What Readers are Saying

The Compass Club-Directing the Arrow Toward Peace comes at the right time for so many people who sense a need for real direction in life amid the noise and chaos that distracts us from Christ and His way, His way of peace.  Jackie O’Connor offers the reader a clear, thoughtful and reverent encounter with the Lord to lead the way to him as the guide for coursing through day to day life with an abiding peace and confidence.  I highly recommend it to people in every walk of life for personal use as well as for use in group settings. - Reverend Gerald Dennis Gill, Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and the Shrine of Saint Katharine Drexel, Director of the Office of Divine Worship, Archdiocese of Philadelphiadd


Making sure that your inner compass is giving you healthy guidance doesn’t just happen. Forming one’s conscience is all about a healthy relationship with God and neighbor. This book – The Compass Club-Directing the Arrow Toward Peace by Jackie O’Connor – engages that challenge in a beautiful way. Each chapter is a kind of conversation with the reader which calls for thoughtful interaction and more than a little personal musing as we work to keep our precious faith and our everyday experience in touch with one another. It’s like having a chance to take some walks with a friend where the One we all seek to please can be part of the conversation. 
- Fr. Allan Fitzgerald, O.S.A., Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Villanova University


"The power of prayer and surrender to the will of God comes through when reading and reflecting through each chapter of the book.  I love how the author is leading you in the direction of peace while growing in your relationship with God through prayer and scripture meditation. I appreciate the structure of each chapter so that a person can tie in their personal plan as related to the chapter topic and set their direction going forward.  As someone who has dedicated her life to teaching young children, I can see how this would be a blessing to support a parent or caregiver’s own faith development and incorporate these life lessons into building a stronger, more peaceful and Christ-centric family life”
– Peggy Kravitz, Special Education Educator and Director of Children’s Liturgy of the Word Ministry 


"Truth be told, I have been searching for this type of guide since I came back to the faith 35 years ago. I have asked priests, friends, men and women of faith if they know of a book that would help guide me in my prayer life. I was given the names of many books of prayer and of course, told to read the bible, which I do every day. Still, I felt I was wandering along, on and off my spiritual path instead of confidently moving in the direction the Lord has set for me. I am not alone in searching for such a guide. I hear people say all the time, "I don't know if I'm praying right or even how to pray." The Compass Club -- Directing the Arrow Toward Peace is the guide for which I have been praying. Thank you, Jackie, for writing the answer to my prayers."
– Michael Norton, V.P. Institutional Advancement, Malvern Retreat House


There is so much information that parents need to impart to their children. It can be so overwhelming. Most of life's lessons will be taught by the day to day role modeling of normal life... manners, decision making skills, discipline etc., but today's children deal with so many different demons that their parents didn't have growing up. Today's children need more information that is delivered more intentionally and more systematically that brings more peace to the family. If intentional parenting is not in place, everyone reacts in stressful moments and then we, as the parents, are not forming our children; instead, we are left to pick up the pieces. I love Jackie’s approach to be proactive. The benefit of this model is that Jackie provides a Christ-centric mindset and also the tools of armor to not only be aware of the potential challenges that are forthcoming, but she also offers ideals for living according to the Creator’s plan and work as a family to achieve that goal. I will be sure to do these lessons with my grandchildren! It's too important not to.
- Lisa Corcoran, Founder XO Parenting Playbook and Mother of Nine 


The Compass Club-Directing the Arrow Toward Peace by Jackie O’Connor guides you through prayer, quiet reflection, and meditation on God’s word with an easy-to-follow plan. The book provides intentional living strategies and will be a spiritual life guide for those who need a respite from life’s challenges. It's perfect for individuals, book groups, retreats, homeschool studies and more. Thank you, Jackie, for providing this much-needed resource for hope, healing, and happiness.
– Andrea Tropeano, Impact Career Growth,Students, Early/Mid Career Professionals & Leaders


As a theology teacher and a young parent this guide offers a grounding view of our continued journey towards the Divine. In an age that seems to emphasize feelings and pleasure over faith and peace, this book provides direction to those seeking a Christ centered existence. The image of a compass is a wonder symbol that truly illustrates the truth that we are all on a perpetual journey that should rely on the arrow of Christ to show us the way. Packed full of relevant scripture passages and concrete guidance this book can really allow one to progress forward towards the goodness and peace that God intended for each one of us.
– Kyle Thompson, ThD, Theology Educator


Practical, beautiful, and from the heart, The Compass Club – Directing the Arrow Toward Peace is a wonderful resource to get your spiritual life shaped up and facing true north toward God. Jackie’s insights and inspirations can be found on every page and her easy yet thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter are designed to take you deeper into your relationship with God and with others. This book is a must have if you want to get serious about living your spiritual life to the full.
– Jeannine Peters, Spiritual Director, The Theology of the Body Foundation Board Member


