#OpenBook for June 2025

 

Welcome to #OpenBook. I'm joining up with Carolyn Astfalk who hosts an #OpenBook Linkup on CatholicMom.com. Here's what I've been reading this past month. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!

5-7-25 The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern - Lynda Cohen Loigman - I delighted in this dual-timeline story set in 1920s and 1987. In both timelines, it tells the story of Augusta Stern and Irving Rivkin. In the 1920s, Augusta was the daughter of the pharmacist at the pharmacy where Irving worked as a delivery boy. Augusta wants to be a pharmacist herself but she also learns about using herbs and natural remedies to heal from her aunt. One of the elixirs her aunt prepares helps clear the mind. It isn't a love potion, but if you love someone, it will help make you realize it. Augusta uses it on Irving, hoping he will realize he loves her, but the results are disastrous. Sixty years later, they meet up again at a retirement community, and a lot of old feelings and complications are brought to the surface. As an added bonus, when I read the author bio at the end of the book, I realized this book was written by a woman who grew up in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. which is one town over from where I live!

5-11-25 The Reading List - Sara Nisha Adams - The two main characters in this book are a seventeen-year-old girl who is unwillingly working at a library for the summer and a widower who is grieving the loss of his wife. They bond over a mysterious list of books that they and several other minor characters in the book read. The book incorporates lessons from those books, and I was able to appreciate the lessons of even the books I hadn't read that they were discussing. Ultimately, this is a story about the power of healing that books and the friendship of others can provide.  

5-14-25 The Women of Oak Ridge - Michelle Shocklee - In 1944, Mae Willett goes to work at Oak Ridge to help earn money to support her family. Little does she know the community is helping to build the bomb that will end WWII. Life gets complicated when her roommate begins dating a man whom Mae doesn't trust. In 1979, Laurel Willett is working on a dissertation on those who worked on the Manhattan Project. She is eager to visit Oak Ridge and learn her aunt's story, but her aunt isn't talking. With the help of an attractive detective, Laurel begins to delve into the mystery of her aunt's past. I enjoyed this historical novel that featured mystery with a small side of romance. (Read for a book review publication.)

5-16-25 Anxiety: A Catholic Guide to Freedom from Worry and Fear - Art Bennett, Laraine Bennett, and Lianna Bennett Haidar - This book is a wonderful resource for any Catholic who suffers from anxiety. It explains where anxiety comes from and how we may unwittingly add to its power in our lives. It also offers practical help for coping with anxiety and removing its power over our lives. It is all written from a faith-based perspective which is very helpful.

 

5-18-25 The Eights - Joanna Miller - I greatly enjoyed this novel about the first group of women allowed to officially matriculate at Oxford University in 1920. It centers on the lives of four women who live on Corridor 8 ("The Eights") who become close friends. They are all trying to find their place as well as deal with living in the aftermath of World War I.  Dora is grieving the loss of her brother and fiance in the war. Beatrice is the daughter of a famous suffragette, who never had much use for her daughter. Otto was a nurse during the war and was scarred by the experience. Marianne is the quiet daughter of a pastor who returns home every other weekend to attend to her duties there. (Note: This story does feature one lesbian sex scene.)

5-19-25 Breathe Deeply: The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary as Invitations to Peace - Allison Ramirez - I didn't realize when I picked this up that it is a book on using the Rosary to pray for relief from anxiety. Apparently, God knew I needed to read it. It offers a Scripture passage, reflection, a "Place Yourself in the Story" meditation, personal story, and activity suggestions from the author for each decade of the Joyful Mysteries. In addition, there is a unique prayer to offer before each Hail Mary that focuses on praying for relief from anxiety in different situations. It is clear that the author understands what it is to suffer from anxiety, and I found these prayers very moving and helpful. It concludes with Mary's Magnificat for Anxiety which incorporates Like 1:46-55 and adds portions related to anxiety. This is a beautiful resource for anyone who wants to pray for mental peace.    

