St. Vincent Ferrer: Angel of the Judgment - Fr. Andrew Pradel

St. Vincent Ferrer: Angel of the Judgment 

Fr. Andrew Pradel 

TAN Books

ISBN 9780895556868

eISBN 9781618904942

ASIN B00QU9FUEQ

This volume was part of the reading for Father Mark Goring’s, Saint Mark’s School or Reading in the spring of 2026. I enjoyed this volume but found it very repetitive. It was great learning about this incredible saint, and the videos by Father Mark Goring, Father Isaac Longworth, and Sister Elizabeth Marie really add to the experience of reading the book. This time the videos corresponded to a section in the book. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

The description of this volume states:

“This TAN Books edition of “St. Vincent Ferrer: Angel of the Judgment” by Rev. Fr. Andrew Pradel O. P., features the complete text of the title, along with a supplemental reading section entitled “A Brief Life of Christ.” We’ve also included unique hand-selected classic artwork for the reader’s enjoyment, exclusive to this eBook edition of “St. Vincent Ferrer: Angel of the Judgment” from TAN Books.

St. Vincent Ferrer: Angel of the Judgment:

Commissioned by Our Lord Himself to preach His Gospel, St. Vincent began at age 50 an apostolate of preaching that would extend to France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and a few other countries as well. Traveling with him were as many as 10,000 people, including at least 50 priests. The throngs that gathered to hear him came from many miles around, such that he was forced to preach in the open--no church being large enough to hold all the people. Imprimatur.

A Brief Life of Christ:

Absolutely excellent for students and for adult review. Capsulizes the main events and sayings of Our Lord. Map of the Holy Land. A chronological outline. Perfect for a refresher.”

The sections and chapters in this volume are:

SECTION ONE

From The Saint’s Birth To His Religious Profession 1350–1368

1. Prodigies which Preceded the Birth of St. Vincent Ferrer—His Baptism—Infancy and Childhood of St. Vincent

2. St. Vincent Ferrer Receives the Habit of the Friar Preachers—His Novitiate and Profession

SECTION TWO

From The Saint’s Religious Profession To His Call To A Miraculous Apostolate 1368–1398

3. Studies of St. Vincent Ferrer—His Profound Learning—His Great Piety during His Course of Studies and Scholastic Labors

4. First Preachings of St. Vincent Ferrer—Continuation of the Saint’s Preaching Until His Definitive Call to Avignon

SECTION THREE

The Miraculous Apostolate Of St. Vincent Ferrer 1398-1419

5. Christ Miraculously Calls the Saint to an Extraordinary Apostolate in the Church—State of Christianity at the Epoch when St. Vincent Received His Divine Mission

6. St. Vincent’s Mode of Life during His Miraculous Apostolate—The Method Employed by the Saint in Preaching

7. The Company which Followed St. Vincent Ferrer in the Course of His Miraculous Apostolate—Extraordinary Fruits Produced by the Saint in Pious Souls during that Period

8. The Universal Conversion which the Miraculous Apostolate of St. Vincent Ferrer Produced in the Church—Its Abundant Fruits among Heretics and Jews

9. The Apostolic Success of St. Vincent Ferrer among the Followers of Mohammed—The Principal Countries and Cities in which the Saint Preached in the Course of His Miraculous Apostolate

10. The Saint’s Last Apostolic Journeys in Brittany—To the Council of Constance—In Normandy—And again in Brittany

SECTION FOUR

The Virtues Of St. Vincent Ferrer

11. The Virtues of St. Vincent Ferrer in Their Relation to the Service of God—The Saint’s Charity toward His Neighbor—His Heroic Devotedness to the Temporal Necessities of His Brethren

12. Incomparable Zeal of St. Vincent Ferrer for the Salvation of Souls—Other Virtues of the Saint

SECTION FIVE

The Marvelous Gifts Which Shone Forth In St. Vincent Ferrer

13. St. Vincent Ferrer Favored with a Multitude of Visions, Revelations, and Ecstasies—The Secrets of Hearts Revealed to the Saint

14. St. Vincent Ferrer Endowed with the Gift of Prophecy—The Grace of Miracles Accorded without Measure to the Saint

SECTION SIX

Death Of St. Vincent Ferrer 1419

15. The Saint Dies at Vannes in Brittany—His Burial—Canonization—His Relics

16. Devotion Offered to St. Vincent Ferrer by the People and by Holy Personages—Extraordinary Favors with which the Saint Rewarded the Devotion of His Clients

Notes

A Collection of Classic Artwork

A Brief Life of Christ

Introductory

The Setting

Birth of Jesus

Childhood at Nazareth

John The Bapist

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Journey To Galilee

The Kingdom and the Apostles

Manifestations of Divine Power

Speaking in Parables

Increasing Popularity

Death of John the Baptist

Miracles of the Loaves

The Bread of Life

Peter the Rock

Training of the Twelve

Visit to Jerusalem

Clash with the Pharisees

Judean Ministry

The Supreme Declaration

Raising of Lazarus

Last Missionary Days

Banquet at Bethany

Palm Sunday

Second Cleansing of the Temple

Day of Questions

Judas the Betrayer

The Last Supper

Arrest and Trial

Death on Calvary

Risen and Living Still

The eBook edition also includes, as noted above,  the complete text of A Collection of Classic Artwork and A Brief Life of Christ by Fr. Leslie Rumble. 

We are also informed that it has both:

Imprimatur: A. de Pous

Vicar General, Toulouse

October 9, 1863

Nihil Obstat: Fr. Raymond Palmer, Ord. Praed.

Censor Deputatus

Imprimatur: 

 Henry Edward

Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster

The volume was originally published in 1875, it was retype set with minor editing by Tan books in the year 2000. I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, some of them are:

“May our publication be serviceable to you, dear reader! Should it produce any good in you, be pleased, in return, to remember us in your prayers to the Saint whom we shall have venerated together.”

“Many attempted to imitate his virtues and to walk in his footsteps, whom he lovingly directed by his good counsels.”

“Three years were devoted by the Saint to the exclusive study of Scripture, and one more year to teaching physics in the same Convent of Barcelona.”

“Besides the ascetic exercises to which he applied himself in his cell, he devoted a considerable portion of the night to prayer in the church.”

“Sin had acquired so strong a hold upon the world, the fervor of the good had become so relaxed and the crimes of the wicked had risen to such an excess, that God’s patient forbearance with His creatures was nearly worn out.”

