Vice President J.D. Vance’s upcoming memoir about his conversion to Catholicism has an embarrassing gaffe — the idyllic church depicted on the cover is not Catholic.
Vance, 41, announced Tuesday Holy Communion: Finding the Way Back to Faith The book will be published on June 16. The cover of the book, which will be published by Harper, the flagship imprint of HarperCollins, features a charming white church in rural Appalachia.
Although Vance is a staunch Catholic, the cover image chosen for his book is of Mount Zion Church in Elk Creek, Virginia, a United Methodist church, The Bulwark’s national political reporter Joe Perticone reports.
“There’s no denying that Mount Zion is extremely photogenic, which is why it’s also a popular stock image,” Petticone wrote. “Vance’s choice of photo struck me as odd because the vice president has been outspoken about his Catholic faith.”
Vance’s 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegyraised his public profile and laid the foundation for his political career. Published by HarperCollins in 2016, the book tells the story of growing up in Middletown, Ohio, and spending summers with his family in Appalachia.
Vice President J.D. Vance’s 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” raised his public profile and laid the groundwork for his political career (Getty Images)
Vance announced Tuesday that “Communion: Finding the Path Back to Faith” will be published on June 16 (AP)
The book also cemented Vance as someone who could help explain Trump’s appeal to middle-class Americans, especially rural, working-class white voters.
HarperCollins magazine describes Vance’s new book as an “intimate account” that explains why the vice president “left Christianity as a young man and what brought him back to the faith.”
Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019.
“Of course, the story of how I regained my faith only happened because I lost it in the first place,” Vance said of the new book, according to a press release from the publisher.
Vance’s 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” raised his public profile and laid the groundwork for his political career. Published by HarperCollins in 2016, the book tells the story of growing up in Middletown, Ohio and spending summers with his family in Appalachia
“An interesting question hanging over this book and in my mind is why I ever strayed from the path. Why the Christian faith of my youth failed to take root properly.”
A spokesman for Vance referred inquiries to the publisher. independent HarperCollins has been contacted for comment.
Vance started out as a harsh critic of Trump but was chosen to be Trump’s running mate during the 2024 election. During a debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, Vance said he was misled by a “dishonest fabrication” when he compared Trump to Hitler.
Speculation is growing that Vance is gearing up for a 2028 presidential run. Many presidential candidates publish books before announcing their campaigns. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro have both recently released memoirs and are rumored candidates in the Democratic field.
