The Leaven is the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, serving as a vital resource for the Catholic community across 21 counties, including the Kansas City area, Lawrence, Ottawa, Topeka, and Emporia. With a circulation reaching over 186,000 Catholics, it is mailed directly to every registered Catholic household, ensuring comprehensive coverage of local, national, and global Catholic news.

Andrew Beal, a member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, has written a book about his faith journey. Beal has worked as Bruce Wayne’s double on Fox’s “Gotham,” appeared as a paperboy in Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” and had a part in “The Irishman.”

by Dean Backes
Special to The Leaven

LEAWOOD — Whether he is soaring above virtual skies, stepping onto a film set or navigating his daily life, Andrew Beal carries his Catholic faith as a lens through which he sees the world.

At 30 years old, the St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood, parishioner lives a faith-filled life that he once thought was impossible.

Outside of his work as a claims examiner for FEMA, he’s an avid writer and actor.

Beal has worked as Bruce Wayne’s double on Fox’s “Gotham,” appeared as a paperboy in Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” and had a part in “The Irishman,” which was directed by fellow Catholic Martin Scorsese.

He’s also passionate about aviation and runs a YouTube channel where he shares real-time flight experiences.

His life, however, has been anything but clear skies ahead — especially early on.

Abandoned at birth in a Siberian hospital in Tyumen, Russia, he was adopted from an orphanage and brought to Leawood at a very young age by his adoptive parents Scott and Pam Thompson.

Through it all, Beal has faced many emotional challenges, some health issues — including serious surgeries — and  battles of self-worth. But God has been present in every part of his narrative.

“My Catholic faith is the cornerstone of everything,” Beal said. “There were seasons where I was angry at God or confused by what he was allowing, but I always found myself being drawn back to him. My faith didn’t remove the pain, but it gave it purpose.

“I’ve learned that faith doesn’t mean life is easy — it means you’re never walking through it alone. The more I’ve leaned into God, especially through the sacraments and Scripture, the more peace and clarity I’ve found. Faith turned my survival into testimony.”

An inner calling and the encouragement of others who heard parts of his story inspired Beal to sit down and turn his own life into an open book — literally.

After pouring through the experiences of his life, Beal published his autobiography, “God’s Path from Siberia to the United States.”

“For years, I kept a lot of my pain private like so many. I didn’t think anyone would understand,” Beal said. “But I realized that my silence was holding back something that God wanted to use.

“I want to show people that you can rise from abandonment, trauma and confusion and come out the other side stronger and with purpose.”

Along with the Holy Trinity, the communion of saints and praying the daily rosary, Beal has been able to lean on many at St. Michael, especially pastor Father Brian Schieber, Deacon John Weist and Deacon Mark Stukel.

Beal attended school with Deacon Stukel’s kids and, along with his wife Elise, took a 12-week formation program developed by Deacon Weist and his wife Zena called Marriage Mystagogy.

“I think in some ways, the scales have fallen from Andrew’s eyes,” Deacon Weist said. “He is just sort of amazed at the depth and beauty of life when it’s centered in Christ. I think that’s kind of like a lot of our own experiences. We didn’t realize what we were missing.

“I think he has rediscovered that this personal relationship with Jesus really is what our hearts are searching for.”

Beal is excited to share his story in hopes of inspiring a wider audience.

“I wrote this book not to just focus on the hardships, but to reveal how God worked in the background the entire time,” he said. “I believe our stories can be someone else’s survival guide.”

To learn more about Beal’s story, you can purchase “God’s Path from Siberia to the United States” on Amazon by typing the title in the search bar, or by visiting: www.godspathbook.com.