“But to resume the thread of our narrative, St. Vincent was truly another St. Paul, sent by God to bring back to the Faith of Christ a multitude of Jews and Mohammedans, to convert innumerable sinners and to harmonize the faithful of every nation and condition of life in the most perfect bonds of Christian fellowship. We are thus able to see at a glance the general effect of the miraculous apostolate which he received from Christ Himself at Avignon. The Saint was not afraid to affirm it with his own lips. In one of his sermons which he preached in Castile, in the year 1411, we read thus: “The End of the World cannot be far distant, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Has not our Lord Himself said that the bearing of the fig-tree foreshadows the coming summer? Behold, then, the fig-tree of the Christian people. Each day records its reconciliations, and we witness souls forgetting and forgiving the greatest injuries. The delicate, the sensual and the vicious do penance. Obstinate sinners are converted and frequently approach the Sacraments. Nor is the Jewish fig-tree any longer barren, for we see it daily producing its abundant and choicest fruits in every city in Spain.” He might have added heretics and Mussulmen likewise. Truly, then, St. Vincent exercised in the Church an apostolate such as never was witnessed since the establishment of the Gospel. 1 St. Vincent having evangelized Avignon and the neighboring towns, set out on foot for Spain, preaching in various places where he was obliged to stay. It was at Graus, in Catalonia, that he instituted the procession of Disciplinants and laid the foundation of that marvelous company of pious souls who accompanied him in his apostolic journeyings. Here also he left behind him, as a souvenir, a crucifix which the inhabitants begged of him, and which became the instrument of many miracles.”

“He then exercised the sacred ministry in another way—he instructed the children in Christian doctrine, which, in the latter days of his life, was his most cherished occupation.”

“The Saint’s hope was even more lively. He made daily use of the means of salvation instituted by Divine Providence. He made his Confession every day and received the Sacrament of the Eucharist; he faithfully accomplished the duties of his calling, and he did not resist the inspirations of grace.”

This was a harder volume to read than many done in the school of reading. In part its age, in part being in translation, and for me in part because it was so repetitive. And maybe because of my dyslexia those issues were amplified. I am thankful I worked through it to the end, it was worth it. And to be honest if it had not been for the videos it would have ended up on my ‘did not finish’ pile.  It was a good read with Father Mark Goring’s School of reading.   

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

For a list of all books that are part of Father Mark Goring's Saint Mark’s School of Reading click here.

The Last Book in the Universe - Rodman Philbrick

The Last Book in the Universe

Rodman Philbrick

Scholastic Canada

ISBN 9780439087599

eISBN 9780545303873

ASIN B00B9FX1TC

A few weeks ago I was having a discussion with a young man in his early 20’s and asked about his favourite book, because that is what bibliophiles do. He immediately said this Freak the Mighty, no hesitation, no pause just an immediate answer. I looked it up later in the day and discovered there was two books in that series and also a movie. While working on the review of the first Mighty book, I found a bout a half dozen I was interested in just from the titles. So this is the third volume by Rodman I have read in three weeks, and every time I read one the list of ones I want to read grows! I enjoyed that first one so much I had picked up 3 other volumes by Philbrick before I even finished it! 

I have been publishing reviews for 21 years now, first in papers and magazines and then on my blog and other platforms. I was cancelled by Amazon a few years back, but continue to read and write reviews because I must. I have tagged Scholastic over 450 times on my blog for reviews of books, or for my Top Ten Lists each quarter or year. I was greatly surprised I had not encountered this author or these books. Back to the book at hand. The description of this volume state:

 “This fast-paced action novel is set in a future where the world has been almost destroyed. Newbery Honor Author Rodman Philbrick is at his very best.

The Last Book in the Universe joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

Nobody around here reads anymore. Why bother, when you can just shoot all the images and excitement straight into your brain? I've heard of books, but they were long before I was born, in the backtimes before the Big Shake...

In a world where people only use mindprobes for entertainment, a teenaged boy is one of the rare human beings who can see life for what is really is. Cruelly nicknamed "Spaz", he is subject to random seizures that make it impossible for him to use the brain-drain tech. But what sets him apart eventually becomes his salvation.

After meeting an old man called Ryter, Spaz begins to learn about how the world used to be before the catastrophic earthquake that changed everything. There is a story of a promised land, rich in its bounties, that can cure any ailment and more beautiful than any place left in the desolate wasteland humanity calls home. The two set off to find Eden in the hopes of saving Spaz's dying sister, and together, seek to bring some good back to the world.

Fahrenheit 451 meets The Giver in this action-packed thriller from the author of the bestselling novel Freak the Mighty.”

About the author we are informed:

“Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick has written more than a dozen novels for young readers. In 1993, he published his first children's book, Freak the Mighty, which became an instant classic, and was made into a feature film. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book. Philbrick's other acclaimed novels include Max the Mighty, The Young Man and the Sea, The Last Book in the Universe, Zane and the Hurricane, and Wildfire. Philbrick divides his time between Maine and the Florida Keys. You can learn more about him on his website: rodmanphilbrick.com.”

This is another very moving story. This is the first science fiction I have read from Rodman, and it is very well done. It is a story about family, friendships, duty, and responsibility. It follows a young man nickednamed “Spaz” because he suffers from seizures. He lives in a post-apocalyptic world. There is an area where elites live, people who have been genetically enhanced. And surrounding it are a series of zones, independent fiefdoms ruled with and iron or bloody fist. Spaz must traverse several of these zones to get to his dying foster sister's side. Risking everything for someone he loves. Along the way he finds out a lot about the pre quake world and even about himself.

It again reminds me a lot of the works of Andrew Clements or Gordon Korman. I am really surprised I had not encountered the author previously. These first three books are so good; I might just end up reading everything from the author. After reading this Philbrick I am being reminded more of Madeleine L’Engle who wrote adult fiction, nonfiction, children’s fiction, teen fiction, and even theology.  

This is one of those moving stories you could read over and over again. It is a classic. It is a great read for young readers and those who read to them. And it is touching even for us older folks. It is a fantastic story I can easily recommend. And I know I will be reading more by Philbrick and the various names he publishes under!

