The Book of Saints: A History of Saints From the Time of Christ to the Present Day by Jo Rose

"God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but what is still more wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners." --Soren Kierkegaard Who are saints? The Catholic Church recognizes more than 10,000 people who were "saintly," but that does not mean "weak." They had lives of sacrifice, hard work, struggle and suffering. Saints often accomplished great things. They took on corrupt governments, battled enriched orthodoxies (occasionally within the Church itself), and fought superstitious ignorance. They healed the sick, baptized the enslaved, and often traveled thousands of miles under the worst conditions imaginable. And they often endured persecution for their positions and beliefs. This book profiles more than 150 saints, chosen for how worthwhile their lives were and how interesting their stories and achievements continue to be. Each is accompanied by a timeline of birth and death, when they were canonized, what their feast day is, who they patronize and other names they may be known as. Read more

From the Publisher A History of Saints From the Time of Christ to the Present Day Explore the lives of more than 150 saints. Accompanying each profile is full-color classic artwork — paintings, mosaics and murals by masters. Apostles, virgins, martyrs, monks, mystics, royalty, and peasants—as varied as the saints are, they share one trait: they all lived lives of heroic virtue in unswerving devotion to their faith.