5-22-25 A Summer to Treasure - Leslea Wahl - I'm always happy to read one of Leslea Wahl's Catholic teen books and this one was no exception. A trio of teenage siblings is forced to go on a summer road trip with their family, but it turns into an unexpected treasure hunt. Along the way, they'll learn some interesting facts about their parents and grandmother as well as some important lessons they can take with them into the future.  

5-23-25 God's Masterpiece - Elisabeth Hasselbeck - This is a charming picture book for young children about how they are a unique and wonderful creation of God. (Adults can sometimes use that reminder as well.)

5-29-25 Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World - Jessica Slice - I'm recommending this book with some caveats - the author is pro-trans, pro-choice, and pro-surrogate parenting and there are places where her arguments seem to lack a cohesive logic (such as she is against people choosing abortion to end a pregnancy simply because the child may be disabled, however she defends the right of people to choose that abortion anyway). However, this book really challenged my thinking about disability and opened my eyes to how disabled people are able to parent their children well, albeit in different ways. It also raises the point that child protective services and the medical system have an inherent bias against those with disabilities (even more so if the person happens to be of color and/or poor). The author makes the case that CPS should be done away with. As someone who dealt with DCF for over three years while fostering and then adopting my daughter, I agree with that 100%. This book was very eye-opening and forced me to consider my own biases (which is always uncomfortable but necessary).

5-30-25 Jesus Heals: Finding Hope, Wholeness, and Peace - Allison Gingras- This is the latest edition in the Stay Connected Journals for Catholic Women series. This is a scripture-based reflection/journal that invites women to ponder the ways Jesus healed women during his earthly ministry and the ways he can bring healing to our own bodies, minds, and hearts today.Gingras writes in a conversational struggle and is willing to honestly share her own challenges with faith. This is recommended for any woman who needs healing from Jesus (and really, that is all of us).

 

 5-31-25 Pope Leo XIV - Jesus Colina - I am truly impressed by how quickly traditional publishers have been able to get out books about our new pope. This one was sent to me by OSV for review. The author is a Spanish journalist based in Rome. It combines a biography about Pope Leo XIV with chapters on the positives and challenges of the Catholic Church today. I found this book very interesting in that it reports on the Church from a global perspective, and as an American, living in Massachusetts, I often have only a myopic view of the Church. I recommend this book for anyone interesting in learning a bit more about Pope Leo XIV's background or who wants to know what is happening in the Church around the world. For being written quickly, this 107-page book is quite informative.

 

5-31-25 The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One Through the End of Life - Suzanne B. O'Brien, RN - High on my list of worries is caring for my parents at the end of their life. I'm not good in medical situations. I don't know how to navigate any of this. And there is a whole lot of unknown - when? how? I am a planner and I can't plan for this. Just writing this has my chest tightening and my blood pressure increasing. This is written by a hospice nurse. It is a secular book, but it offers a great deal of practical information about the nitty-gritty of caring for people at the end of life, and what that might look like with different illnesses. O'Brien is trying to empower people to make good decisions and know what to expect. While the material is difficult, O'Brien's writing style is conversational. I found this book to have a great deal of helpful information. O'Brien also runs https://doulagivers.com/ which offers free training for caregivers. She also shared these five things to say when someone is dying: "I forgive you, Please forgive me, I love you, Thank you, I wish you only peace." Those are good things to say anytime. 

 

 6-1-25 The Lost Passenger - Frances Quinn - After reading about death, I needed something to relax with. This is a novel about a woman tricked into marrying an aristocrat in England. When she survives the Titanic (and he doesn't), she assumes the identity of a maid who also perished in the disaster and begins a new life with her son in America. I really enjoyed this story, but as I was reading, I kept thinking I had read another book about a woman who assumes someone else's identity and I couldn't remember what it was. Thanks to Google, I found out it was Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict, which I had also enjoyed.