Books by Rodman Philbrick:

Max the Mighty Series:

Freak the Mighty (1993)

Max the Mighty (1998)

…

 

House on Cherry Street Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. The Haunting (1995)

2. The Horror (1995)

3. The Final Nightmare (1995)

…

 

Werewolf Chronicles Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. Night Creature (1996)

2. Children of the Wolf (1996)

3. The Wereing (1996)

…

 

Visitors Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. Strange Invaders (1997)

2. Things (1997)

3. Brain Stealers (1997)

…

 

Wild Series:

1. Wildfire (2019)

2. Wild River (2021)

3. Wild Wave (2024)

4. Wild Blizzard (2026)

…

 

Other Books:

Shooting Star (1982)

The Black Moon (1989) 

Brothers and Sinners (1993)

The Fire Pony (1996)

Abduction (1998) (with Lynn Harnett)

The Mighty (1998)

The Last Book in the Universe (2000)

Dark Matter (2000)

Rem World (2000)

The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds (2001)

Coffins (2002)

The Young Man and the Sea (2004)

Lobster Boy (2005)

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (2009)

Listening To Kids In America (2011)

Zane and the Hurricane (2014)

The Big Dark (2016)

Who Killed Darius Drake? (2017)

We Own the Sky (2022)

…

Written as William R Dantz:

Pulse (1989) (as by William R Dantz)

The Seventh Sleeper (1991) (as by William R Dantz)

Hunger (1993) (as by William R Dantz)

Nine Levels Down (1995) (as by William R Dantz)

Written as by W R Philbrick:

The Big Chip (1990) (as by W R Philbrick)

…

J.D. Hawkins Series:

1. Shadow Kills (1985)

2. Ice for the Eskimo (1986)

3. Paint It Black (1989)

4. Walk on the Water (1991)

…

 

T.D. Stash Series:

1. The Neon Flamingo (1987)

2. The Crystal Blue Persuasion (1988)

3. Tough Enough (1989)

…

Written as by Chris Jordan:

Randall Shane Series:

1. Taken (2006)

2. Trapped (2007)

  aka Lost

3. Torn (2009)

4. Measure of Darkness (2011)

…

The Fighter - Jim Sano - Father Tom Book 7

The Fighter

Father Tom Book 7

Jim Sano

Full Quiver Publishing

ISBN 9781987970784

ASIN B0H2BZFWKB

I have been a big fan of both Jim Sano and Full Quiver Publishing since encountering the, Jim has now published 9 books, and this is the seventh in the Father Tom series. Reading a book in this series is always like a visit with an old friend. In some ways Father Tom reminds me of Andrew M. Greeley’s Blackie Ryan, and also of Father Gabriel by Fiorella de Maria. And reading any story with Father Tom and Angelo is like a visit with an old friend you have not seen in a while. But I am getting ahead of myself.

I read a copy of this story over Holy week. Because of family and other commitments I had to put it down several times. Each time it was more difficult. The description of this volume states:

“Danny Nolan is an underground boxer and a single father to his nineteen-year-old daughter, Jenny, who is probing into the mysteries of their family history and a traumatic past that haunts him. As his carefully constructed, isolated world in the South End of Boston begins to crumble and he risks losing Jenny, he must face the Irish crime boss who raised him, the father who abandoned him, and the devastating truth he’s spent a lifetime running from. Entering the Golden Gloves boxing tournament as a path to redemption, Danny navigates a kidnapping, a murder mystery, and the climax of his emotional journey of fear, faith, trust, and truth, with the unexpected help and friendship of Father Tom and Angelo.”

About the author we are informed:

“Award-winning author Jim Sano grew up in an Irish/Italian family in Massachusetts. Jim is a husband, father, lifelong Catholic, and has worked as a teacher, consultant, and businessman. He has degrees from Boston College and Bentley University and is currently attending Franciscan University for a master’s degree in Catechetics and Evangelization. He has also attended certificate programs at The Theological Institute for the New Evangelization at St. John’s Seminary and the Apologetics Academy. Jim is a member of the Catholic Writers Guild and has enjoyed growing in his faith and now sharing it through writing novels. Joline is his eighth novel.

 

Jim resides in Medfield, Massachusetts, with his wife, Joanne, and has two daughters, Emily and Megan, and grandchildren, Harper and Hunter.”

This story begins on January 7th 2010 and that first chapter is the only one with a date under it. It takes place over many weeks. But we are given a lot of backstory as characters remember the past. And a good chunk of this story is actually trying to figure out some past mysteries. Mysteries around family, friends, and fighting … in the ring that is.

Dany Nolan has raised his daughter as a single parent since he was 16. She is now about to finish secondary school or high school depending on where you are from and is looking to the future. But the past has a hold on both Danny and his daughter Jenny. And the secrets Danny has kept, and the secrets that have been kept from him just might destroy all that they both love.  Father Tom and Angelo get pulled into the mystery on a few different fronts. First they have watched Jenny grow and mature through school and through the young adults group at church. But Angelo is also asked about coaching Danny in the Golden Gloves. 

There are a lot of rumours about what happened when Danny’s mother and father went missing, and it looks like history is about to repeat itself. Can Father Tom and Angelo help alter that course, and can a lot of prayer and a little luck avoid a great tragedy? 

This story is another masterfully written tale from the pen of Sano. It was not easy to put down, and even when I finished it, I debated just starting over again and giving it a second read. Each time I read one of the Father Tom stories I think I should go back and reread them all again, and one of these days I will get around to it.

This book and series are ones I would love my teen children to read. I have recommended them to my father. And I have mentioned different books to numerous friends. 

Everything I have read from Sano has been excellent. I can easily recommend this excellent story about faith, family, friends, and just maybe forgiveness. A masterfully written story in a great series. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Jim Sano:

Van Horn

The Journey

…

Father Tom Series:

The Father's Son

Gus Busbi

Stolen Blessing

Self-Portrait

Fallen Graces

Joline 

The Fighter

…

Growing in Self Esteem - Marie Paul Curley, FSP - Just A Minute Meditations

Growing in Self Esteem 

Just A Minute Meditations 

Marie Paul Curley, FSP   

Pauline Books and Media

ISBN ‎9780819816917

eISBN 9780819816924

ASIN B0CW1B5KSB

I have picked up a most of the volumes in this series over the years but had not got around to reading any of them until earlier this year. As of the writing of this review there are 7 volumes in the series, 4 authors with Sister Kathryn having penned 4 of the volumes. And to date only 1 is penned by Marie Paul Curley, FSP. I have four of them on my Kindle purchased over the last two years. But while researching for this review I have found out, at least a few of the volumes are a rebranding of volumes published 8 years ago under the titles “Mediations for …”.

The description of this edition states:

“Are you trapped by feelings of self-doubt or self-loathing? How do you cultivate a healthy self-esteem while living selflessly? Believe in God’s love for you and live with greater confidence and peace with help from this pocket-sized book of 30 meditations. Each meditation includes a Scripture passage, a brief reflection, and a short prayer. The book also features additional prayers to help you nurture a balanced self-esteem grounded in God.”

Another current description is:

“Are you trapped by feelings of self-doubt or self-loathing? How do you cultivate a healthy self-esteem while living selflessly?

This pocket-sized book of thirty meditations will help you believe in God's great love for you and live with greater confidence and peace. Each meditation includes a Scripture passage, a brief reflection by Sister Marie Paul Curley, FSP, and a short prayer. The book also features a short collection of additional prayers to help you nurture a balanced self-esteem grounded in God. Whether you are a beginner in prayer or seeking wisdom and direction for a difficult time, Growing in Self-Esteem offers guidance, support, and encouragement for your relationship with the Lord.

