Saints - L, M

Saint Marie of the Incarnation
The Story of the First Missionary Sisters in Canada
by Mary Fabyan Windeatt

"It's almost upon us!" yelled a frantic voice aboard the Saint Joseph, as the iceberg neared the ship. The huge mountain of gray-green ice looked like a floating castle which would shatter the poor little wooden ship in a moment or two. Just then the helmsman, confused and panic-stricken, turned his wheel in the wrong direction, bringing the iceberg even nearer!

"It's the end of everything!" groaned the Captain. "God's Will be done," prayed Mother Marie, as the collision loomed closer. If God wished her to drown in the icy Atlantic before ever reaching New France (Canada), His Holy Will be done. Yet perhaps Father Vimont quickly gave general absolution to the passengers and crew. Then he made a hurried vow to the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of the nuns began the Litany of Loreto, and a trembling chorus of voices rose to Heaven: Holy Mary, pray for us! Holy Mother of God, pray for us! Holy Virgin of Virgins, pray for us!

This book tells what happened next. It also tells about the Indian children, the savage Iroquois, and the great fire plus the codfish, the lice and the bear grease! All in all, this is the great story of saintly Mother Marie of the Incarnation and of how the holy Catholic Faith came to Canada.

paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 152 pages

Life of St Malachy of Armagh
by St Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Malachy of Armagh lived in an age of turmoil, yet his life radiated holiness, reform, and unwavering devotion. Composed by his cherished friend, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, this compelling biography chronicles Malachy's extraordinary journey from his humble beginnings in Ireland to his apostolic labours, miracles, and untimely death at Clairvaux.

Within these pages, dear reader, you will encounter:

• Malachy's tireless efforts to restore discipline and true faith in Ireland.
• His miraculous works, including healings, visions, and spiritual warfare.
• His intimate friendship with St. Bernard and his longing for the monastic life.
• The dramatic final days of his pilgrimage, fulfilling his own prophetic vision.

Malachy's life was one of ceaseless labour for the glory of God, a living witness to the transforming power of divine grace, and an invitation for all to renewal and sanctity.

Paperback, size 7" x 5", 200 pages

The Holy Man of Tours
The Life of Venerable Leo Dupont
Apostle of the Holy Face Devotion
by Dorothy Scallan

The life of Venerable Leo Dupont, besides being one of the finest biographies of a saint the reader will likely ever encounter, is also the suspenseful story of the Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus and how it was established—first at Tours, France and then worldwide, as authorized by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. However, before it was approved by the Church, Leo Dupont practiced this devotion privately in his drawing room, where a true likeness of Veronica’s vail was perpetually venerated by a burning lamp, and before which he would pray for hours on end. Soon miracles began to occur by the application of the oil from this perpetual lamp to the afflicted members of sick people and invalids.

The miracles became so numerous that Pope Pius IX declared Leo Dupont to be perhaps the greatest miracle-worker in Church history. People from all over Europe and around the world would write to Monsieur Dupont for a few ounces of this holy oil, often addressing him simply as “The Holy Man of Tours, Tours, France.” The postmen at Tours always knew to whom they meant. Whereas The Golden Arrow: The Autobiography and Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter (1816–1848) contains the actual moving revelations of Our Lord about the powerful Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.

The Holy Man of Tours is in reality the fascinating story of this great devotion, especially of the seemingly insurmountable difficulties encountered in having it officially recognized by the Church. In many respects, The Holy Many of Tours is one of the most moving and best written Catholic books in print today—and is certainly one which will reward the reader far beyond what he might ever possibly anticipate.

Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 280 pages, Impr 1951

The Spear
A Novel of the Crucifixion
by Louis de Wohl

This novel of the last days of Christ ranges from the palaces of Rome to the strife-torn hills of Judea - where the conflict of love and betrayal, revenge and redemption, reaches a climax in the drama of the Crucifixion. For this is the full story of the world's most dramatic execution, as it affected on of its least-known participants - Longinus, the man who hurled his spear into Christ on the Cross.

Among his many successful historical novels, Louis de Wohl considered The Spear the magnum opus of his literary career.

Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 401 pages

The Woman Who Was Magdalen
by Fr Pius Cavanagh, O.P.

"Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memory of her.”—Matthew 26:13

Shrouded in 2,000 years of history, the woman we know as St. Mary Magdalen has been honored by Catholics around the world. But who was she? Few have been so privileged to approach Christ, even in penance, as this glorious saint. It was she who proclaimed the Resurrection to the Apostles after having been the first to the tomb. It was she who stood at the foot of the cross next to the Mother of God, who twice anointed Christ, and sat at His feet.

Noble, rich, and possessing strong personal beauty, charm, and conviction, her story radiates through time. All who read it are illumined while being left with the conviction that here indeed is a woman who has earned the title, “Masterpiece of God’s Grace.”

Her inspiring story unfolds from the first moment of meeting Christ and continues throughout her earthly existence. This account of Mary’s life is a compilation of the writings of many saints, from whose works the author weaves an inspiring story that holds much for the modern reader.

St. Augustine, St. Albert, St. Cyprian, St. Catherine, St. Gregory, Ven. Bede, St. Basil, and St. Bernard are just a few of the monumental saints of history who have written her story and whose words of praise for her are contained herein. They learned that while we as Catholics must offer penance and prayer for past sins and gratitude for blessings, it is not enough to satisfy what God wants of us. The sustaining motivation of our life is the absolute certainty that Christ loves us completely and therefore should be loved to the fullest extent of our abilities in return.

This little volume will assist those looking for the strength and conviction to live a life inspired by Christ’s love and who, like Mary Magdalen, wish to return to Him the endless love Our Lord has for our souls.

Hardcover, size 8.75" x 5.75", 115 pages

The Saint and His Bees
by Dessi Jackson and Illustrated by Claire Brandenburg

When a young monk is assigned the task of tending to the monastery's bees, a unique friendship blooms.

Based on the life of Saint Modomnoc, this beautifully illustrated children's book brings the past alive in its retelling of the history of The Church of the Beekeeper in Ireland.

Hardcover, size 10.25" x 8.25", 28 pages

Blessed Marie Celine of the Presentation
Germaine Castang 1878-1897
by Poor Clares of Rockford, Illinois

Jeanne-Germaine Castang, the future Marie Celine of the Presentation, was born in 1878 in Nojals, France, to an extremely poor family. While her life was one of sorrows and sufferings, Blessed Marie-Celine of the Presentation shows how she bore them all with patience and humility, and above all divine charity. Compiled by the Poor Clares of Rockford, Illinois, this life story of a teenage Beata will move you to tears—of pity and of inspiration.

Contracting poliomyelitis at age four, she lived with a permanent limp. Her mother died when Jeanne-Germaine was young, leaving her to help at the home and care for her brother's tuberculosis—a disease she contracted herself. With her father's business ventures unsuccessful, Jeanne-Germaine had to beg for her food, despite developing a sore on her foot, as the family was sleeping in a barn.

Eventually, Mr. Castang found work as a doorkeeper in another town, where his family went to live with him. Jeanne-Germaine, however, stayed with the Sisters of Nazareth in Nojals, hoping to eventually join her sister at another religious community. She was refused, but managed to make it into the Poor Clares community at Talence in 1896, taking the name Marie-Celine of the Presentation. Her tuberculosis began to take a more severe toll on her, and though she persisted in sublime virtues and piety, her body could handle no more, and she died in 1897 at 19, making her final vows on her deathbed.

Marie Celine of the Presentation was canonized in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. May her courage and immeasurable charity flood our own hearts with pity and move us to imitate her example. Every saint gives a different beautiful insight into our holy Catholic Religion; let this young maiden guide us to perfection, too.

Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 190 pages

The King's Hostage
Saint Margaret of Hungary: A Tale of Vows and Sanctity
by E. Virginia Newell

St. Margaret of Hungary, OP (Margit in Hungarian; January 27, 1242 – January 18, 1270) was a Dominican nun and the daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary and Maria Laskarina. The 8th child of ten, she was the younger sister of St. Kinga of Poland (Kunegunda) and St. Yolanda of Poland and, through her father, the niece of the famed St. Elizabeth of Hungary. She was a member of the illustrious Arpad family who gave many great rulers and saints to the world over 300 years. Among them are the famous King St. Stephen crowned in 1000 AD as well as St. Irene, and two other St. Elizabeths.

