A former parishioner at St. Patrick Parish (now Divine Grace) in Carleton, Kathleene Haley-Falls is a photographic restoration specialist currently living in Alabama. Her desire to “find the face of Jesus” took her on a 35-year journey to discover the real face hidden in the Shroud of Turin. She was inspired to restore a copy of the Shroud of Turin, and she explains the strenuous process in her book Finding the Face of Jesuspublished in March. Her restoration of the Shroud of Turin has received numerous accolades, and many people have declared it spiritually moving.

Falls, a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, holds several professional degrees, including Master of Photography, Master Artist, Master Electronic Imaging and Photographic Craftsman through the Professional Photographers of America. She has received numerous awards for her art, photography and restoration work.

What was the last book you read?

Mary: God’s Yes to Man: Encyclical Letter: Redemptoris Mater

What is your biggest fear?

Heights. I still haven’t recovered from Pikes Peak 25 years ago.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Telemarketers. They won’t take no for an answer.

Whom do you admire?

St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila and Mother Angelica.

If you had unlimited resources, what would you do?

Work harder.

What is your favorite feast day?

St. Patrick’s Day. I grew up in an Irish Catholic family; it’s a big tradition for me. Everything is green that day, and there’s lots of great music and laughter.

What is your best quality?

Perseverance. I will keep plugging away at something until I get it done!

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken?

Starting my own business. No one in my family ever had their own business. It was a huge learning curve.

What is your earliest memory?

Reading books to my little brother Pat. He was two years younger than me, and I would crawl into his crib and read to him.

What virtue do you most admire in others?

Kindness. It encompasses a wide range of emotions and is comforting to any age and any circumstance.

What words do you use too much?

“Eh” at the end of a sentence — something I picked up living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

What gives you the most happiness?

Doing things for others, especially feeding people.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

After my cup of tea, I pray the Divine Office.

What talent or skill do you wish you had?

I wish I was better at math. My right brain does not like going over to the left side or the math side. I would rather scrub floors than do accounting.

What are you most proud of?

Sharing my love of Jesus with other people and having them respond with the same joy.

What is your vision of heaven?

Heaven is a more enhanced version of earth. Earth is like “heaven lite” with all the beauty of God’s creation. Everyone will have a job they love and do it with great joy for all eternity.

What was your first job?

After high school, my first job was a negative cutter in an amateur photo lab in downtown Detroit. It was in the film days, cutting rolls of film, putting them in sleeves and into envelopes to be delivered to the department stores.

What is your most cherished possession?

My Secular Discalced Carmelite scapular.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Backing my new car into the garage door when it was closed.

What is your favorite hobby or pastime?

Photographing flowers trying to capture God’s exquisite, artistic creative beauty. Also, playing my guitar and hammered dulcimer.

What do you value the most in your friends?

Kindness, generosity and loyalty.

Who is your favorite author?

Janice T. Connell

Who is your fictional hero?

Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise

Which saint do you turn to for intercession the most?

St. Therese the Little Flower

How do you define a “Missionary Disciple”?

One who goes out into the world to evangelize. A “worker bee” for Jesus.

What keeps you up at night?

It’s uninterrupted time when I can get jobs completed.

How do you want to be remembered when you die?

God gave her gifts; she recognized them and used them.

What is your life motto or mantra?

“Keep the faith.”

What makes you laugh?

Groaner jokes

How do you define success?

Success is when you accomplish a task that makes you smile.