 

Since spring of 2019, I have been making my way through the Great Books Curriculum of Thomas Aquinas College (I'm currently working on the readings for junior year). 

5-12-25 A Treatise Concerning Human Knowledge - George Berkeley - Berkeley lived from 1685-1753 and wrote this in 1710. During his life, he lived in London, Dubai, and America and was known to be eccentric. He sought to destroy skepticism and atheism and influence Hume and Kant. This book looks at the concept of ideas. 

5-24-25 An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding - David Hume - Hume (1711-1776) was a Scottish philosopher who examined the psychological basis of human nature and believed all human knowledge comes from experience. He rejected miracles. He didn't outright reject God, but at the same time, he seemed skeptical of belief in God. In general, this work left me confused.

 

My fourteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

5-20-25 Ungifted - Gordon Korman - This was a fun story about a middle-school boy who gets sent to a gifted academy by mistake after an unfortunate incident in which he accidentally destroyed his middle school gym. So, he's hiding out at the academy, trying to fit in with kids who are way smarter than he is and stay out of sight of the superintendent.

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

Are You Searching for Healing?

 

Jesus Heals: Finding Hope, Wholeness, and Peace by Allison Gingras is the latest edition in the Stay Connected Journals for Catholic Women series. This is a scripture-based reflection/journal that invites women to ponder the ways Jesus healed women during his earthly ministry and the ways he can bring healing to our own bodies, minds, and hearts today.

This book is designed to encourage readers to reflect and pray. Each chapter features prayers, scripture reflections, additional scripture verses to read and ponder, reflection questions, and lined areas for journaling (you could also choose to journal in a separate notebook).

Gingras, who is a frequent speaker at retreats, writes in a conversational style. She shares her own experiences of healing as well as times she has struggled in her faith. Reading her words is like having a faith-filled conversation with a dear friend.

She acknowledges that no matter how much we pray and have faith, sometimes healing doesn’t come in the way that we want. She does, however, emphasize that Jesus loves us and that “even when he doesn’t physically make us well in the way we hope, he can significantly transform us if we are open to it” (24). At those times when our prayers go unanswered, it is because “a greater good will come from the journey than would be produced by a miraculous cure” (50).

Gingras also encourages readers to take advantage of the Church’s sacraments of healing: the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick.

Jesus Heals offers women the opportunity to reflect on areas of their lives that need healing and to bring those needs to Jesus in prayer.

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

 

Our Lady of Mental Peace

 Many years ago, a friend of mine who knew that I suffered from depression and anxiety gave me a medal of Our Lady of Mental Peace. I've worn it along with a cross and Miraculous Medal around my neck ever since. I never realized there was a prayer associated with it until the other day, when someone posted it on Facebook because May is both the month of Mary and a month dedicated to mental health awareness.

 

 

 

OUR LADY OF MENTAL PEACE PRAYER

O Lady of Mental Peace,
Mother of Tranquility and
Mother of Hope,
look upon me in this time
of disquiet and weakness.

Still my restless spirit,
teach my searching heart to know
that God's love for me
is unchanging and that the suffering
which He may will for me now
is to draw me closer to Him.

Let thy gentle peace and His ---
which the world cannot give ---
be always with me, that I may
be sanctified: and then:
 I beseech thee
for the grace to bring this
 peace to others.

Jesus, My Savior, I give myself
entirely to Thee through Mary:

Our Lady of Mental Peace,
pray for me!

 

#OpenBook for May 2025

 

Welcome to #OpenBook. I'm joining up with Carolyn Astfalk who hosts an #OpenBook Linkup on CatholicMom.com. Here's what I've been reading this past month. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

4-5-25 The Franklin Stove: An Unintended American Revolution - Joyce E. Chaplin - Chaplin explores how the Franklin stove changed history. I had never really thought about what a revolution it was to have reliable heating in one's home. She also discusses the impact on the environment. This was somewhere between an academic book and popular history, but it definitely had some dry parts (I didn't read every word of this one).