Growing in Self-Esteem is part of the Just a Minute Meditations series, a collection of themed meditation books to help you pray through the challenges of life.”

About the author we are informed:

“Sister Marie Paul Curley, FSP, is a Boston native and a professed Daughter of St. Paul since 1987. She speaks regularly on Salt + Light Radio Hour and has authored many books, including See Yourself through God's Eyes and Soul of Christ. Her personal passions include writing, exploring the connection between faith and the media arts, the spirituality of Blessed James Alberione, and Eucharistic spirituality.”

The chapters in this volume are:

Introduction

1. God Chose to Create You

2. God Will Never Forget You

3. God Never Makes Mistakes

4. God Can Fulfill Your Needs

5. You Are Called by God

6. You Don’t Need to Prove Yourself

7. God Can Free You from Fear

8. God Wants You to Be Honest

9. When You Doubt God’s Love

10. Your Fragility Is Blessed

11. You Are Lovable

12. Jesus’ Invitation to You

13. God’s Inexhaustible Mercy

14. God Works in Your Life

15. Cultivate a Grateful Heart

16. God Wants to Surprise You

17. Perfectionism Is a Myth

18. God Works through Your Weakness

19. Fix Your Gaze on Jesus

20. Your Life Is in God’s Hands

21. Be True to Yourself

22. God Draws Close to the Suffering

23. Your Vocation to Love

24. Forgiveness Will Free You

25. God Always Helps You to Grow

26. God Wants to Be Your Light

27. Failure Can Help You

28. God Is with You Always

29. Find Peace of Heart in Jesus

30. God Delights in Who You Are

Prayers

The prayers in a section at the end of the book are:

Lord, You Know Me

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

God’s Dream for Me

“I Am with You”

Jesus, Hold Me Close

You Are Always Thinking of Me

Struggling with Self-­Doubt

In Times of Anxiety

Help Me to Have Perfect Trust

Unfailing Prayer for Hope

I Believe

A Prayer Just for Today

Back cover

I highlighted a few passages while working through this volume, they are:

“You may wonder if self-esteem is something that a person of faith should care about. You may have heard that followers of Christ don’t need self-esteem because they are supposed to be selfless. But growing in a healthy self-esteem is not about being selfish. A healthy self-esteem allows us to embrace God’s will for our lives and to live life with more joy.”

“I am excited to share this little collection of Scripture passages followed by reflections based on my experience in growing in self-esteem. I hope and pray that they will help you come to know just how much God loves and cherishes you!”

“God understands you and is tenderly faithful. God will always be at your side. Jesus’ entire life, but especially his passion, death, and resurrection, is constant proof that God is faithful and will never abandon you.”

“Do you see your mistakes and sometimes count them as evidence that you are worthless and no good? At times like this, you can remember that God does not see your mistakes as an insurmountable problem. God’s mercy is much bigger than any mistake.”

“Living in God’s love will give you the courage to use your God-given gifts and trust that God will provide for all your needs.”

“Jesus, I believe you are present in the Holy Eucharist in your Body, Blood, soul, and divinity. In the Eucharist, you long to heal today, just like you healed people while you lived on earth. Heal me too!”

“God offers us healing and forgiveness through the sacrament of Reconciliation, the celebration of God’s inexhaustible mercy and a renewal of relationship with God.”

“Perfectionism is a myth. While God makes many promises in Scripture, he never promises perfection. No matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect in this life. God always has our best interests at heart. He cares less about efficiency and results and more about our growth in faith and trust. To see a situation from God’s perspective can help us escape perfectionism.”

“Dear God, you freely give us grace because your Son, Jesus, gave his life for us. When I have anything to suffer, help me to offer it in union with Jesus so that I can become more like your Son.”

A sample day is:

“13 God’s Inexhaustible Mercy

Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ . . . [The younger son] squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need…. So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—­the best one—­and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’”

Luke 15:11–­14, 20, 22–­24

Each time we become more aware of our sinfulness and seek forgiveness, we have an opportunity to grow closer to God. God never tires of bringing us new life!

God offers us healing and forgiveness through the sacrament of Reconciliation, the celebration of God’s inexhaustible mercy and a renewal of relationship with God.

In the ocean of God’s mercy, your shame and sinfulness become insignificant and are washed away. God’s forgiveness means that your guilt does not have the last word.

Jesus, you told the apostles, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them” (John 20:23). I thank you for the amazing gift of the sacrament of Reconciliation. Help me to receive it often.”

I hope those quotes and sample day give you a feel for this book, and I believe the series. This was a good volume to read and pray through over a month. I benefitted from it, a couple of the days I ended up reading more than once. It is an easy volume to engage with, and you will benefit based on how much effort you put in. It would be a great book and series for teens, young adults and us older adults as well.

It is a good book and great series. I can easily recommend it. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books in the Just A Minute Meditations Series:

Embracing Hope in Christ – Kris Frank

Finding God In Times of Depression – Kathryn J. Hermes

Finding Inner Peace – Kathryn J. Hermes

Grieving with Christ – Mary Leonorr Wilson

Growing in Self Esteem - Marie Paul Curley

Healing After Betrayal – Kathryn J. Hermes

Trusting in God’s Love – Kathryn J. Hermes

…

Books by Sister Marie Paul Curley:

Bread Of Life: Prayers For Eucharistic Adoration

Christ Lives in Me: The Eucharistic Spirituality of Blessed James Alberione, SSP

Essential Eucharistic Adoration Prayers

Eucharistic Adoration Prayer Book

Growing in Self Esteem

Life for the World: A Way of Eucharistic Adoration for Today

Saints Alive Faith Proclaim

Saints Alive Gospel Witness

See Yourself through God's Eyes: 52 Meditations to Grow in Self-Esteem

Soul of Christ: Meditations on a Timeless Prayer

…

Holy Scientists - Fr Douglas McGonagle - CTS Books

Holy Scientists

Fr Douglas McGonagle

Catholic Truth Society

ISBN 9781784698515

eISBN 9781784698805

ASIN B0GZ4BZJGY

CTS Booklet B783

This and a companion volume Holy Nurses by Dr. Gosia Brykczynska were announced at the same time. I immediately added both of them to my wish list. It was a bit of a wait for the eBook edition but it was so worth it. This is the second volume I have read from Fr Douglas McGonagle, and it is his second for the Catholic Truth Society, the other is The Star of Bethlehem What did the Magi See?. And I believe he has no other books available.

Over the last several years, I have read many books from the Catholic Truth Society, in fact over 465 of them as of the reading of this volume; many read more than once; this all since the spring of 2018. Most were good reads; some were great reads; and a few are exceptional. And this is an another great little volume.

