Saint Catherine Laboure of the Miraculous Medal

This is the story of the saint through whom we received the Miraculous Medal. No sacramental since the Rosary has had such an impact on the Church, and none has ever been diffused in such incredible numbers, with many millions of people all over the world wearing the Medal within a few years. Since 1933, when it was exhumed and found miraculously preserved, the body of St. Catherine Labouré (1806-1876) has lain incorrupt at 140, rue du Bac, Paris, in the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, venerated by thousands of pilgrims each year.

Who was this St. Catherine Labouré who during her lifetime chose to remain entirely unknown, except to her confessor, as the visionary of the Miraculous Medal? To answer this question, the author spend ten years in research, studying many documents never before available to her biographers and carrying out his investigation in Paris, Rome and Catherine's own village. What he has produced here is a definitive life of the Saint which is at once highly readable and inspiring.

Emerging from his work is the fact that Catherine Labouré was no accidental saint -- that, to launch the Miraculous Medal devotion, Heave chose its seer well. The reader will come to love St. Catherine Labouré  will see in her a woman of incredible strength and character, of unbelievable constancy, of kindness, humility, obedience and self-effacement.

$16.95

Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church

“Humanity, take a good look at yourself. Inside, you’ve got heaven and earth, and all of creation. You’re a world—everything is hidden in you.” —St. Hildegard of Bingen

She was a Benedictine abbess, artist, composer, dietician, naturalist, poet, traveling preacher, mystic, and political consultant. Meet the incomparable St. Hildegard of Bingen, recently proclaimed a “Doctor of the Church.” Nourishing, challenging, and idea-bursting, her writings will stir and awaken your soul.

This essential reader captures the vibrant spirit and intelligence of Hildegard with selections from her songs, theological texts, liturgical music, and letters. Combined with an introduction to St. Hildegard’s life and era, a map of her Germany, a chronology of her life, and a thorough bibliography/discography, St. Hildegard of Bingen is the ideal doorway into this fascinating medieval mystic.

$16.99

Saint Gianna Molla: Wife, Mother, Doctor

This is the inspiring story of a newly canonized contemporary woman. Gianna Molla (1923-1962) risked her life in order to save her unborn child. Diagnosed with uterine tumors during her fourth pregnancy, she refused a hysterectomy that would have aborted the child, and opted for a riskier surgery in an attempt to save the baby. Herself a medical doctor, Molla did give birth to the child, but succumbed to an infection.

An Italian woman who loved skiing, playing piano, attending concerts at the Milan Conservatory, Molla was a dedicated physician and devoted wife and mother who lived life to the fullest, yet generously risked death by cancer for the sake of her child.

A unique story, co-authored by her own husband, with his deeply moving personal insights of the heroic witness, love, sacrifice and joy of his saintly wife. A woman for all times and walks of life, this moving account of the multi-faceted, selfless St. Gianna Molla, who made the ultimate sacrifice to save her unborn child, will be an inspiration to all readers.

$11.95

Lily of the Mohawks: The Story of St. Kateri

Even before Kateri Tekakwitha’s canonization on October 21, 2012, many had been inspired by the story of the young Native American mystic who lived in the Mohawk Valley during the seventeenth century. With Emily Cavins's skill for weaving together historical facts and a compelling story, readers will discover Kateri’s path to sainthood against the backdrop of her life as a Native American in New York. These pages will reveal:

• What led to Kateri’s desire to become a Christian
• Her piety and self-denial in the face of persecution and illness
• Her impact on the Catholic Mohawk community
• The long road to sainthood, including two miracles attributed to Kateri

More than just a compelling story of Kateri’s short life, readers will also learn how to avail themselves of Kateri’s intercession, why Kateri has become known as the patron saint of the environment, and of her connection to St. Francis of Assisi.

$14.99

St. Rose of Lima : Patroness of the Americas

St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617), Patroness of the Americas, is the first canonized saint of the New World. She was the tenth of thirteen children, and her mother experienced no pain at her birth. Though exquisitely beautiful (hence her nickname, Rose), she refused to marry, and while helping support her family by needlework and growing flowers, she practiced heroic charity and lived as a Dominican Tertiary in her parents home. Rose tenderly cared for the sick, even those with repulsive wounds, and she often obtained miraculous cures for people from the Child Jesus. On other occasions, she worked miracles in order to feed the members of her family, and became known as Mother of the Poor. Rose continually prayed and offered her sufferings for the conversion of the idolatrous Incas. In the year 1615, through her prayers, the Blessed Sacrament and the people of Lima were spared attack by savage pirates. St. Rose was a friend and confidant of St. Martin de Porres, who lived in the same city. Her mystical experiences caused an ecclesiastical inquiry. Though dead at only 31, St. Roses love of God was so intense that she was recognized as a saint in her own time and was canonized by the Church just 54 years later, in 1671. St. Rose of Lima has captured the imagination of the world and stands as one of the most popular saints in the history of the Church.