 

 

4-6-25 Pets on the Couch- Nicholas Dodman, DVM - Dr. Dodman explores the behavior of animals and how they can often be treated using similar medicines to those used with humans. We and our animals have a lot in common!

4-9-25 Joan of Arc - Josephine Poole, Illustrated by Angela Barrett - This is a new reprint of a picture book originally published in 1998 about the famous French saint, whose feast day is May 30th. The pre-Raphaelite style images add a great deal to the informative text. It ends with her being burnt at the stake and I wish there was a bit more info on how she ultimately became a saint, but it is a good way to introduce children to her remarkable life. 

4-9-25 I Want You to Be Happy: Finding Peace and Abundance in Everyday Life - Pope Francis - This is a collection of short reflections by Pope Francis on the theme of happiness and where we can find true happiness in life. Many of the passages are directed to young people, encouraging them to dream, to love, and to make commitments. For all of us, true happiness is found in loving God and loving our neighbor and doing what God wants for us. While some of it is repetitive, this is a great book to just open to a random page and read some inspiring words when you need to be reminded that true happiness isn't found in the things of this world. [4/21/25 - edited to add: It is even more poignant in light of Pope Francis' death. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.]

4-16-25 No Stone Unturned - Janelle Hovde - This is a suspense-filled Regency romance set in 1811 England about a young woman trying to be taken seriously as an archeologist and the lord whose land she wants to excavate. It soon turns out that there are other people who want to dig up secrets from the past and both the young woman and the lord are in danger. (Read for a book review publication.)

4-16-25 The Unteachables - Gordon Korman - This book aimed at kids ages 8-12 was recommended by Carolyn Astfalk on last month's Open Book, and I really enjoyed it (despite being far beyond the target age range). It features a burnt-out teacher, wrongly implicated in a cheating scandal many years before, and a group of eighth-grade students everyone has written off. The story is told from many perspectives, including the teacher and several of the students so you don't spend too much time in any one person's head, but you somehow start to care about and root for all of them. 

 

4-20-25 The Lending Library - Aliza Fogelson - I wanted to love this book about a woman who opens a library in her home after her local public library shuts down to be cleaned of asbestos. It had a lot going on. The main character, Do, is in her early thirties, but none of the women in her family have been able to have children after age thirty-five so her biological clock is ticking. She falls in love, but her intended doesn't want children right away. When her friend, who is a single mother, dies suddenly, she leaves a baby in need of adoption, but Do doesn't have the funds or the ability to care for him, even though it becomes an obsession to do so. In the process, she doesn't devote the time she needs to the library, which had become a safe haven to so many. I suppose it was a story about trying to do too much. I read through the whole thing, but it left me feeling a bit meh. It has premarital sex (nothing graphic) and takes the Lord's name in vain a few times.  

4-27-25 Rethinking Rescue: Dog Lady and the Story of America's Forgotten People and Pets - Carol Mithers - One of the things I have reflected on in the past couple of months since getting my new rescue dog is how expensive it is to have a dog. In fact, that was one of the reasons I got a new dog. I wasn't sure that I really wanted to have the responsibility of caring for another dog after my old faithful friend died, but I knew there are a lot of dogs out there that need homes. While I'm not one of those people who has it in them to care for a whole household of dogs, I can care for one, and so I am. But why is that the case? And what does it mean that pet ownership should only be a privilege for those of means? This book was difficult to read. There are a lot of sad stories in it involving both people and animals, but poor people and unhoused people also love their animals. That bond is real, and both the people and the animals benefit from the relationship. This book offers no easy answers, but the problem is real. It definitely will make you think about the injustice in the world.  

 5-1-25 Riverside Park - David Cecchi - I enjoy learning about local history. This was a fascinating look at Riverside Park, an amusement park in Agawam, MA, that was ultimately bought out by Six Flags and became Six Flags New England. The book offers lots of pictures and stories about days gone by. It was interesting to see how the park changed over the years. 

