Memoirs Saints

In Breaking van Gogh, James Grundvig investigates the history and authenticity of van Gogh's iconic Wheat Field with Cypresses. Relying on a vast array of techniques from the study of the painter's biography and personal correspondence to the examination of the painting's style and technical characteristics, Grundvig proves that the "most expensive purchase" housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is a fake.

Whether it is pastoral care for the bereaved, discussions about the afterlife, or being called out to perform the last rites, death is part of the Reverend Richard Coles's life and work. But when his partner, the Reverend David Coles, died, shortly before Christmas in 2019, much about death took Coles by surprise. For one thing, David's death at the early age of 43 was unexpected. The man that so often assists others to examine life's moral questions now found himself in need of help. He began to look to others for guidance to steer him through his grief.

Louis de Rouvroy, Duke of Saint-Simon (1675-1755) provides the world with unparalleled insight both into the rule of France's Sun King, Louis XIV, and the tantalizing intrigues of the monarch's inner circle. Saint-Simon notes in his Memoirs that it was his love of reading - and of history in particular - that sparked his interest in recording his own observations. The length and breadth of his notes were undoubtedly made the more possible because he kept his writings secret.

In 1929, nearly 400 years after the deaths of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, G.K. Chesterton observed in words equally attributable to Fisher, “Blessed Thomas More is more important at this moment than at any moment since his death, even perhaps the great moment of his dying; but he is not quite so important as he will be in a hundred years.” Robert J. Conrad, Jr. anticipates Chesterton’s 100-year mark in a collection of stories from the lives of More and Fisher, demonstrating how their sanctity and integrity carried them and those who loved them through tumultuous times.

One part biography, one part prayer book, The Life and Prayers of Saint Padre Pio is an essential for any Christian. The foundation for Padre Pio's work in the world was love. His love of God became intertwined with his love of humanity so that the two became inseparable and unwavering. Padre Pio is notable not for his erudition or even his teachings, per se, but for the man he was and the intercessor he continues to be. Pio gave himself to Christ as a spiritual victim for the souls of sinners.

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.

Paray le Monial is a beautiful, quiet town nestled in the center of France. But the power that emanates from this town is pure Holy Spirit. You can still feel the presence of our Lord Jesus. For, it is here that our Lord appeared to a nun over a period of 17 years. He brought his faithful message of love to an unfaithful people who had grown cold. Here, he, once again, spoke of that tremendous love of his to become man and suffer death - even death on the cross.

In Father Michael McGivney (1852-1890), born and raised in a Connecticut factory town, the modern era's ideal of the priesthood hit its zenith. The son of Irish immigrants, he was a man to whom "family values" represented more than mere rhetoric. And he left a legacy of hope still celebrated around the world.

Parmi les grandes figures du moyen âge, il en est peu dont létude soit plus propre que celle de saint Bernard à dissiper certains préjugés chers à lesprit moderne. Quy a-t-il, en effet, de plus déconcertant pour celui-ci que de voir un pur contemplatif, qui a toujours voulu être et demeurer tel, appelé à jouer un rôle prépondérant dans la conduite des affaires de lÉglise et de lÉtat, et réussissant souvent là où avait échoué toute la prudence des politiques et des diplomates de profession?

Santa Evita no es sólo una de las grandes novelas argentinas, sino el relato del episodio más inconcebible y macabro de la vida política nacional. Con las herramientas de la investigación periodística y la prosa de la ficción, Tomás Eloy Martínez persigue y cuenta a través de una galería de personajes extraordinarios el desquiciado calvario del cuerpo embalsamado de Eva Perón, al tiempo que revive los matices más desconocidos de la mujer que signó -incluso desde la muerte - el destino de un país.

St. Benedict was not interested in fame, power, or legacy. He was only interested in living the Christian life to the fullest and helping those around him do the same. The rest is history - and the work of Providence. Not only consecrated religious, but also many lay people, find inspiration in his call to balance, discipline, and prayer. Historically, St. Benedict helped bridge the early Church with the medieval period by standing on the shoulders of the fathers of the monastic tradition.

The Confessions, an autobiography by Saint Augustine of Hippo, has become one of the most important texts in Christian literature. It is also considered to be one of the first Western autobiographies ever written. It continues to influence modern society with its striking honesty and timeless Christian themes of faith, identity, and truth. This perennial classic is a collection of 13 books detailing St. Augustine’s journey to self-knowledge and his life as a follower of Christ.

Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer, a devoted husband and father, and a devout Catholic, was executed in 1943 as a result of his refusal to serve in the Nazi army. Before taking this stand Jägerstätter consulted both his pastor and his local bishop, who instructed him to do his duty to the fatherland and to obey the law, an instruction that violated his conscience.

In Saint behind Enemy Lines, Olga Kovarova Campora shares her experiences growing up, her first contact with Czech Latter-day Saints, her eventual conversion, and her experiences as a member of the Church today. She also describes that poignant moment when the Velvet Revolution officially brought a new life of hope and freedom to her homeland in 1989.

Saint Alphonsus Ligouri begins a life in the courts of law. His father had him trained to become a lawyer. By the time he was 16 years old, he was so proficient in his studies, he received a degree of Doctor of Laws. And this came about in spite of the fact that the required age to receive such a degree was no younger than 20 years of age. Although his father's focus was to groom him for the world, his mother, who was highly spiritual, was the loving instrument who would prepare him for a future life as Jesus and Mary's troubadour.

Volume I introduces the French history enthusiast to the author's beginnings, the king's unrelenting desire to establish his illegitimate children, his meddling in the lives of his court, and his successes and reverses on the battlefield.

Are you curious how a clinically depressed teacher, who coached wrestling, transformed a group of forgotten teenagers into champions? After being discharged from a psychiatric care unit, on anti-depressants, and with no job prospects, a lost man from the Pacific Northwest, reluctantly moved to Southern California.

Mitropolit Dimitrij Rostovskij (v miru Daniil Savvich Tuptalo; 1651-1709)russkij cerkovnyj dejatel', episkop Russkoj Cerkvi; duhovnyj pisatel', propovednik. V 1757 godu proslavlen v like svjatyh Pravoslavnoj Rossijskoj Cerkov'ju; pamjat' 21 sentjabrja (po julianskomu kalendarju) i v den' Sobora Sibirskih svjatyh (10 ijunja). Dimitrij Rostovskij proslavilsja kak plodotvornyj cerkovnyj avtor - sostavitel' sbornikov zhitij svjatyh (naibolee izvestnyj, v chetyreh knigah - "Chet'i-Minei").

For centuries, Augustine's writings have moved and fascinated readers. With the keen eye of a writer whose own intellectual analysis won him a Pulitzer Prize, Gary Wills examines this famed fourth-century bishop and seminal thinker whose grounding in classical philosophy informed his interpretation of Christian doctrine. Saint Augustine explores Augustine's thought as well as the everyday man who set pen to parchment. It challenges many misconceptions.

Un jour, sur le chemin, Martin de Tours rencontra un pauvre et partagea avec lui son manteau d'officier. Martin est l'un des saints les plus populaires de France. Mais son existence demeure obscure pour beaucoup. Elle ne se résume trop souvent qu'à cet acte sublime de charité. Or saint Martin eut une influence considérable sur nos origines chrétiennes.