Historical Fiction
Date Published: April 1, 2026
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Intrigued by his grave past, Father Nelson brings him into the church as an altar boy under the mentorship of Harry, an older acolyte. The priest quickly gains control over Jamie, using the boy’s complicated history and his own undisputed authority to initiate a dark turn in their relationship. Jamie falls deeper into the world of religion, and his blooming friendship with Harry becomes a needed distraction from the somber realities of the church.
Shaped by major cultural events, from the Manson murders to the moon landing, to Woodstock and the Civil Rights Movement, Jamie’s life unfolds as he navigates religion, power, and loss of innocence. A haunting coming of age story, Boy Altared explores a seismic shift into adulthood during one of the most turbulent decades in history.
Jamie follows Harry’s lead, watching closely as each item is
placed with care. The white linen cloth is smoothed across the altar. The
chalice gleams under the soft glow of candlelight. Everything has a place.
Everything matters.
“Pay attention,” Harry says quietly.
Jamie nods.
He takes the corporal in both hands, careful not to wrinkle
it, and lays it exactly where Harry showed him. The small gold bells catch his
eye—ornate, delicate. When he lifts them, they chime softly, the sound
lingering in the air.
“Where do these go?” Jamie asks.
Harry guides him to the side of the altar and gestures
toward a cushion between two chairs. “Right there. We’ll sit here during Mass.”
Jamie sets them down gently. The faint ringing feels
important, like something not to disturb.
They move behind the altar, where Harry points out each
object in turn. The tabernacle. The crucifix. The thurible, its chains faintly
clinking as it sways.
“We burn incense in there,” Harry explains. “It’s like
prayers rising to heaven.”
Jamie watches as Harry lights it, a thin ribbon of smoke
curling upward. It drifts into the light streaming through the stained-glass
windows, turning the air hazy and bright at the same time.
“These are for the procession,” Harry says, handing him the
staff. “You’ll carry the cross.”
Jamie grips it carefully, the cool metal steady in his
hands.
They take their places at the entrance as the church begins
to fill. Voices soften. Movements slow. The space seems to shift as people
settle into their seats, their attention drawn forward.
The scent of incense thickens, wrapping around everything.
Through the haze, Father Nelson appears.
Harry leans closer. “Wait for the signal.”
Jamie keeps his eyes on him, ready.
A small nod.
That’s all it takes.
Harry begins to swing the thurible in a slow, practiced
rhythm. The smoke deepens, the air growing heavier, more sacred. Jamie steps
forward, his movements careful, deliberate. The weight of the cross feels
larger than he expected, though he holds it steady.
As he walks down the aisle, he scans the faces in the pews,
searching.
For a moment, everything narrows—the sound, the light, the
quiet presence of the crowd.
He places the cross in its stand and steps back, moving
beside Harry again.
Together, they kneel.
The smoke rises.
And Jamie follows it upward, as if it might carry something
of him with it.
J.S. Pavoggi was born in 1957 and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the sixth of eight children in a devout Catholic family. He attended parochial school, served as an altar boy, and came of age during the turbulence of the Vietnam War era and the cultural upheaval that followed.
After a 40-year career in public service with the United States Postal Service—where he also served as a union representative—Pavoggi experienced a life-altering heart procedure that changed the way he saw the world. What began as an impulse to write a better streaming series evolved into a powerful, fictionalized account of survival and healing.
His debut novel, Boy Altared, is a deeply personal work of historical fiction rooted in memory, silence, and resilience. Pavoggi lives in Arizona with his wife of 38 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.
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