Margaret was born during the Mongol invasion of Hungary (1241–42). Her parents vowed that if Hungary was liberated from the Mongols, they would dedicate the child to religion. The three  year old Margaret was entrusted by her parents to the Dominican monastery at Veszprém in 1245. Six years later she was transferred to the Monastery of the Blessed Virgin founded by her parents on Nyulak Szigete (Rabbit Island) near Buda (today Margaret Island, named after her, and a part of Budapest; the ruins of the monastery can still be seen). She spent the rest of her life there, dedicating herself to religion and opposing all attempts of her father to arrange a political marriage for her with King Ottokar II of Bohemia.

She lived in total humility, engaging in the most menial tasks even in the winter when her hands bled from the cold. She constantly fasted and refused nice clothes and royal comforts, remarking that she preferred the odor of sanctity when dead to smelling sweet only when alive. She spent her days in prayer, in devotion to the Eucharist, and caring for the poor, lavishing on them whatever gifts her royal family sent her.

This is her story.

Paperback, size 7" x 5.25", 80 pages, illustrated

Blessed Leonid Feodorov
First Exarch of the Russian Catholic Church
Bridgebuilder Between Rome and Moscow
by Fr Paul Mailleux, S.J.

By the inscrutable designs of divine providence, during the fateful year of 1917, when Our Lady appeared at Fatima, there were two events that also occurred in Russia. The very first Catholic Exarch (a bishop approved by, and under the direct jurisdiction of, the See of Peter) for the Russian Catholic Church was named. He was Blessed Leonid Feodorov. The other event was of course the Revolution, accomplished by Kerensky and Lenin in two stages, that turned over the vast Russian Empire of the Romanovs to a clique of anti-Christian persecutors. Holy Mother Russia (and the whole world) has suffered greatly from this Revolution, and both still suffer from the scars and effects of it.

The message(s) of Fatima, given both in 1917 and in subsequent apparitions to Sr. Lucia dos Santos, show Heaven’s concern with Holy Mother Russia and her errors and her coming conversion. The conversion refers of course to the end of Russia’s first and most fundamental “error”—her separation from the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church under the Vicar of Christ. The holy reunion that the Mother of God desires (and demands) is the perfection of the Orthodox Church of Russia that is to be accomplished by a miracle of Grace resulting from the Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart by the Pope and all of the Bishops in union with Peter.

The erection of the Exarchate by Pope St. Pius X and Pope Benedict XV set the pattern for proper and fruitful reunion of the Orthodox. The holy life of the first Exarch, Blessed Leonid Feodorov (and his only successor Blessed Klymentiy Sheptytskyi, who died in 1951) established the norm that all should look to who pray and work for the successful reunion of the two Churches as Heaven wishes.

The Exarchate has been extinguished since 1951, but we believe that its resurrection is only a matter of time, and that its previous existence, and the life of Blessed Leonid, remain as divine signposts on the path of the most glorious and fruitful reunion that is to come.

Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5" 278 pages

Padre Pro
by Fanchon Royer

Miguel Pro was born in 1891. He was the third of eleven children, four of whom had died as infants or young children. He entered the Jesuit novitiate at El Llano on August 15, 1911, was ordained in 1925, and executed in 1927. In 1952—just 25 years later—his cause came up for beatification and he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988.

At the time of Padre Pro’s death, Mexico was under rule of the fiercely anti-clerical and anti-Catholic President Plutarch Elias Calles who had begun what writer Graham Greene called the “fiercest persecution of religion anywhere since the reign of Elizabeth.” During those years of the Masonic-Communist persecution, the Mexican people rose up in a great war to defend their nation and the rights of the Church and of Christ the King. Their battle-cry was Viva Christo Rey! Blessed Padre Pro’s martyrdom came at the height of the war and it typifies the period of the Cristero rebellion and its heroes. He took no part in the war, but spent his life ministering to the poor and faithful Mexicans.He was one of the earliest combatants of communism and a pioneer “priest worker.” While observing the Mexican miners’ needs as assistant to his father, a mine operator, he first recognized his vocation. After entering the Society of Jesus, and spending time in Belgium and Spain for studies, he fell into the company of priests and seminarians who were preparing the way for the apostolate to the worker. When he returned to Mexico at the height of the anti-Catholic persecution, his was a mission to the laborers and to the poorest Mexicans.

Disguised in overalls or chauffeur’s gear, he made his unwearied rounds bringing the sacraments and succour for body and soul to countless people. Heroic acts of charity and breath-taking escapes were his daily life. With the police ever on his trail, he daily brought solace and material aid to his persecuted compatriots. That this continued for only two years is not surprising: every day of survival during these two years was a miracle.