The description of this volume is:

“Holy Scientists tells the story of several remarkable men and women who have made profound contributions to science without conflict with their Catholic faith, while tackling the difficult issue of Galileo vs. the Church and refuting the notion that faith and science are incompatible.

Holy Scientists tells the story of several remarkable men and women who have made profound contributions to science without experiencing any conflict with their Catholic faith. Fr Douglas McGonagle doesn’t shy away from controversial issues: he refutes the idea that faith and science are inherently incompatible and demystifies the Galileo vs. the Church episode.

McGonagagle continues by revealing the remarkable work of some unambiguously Catholic scientists: Nicholas Copernicus (astronomer and Canon to the Bishop of Warmia), Sr Miriam Michael Stimson, O.P. (chemist and Dominican nun), and Mgr Georges Lemaître (astronomer and priest). Finally, he asks: could God be calling you to be a scientist?”

About the author we are informed:

“Fr Douglas McGonagle is both a Roman Catholic priest and an astronomer. He received his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1995. He was ordained a priest in 2000 and is currently the pastor of Most Holy Redeemer parish in Hadley, Massachusetts. He is also the author of The Star of Bethlehem: What Did the Magi See? (CTS, 2023).”

The chapters and sections in the book are:

Acknowledgements

Religion & Science: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Sr Miriam Michael Stimson OP Consecrated Chemist

Mgr Georges Lemaître Astronomer Priest

Is God Calling You to be a Scientist?

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, some of them are:

“When people first meet me, they soon surmise that I am a Catholic priest. I would like to believe this impression arises from the sanctity of my personage; however, I must confess that it is more likely because I habitually wear a Roman collar. If my new acquaintance spends any time with me, they may also find out I am a scientist. A radio-astronomer, to be precise. In fact, I was an astronomer before I was ordained a Roman Catholic priest.”

“If God exists, if God is rational, if God created all that is seen and unseen through His Word, then it is reasonable to me that doing science is akin to rethinking God’s thoughts.”

“In this book we will present the lives of several scientists who were publicly known to believe in God. They believed there is more to existence than what can be studied empirically. Though many of the people we will meet are Roman Catholics, some were not.”

“The cast of characters we will encounter will range from saints to scoundrels. Many are clergy, both Catholic and Anglican. Some scientists we will meet were members of religious communities. Amongst the lay scientists, we will also find a range of sanctity. We will find the devout like Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis, who seriously considered the Catholic priesthood. We will also find some who, like the great French Catholic scientist León Foucault, may have been indifferent to religion through much of their lives but in their final days found consolation in the Faith of their childhood.”

“In presenting the lives of these ‘holy’ scientists, it is my intention to stir in the hearts of people who share the scientific or engineering mindset a desire to strive for holiness as scientists or engineers. I affirm the Church’s teaching that all people, lay or religious, are called to attain the highest levels of the spiritual life.”

“The late Stephen Jay Gould, Harvard University palaeontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science, argues in his book, Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, 1 that both science and religion are necessary to live a full human life, a sentiment echoed in a quote attributed to Br Alwyn Macomber, OR, when he observed, “Faith and reason are the shoes on your feet.”

“In reality, the idea that science and religion are inescapably locked in mortal combat is a myth. In fact, I will go so far as to assert that spending our lives in the service of both science and religion is indispensable to a full and meaningful life.”

“Now, please let me be clear about what I am not saying. I am not saying there has never been conflict between scientists and religious. No, my point is this: conflict between science and religion is not inevitable.”

“I contend that we should embrace both science and religion in order to live a full human life. I will even be so bold as to maintain that, analogous to St Jerome’s stark dictum that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ, ignorance of creation is ignorance of the Creator.”

“There are devotees of one domain who deny the other domain’s right to exist. Partisans on both sides are sceptical that the ‘other side’ will indeed respect the independence of each magisterium and are fearful the ‘other side’ will encroach on their ‘turf.’”

“Nevertheless, I would suggest we not let the best be the mortal enemy of the good. I am an engineer at heart. I have often found that the ‘good’ is good enough. So long as we keep in mind the limitations and imperfections of any tool, algorithm or scheme then we can still make progress towards our goal, even if that tool be imperfect.”

“In the rest of this book, we will visit the story of Galileo and learn how the consensus that Earth is motionless was first supported and then disproved by scientists, many of whom were believers. We will then jump ahead to the twentieth century and learn how a Dominican sister helped make it possible to unravel the secrets of the DNA molecule. We will also meet a diocesan priest who fought in an opening battle of the Great War, was nearly killed by an Allied bombing in the Second World War, formulated a theory to explain the universe we all live in today and even had a spaceship named after him. Finally, we will ask the question, is God calling you to be a scientist?”

“I also learned from both Gould’s and Redondi’s books that, when Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644) and Galileo squared off, this was not a battle between strangers but between two old friends.”

“To put what happened in terms familiar to us today, fact-checkers demanded the Pope curtail Galileo’s heliocentric disinformation by deplatforming him, demonetising him and, if necessary, cancelling him. Cardinal Bellarmine placed an injunction on Galileo in 1616, prohibiting him from defending or holding to the Copernican theory. The Cardinal reported back to the Pope that Galileo had acquiesced. Rumours begin to swirl that Galileo was admonished and had to do penance for supporting Copernicanism. Galileo requested relief.”

“What we should keep in mind throughout this whole sorry affair is this: the players in this tragedy were believers. The Catholics–Copernicus, Fr Foscarini, Galileo, Cardinal Bellarmine, Pope Urban–were all believers. The Protestant scientists like Tycho and Kepler were men of faith. Protestant or Catholic, these scientists were all believing Christians. This was not a fight between those who believed in God and those who did not. The combatants were believers who should have known better how to disagree with one another in charity. The conflict was between scientists and religious, not science and religion.”

“Galileo had great scientific intuition. With the advantage of hindsight, we now know his intuition was correct; even so, based on the data available to him at the time, he could not prove that the Earth orbited the Sun. Perhaps he was seduced by the elegance and beauty inherent in the simplicity of the heliocentric model. Aesthetics can be important in helping to tease out the secrets of nature but many a beautiful theory has been destroyed by cold, hard, empirical facts.”

“During her time at St Joseph Academy and St Joseph College, Marian got to observe the Dominican sisters closely. She saw in them strong women who were having a positive effect on the world. She felt the beginnings of a religious vocation.”

“And so, at the start of 1933, Marian entered the congregation as a postulant. She went on to become a novice and in 1934 received her habit and her religious name, Miriam. After a yearlong novitiate, Sr Miriam made her simple vows in 1935. She would make her final vows five years later. Between making her simple and then final vows, Sr Miriam managed to finish her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1936.”

