Annotated Bibligraphy of the Saints

I have been posting this every year on All Saints Day.  Fr. James Martin has a new book out on the saints, so I have added it to the list.

Introduction

I compiled the following list of books about saints two years ago when I gave a workshop for religious educators for the Diocese of Sacramento called "Saints Alive!". The list has an intermingling of books that are for adults as well as those for children. They are listed alphabetically by authors and include a very brief summary of the book. I also included websites for information about saints.

This bibliography is a list of some fine books about the saints. Only those with which I am personally familiar have been listed. It is certainly not exhaustive, and I recommend that you do your own research and find books and other resources that appeal to you.

Saints Alive Annotated Bibliography

Amadeo, Diana M. Holy Friends: Thirty Saints and Blesseds of the Americas. Boston: Pauline Books & Media, 2005. [suitable for children to read]

Each entry consists of an attractive one-page illustration showing the saint in action. The biographical sketch of two to three pages gives the saint’s country of origin, the highlights of the saint’s life, and ends with information about the date of canonization or beatification, the date of the saint’s feast day, and a short intercessory prayer to that saint.

Bentley, James. A Calendar of Saints: the Lives of the Principal Saints of the Christian Year. U.K.: Little, Brown and Company, 1997.

This book contains brief biographical entries for every day of the year. These saints are from different periods of history and every walk of life. It has lavish illustrations, many in full color.

Burns, Paul. Butler’s Lives of the Saints: Supplement of New Saints and Blesseds,Volume 1. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2005.

This volume covers all those canonized or beatified since late 1999 to the end of 2003. Some are generally well known, like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Padre Pio, and Pope John XXIII. Others are obscure and know only in a particular locale or by their religious congregation.

Craughwell, Thomas J. Catholic Cardlinks: Patron Saints. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 2004 [suitable for children to read]

This is a series of cards, linked together with a screw, that profile 48 saints, some famous, others more obscure, who Catholics have called upon when they were in need; for example, struggling in school or not sleeping well because of nightmares. There are saints for boys and girls (and adults) who like to draw, write, play sports, saints for anyone who likes dogs, cats, birds even whales!

Elie, Paul, ed. Contemporary Writers on the Saints. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1994.

This book is a compilation of a series of essays about particular saints, like St. Joseph, St. Perpetua, St. Jean de Brebeuf and more, written by such contemporary writers as Martin E. Marty, Kathleen Norris, and Avery Dulles, S.J., and more.

Ellsberg, Robert. All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witness for Our Time. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997. Study Guide copyright 2004 by Robert Ellsberg.

Excellent compendium of a variety of holy people, not limited to those who are canonized, and including Mahatmas Gandhi, Julian of Norwich, Martin de Porres, and Mary Magdalen, to name a few. It was the winner of the 1998 Christopher Award.

__________. The Saints’ Guide to Happiness. New York: North Point Press, 2003.

In our contemporary culture there are many books that try to answer the question, “What is happiness, and how might we find it?” This book attempts to answer these questions by offering a series of lessons with the saints as our guides. These lessons are about living life, work, love, suffering, and more.

Gallery, Philip D. Can You Find Saints?: Introducing Your Child to Holy Men and Women. Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2003. [suitable forchildren to read]

This is a clever picture book in which children are invited to search for the saints using clues. For each search and picture there is a corresponding parent’s guide in a second part of the book. The authors emphasize the virtues of each saint.

__________. Can You Find Followers of Jesus?: Introducing Your Child to Disciples.
Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2000. [suitable forchildren to read]

This book is similar to the previous one. The focus is on realizing our place in God’s plan of spreading the Gospel message to all people. Mary, the apostles, St. Paul, Lydia, the Gospel writers, St. Patrick and Pope John Paul II and many others are featured.

__________. Can You Find Bible Heroes?: Introducing Your Child to the Old Testa- ment. Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1998. [suitable forchildren to read]

This book is similar to the previous two. The emphasis is on the Jewish culture into which Jesus was immersed. The holy people are the men and women whom Jesus and his friends would have considered heroes. Noah, Joseph, Moses, Orpah, Ruth, David, and Jesus himself are included.

Ghezzi, Bert. Voices of the Saints: A Year of Readings. New York: Image Books/Doubleday, 2000.

This is a unique book because it can be used in a variety of ways. Names are in alphabetical order, but it also has a day-by-day numbering system, notations with each entry that help the reader explore the lives in historical order, an index which highlights interesting themes, and a calendar of saints’ days. Each entry also contains and excerpt of the saint’s writings and/or a prayer by or about the saint.

Glavich, S.N.D., Kathleen. Saints for Children: Stories, Activities, Prayer Services. Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-third Publications, 1997.

This book features the lives of twelve popular saints. It has an appealing account the saint’s life and good works. The author emphasizes the saints’ virtues and tells how they may practice these virtues in their own lives. The activities and prayer services are suitable for middle graders. There is a brief and simple explanation of the canonization process in the introduction.

Gordon, Anne. A Book of Saints: True Stories of How They Touch Our Lives. New York: Bantam Books, 1994.

This author portrays the humanity of the saints through stories of their everyday lives, and attempts to show that they were just a little different from ordinary people who also act with love and kindness for others.


Martin, S.J., James.  Between Heaven and Mirth.  New York:  Harper One, 2011.


This book emphasizes joy and humor as integral to Christian life.  Fr. Martin illustrates these traits in the lives of the saints. 



___________. My Life with the Saints. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2006.

James Martin, a Jesuit priest, and an associate editor of America Magazine, has led, like you and I, a thoroughly modern life within the American culture of the United States. In this book he shows how at every step along the way special friends—the saints of the Catholic Church, have accompanied him. He persuasively shows how the saints can be our friends as well. This book has won the 2007 Christopher Award for books for adults and the 2007 Catholic Press Association First Place Award in Spirituality Books.

Rock, Lois. Saintly Tales and Legends. Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2003.[suitable for children to read]

Beautifully illustrated book of folk tales and legends that inspire the imaginations of children and which explore a world of saints and angels, like St. Nicholas, St. Christopher, St. Germaine, and St. Bakhita.

Self, David. The Loyola Treasury of Saints. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2003. [suitable for children to read]

This book has a collection of engaging saint stories that demonstrate their virtuous lives of faith, courage, and compassion. Selections include saints from the time of Jesus to the present day. Many selections have sidebars with relevant factual information that illuminates our understanding. The artwork is outstanding. There is a section at the end with biographical notes and a calendar of saints.

The Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio. Saints and Feast Days: A Resource and Activities Book. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2004.

This book is a collection of single page biographies of saints that is organized by their feast day dates from September through August. Each biographical sketch is followed by up to five suggested activities and space for catechist notes. There are reproducible blackline masters at the end of the book.

Woodward, Kenneth L. Making Saints: How the Catholic Church Determines Who Becomes a Saint, Who Doesn’t, and Why. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

This book explains in detail the process of canonization, the Church’s method of declaring someone a saint.

Websites

Catholic Forum: www.catholic-forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm.

Catholic Information Network: Saints, Martyrs and Other Holy Persons www.cin.org/saints.html.

Catholic Online: www.catholic.org/saints/.

Catholic Pages Directory: www.catholic-pages.com/dir/saints.asp.

Catholic Saints, Blesseds, Angels, Incorruptibles: www.theworkofgod.org/Saints.

Roman Catholic Saints by Name: www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/byname.asp.

Saints in General:
www.monksofadoration.org/savesite/saintgen.html.

St. Augustine Blog: www.myspace.com.