Author Brings Tales of “Holy Ghosts” to Mineola Library

Despite taking six months to craft his new book, “HOLY GHOSTS or Why a (Not so) Good Catholic Boy Became a Believer in Things That Go Bump in the Night,” author Gary Jansen spent much longer mulling whether or not to even begin.

“It took me about a year to decide whether I wanted to write it or not,” he said last Thursday at the .

Before an intimate audience, Jansen shared a few thrilling but true stories about his past encounters with spirits, including living an old house that was built in 1904 which would “snap, crackle and pop.” Jansen said that his mother believed the noises were spirits while his father was a bit more skeptical.

Many years later, Jansen and his wife Grace returned to the same house and the encounters with spirits became so extreme that he contacted Mary Ann Winkowski, a “ghost whisperer,” who claims able to see and speak to spirits. The rest of the details are in Jansen’s book.  

“The events from 2007 to 2008 took me from being skeptic to believer. There is a very powerful unseen world out there and it is very influential,” Jansen said.

Intrigued by Jansen’s stories of his encounters, audience members began to relate their own experiences with the paranormal. Librarian Mary Parker said that she used to hear footsteps in her house even after she put her kids to sleep. There was also a familiar ghost that stayed in the house for some time and as she was telling her religion class about the ghost, the pocket doors of her dining room closed on their own.

Parker lives in the same neighborhood as Jensen and her house was built in 1903.

Although his encounters with ghosts inspired him to write this book, Jansen also had other intentions.

“I wanted to write a story that challenged people’s perception,” he said. “Even though it was scary it turned out to be a life affirming story in the end. I think people are always asking that question about what happens to us after we die. I don’t think my story will answer those questions but it will get people talking, and I think people need to talk about the things they fear and the things they hold dear.”  

Barbara Walsh also lives in Long Island and after attending the book signing started to reconsider what she thought about ghosts. “Growing up I used to always hear noises in my house and my parents used to always tell me that it was the wood. After hearing stories like this, I don’t think that it was the wood anymore,” she said.