From Silence to Script: How COVID Lockdown Turned a Carmelite Priest into a Writer

When the world went silent, his words began to speak. Fr. Cannio Cardozo, a Goan Carmelite friar serving in Canada, had never written a book before the COVID-19 pandemic. Priesthood kept him constantly surrounded by people, sacramental ministry, school chaplaincy, and parish responsibilities. Writing was not in his plans. Yet in those months when doors were shut and streets emptied, something unexpected came alive within him.

“I believe killing time is the murder of creativity,” he says with a quiet smile. “COVID-19 poured time upon us like water off a duck’s back, plenty of it, yet easily wasted.”

At first, he considered learning the guitar. Then he imagined taking up painting. Neither worked. But one conviction stayed with him: an empty mind is the devil’s workshop. To keep his mind engaged, he began to write, tentatively at first, then with growing delight. “That is when it clicked,” he recalls.

Ministry in a Mission Land

Today, Fr. Cannio Cardozo OCD, who hails from Camurlim (Salcete) in Goa, serves as assistant pastor at Holy Trinity Parish in North Vancouver and chaplain at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. His daily ministry unfolds among families, migrants, youth, and professionals navigating the complexities of modern life.

“Canada became my mission land,” he reflects, “but more importantly, it became my listening land, where I learned to listen to people’s silent struggles.”

At the parish, he accompanies the elderly living in isolation, families rediscovering faith, and individuals wrestling with meaning. At the school, he meets young minds searching for direction in an increasingly noisy world.

“As a school chaplain, I do not just speak to young people; I walk with them through questions they sometimes don’t know how to ask,” he says. These conversations, sometimes brief, sometimes life-changing, would later shape his writing voice.

Silence: The Unexpected Gift of the Pandemic

For a Carmelite, silence is not emptiness; it is encounter. COVID-19 added another layer, physical isolation.

“We were admonished not to share the air of another’s voice,” he says gently. Churches were closed, gatherings suspended, and ordinary pastoral contact vanished overnight. Yet, within this silence, something deeper unfolded.

“Our Carmelite way of life calls us to inner silence so that we may find God in stillness. During COVID, physical silence enabled us to spend more time conversing with God, both spiritually and physically in prayer.”

The solitude that suffocated many became, for him, a space of prayer and listening.

A Shopping Cart That Became a Turning Point

The first spark of his book emerged from a simple scene in a shopping mall. He watched people pushing overloaded trolleys, goods stacked as if preparing for a siege. His own cart contained only what he needed for the week. Around him, fear translated into excess.

“This was one of the repercussions of COVID,” he reflects. “Fear led people to cling tightly to possessions. It made them believe security comes from what we store rather than from whom we trust.”

That moment rang a bell in his heart. He began writing about attachment, insecurity, consumer culture, and the human search for control. The first book took shape, then the second, then the third. What began as reflection soon became a trilogy.

His First Three Books: A Trilogy of “I – You – Them”

His first three books unfolded almost as a spiritual and psychological journey, from self, to neighbour, to creation. All I Have Is I (2021) is an introspective work enriched with personal reflections, examples, and poems, exploring self-worth while cautioning against self-obsession and affirming how divine grace transforms the human person. In All I Have Is You (2022), he turns to human interconnectedness, tracing life “from womb to tomb,” confronting envy and comparison, and underscoring the indispensable role others play in shaping our lives, with self-realization emerging as the seed of inner happiness. His third book, All I Have Is Them (2025), widens the lens to ecology, highlighting humanity’s dependence on flora and fauna and warning that without “them,” the “I” stands like a withered tree; it contrasts blessing and destruction born of selfishness while calling for responsibility toward creation. The first two books were published by US-based WestBow Press, and the third by AuthorHouse.

 The Fourth Book: A Novel Rooted in Goa

His fourth book is a novel titled Needle of Forgiveness, published by BlueRoseOne.com, New Delhi. It will be released on January 18, 2025, the day of his 12th Sacerdotal ordination anniversary, at the Carmelite Monastery, Margao, Goa. This novel, unlike the trilogy, is woven into the soil, culture, and emotions of Goa.

Writing: Creativity, Ministry, and Prayer

Was writing simply a hobby? He pauses before answering, “Writing is a creative activity and a passion,” he says, “but it is also deeply connected to my priesthood.”

 “To write is also to read,” he reflects. “As an author, one must first reach inward and outward. That process enriches knowledge and clarifies thinking. Writing helped me think more clearly and logically.”

The first three books echo Carmelite spirituality, attention to the person, the community, and the ecosystem. The novel, meanwhile, carries the aroma of Goa, its sea breeze, red soil, culture, and memory.

Silence, prayer, and contemplation did not merely influence his themes; they shaped his very process.

“Silence did not isolate me,” he says. “It introduced me more deeply to God and to myself.”

Who He Writes For

His readers are not limited to Catholics or religious professionals.

“My primary readers are people concerned about their psychological and spiritual well-being, regardless of creed,” he explains. He hopes his books encourage daily self-reflection, greater awareness, balance, and inner peace.

Feedback That Touched His Heart
Many readers encouraged him. Some bought extra copies for young people in their families. “When people gift a book, they are gifting reflection and hope.”

Providence in a Time of Crisis
Looking back, Fr. Cannio saw the pandemic not only as disruption, but invitation. “I believe in God’s providence in all circumstances. What matters are the choices we make.” The crisis that emptied streets filled his pages. The silence that closed doors opened creativity.

“The pandemic took many things away,” he concludes, “but it also gave me time. And grace often hides in time we had not planned to receive.”