What Are We Looking For?
A defining moment. A simple question. A lifetime of answers.
Everyone who serves in the public square is faced with a unique set of challenges. Confronting these trials through the lens of faith presents unique challenges of its own, as well as reasoned solutions.
Part memoir, part reflection, this retrospective by author Michael Heyeck chronicles—with honesty and conviction—his own personal journey from a prayerful youth in New Jersey, to being the longest-serving member and chair in the 168-year history of the City of Westerville, Ohio.
This is not a partisan manifesto, nor a simple memoir. Rather, What Are We Looking For? is a faith-informed examination of public service, written by a man who refused to separate conscience from responsibility.
Inspired by a prophetic homily on the Feast of Christ the King—and guided by the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, multiple saints, and Catholic clergy—in this book, Heyeck challenges Catholics to move beyond church walls and engage the moral complexities of modern civic life with clarity, humility, and courage.
Inside this book, readers will discover:
- A firsthand account of navigating faith and politics at the local level—where consequences are immediate and accountability is personal
- How the author used his Catholic faith for understanding religious liberty, church and state, and the First Amendment
- Reflections on non-discrimination laws and the limits of secular governance
- A meditation on history, public morality, and American constitutional principles
- Personal accounts of wrestling with the gray areas faced by faithful Catholics serving in government
- A compelling call to reclaim public service as a vocation to serve the public good, not a career
Rooted in Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching, and lived experience, What Are We Looking For? speaks directly to:
- Catholics discerning a call to public service
- Elected officials seeking moral grounding
- Readers concerned about the erosion of faith in civic life
- Anyone wrestling with how to live authentically in a polarized culture
This book affirms a timeless truth: faith and public life cannot be separated without cost. With candor, humility, and hope, Michael Heyeck invites readers to rediscover the role of conscience in governance—and to serve the common good without fear.