Reviews
"We are all called to holiness but it can be difficult to see just where that call fits during the crush of daily responsibilities, obligations, worries, and entertainments. The stories of these normal yet special women remind me just how many ways the call can be heard and answered. They show me how many opportunities to be holy God gives you and me every day." --Beth DeCristofaro, Catholic chaplain, Local author Melanie Rigney believes there's a lot we can learn from the lives of the female saints, well-known or otherwise. That's why she's included these women and hundreds more in a new devotional, Sisterhood of Saints, recently released by Franciscan Media. The 369-page padded hardcover book features short biographies on a different female saint every day of the year, along with lessons we can learn from them, passages from Scripture or their writings, and ideas for how to honor that saint in everyday life. The result is an easy and enjoyable inspirational read that is relatable for women of all ages. The book's page-a-day format was designed with busy women in mind, said Rigney. She hopes each reading will give them something to think about and reflect on throughout the day. Learning about all those saints was life-changing and Rigney said she fell in love with all of them." Now, she hopes readers will be encouraged by the saints and inspired in their own pursuits toward holiness, no matter their state in life. Rigney also hopes the book will help Catholics see saints as real people, with unique personalities and imperfections. When you see an icon or a prayer card with an image of somebody, remember that people are three-dimensional," she said. Maybe they look happy and cheerful and pious in that card, but generally it took some real faith to get there because everybody in their life has struggles."--Katie Bahr, Arlington Catholic Herald, With wisdom, affection, humor, and a lovely economy of words, Melanie Rigney has breathed life into the lives of women saints, thus making Sisterhood of Saints inspirational in the true sense of the word. This is a book to keep close for spiritual sustenance, and then for turning reflection into action. --Meredith Gould, author of The Social Media Gospel: Sharing the Good News in New Ways ., 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. Each day, you'll find: A brief bio of the saint A reflection on how that saint's life applies to our lives today A quote either from Scripture, the saint herself, or a resource about the saint A challenge that echoes a particular highlight of the saint. Some of the women featured in this book are blesseds, but most are saints. All of them will inspire and guide you with their faithful witness to the love of God and a Gospel way of life., Melanie Rigney is a freelance religion writer who also works as a marketing writer for the federal government. She is the coauthor of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , and a contributor to Living Faith magazine and Your Daily Tripod, a Catholic blog. She is a member of the National Council of Catholic Women and the Catholic Writers' Guild, and is active in the Cursillo movement., Local author Melanie Rigney believes there's a lot we can learn from the lives of the female saints, well-known or otherwise. That's why she's included these women and hundreds more in a new devotional, Sisterhood of Saints, recently released by Franciscan Media. The 369-page padded hardcover book features short biographies on a different female saint every day of the year, along with lessons we can learn from them, passages from Scripture or their writings, and ideas for how to honor that saint in everyday life. The result is an easy and enjoyable inspirational read that is relatable for women of all ages. The book's page-a-day format was designed with busy women in mind, said Rigney. She hopes each reading will give them something to think about and reflect on throughout the day. Learning about all those saints was life-changing and Rigney said she "fell in love with all of them." Now, she hopes readers will be encouraged by the saints and inspired in their own pursuits toward holiness, no matter their state in life. Rigney also hopes the book will help Catholics see saints as real people, with unique personalities and imperfections. "When you see an icon or a prayer card with an image of somebody, remember that people are three-dimensional," she said. "Maybe they look happy and cheerful and pious in that card, but generally it took some real faith to get there because everybody in their life has struggles."--Katie Bahr, Arlington Catholic Herald, Sometimes reading about saints can be discouraging: I can't leave my family to go and do something heroic. I can't be silent and contemplative for three hours a day (three minutes is a challenge most days). But Rigney has found such a breadth of role models, and has pulled such modern, relevant lessons from their examples, that I couldn't wait to reach for this book every day and make a new friend in faith. --Julie Duffy, writer, wife, mother