Fanchón Royer has explored every possible source of information including official records of the Society of Jesus, documents and newspaper files, first-hand memoranda of the Pro family, and Father Pro’s correspondence. Mrs. Royer draws the portrait of an unusual and winning personality whose love of fun, mimicry, music, and poetry never left him during his hazardous and soul searing adventures. Her rich background in Latin-American history and long, intimate acquaintance with the Mexican mind and temperament add greatly to the dramatic power of her narrative.

Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 304 pages

St. Margaret Clitherow
Wife, Mother, Martyr for the Catholic Faith Under Queen Elizabeth I
by Margaret T. Monro

The Pearl of York

The 16th-century persecution of Catholics in England is often overlooked, but under Elizabeth I (an later other English monarchs), Catholics suffered immensely. All told, Elizabeth's reign had the highest use of torture of any English monarch's, and a great many Catholics became martyrs. One of these was Margaret Clitherow, called by her husband "the best and most Catholic wife in all England," and later, by we who venerate her, the "Pearl of York."

Margaret was born into a decently wealthy family in 1556 and married a wealthy butcher of York in 1571. She converted to the Catholic Faith in 1574, and, though her husband was Anglican, he supported her efforts (since his own brother was a priest) by paying her recusant fines (fines for not attending Anglican services). He also allowed her to house priests, sometimes in their own home and sometimes in other quarters. She was imprisoned multiple times for failing to attend Anglican services, and, when it was finally discovered that she was hosting priests and having them read Mass, she was arrested again and sentenced to death, since she would not plead (which would have implicated her children). Though she was pregnant with a fourth child, on March 25, 1586, the Feast of the Annunciation and that year Good Friday, she walked barefoot to the place of her execution. Saying to the sheriff, "I die for the love of my Lord Jesu," she was stripped and laid over a sharp rock. She was then crushed to death by her own door, which was weighed down by stones over fifteen minutes. Her last words should be all of ours: "Jesu! Jesu! Jesu! have mercy on me!" Pope St. Paul VI canonized her in 1970.

Here is a tale of utmost courage, astounding resilience, and magnificent humility, a fascinating story of a heroic wife, mother, and martyr to bring tears to your eyes and repentance to your soul.

Paperback, size 7" x 4.25", 101 pages

The Life of Blessed Margaret of Castello
by Fr William R. Bonniwell, O.P.

Hunchback, midget, blind, lame and ugly. Walled in next to a chapel for 14 years; abandoned by her parents at a shrine, she grew in virtue and fame. Her body remains incorrupt.

One of the most inspiring stories we have ever read!

Paperback, size 8.25" x 5.5", 128 pages

Saint Lydwine of Schiedam
(1380-1433)
by J. K. Huysmans

St. Lydwine was bedridden from age 15, when she broke a rib, endured a lifelong illness which was recognized to be of supernatural origin. Her body became covered with sores and abscesses and virtually came apart into three pieces-symbolically representing the condition of the Church. She ate no food except Holy Communion and experienced many mystical phenomena. An incredible story of one of the most heroic victim souls in the history of the Church. Impr.

Paperback, size 7" x 4.25", 252 pages

Just For Today
A Story of Blessed Marie Leonie PSSF
by Brother Ernest, C.S.C.

Born in 1840 in Canada, Elodia felt called to enter the Marianites of the Holy Cross at the age of 14 and took the name Sister Marie-Leonie. Later she founded a new order, the little Sisters of the Holy Family and they devoted themselves to caring for the household needs of clergy and seminarians.

Level 2

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 96 pages

St. Maria Goretti
In Garments All Red
by Fr Godfrey Poage, C.P.

The beautiful, true story of the 12-year-old girl who in 1902 died a martyr to preserve her purity. Describes her virtuous life, poverty, holiness, valiant resistance, heroic and lingering death, conversion of her murderer and canonization in 1950 with her mother, her murderer and over 500,000 present. This is the famous, popular, classic biography!

This is a good book to read to children, so they have someone worthwhile to imitate. By having Maria put before them as a model, they will learn to appreciate the virtue of purity. For a child to imitate the saints, he or she must first love them -- which in turn requires knowing them. Get your children acquainted with one of the greatest saints of the twentieth century!

Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 90 pages

St Louise De Marillac
Servant of the Poor
by Sr Vincent Regnault, D.C.