5-5-25 When the Road Comes Around - Katie Powner - This is an inspirational novel about redemption told from the perspectives of a twenty-four-year-old man, who has been a screw-up most of his life and is now trying to parent his baby daughter on his own; a forty-eight-year-old woman of deep faith, struggling with rheumatoid arthritis and trying to be the one who helps everyone she meets; and her twenty-year-old son, who is intellectually challenged but desperately wants some independence. The author does a wonderful job of character development and getting inside each of the character's heads. The ending left me unsatisfied, however. I wanted more info on what happens to each of them, and I don't think this is part of a series. (Read for a book review publication)

Since spring of 2019, I have been making my way through the Great Books Curriculum of Thomas Aquinas College (I'm currently working on the readings for junior year). 

4-16-25 An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Vol. II - John Locke - I read the second volume of Locke's attempt to explore how we come to know and understand. This volume focused on the significance of words, knowledge by proofs and demonstrations, how we come to know about God, and the boundaries between faith and reason. 

4-30-25 Second Treatise of Government - John Locke - I continued my reading of John Locke's works with this discussion of political theory. Locke's ideas contributed to the founding of the United States. He was against the divine right of kings. He discusses how societies and governments are formed, the various types of governments, and how governments can be abolished.

 

My fourteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

 

 

5-1-25 Tree, Table, Book - Lois Lowry - This is a tale of two Sophies who are best friends - one is eleven and the other is eighty-eight. The older one is suffering from cognitive decline and her son wants to put her in assisted living. The younger one doesn't want to lose her best friend and is out to prove her older friend is fine. In the process, the older one will tell her three stories from her life. This is a touching story of friendship that has no easy answers for the challenges of life but offers a lot to think about. 

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

#OpenBook for April 2025

 

 Welcome to #OpenBook. I'm joining up with Carolyn Astfalk who hosts an #OpenBook Linkup on CatholicMom.com. Here's what I've been reading this past month. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!

3-8-25 When God Speaks - Hunter Leonard - This is a lovely picture book designed for children ages 4-8 about how God speaks both in the stories of Scripture and in our lives today.

 

3-9-25 Hope: The Autobiography - Pope Francis - I had requested this book from the library long ago, but it happened it come in in the midst of Pope Francis's current illness, which made it all the more poignant to read. I knew only the very basics of his life before reading this, and I found the story of his life, beginning with his grandparents, very interesting. It helped me to understand where his mindset comes from. He also preaches against war and the devaluing of human people a great deal in this book. One passage in particular struck me in light of his current illness. He wrote about facing the end of his life, saying he asks the Lord, "Look after me, let it happen whenever you wish, but, as You know, I'm not very brave when it comes to physical pain . . . So, please, don't make me suffer too much." The Holy Father needs our prayers.   

3-10-25 Unshaken - Shelley Shepard Gray - When Stephanie, a young Amish woman, witnesses a teenage gang member kill someone, she has to go into hiding at a secure ranch in Kentucky managed by Hardy Anderson, who is ex-military. He does everything in his power to keep her safe and they begin to fall in love, but the gang knows where she is and is determined to make sure she never talks. This high-stakes romance kept me eagerly turning pages. (Read for a book review publication.)

 3-11-25 Blazing the Trail: A 4-Week Personal Retreat with American Women of the Church - Vinita Hampton Wright - This personal retreat features one week each dedicated to learning from the life and work of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Cabrini, Servant of God Dorothy Day, and Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman. I enjoyed learning more about these remarkable holy American women and reflecting on the lessons they have to teach. Scripture passages and reflection questions add to the value of this book.

 

3-20-25 The Lord is My Shepherd: A Novel of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton - Anne Faye - Speaking of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, this is a short novel in which the famous saint tells her own story of being a young woman in New York society, marriage, motherhood, losing her husband, converting, and ultimately beginning the first order of women religious in the United States.
 

