Catherine de Hueck Doherty (1896-1985), a Russian-born aristocrat who has recently been proposed for canonization, emigrated to North America, dedicated her life to promoting "the gospel without compromise." Her vision combined a deep spirituality with a commitment to social justice. One of her early projects was the Harlem-based Friendship House, which attracted a young Thomas Merton. Later, with her second husband, Eddie Doherty, she established Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario. Though Roman Catholic, Catherine drew on her Russian roots and helped popularize the concept of Poustinia (the Russian word for desert)a place where a person meets God through solitude, prayer, and fasting. These writings, drawn from 25 books, highlight her distinctive spirituality, with its emphasis on the presence of God, the practice of prayer, a love for the church, and a deep apprehension of the social dimension of the gospel.

The Russian word Poustinia means 'desert¿, a place to meet Christ in silence, solitude and prayer. Catherine Doherty combines her insights into the great spiritual traditions of the Russian Church with her very personal experience of life with Christ.

This rich seasonal devotional reads like a sampler of the everyday spirituality of Catherine Doherty--a spiritual giant of the 20th-century who counted Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day among her friends, founded the Madonna House Apostolate, and left extensive writings to her spiritual sons and daughters.

The friendship between Thomas Merton and Catholic social activist Catherine de Hueck Doherty originated when Merton worked at Friendship House in Harlem. This volume of warm, candid correspondence traces nearly three decades of friendship through 31 surviving letters.

Mother of God, Model of Love... A remarkable, reader-friendly book about the Blessed Mother as a continuing presence in the lives of every Christian. Twelve chapters compiled from collected writings, some of them establishing the cultural (Russian) background of Catherine Doherty's Marian devotion, but most of them re-examining how people can experience Mary today. Accented with the author's richand original Marian prayers. "This book presents Mary as the model of love sought by all, one who can truly liberate us from selfishly doing our own thing. Catherine draws a portrait of Mary that makes her unselfish service to the Trinity, her simplicity, integrity, silence and fidelity appealing to all." - Prairie Messenger

From her isolated cabin in rural Ontario, the author reflects on the seasons, the Church, and her place in the world.