“Sr Miriam was assigned to work in a biochemistry group led by Dr John Robert Loofbourow (1903-1951). It was through Loofbourow that Miriam became interested in spectroscopy. She also worked in the laboratory with another biochemist, Dr Elton Straus Cook. It would be Dr Cook (1909-1990) who sparked her interest in organic compounds such as deoxyribonucleic acid, more familiarly known as DNA.”

“Please don’t spend too much time trying to picture in your mind a photon being both a particle and a wave at the same time; you can’t. A photon is a photon. If you can accept God to be a Trinity, then you should be able to deal with light being a duality and simply leave it at that.”

“Sr Miriam first began her career as a scientist doing UV spectroscopy; however, it would be her work in IR spectroscopy that would have a significant impact on our understanding of the DNA molecule.”

“In September 1904, aged ten, Georges began his education at a Jesuit school. He distinguished himself in mathematics, physics and chemistry. Curiously, though, he never received an academic award for religion. So, where did priesthood come from?”

“According to Lemaître himself, he decided at age nine to become both a scientist and a priest.”

““What is more significant,” he continues, “is that exactly at the same time, actually in the same month as I remember it, I made up my mind to become a priest. I was interested in truth from the standpoint of salvation, as well as truth from the standpoint of scientific certainty. There were two ways of arriving at the truth. I decided to follow them both.””

“Self confidence is evident in Georges’ decision to drop mining and engineering and return to his childhood aspirations of being a scientist and a priest. Over the next four years Georges would not only attain a master’s degree in physics and mathematics, he would also be ordained to the priesthood.”

“When Georges was interviewed by Cardinal Mercier as part of his entrance into the seminary, he found someone who understood his spiritual as well as intellectual aspirations. He was intrigued by the Cardinal’s emphasis on priesthood being a life lived in imitation of Christ under the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. Evangelical counsels are foundational to the life of a religious.”

“Either way, imagine the self-assurance and boldness it took for our good priest to step up to the great Albert Einstein, introduce himself, and inquire if he had read his recently published scientific paper?”

“Lemaître focused more on astronomy and physics. Lemaître described himself as more mathematician than most astronomers and more astronomer than most mathematicians.”

“I wish to take advantage of this occasion to reaffirm my resolution to continue with all my efforts, together with all of you, to serve science. Science is beautiful; it deserves to be loved for itself, as it is a reflection of God’s creative thought.”

“The penultimate space-freighter, ATV-4, was named after Albert Einstein. The fifth and last of the ATVs was the Georges Lemaître, named after the Roman Catholic priest, astronomer, theoretical physicist and mathematician from Belgium who formulated what is now known as the Big Bang Theory.”

“If rethinking God’s thoughts as a scientist appeals to you, then discern your calling with complete assuredness that this may well be how God intends you to live a devout life.”

“Mgr Lemaître probably said it most boldly when he made the declaration, “Science is beautiful; it deserves to be loved for itself, as it is a reflection of God’s creative thought.””

“The Catholic Faith is based on objective truths universally accessible through reason by all peoples, without exception. As the faithful are encouraged to expand their ideas of God by meditating on His creation, so should scientists be encouraged to widen their appreciation of the wonders revealed to them by the microscope and the telescope.”

“So that each and every one may live a full human life and draw ever closer to the ultimate meaning of life, I wish to embolden all people of good will to embrace both religion and science, faith and reason, for they are two sides of the same coin.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this excellent volume. This volume is a more academic read than the companion volume. I would say anyone with a secondary education could easily work through it. It does an excellent job of digging in on some men and women who have made major contributions to science, while being people of deep faith. 

This book is an excellent read. I am thankful for the work that the CTS does, and for their effort to stay up to date on eBook editions. With my dual form of dyslexia and my son having eye tracking issues I consider them essential, especially with adaptive technology. I am thankful for this volume, and would pick up any future offerings from the pen of Fr Douglas McGonagle. This being the second volume in a new series I would also pick up any in this series that release. I do so hope we are blessed with many more volumes in this series. This is a great read, I can easily recommend it! 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books by Fr Douglas McGonagle:

The Star of Bethlehem What did the Magi See?

Holy Scientists

...

Saint Andrew Kim Taegon: The Boy Who Crossed the Mountains - Paddy Bréagnamh - Mini Saints & Missionaries Library

Saint Andrew Kim Taegon: 

The Boy Who Crossed the Mountains

Paddy Bréagnamh

Mini Saints & Missionaries Library

Pettyfeather Publishing

ISBN 9798899681318

ASIN B0GZDM74K8

ASIN B0GXGZ3R97

There are currently 11 volumes available in this series dedicated to specific saints and 3 the focus on 52 female saints. I have enjoyed them a lot and keep checking for when new ones are released. I have benefited from reading them all and recommended each of them to several people. I especially loved the volume on Pope Leo XIV. This volume I picked up shortly after it released and read it the within a few days. It was one of 4 new titles that released in 2026. A few years back I read The Martyrs of Korea by Father Richard Rutt from the Catholic Truth Society. There was a chapter on Saint Andrew Kim, but this biography was able to go into a lot more detail. And I am so thankful I was able to read it.

The description of the book is:

“Saint Andrew Kim Taegon: The Boy Who Crossed the Mountains tells the powerful true story of the first Korean Catholic priest—and the dangerous journey that changed a nation’s faith forever.

Born in 1821 during a time of intense religious persecution in Korea, Andrew Kim Taegon grew up in a hidden Christian community where belief in Jesus could lead to prison—or death. At just fifteen years old, he left his home in secret, traveling across mountains and through China to study for the priesthood.

Years later, he returned to Korea in disguise, determined to serve underground Catholic communities who had no priests and no protection. Moving from village to village under cover of darkness, he baptized, taught, and encouraged believers—until he was captured.

At just twenty-five years old, he gave his life for his faith.

Inside this Mini Saints & Missionaries Library book:

• A true, historically grounded biography of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon

• His dangerous escape from Korea and journey to Macau

• Life in a secret underground Church during persecution

• His ordination as the first Korean-born Catholic priest

• His arrest, prison letters, and martyrdom

• Reflection questions to build faith, courage, and character

Perfect for:

• Ages 8–12 (independent readers)

• Catholic families and homeschoolers

• Religious education classrooms (CCD, Sunday school)

• Readers interested in saints, church history, and world history

• Parents looking for faith-based chapter books with real stories

Part of the Mini Saints & Missionaries Library, this book brings to life the stories of young men and women who chose courage, truth, and faith—no matter the cost. Click on the series name above to discover more inspiring Catholic saints stories for kids.”