 

 3-22-25 The Dog Who Loved Too Much - Dr. Nicholas Dodman - This one was recommended to me by my vet because my new dog has separation anxiety. It was interesting to read about the psychology of dogs and the way that this vet works to help them. 

 3-23-24 Chronically Dolores - Maya Van Wagenen - This is a YA book I read about in Catholic Library World. I wanted to read it because the main character, a fourteen-year-old girl, suffers from interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition I've had since I was twenty-nine. Fortunately, I am mostly able to control it with diet, although it definitely flares when I am stressed or inadvertently eat something I shouldn't. In any event, as miserable as it is, I am very thankful I did not have this as a teenager. This was the first time I've ever seen anybody write about it (the author has it). As for the story itself, Dolores is struggling with family issues and friend issues, and turns to a priest in a confessional as her confidant, even though her only religious upbringing was being baptized by her devout aunt in an "emergency." As an FYI, Dolores' brother is gay and there is a minor storyline related to that. Overall, though, it is a book about finding hope and embracing life even when everything seems hard.

3-24-25 To Die Well - Dr. Stephen Doran - I purchased this book over a year ago, and it has been my purse book ever since - to read when I am waiting someplace. I'm a bit embarrassed that it took me this long to get through it, but I finally did. I purchased this to be informed about end-of-life issues for my parents, who are in their eighties. I also want to be informed about my own end of life, because none of us know when life might change and we might have to face these decisions. It was a helpful book about making Catholic decisions about all things related to death. It isn't a cheerful read, but it is something we all need to be informed about.

3-27-25 The Lawyer and the Laundress - Christine Hill Suntz - Sara O'Connor was disowned by her wealthy father when she married a stable boy. Now a young widow, she works as a laundress. When she befriends a young girl who attends lessons where she works, the girl's widowed father is intrigued by the laundress who acts like a lady, but he doesn't want his daughter to be friends with her. His tune changes after Sara saves his daughter's life, but having Sara in their life threatens scandal. This was a fast-moving historical romance set against the Canadian rebellion of 1837, which I knew nothing about before reading this book. (Read for a book review publication). 

3-29-30 Old Town in the Green Groves - Cynthia Rylant - I grew up reading and loving the Little House books and then read them to my children. I've also read many of the "other" Little House books written by authors other than Laura Ingalls Wilder about other members of her family, yet somehow I had missed this one! Written by Newberry-Award Winning Author Cynthia Rylant, it takes place between the events of On the Banks of Plum Creek and By the Shores of Silver Lake. It contains some sadness as Laura's younger brother dies and Ma is sick, but the writing is very much in the style of the original books and reading it felt like revisiting old friends. 

3-30-25 Expect Great Things: How the Katharine Gibbs School Revolutionized the American Workplace for Women - Vanda Krefft - I enjoy reading about women's history and institutions of higher education, so this really appealed to me. I had heard of the Katharine Gibbs Schools but knew little about them before reading this. Katharine Gibbs was a 46-year-old widow when she started the first school in 1911. Krefft offers a biography of Gibbs, illustrating how her financial fortunes were in the hands of men who repeatedly failed her (sometimes simply by dying without a will). She was determined to take matters into her own hands by finding a way to make her own money and wanted to give other women that same opportunity. She provided women, some straight of high school while many had already earned college degrees, with solid marketable skills to help them make their way in the business world. The book profiles several of these women, tracing their career paths in various fields and how their education helped them. I found it very interesting. 

Since spring of 2019, I have been making my way through the Great Books Curriculum of Thomas Aquinas College (I'm currently working on the readings for junior year). 

3-4-25 Phaedra - Jean Racine - Racine lived from 1639-1699. He was a French dramatist who primarily wrote tragedies. In his work, he explored Greek and Roman mythology. In this play, Phaedra is the wife of Theseus, legendary king of Athens, but she is secretly in love with Hippolytus, her stepson. 

