St. Maria Goretti was only a child when she died a martyr’s death. Yet today, she inspires millions who find in her a perfect model of purity and holiness. Read here about her great holiness in the midst of tremendous suffering , how she died at the hands of a vicious murderer who tried to defile her purity, and how she visited this very same murderer years later in his jail cell to forgive him. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby examines the life of this little saint as he reflects on the Beatitudes and how she, along with her family, lived them each day. In a world where purity is corrupted in the darkness of the night and mercy is abandoned in the name of vengeance, let us turn to St. Maria Goretti and see her as the dawn of a new day, where the light of Christ shines on each of us and guides us into His Kingdom.

The beautiful, true story of the 12-year-old girl who in 1902 died a martyr to preserve her purity. Describes her virtuous life, poverty, holiness, valiant resistance, heroic and lingering death, conversion of her murderer and canonization in 1950 with her mother, her murderer and over 500,000 present. This is the famous, popular, classic biography! This is a good book to read to children, so they have someone worthwhile to imitate. By having Maria put before them as a model, they will learn to appreciate the virtue of purity. For a child to imitate the saints, he or she must first love them -- which in turn requires knowing them. Get your children acquainted with one of the greatest saints of the twentieth century!

“Maria Goretti, now a Saint, was my good Angel, sent to me through Providence to guide and save me. I still have impressed upon my heart her words of rebuke and pardon. She prayed for me, she interceded for her murderer.” — Alessandro Serenelli Many people are familiar with the story of Saint Maria Goretti and her grisly murder at the age of eleven. On her deathbed, she said of her killer, “I forgive him, and I want him to be with me in heaven.” But how did her incredible forgiveness affect her murderer? While it took years, Maria’s offer of mercy eventually transformed Alessandro’s life. Alessandro’s story has never been fully told — until now. Alessandro Serenelli: A Story of Forgiveness is a captivating story of mercy and forgiveness, both given and accepted. Learn about Alessandro’s difficult childhood, the murder of Maria, his prison sentence, his conversion as a result of Maria’s intercession, and the final years of his life with a Capuchin community. Through his life story, you’ll gain a new understanding of the nature of repentance and of God’s patience and unfailing love.

Saint Joseph lived his life hidden in the Divine Light of the Sacred Mysteries. He was a living prayer of faith, trust, and dedication. Understand more clearly the great humility of dear Saint Joseph, who was constantly aware of the goodness of God and the nothingness of himself, in this beautiful account of his life, as revealed by Jesus to Sister Maria Cecilia Baij in 1736.

Catholic social teaching has explosive power for changing not just individuals, but whole societies. And it's the saints who light the fuse. - Brandon Vogt The value of human life. The call to family and community. Serving the poor. The rights of workers. Care for creation. The church has always taught certain undeniable truths that can and should affect our society. But over the years, these teachings have been distorted, misunderstood, and forgotten. With the help of fourteen saints, it's time we reclaim Catholic social teaching and rediscover it through the lives of those who best lived it out. Follow in the saints' footsteps, learn from their example, and become the spark of authentic social justice that sets the world on fire. Learn from heroes like: Bl. Teresa of Calcutta St. Peter Claver St. Frances of Rome St. Roque Gonzalez Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati St. Damien of Molokai St. John Paul II Goodreads Review for Saints and Social Justice Reviews from Goodreads.com

These unedited letters of Teresa of Avila to her friends offer a rare window from which to gaze upon the Saint's genuine witness and pragmatic advice on pursuing an intimate friendship with God.