Questioning Catholicism

The Saints in My Life
Reflections on My Favorite Spiritual Companions

In his book, Travelers along the Way, The Men and Women Who Shaped My Life, Father Benedict J. Groeschel recounted stories of earthly personalities he has met, and the ways in which they have influenced him. Now the celebrated lecturer and retreat master addresses another dimension to this topic by introducing the heavenly companions he has come to know.

The Saints in My Life encourages us to see the Communion of Saints as a spiritual extended family. As members of the Mystical Body of Christ they should be as present to us as anyone we meet on the street. By becoming familiar with the saints stories, you will discover lives that resonate with your own, building the foundation for a personal relationship with them.

Father Groeschel reveals his favorite saints and his process for befriending the saints by describing:
---His first encounter with the saint.
---His friendship with and devotion to the saint.
---The way the saint has influenced him and affected his life.

Helpful sidebars in each chapter include a brief sketch of the life and significance of the saint; prayers Father Groeschel addresses to the saint; an excerpt from the writing of the saint or one of the saint's contemporaries; and, a review of a recommended book by or about the saint.

Saints included:

Saint Monica 331-387
Saint Augustine 354-430
Saint Benedict 480-547
Saint Francis of Assisi c1181-1226
Saint Clare of Assisi
Saint Catherine of Siena
Saint Catherine of Genoa
Saint John Fischer
Saint Thomas More
Saint Teresa of Ávila
Saint Peter Canisius
Saint John of the Cross
Saint Benedict Joseph Labré
Saint Catherine Labouré
Saint Bernadette Soubirous
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R., is director of the Office for Spiritual Development of the Archdiocese of New York. He is also the host of the weekly EWTN program Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel and is the author of many Our Sunday Visitor books.