3-27-25 An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Vol I - John Locke - John Locke was born in 1632 and attended Christ Church in Oxford. He began writing this in 1671, but it wasn't published until 1690. This first volume was primarily concerned with the concept of ideas - he was exploring how we get ideas and categorizing various types of ideas.

 

My fourteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

3-31-25 Coyote Lost and Found - Dan Gemeinhart - This is the sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise that we read previously. This one is set during the early days of COVID in March 2020 (although some of the details of that time are incorrect). Coyote and her father, Rodeo, set out to scatter her mother's ashes where she wanted them to be spread, except Coyote gave the book away that her mother had written that information in to a thrift store, so Coyote is actually out to find the book (without telling her father), leading them on somewhat of a wild goose chase across the country. While I know that as Catholics, we aren't supposed to spread ashes, this was still a good story about finding joy and friendship amidst the mess of life. 

 

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New Novel about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

 

 

 Wife, Mother, Founder of Religious Order, Saint

St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821) grew up in the early years of the United States. She was a New York socialite, who lived on the same street as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr and met many of our country’s Founding Fathers. She was raised Episcopalian, worshipping at New York City’s famous Trinity Church, and she and her husband, William Seton, raised their children in that faith until tragedy struck. An eventful trip to Italy would change her life forever. As a result, she would help chart the course for Catholic religious sisters in the United States.

When she was canonized on September 14, 1975, by Pope Paul VI, she was the first native-born American to be named a saint.

Discover this remarkable woman and her life of faith in The Lord is My Shepherd.

Take an At-Home Retreat with Holy American Women

 

In Blazing the Trail, Vinita Hampton Wright invites you to go on a personal four-week retreat with four holy Catholic women. One week each is devoted to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Cabrini, Servant of God Dorothy Day, and Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman. Whether you are already familiar with these remarkable women of faith or not, you will come away with a greater appreciation of their lives and work. You will also have the opportunity to reflect on the lessons they have to teach you.

Four Amazing Holy American Women

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) was a wife, mother, widow, convert to the Catholic faith, and founder of the first religious order of women in the United States.

St. Frances Cabrini (1850-1917) founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Italy and was sent by Pope Leo XIII to minister to Italian immigrants in New York City. The sisters spread across the country and Mother Cabrini was on hand to establish each new mission.

Servant of God Dorothy Day (1897-1980) rejected Christianity by the time she was out of college, became a single mother, and ultimately returned to the Catholic faith. She cofounded the Catholic Worker movement, lived in solidarity with the poor, and worked for social justice.

Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman (1937-1990) was the first Black women to join the Franciscan sisters in Wisconsin. Throughout her life, she bore witness to the Black Catholic experience, urging the Church to embrace its multiculturalism.

Retreat Format

Each week-long retreat begins on Saturday with a brief biography of the featured woman along with resources to learn more about them. On Sunday, you reflect on what you have learned so far and on a selected Bible passage. There is also a prayer for the week.

Monday through Friday provide more in-depth reflection. Each day focuses on a different aspect of the holy woman’s life and work. For example, the first week on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton covers conversion; loss, suffering, conflict; spiritual growth, motherhood, and confidence in God.

This retreat is designed to be used throughout the day as it includes both a morning and evening prayer, scripture passages, short readings, and several reflection questions.

Holy Lessons

You are not called to be an imitation of any of these extraordinary women. You are, however, called to follow their willingness to accept God’s will in their lives while embracing our own personal gifts and challenges. Reflecting on their example of faith, perseverance in the midst of difficulties, and bold actions can inspire you to be the holy person God wants you to be.

Blazing the Trail offers the opportunity to learn about these remarkable women and grow in faith. Whether you complete the retreat over four weeks or spend a longer amount of time with each woman, it is a spiritual gift to yourself that will help you discover your own gifts and the work you are being called to in the world.

 

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