As a psychiatric nurse this book is a must read for those struggling with finding peace in this oftentimes stressed and confusing world. This book – The Compass Club-Directing the Arrow Toward Peace by Jackie O’Connor helps folks achieve emotional, physical and
spiritual strength to live the life God intended for us. I work in an inpatient psychiatric setting where I come across many young adults struggling with purpose and facing severe depression and anxiety-this book can assist with guiding them through the Compass Club life guide and leading them into a deeper relationship with themselves and with God.  I love how the author spoke of the negative effects of social media and how it leads to an artificial relationship and empty sense of self.  I highly recommend this book to parents of all ages to help navigate their children (and themselves) to keep Christ at the core and help them have a stronger sense of well-being. 
– Jacqui Quigley, RN, MBA


Jackie O’Connor’s The Compass Club is a thoroughly engaging, enlightening, and very practical field guide to living in a right relationship with God. How to be in communion with God is ongoing theme throughout the book and the author offers a wealth of perfectly placed scripture passages and thoughtful observations to guide us on our individual paths to joy, peace, and holiness. Jackie addresses the ubiquitous, addictive and toxic influences of social media head-on and offers personal and parental advice on how to avoid its soul-stripping effects. This is an excellent book for parents who desire to raise their children as courageous and morally strong young Catholics who can confidently choose the right friends and walk away from the wrong ones. I was struck by the number of profound and revelatory statements that are woven within the book such as “Almsgiving is an intentional activity that doesn’t wait for comfort before giving ourself to others” These types of passages are all over and are worthy of a moment of silent reflection just as they are. This book is also a trustworthy companion for those in the healing ministries who are seeking to deepen their faith and strengthen the presence of The Holy Spirit within.
– Jim Ryan, Lead, Parish Homebound Ministry and Prayer Ministry, Stephen Minister, Publishing Excecutive

I can see the handiwork of God throughout the pages of The Compass Club-Directing the Arrow Toward Peace. The title and cover picture are perfect as the image of a calming sea brings a sense of peace and serenity that truly reflects the presence and beauty of God comforting us. In the same way, even the storms in our life can bring us closer to God if we allow it. We go through life encountering many storms, and confusion sets in.  But the eye of a hurricane is calm…God can and will be our source of calm in every storm and obstacle we face-- drawing us even closer to Him. The insightful scripture passages the author chose to weave throughout the book speaks to the heart of God's great love. May the Holy Spirit nudge many to pick up this book and open their hearts so as to be nourished and strengthened to stay the course and neither waver nor falter. We can't always see what lies ahead, but with the Holy Spirit as our
compass and our life guide- we will arrive at our eternal home safely. This book will make a perfect gift. I pray the Holy Spirit touches many souls through this book.
– Terri Callaghan, Mother of ten and Grandmother to twenty children

I heartily recommend the new book, THE COMPASS CLUB, Directing the Arrow Toward Peace by Jackie O’Connor. I will be recommending it to parents, grandparents, care Givers, teachers, catechists, coaches, personal Trainers; anyone in a position of influence, and that’s all of us! Jackie has laid out a practical guide to Christian strategies that will help keep us grounded in
God’s truth. The compass represents and illustrates us in relationship with God and the world around us. No question the world is crazy now. Relationships are strained. The world wants to rob us, our families, any of our relationships of the peace God intends us to have.

For twenty years my husband Don and I had the pleasure and honor of serving engaged couples and our parish as Pre-Cana Marriage Prep facilitators. Part of our goal was to catch the young, and the not so young couples, up on an understanding of the core teachings of the Catholic faith, particularly regarding the Sacrament of Marriage and specifically that it was God’s plan that they would have a joy filled marriage! The couples came hungry for knowledge that they could use to help their marriages succeed. They all wanted to be married in the Church but a significant number of them had not been educated in what that means. A few were skeptical about the Church’s relevance today in their lives.

I think we did a good job at conveying how important it is to have God in your marriage and how committed the Church is in supporting their marriages. Our whole team shared personal testimonies about faults and failings. We reinforced how priests, the sacraments, Marian devotions and other saintly devotions helped us navigate our life challenges. The couples were happy and energized when they left us at the end of our time together.

The marriage programs we offered covered a lot, but they did not cover the invaluable idea of choosing Christ as our spiritual core, our foundation and center of everything we do, as individuals. The idea presented in the book that becoming “fit instruments of God’s grace as a fitness goal for the soul that has power to deliver the unity, peace and love we seek”- was not
in our catechetical toolbox.

Jackie relayed an experience with her Confirmation students in their journey to learn who they were as precious children of a loving God. She reinforced that every choice they made or challenge they faced in their lives would be filled with grace and joy if they believed without question: Christ desired to live in their souls and they needed to invite Him in regularly. Similarly, in private meetings I had before the Pre-Cana weekends, many individuals would share with me their intentions to be ‘better at practicing the faith’. I realize now that we should have focused more on their true identity in God’s eyes as recommended in the book.

I believe this is a critically important message for all of us in this day and time. I know it is for me personally. The symbolic concept of “belonging to the Compass Club” is beautifully and logically laid out in this book. It is logical because it stands on the true word of God reinforced by the abundance of scripture throughout the pages. It is beautiful because it bursts open those scriptural passages to the heart’s eye like the blooming of a flower! 
– Julie Curtin, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Doylestown