When the Saints Came Marching In: Exploring the Frontiers of Grace in America

This is not your usual collection of saints. God’s creative genius peopled the fresh terrain of the United States with remarkable men and women. With the fears, hopes, frustrations, longings, and failures of ordinary humans, the people featured in When the Saints Came Marching In explored new frontiers in holiness. Like those who floated the Mississippi River for the first time, scaled Pike’s Peak, or settled the unknown regions of Kentucky, they tried something new in health care, science, education, and race or labor relations. Kathy Coffey celebrates the remarkable lives and experience of holy explorers of faith whose stories continue to inspire today’s pioneers to discover new paths to welcome the North American saints of tomorrow.

With her well-known insight and unique style, Coffey draws us closer to Junípero Serra, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pierre Toussaint, John Neumann, Julia Greeley, Marianne Cope, Katharine Drexel, Rachel Carson, Dorothy Day, Thea Bowman, Ruma Martyrs, Cesar Chavez, Mychal Judge, and Dorothy Stang.

Kathy Coffey is the author of thirteen award-winning books and many articles in Catholic periodicals like Give Us This Day, America, U.S. Catholic, St. Anthony Messenger, Catholic Update, Everyday Catholic and National Catholic Reporter.  Kathy taught for fifteen years at the University of Colorado, Denver, and Regis Jesuit University. She has won sixteen awards from the Catholic Press Association, the Foley Poetry Award from America magazine, the Independent Publishers Book Award and the Associated Church Press Award for Editorial Courage. She continues to give retreats and workshops nationally and internationally. For more information, see her website: kathyjcoffey.wordpress.com.