I now suspect that the author, Paddy Bréagnamh, is a pen name, but have yet to confirm that. I can only find these volumes in this series and the previous one on Saint Patrick in several bookstores online. This is the eleventh volume I have read in the series, I read it shortly after it was released, it was one of four released in the middle of 2026.

 The chapters and sections in the volume are:

Introduction

1. Born In Secret Faith

2. A Dangerous Dream

3. Over The Mountains

4. Far From Home

5. The First Korean Priest

6. Faith In Hiding

7. Captured

8. Martyrdom And Sainthood

9. Be Brave Like Andrew

Reflection Questions

Timeline Of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon

Glossary

Activity: Write Your Own Letter Of Encouragement

Author’s Note

Mini Saints & Missionaries Library Series

The dedication in this volume states:

“For everyone who has ever stood at the foot of an impossible mountain. Take the first step anyway.”

This volume is written for young readers, it would be considered an early chapter book. Each chapter has illustrations. The material is well put together. It is a good introduction to this lesser known saint. I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume they are:

“Andrew Kim Taegon was born into a country where faith was a crime. He watched his family pay the price for refusing to give it up. And at fifteen years old, he walked out of Korea with nothing but a wooden cross and a calling that would not let him rest. He crossed mountains. He studied in exile. He received devastating news from home, and kept going. He came back in disguise. He served. He was captured. He died. He was twenty-five years old. But the flame he carried never went out.”

“His father explained: Korea’s rulers were afraid of Christianity. They believed it might weaken the people’s loyalty to their traditions and their king. So the government punished anyone who followed the faith.”

“His father looked at him with steady eyes. “Because truth doesn’t stop being true just because it’s hard,” he said. “We follow Jesus because He is the light. Even in the dark, we carry His flame.””

“He wasn’t just becoming a priest. He was becoming the first Korean-born Catholic priest in history. He thought of the families hiding in the hills back home, huddled in candlelit rooms, waiting for someone to bring them the sacraments. He thought of his mother. He thought of his father.”

“Getting back into Korea was not simple. The borders were still closed. Christianity was still banned. If the government caught him, he would be arrested, or executed. But Andrew had no intention of staying away.”

“As the months passed, word reached the capital: a Korean priest was moving through the countryside, teaching and baptizing and spreading forbidden hope. Soldiers were sent to find him.”

“His voice, witnesses later recalled, was calm and clear: “I am about to die. Those of you who are Christian, know this: I die gladly for God. Do not be afraid. Keep your faith. We will meet again.” He was twenty-five years old.”

“In 1984, Pope John Paul II traveled to Seoul and, standing before a crowd of hundreds of thousands, declared Andrew Kim Taegon a saint, together with 102 fellow Korean martyrs. It was the first canonization ever held on Korean soil.”

“What moves me most are the prison letters. Even at the very end, alone in chains and facing death, his first thought was for the people he had come to serve. He wrote to encourage them. He told them not to be afraid. That is holiness: not perfection, but the willingness to pour out what you have, right until the last.”

“One detail I hope stayed with you: Korea’s Catholic Church was not brought by missionaries. It was built by Koreans who discovered the faith in books and decided, entirely on their own, that it was true. Andrew came from that tradition, a tradition of people who chose truth freely, at great cost. He was the worthy heir of a remarkable inheritance.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. I am well beyond the recommended age for this book and series, being in my mid-50’s; but I still greatly enjoyed the book and the series. In fact the youngest two of my four children are 15 and 18, and they have both read books in this series and enjoyed them as well. This book and series are great read for the young and the young at heart! I would love to see how the author would handle Pier Giorgio Frassati, Charles de Foucauld, John Henry Newman, and many of my other favourite saints. But these books are so go no matter who is profiled next I know I will pick it up.

This latest release in this series is another excellent read. The series keeps getting better and better. It was a fantastic little read in a great series. Pick it up or one of the others and give it a try!  

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books in the Mini Saints & Missionaries Library Series:

From Pirates to Parades: The Story of Saint Patrick and His Day 

Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Boy Who Showed the World Jesus 

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz: The Brave Witness 

Pope Leo XIV: From Chicago to the Vatican: The First American Pope 

Saint Joan of Arc: The Girl Who Heard God's Call 

Venerable Augustus Tolton: Priest of Freedom 

Saint Thomas the Apostle: From Doubt to Devotion

Saint Patrick: The Boy Who Forgave 

Saint Catherine of Bologna: The Artist Saint 

Saint Sebastian: The Soldier Who Wouldn’t Stay Down 

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha: The Girl Who Walked Two Hundred Miles 

Saint Andrew Kim Taegon: The Boy Who Crossed the Mountains 

…

Lives of Women Saints: 52 True Stories of Courage, Faith, and Character 

The Lives of Women Saints Coloring & Activity Book 

The Lives of Women Saints Workbook 

Mini Saints & Missionaries Seven Saints for Boys A First Communion Collection of Courage and Faith 

...

Holy Nurses - Dr. Gosia Brykczynska - CTS Books

Holy Nurses

Dr. Gosia Brykczynska

Catholic Truth Society

ISBN 9781784698522

eISBN 9781784698812

ASIN B0GZ4N5K7R

CTS Booklet B784

This an a companion volume Holy Scientists by Fr Douglas McGonagle were announced at the same time. I immediately added both of them to my wish list. It was a bit of a wait for the eBook edition but it was so worth it. This is the first volume I have read by Dr. Gosia Brykczynska, and it is her first for the Catholic Truth Society, though another volume released recently The Real Midwife of Auschwitz: The Life of Stanisława Leszczyńska. But I believe she has three other books available.

Over the last several years, I have read many books from the Catholic Truth Society, in fact over 460 of them as of the reading of this volume; many read more than once; this all since the spring of 2018. Most were good reads; some were great reads; and a few are exceptional. And this was an excellent little volume.

The description of this volume is:

“Holy Nurses tells the remarkable stories of nine modern women whose faith led them to become qualified nurses and to offer their expert care to people experiencing tremendous suffering through infirmity, sickness or war and conflict.

The first in a new CTS series focusing on saints and blesseds and other holy people who found their vocation in a secular profession, Holy Nurses tells the remarkable stories of nine modern women whose faith led them to become qualified nurses and to offer their expert care to people experiencing tremendous suffering through infirmity, sickness or war and conflict. Some women plied their skills with quiet, simple devotion, but in some dramatic cases, the Catholic nurses accepted danger, injury, assault, and even death in order to practice their skills where they were most needed. 

Dr Gosia Brykczyńska, herself a nurse, teacher of nurses, and the current European President of CICIAMS (International Association of Catholic Nurses), tells these remarkable stories in a way that highlights the vocational aspects of the nursing profession and the virtues of the holy nurses for whom nursing was a road to Christ.”