$19.95

Bakhita: From Slave to Saint

When she was about nine years old, Josephine Bakhita was kidnapped near Darfur, Sudan, by Arab slave traders. For several years she was subjected to brutal and humiliating treatment until she was ransomed and taken to Venice, Italy, where she became a Catholic and a nun.

Joyfully and serenely Bakhita served in a convent, school and infirmary run by Canossian sisters in a small, obscure town in northern Italy until her death in 1947. Then something even more remarkable than her redemption happened.

Hundreds of ordinary people came to see Bakhita lying in state, and along with these visits came stories about how the simple nun had given comfort, advice and encouragement as she went about her tasks as cook, doorkeeper, nurse, etc. Almost immediately graces and miracles attributed to Bakhita's intercession began to be reported.

Ever since, the place where Bakhita died and the wonders began has been a shrine visited by people from all over the world. They come to seek the intercession of one who was no stranger to loss and suffering and yet had given herself with complete confidence to the Lord. It is here, in this sparsely furnished room, where Italian journalist Roberto Italo Zanini begins his story of Bakhita and her journey from slavery to sainthood.

Based on Bakhita's autobiography, which she dictated to a Canossian sister in obedience to her superior, the canonization files and many other sources, Zanini records the life, virtues and miracles of this daughter of Africa who has become a sister to the whole world.

$16.95

New Daily Devotionals!

Mother Teresa is known for her radiant smile and the joy of Christ that she brought to all she met, even in the most challenging circumstances. These daily stories and meditations in her own words point to the secret of living in that joy: simplicity, humble surrender to Jesus, thankfulness, and, above all, a heart filled with God s love. These keys will unlock the gift of joy in every thirsting heart. $12.99

For Catholics, the saints are arguably our best role models for holy living. In this page-a-day book for women, Melanie Rigney gives us a wellspring of interesting and diverse female saints who aptly show the way to be better disciples of Christ. Through their lives and experiences, we find examples of how to meet the challenges of daily life, be strengthened in our faith, and, in the process, become the people God created us to be. You ll meet saints who may be familiar to you, such as Teresa of Avila, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Monica, Lucy, Agnes, and Katharine Drexel. With them, there are others less familiar, and many whom you will not have known before: Cunegund, Mechtildis of Edelstetten, Hildegard, Mary Magdalen Postel, Rose of Viterbo, Anna Pak A-gi of Korea, and Mary Faustina Kowalska. $15.99

Books for Women

Pat Gohn draws on decades of women’s ministry experience, her popular Catholic women’s podcast Among Women, and her own story as a wife and mother, proclaiming the Church’s compelling vision of every woman: you have dignity (blessed), you are gifted (beautiful), and you have a mission (bodacious).

The lively and unforgettable Gohn guides readers through moments of her life that have shaped her identity and understanding of womanhood—abiding love and talent for music, breast cancer in her thirties, and coming to understand true feminism in light of Church teaching and Mary’s example. More than a mere memoir, Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood offers readers insight into the writings of Blessed John Paul II, which articulate four gifts unique to every woman: generosity, receptivity, sensitivity, and maternity. With humor, faith, and the open-hearted tone of a trusted mentor, Gohn shares how she became empowered to embrace her blessings, beauty, and bodaciousness, and how readers can do the same. $14.95

Wrapped Up: God's Ten Gifts for Women offers a healthy alternative to the false messages women hear today. Each chapter focuses on a different gift a woman is meant to discover and unwrap, ultimately leading to peace and fulfillment. Cheryl draws from her extensive knowledge of Old Testament women to unveil life lessons found in the rich history of our faith, and Teresa uses her media expertise to reveal how to counter the cultural messages that inundate women today. Together, the authors provide a timeless and timely look at God's life-giving gifts. $15.99

Ruth's generosity, Anna's faith, Abigail's pure and upright conscience, the fortitude of the mother of Maccabees: These are some of the virtues and lessons we can learn from the women of the Old Testament and apply to our daily life. Author Pía Septién tells us eleven stories about women of the Old Testament and presents them as material for personal spiritual reflection. Every chapter offers the biblical story narrated in prose, quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and reflection and discussion questions. As a Bible study, this book offers you a new focus that will strengthen your faith and improve your life. Women of the Old Testament include: Ruth Shiphrah and Puah Miriam Abigail Hagar Leah Michal Hannah. $8.95

Author Stacy Mitch's background in college campus evangelization comes through loud and clear in this biblically rich and eminently practical study. Courageous Love takes seriously the fact that everyone is called to holiness, and offers sound, spiritual guidance to women of all ages and backgrounds. $9.95