Afterlives of the Saints is a woven gathering of groundbreaking essays that move through Renaissance anatomy and the Sistine Chapel, Borges' "Library of Babel," the history of spontaneous human combustion, the dangers of masturbation, the pleasures of castration, "and so forth" each essay focusing on the story of a particular (and particularly strange) saint.

In the battle for our children's souls, Catholic parents have a key advantage over the world: our children were made for heaven. God willed us to exist now-in a world that celebrates sin as virtue and punishes Christians as "haters"-as part of His merciful plan. Unbreakable helps Catholic parents raise strong children able to resist the soul-endangering temptation to "get along" to "get ahead" in the world. Recognizing that what occupies our children's...

Saint Bridget of Sweden was one of the most privileged mystics in the history of the Church. Born to a wealthy family, she was given in marriage to a pious and good-hearted nobleman, with whom she raised eight children, including the future Saint Catherine of Sweden. When her husband died, Bridget founded an order of nuns, the Order of the Most Holy Savior, more commonly called the Bridgettines. She labored until her death to spread her order and...

In his illustrious life, Saint Sebastian was the senior commanding officer of the elite forces for the greatest military power on the planet-the Roman Empire. By his glorious death, he became a commander in the greatest military power in the universe-the communion of saints of the Roman Catholic Church. Throughout the Church's history, countless martyrs have offered their lives to Christ rather than deny Him. One of the most revered is Saint Sebastian,...

Gertrud the Great (1256—1302) entered the monastery of Helfta in eastern Germany as a child oblate. At the age of twenty-five she underwent a conversion that led to a series of visionary experiences. These centered on "the divine loving-kindness," which she perceived as expressed through and symbolized by Christ's divine Heart. Some of these experiences she recorded in Latin "with her own hand," in what became book 2 of The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness. Books...

Saint Bernard's famous work, The Steps of Humility and Pride (in Latin, De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae), is a short book consisting of a mere fifty-seven paragraphs. In it, the Abbot of Clairvaux unpacks the doctrine of the very crucial chapter 7 of Saint Benedict's sixth-century Rule for Monks, which explores the dynamic “steps" or “degrees" of both humility and pride. This chapter by Benedict could well be considered the spiritual basis...

The story of St. Patrick's life is a dynamic tale of high drama and intense spiritual force. A generation ago, the American Catholic novelist John Edward Beahn retold that story as a biographical novel based on The Confession, Patrick s famous autobiographical work. A Man Cleansed by God: A Novel on St. Patrick's Confession was published in 1959, a vivid narrative with intriguing speculations about the details of Patrick s experience that have been...

As a young cleric, he was present at the Council of Nicea (325), and though he did not want to be bishop, none was found better suited for the job. He fought the Arian Heresy through every vicissitude and finally triumphed for orthodoxy. Here is a popular biography for young and old of the Saint who is called "The Champion of Orthodoxy." .The famous Athanasian Creed is named after him.

In Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence, St. Francis de Sales, beloved Doctor of the Church, speaks of how God wants only good for us, and why we should have great confidence in His merciful love. This treasure of spirituality beautifully explains God's love for the sinner, how great His joy is upon the return of just one lost sheep, and how God's mercy extends even towards the damned. St. Francis encourages us to conform ourselves to God's will,...

What recent Popes have said about the Blessed Mother's role in the Church--especially her role as Mediatrix. Goes back to Pope Pius IX (1846-1878); compiled in 1969. Arranged by topic. A valuable source showing just what the Popes have said about Our Lady.