Encounter New Devotions and Saintly Friends

 

In Encountering Signs of Faith: An Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints, and the Abundant Grace of God, Allison Gingras shares her personal story of learning about various Catholic devotions, sacramentals, and saints as she reverted to her Catholic faith, discerned adopting a deaf young girl from China, and then travelled the road of bonding with her daughter and attempting to teach her about Catholicism when there was a challenging language barrier.

As an adoptive mother myself, I can testify to the fact that adoption is not always rainbows and sunshine. Adoption trauma is real. I can’t even imagine having the added challenges of an international adoption and adopting a child who is deaf. Yet, Gingras was truly called to this road by God. Her story of the signs that led her to her daughter, appropriately named Faith, is powerful. She is honest about her need to overcome her own fears, which could only be accomplished with God’s help.

Some of the sacramentals, devotions, and saints Gingras introduces readers to include St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal, St. Faustina Kowalska and Divine Mercy, St. Padre Pio and relics, St. Therese and novenas, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Venerable Patrick Peyton and the Rosary, St. Juan Diego and sacred images, St. Bernadette Soubirous and holy water, and St. Gemma Galgani and religious medals. While readers may be familiar with some of these, it is always good to learn something new about them! For me, I was happy to learn more about St. Gemma Galgani who I knew little about.

Reading this book is like sitting down with a friend who is chatting about her faith journey. Gingras is humble about her own faith, parenting challenges, and human shortcomings. She is someone readers can relate to. One need not be an adoptive parent to appreciate Encountering Signs of Faith. As Gingras points out in the introduction, we all have an adoption story because we all have been adopted by God.

Gingras includes Scripture, reflection questions, and activities to allow for further faith development. While it is wonderful for individuals, it would also be a great selection for a Catholic women’s book club. 

 

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking on a link help support this site. Thank you!