sons. Though all of Wade’s children loved books, she noticed a difference in the kinds of books they enjoy.
“I had my first daughter and she just loved to read, and I could read anything to her,” Wade remembered, “but the boys kind of just tolerated what I would call our ‘holy books.’”
Wade noticed her sons gravitating instead to books about firetrucks, dinosaurs, and machinery.
“You learn every single dinosaur name, every single type of construction vehicle name,” she said, “but wouldn’t it be cool if you could also name 10 male saints?”
She recalled reading a book about tools with her sons and thinking, “There’s no reason why this can’t be holy… What if I just made one about St. Joseph and his tools?”
Wade began to write, keeping her young sons in mind. She adopted the “sing-songy” verse typical of board books, and she envisioned both the tools St. Joseph might use to build a toy for the child Jesus and the virtues he would exhibit while doing it.
“They would see the cool tools,” she said. “They’d also see virtue and vocation and the love of family and all of these things that I want them to see besides the cool tool.”
In June 2022, Wade submitted her book to a publisher, and it was rejected.
Disheartened, Wade shared about the book, and the rejection, at one of her meetings with other mothers. Her friends at the meeting asked her to read the book to them.
“So, I read them the book, and they’re like, ‘This is fabulous. This is a great book. The only reason it’s not being published is because you need pictures,’” Wade remembered.
The host of the gathering, Leslie Bartula, called up the stairs for her husband, Matthew Bartula.
Wade remembers Leslie telling Matthew, “You’re going to illustrate a book that Julia wrote.”
Thus, a partnership began. Matthew, who has a minor in art from Notre Dame and is a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Richardson, began creating the illustrations for the board book in August of 2022. The two submitted the book to Sophia Institute Press in January of 2023, and in February of that year, the book was approved.
“I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I decided to write a book,” Wade said. “And Sophia Institute Press actually said they will publish it. So, I’m kind of sitting here in shock.”
Wade’s book, “Joseph’s Workshop,” will be published on St. Joseph’s feast day, March 19. Wade is already working on a second book, part of a series about saints at work.
As she embarks on this new adventure, Wade intimately connects her work as an author to her vocation of motherhood.
“I have the vocation of wife and mother first,” Wade said. “And so, I really think [the book] is more of a fulfillment of my motherhood, how I saw a need in my own sons to provide something for them, and I made it happen.”
Editor’s note: “Faces of Faith” is a regular feature in The Texas Catholic that highlights parishioners at the various parishes throughout the Diocese of Dallas and how their faith has impacted their lives and the lives of others. If you know someone who you’d like to see featured, let us know by submitting their name, parish, and a little bit about them to mgresham@cathdal.org.
