Saint Biography

In this Christian Encounter Series biography, author Jonathan Rogers explores the life of Saint Patrick: slave, shepherd, and courageous missionary.

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873 - 1897) is one of the most popular saints in modern times. What makes her life so outstanding and such an inspiration to so many people? She had no sustained spiritual visions, unlike St. Bernadette of Soubirous before her or the three children of Fátima after her. She had no stigmata, was not a martyr, was not a teacher during her lifetime, and did not start a religious order.

Ex-priest Stephen H. Donnelly’s memoir, A Saint and a Sinner, is an immersive experience into the world of a Catholic priest and a brutally honest account of Stephen’s journey of sinfulness. At age 42, Stephen was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. As he stood before God, the bishop, and the congregation, he made promises he struggled to keep. Three years into his priesthood, he descended into a world of cocaine and alcohol abuse.

Christmas is the most important holiday of the year. After the corresponding days that exalt the national pride of each country, such as Independence Day in the US, Victory Day in Russia, or Bastille Day in France, it's December 25 that articulates the life, the work, and the economy in much of the world, including many non-Christian countries. Since ancient times, the beginning of winter has been the occasion for most people to eat, drink, dance, and get together to beat the drum and take a break.

As “Mormon royalty” within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Martha Beck was raised in a home frequented by the Church’s high elders—known as the apostles—and her existence was framed by their strict code of conduct. Wearing her sacred garments, she married in a secret temple ceremony—but only after two Mormon leaders ascertained that her “past contained no flirtation with serious sins, such as committing murder or drinking coffee.” She went to church faithfully with the other brothers and sisters of her ward.

While the 20th century was often a time of turbulence, selfishness, godlessness, and violence, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a witness to love. She was a clear reminder of the goodness within human nature and the beauty of being truly open to God. "Mother" was her religious title, but as she ascended to the world stage, it became her role for the world - to be like a mother to all, no matter their origins. She was accepting and welcoming towards all people, not only towards the good or the like-minded. She continues to serve as an inspiration to people of all walks of life.

In 1384, a poor and illiterate peasant woman named Ermine moved to the city of Reims with her elderly husband. Her era was troubled by war, plague, and schism within the Catholic Church, and Ermine could easily have slipped unobserved through the cracks of history. After the loss of her husband, however, things took a remarkable but frightening turn. For the last 10 months of her life, Ermine was tormented by nightly visions of angels and demons.

Although he was born in what was considered the backwaters of the Roman Empire, Saint Augustine of Hippo has long been renowned for his early religious and philosophical thought. He has been called a doctor of the Church for his unrivaled ability of patching up even the most complex of theological questions. He tackled such things as the condition of the soul and the omnipotence of God. During the course of his tenure as bishop of the North-African city of Hippo, Augustine often gained as many critics as he did followers.

The gripping true story of Tina Soctoy, held captive as a young girl as part of a Secret Russian Military plot to develop brutal child warriors, continues in Devil Cries Stones. “I've ended up in another world, and this world is becoming mine forever. Resting against the wide, dark-blue door frame, I look at the clay surface of the ground, covered with pebbles near the staircase. I’m becoming unafraid. A strange feeling crops up, of entering into another life. My parents are far, far away from me now. I don’t even know what they’re like, they’re that far away. My memory can no ...

Among all the various figures in 19th century America who left controversial legacies, it is hard to find one as influential as Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormonism, and the Latter-Day Saint movement. Revered as a prophet on the level of Moses by some, reviled as a perpetrator of large-scale fraud by others, what everyone can agree on is that Joseph Smith founded a religious movement that played a crucial role in the settlement of the West, especially in Utah.

Always a Song is a collection of stories from singer and songwriter Ellen Harper - folk matriarch and mother to the Grammy-winning musician Ben Harper. Harper shares vivid memories of growing up in Los Angeles through the 1960s among famous and small-town musicians, raising Ben, and the historic Folk Music Center. This beautifully written memoir includes stories of Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, The New Lost City Ramblers, Doc Watson, and many more.

In the 17th century, within the quiet stone walls of a Franciscan convent in Ágreda, Spain, an extraordinary story unfolded. María de Jesús de Ágreda, known to history as The Lady in Blue, was no ordinary nun. While bound to the cloistered life of prayer and contemplation, María’s spirit was anything but confined. She possessed a miraculous gift—bilocation—the ability to be in two places at once. Guided by the mysterious angel Azul, María’s spiritual journey took her far beyond the convent walls. From the quietude of her cell, she found herself transported across the vast ...

St. Therese of Lisieux, largely unknown when she died in a Carmelite convent at the age of 24, became, through her posthumously published autobiography, one of the world's most influential religious figures. No less a luminary than Andre Gide modeled one of his characters after her in his novel Strait is the Gate.

In C. S. Lewis and the Catholic Church, Joseph Pearce delves into Lewis's life, writings, and spiritual influences to shed light on the matter. Although C. S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity was greatly influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien, a Catholic, and although Lewis embraced many distinctively Catholic teachings, such as purgatory and the sacrament of Confession, he never formally entered the Church.

Sacerdote español fundador en 1928 del Opus Dei y santo de la Iglesia Católica, es conocido como Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás, y fue beatificado por Juan Pablo II el 17 de mayo de 1992 y canonizado el 6 de octubre de 2002. Su "obra", reverenciada por unos y criticada por otros, cuenta ya con cientos de miles de miembros hombres y mujeres en todo el mundo. ¡Conozca su magna labor junto con nosotros!

This long-awaited translation of Confessions, which Stephen Greenblatt describes as central to the legacy of Adam and Eve, enlivens the beguiling world of late antiquity. No modern, well-versed literature lover can call her education complete without having listened to Augustine’s Confessions. One of the most original works of world literature, it is the first autobiography ever written, influencing writers from Montaigne to Rousseau, Virginia Woolf to Gertrude Stein.

Neymar The Wizard is the fascinating coming of age story of Neymar Junior, the skinny kid from Mogi Das Cruz in Brazil, who has been called the next Pele'. Neymar has taken Brazil and the world by storm and continues to inspire millions around the world with his talent, his open heart, and his engaging smile. Following the international bestsellers, The Flea - The Amazing Story of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - The Rise of a Winner by Michael Part, Neymar The Wizard is a heartwarming and emotional story about a father and son who, against all odds, made the journey from the verge of ...

St. Teresa stands among the greatest of the mystics. It was her pursuit of Christ, not her pursuit of visions, that set her apart as one of the most notable saints in the history of Christendom. It is her dedication to her Lord, her bridegroom, not her experiences, that render her worthy of imitation.

Pope St. John Paul II was known for many things. In his youth, he had a passion for the theater. He eventually became one of the most charismatic and influential bishops in the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals. During his long pontificate, he was one of the most beloved, but also most controversial, people in the world. Still, in order to understand what motivated his life, it is crucial to understand that he was - above all else - a thoroughly devoted and convicted disciple of Jesus Christ.

One part biography, one part prayer book, The Life and Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi is an essential book for any Christian. Saint Francis of Assisi is quite possibly the most popular of all Christian saints. Perhaps it is his adoration for all living things or his unrelenting generosity that has made so many people open their hearts to him.