Saints often come in pairs or triples; it is remarkable when one meets multiple in his or her life. Such is the case of Saint Louise de Marillac, who was advised by both Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Vincent de Paul. Born in 1591, she was the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy French nobleman. She grew up cared for by Dominican nuns, receiving an excellent education, and, at her father's death when she was 12, learned skills of medicine and management. She became increasingly devout and desired to enter a religious community; however, she was rejected by the Capuchin nuns in Paris. Devastated, her spiritual director at the time consoled her, and her family encouraged her to get married, which she did. Her husband was the young and ambitious secretary to Queen Marie of France, and they had one son. For ten years, Louise persisted in her vocation of marriage, but when she her husband was dying, she found her real calling in pursuing religion. It was then that she was consoled and advised by St. Francis de Sales.
 

After the death of her husband, she took to forming a religious order; her guidance came from St. Vincent de Paul. Together, they came to found a community, the Daughters of Charity. This permanent institution put haphazard works of charity onto a stable footing, forming hospitals, child-care institutions, homes for the aged and infirm, centers for the care of prisoners and those on the battlefield, psychiatric centers, and nursing homes. They were unique and unprecedented in being mobile, unlike other female religious institutions at the time. The secret to her and the Daughters' success was in combining contemplation and activity. She would herself write, "Certainly it is the great secret of the spiritual life to abandon to God all that we love by abandoning ourselves to all that He wills." Indeed, though she was a social worker saint, she had a formidable mystical and meditative sense, which exists in her writings. She died in 1660 and was canonized in 1934.

Take heed from the life of this marvelous saint, a hidden mystic and friend of two stalwart saints. Truly a heroic one among the heavenly court, Saint Louise's life, presented in this biography, will inspire in you a desire to do all you can to serve the Lord your God.

Paperback, size 7" x 4.25", 144 pages

Mary Magdalen
In the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich
by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich was one of the most privileged and gifted mystics in Church history. Throughout much suffering and sacrifice, she received in holy ecstasies miraculous visions of the lives of Our Lord, Our Lady, and the saints.

One of the personages in these visions is, of course, Mary Magdalen, central as she was to much of the Gospel story. She is considered less often than others, yet Blessed Anne Catherine's visions are extremely telling about the significance of this prototype of all penitents, considered by the Church the "apostle to the apostles" (since she announced the Resurrection of Our Lord).

Mary Magdalen in the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich reveals not only the Biblical account of Mary Magdalen's interactions with Our Lord, Lazarus and Mary, and the disciples, but also her early life. Contained in these pages are her fall to sin at the age of 9, her attempts at repentance, and far more than visionary has ever reported of her. Let the visions of the holy mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich guide you to a deep, fruitful relationship with Mary Magdalen, the patron saint of all penitents—and therefore of all of us. Impr.

Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 160 pages

Blessed Miguel Pro
20th-century Mexican Martyr
by Ann Ball


Paperback, size 7" x 4.75", 144 pages

St Laurence & Holy Grail
Story of Holy Chalice of Valencia
by Janice Bennett

Many scholars are convinced that The Holy Chalice of Valencia is the Holy Grail, celebrated in medieval legends as it was venerated by monks in the secluded Monastery of San Juan de la Pena, built into a rocky outcropping of the Spanish Pyrenees. The tradition of Aragon has always insisted that the flaming agate cup of the Holy Chalice was sent to Spain by St. Lawrence of Rome, the glorious Spaniard martyred on a gridiron during the Valerian persecution in Rome in 258 AD.

Now there is new evidence: A sixth-century manuscript written in Latin by St. Donato, an Augustinian monk who founded a monastery in the area of Valencia, provides never-before-published details about Laurence, born in Valencia but destined for Italy, where he became treasurer and deacon of the Catholic Church under Pope Sixtus II. It explicitly mentions the details surrounding the transfer of the Holy Cup of the Last Supper to Spain. Janice Bennett acquaints the reader with the enthralling story of the Holy Chalice, the renowned relic that embarked from the Last Supper on an amazing pilgrimage that providentially ended in the Cathedral of Valencia, a miraculous odyssey that has been characterized by danger, greed, martyrdom and fire.

This is a fascinating and captivating account that will dispel forever the erroneous notion that the famous relic was ever lost. The mythical Quest for the Holy Grail is now over. Includes 20 pages of color illustrations.

Hardcover, size 9.5" x 6.25", 303 pages