The chapters and sections in the book are:

The Mystery of Holiness

Bl. Maria Pilar Gullon Yturriaga 1911-1936, Bl. Octavia Iglesias Blanco 1894-1936 and Bl. Olga Pérez-Monteserín Nuñez 1913-1936 Red Cross Nursing Auxiliary Volunteers

Bl. Sr Restituta Kafka 1894-1943 A Resolute Anti-Fascist Religious

Bl. Sr Mary Euthymia Üffing 1914-1955 A Gentle Nurse

Bl. Sr Zdenka Schelingová 1916-1955 A Victim of Communism

St Elizabeth Hesselblad 1870-1957 Restorer of the Bridgettine Order

Bl. Hanna Chrzanowska 1902-1973 Founder of Parish Nursing

Bl. Leonella Sgorbati 1940-2006 Consolata Missionary Martyr

Further Reading

Further General Resources

About the author we are informed:

“Dr Gosia Brykczyńska is a bilingual humanities graduate, who wrote her dissertation on leprosy in Siberia. She was the Royal College of Nursing representative on the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Ethics Advisory Committee. She is currently the European President of CICIAMS (International Association of Catholic Nurses). She is a Consecrated Virgin in the Diocese of Westminster.”

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, some of them are:

“We know from St Jerome in the 4th century that St Fabiola, his contemporary and friend, set up a hospital in Rome in order to better look after ill and diseased patients. Thereafter, nursing care of the sick became a recognised act of mercy.”

“Though lazar houses for people with leprosy were efficiently run by various nursing religious from the tenth century onwards, mental illness and psychiatric disorders were not recognised as requiring any mean-ingful intervention until relatively recently. Thankfully, holy men of compassionate vision, like St John of God (1495-1550) in Granada, Spain and St Camillus (1550-1614) in Italy, did set up care for those with psychiatric disorders.”

“Wherever there was pain, distress and infirmity religious nursing orders attempted to alleviate the suffering, following the Gospel example of the Good Samaritan, though the modern nursing profession dates from only the second half of the nineteenth century.”

“We are all called to holiness–indeed if we are to get to heaven and see the face of God we need to be holy.”

“The formal recognition of holiness by the Church is a bottom up process. It is the ordinary Christian who, recognising holiness in the other, petitions the Church to officially confirm this God-given grace.”

“The Church does not “make” saints–it merely affirms the wishes of the people and the evident “wish” of God; the latter is manifested by approved miracles and graces attributed to the holy person.”

“In this short booklet, nine different individuals have been selected to demonstrate the mystery of holiness as lived and experienced by very ordinary women who worked as nurses. They all died within the last one hundred years and attended a school of nursing or a period of nurse training or in one case undertook an approved Red Cross short nursing course.”

“The nurses included in this volume were normal women who did their nursing work in an extra-ordinary way, seeing Christ in their patients and bringing Christ to their patients.”

“These three women had volunteered to care for wounded soldiers, but paid with their lives for being true to their faith and to their Christian principles. María Pilar Gullón Yturriaga was twenty five years old, Olga Pérez-Monteserín Núñez was twenty three years old and Octavia Iglesias Blanco was forty one years old when they were killed in 1936.”

“Sr Restituta, a surgical nurse, is one of several people to be recognised by the Church as having lived their Christian lives to a heroic degree and having died for their faith during the atrocities of the Second World War as victims of the Nazi regime.”

“She was tried and formally sentenced to death, the only religious sister in Greater Germany to be formally sentenced to death by a Nazi court. In all she was to spend a year in prison, with five months on death row. She was executed at the express orders of Hitler’s secretary Martin Bormann who wished to make an example of her and frighten any would be conspirators.”

“Bl. Sr Restituta wrote from prison, ‘no matter what is taken from us, no one can take from us the faith we have in our heart. In this way we can build an altar in our own heart.’ Sr Restituta’s body was never released by the Nazi executioners and has never been recovered.”

“Such was the case with Sr Euthymia, a dedicated nursing sister, who, in spite of being an excellent nurse and really enjoying the work, was nonetheless asked by her superiors to leave her nursing duties behind and take up work in the hospital laundry.”

“It was this childlike but quite heroic surrender to God which was to cost her all that she had to give–her life–and which was to characterise her spirituality. Her road of quiet obscurity, so complete that only God’s love shone through it, was to be her chosen way to heaven. In this way it was reminiscent of the Little Way spirituality of St Thérèse of Lisieux.”

“Sr Zdenka is the first Slovakian religious sister to be beatified. Pope St John Paul II said during her beatification ceremony in Bratislava in 2003 that she was a radiant example, ‘of faithfulness in times of harsh and ruthless religious persecution.’ Sr Zdenka, a young Slovakian nursing sister, was one of the first Slovakian martyrs of the Communist era.”

“There is a saying that once a nurse always a nurse; and it is reassuring that God used Elizabeth’s many talents for His own purposes in order to accomplish His other heavenly plans.”

“These lay Catholic individuals found their vocation and purpose in life working as professional nurses. Bl. Hanna is the first such lay, registered nurse to be beatified.”

“In 1957, due to her anti-communist and clearly Catholic approach to life, she was dismissed from her nurse-teacher’s post and given the position of director of the Psychiatric School of Nursing in Kobierzyn outside Kraków.”

“Kenya, while she was still regional superior, she commented on the news about the Trappist martyrs of Algiers that, ‘Martyrdom, the ordinary one of every day, is part of our life. The martyrdom, with the shedding of blood, only if God will ask it of us.’ When God does ask us, it is always as an intimate personal invitation and He waits patiently for our freely given response.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this excellent volume. This volume is a fairly easy read, anyone with a secondary education could easily work through it. It does an excellent job of introducing us to these 9 women of faith who all served as nurses, and some of whom paid the ultimate price for their faith. The section at the end Further Reading with resources gives as at least 2 resources for each of them and a mix of Books, articles and online resources. 

This book is a great read. I am thankful for the work that the CTS does, and for their effort to stay up to date on eBook editions. With my dual form of dyslexia and my son having eye tracking issues I consider them essential, especially with adaptive technology. I am thankful for this volume, for another by Dr. Brykczynska that is available from the CTS, and for this being the first volume in a new series. I hope we are blessed with many more volumes in this series. This is a great read I can easily recommend! 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books by Dr. Gosia Brykczynska:

A Franciscan Odyssey: Autobiography of WW II Prisoner, Soldier, Priest and Foster Parent

Ethical and Philosophical Aspects of Nursing Children and Young People

Holy Nurses

Memoir Blessed Hanna Chrzanowska

The Real Midwife of Auschwitz: The Life of Stanisława Leszczyńska

..