They Have Competed Well - A Catholic Company Book Review

I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

~2 Timothy 4:7-8

I just received my first product to review from The Catholic Company in Friday's mail and I'm going to be honest - I couldn't put it down.

I chose author Brian O'Neel's new book 39 New Saints You Should Know from a list of great titles and am so glad I started with this easy, yet profound read.

From the website's description:

Pope John Paul II canonized or beatified such a staggering number of people—well over fifteen hundred—that many of them remain as obscure after receiving their new title as they were before....

In lively detail, Brian O'Neel tells the stories of these and more, a number of who are our near-contemporaries and coped with such horrors as Nazism (Jakob Gapp, Maria Restituta Kafka), slavery (Josephine Bakhita) or the Spanish Civil War (Vincente David Vilar).

Amazing stories of ordinary human beings who demonstrate that holiness is not another word for boring, but a defining characteristic of those who threw themselves wholeheartedly into the adventure of life.

O'Neel has chosen some amazingly powerful men and women of recent and modern times to introduce to us. Well-written and a breeze to peruse (or devour, like me), this book is great for someone looking to make new friends in heaven or someone looking for a daily devotional (39 days - that covers almost all of Lent!).

Each saint has a 2-3 page write-up on their life, their efforts and successes (and sometimes failures - they are only human afterall, which makes them all the more admirable for overcoming the same short comings "ordinary" Christians face in day-to-day life) and concludes with a prayer for their intercession.

These "new" saints run the gamut from saintly couples (St. Therese's parents made it in!), priests, lay men and women, soldiers, doctors, teachers, political leaders (have you heard of Blessed Emperor Karl I? Read up! This man's intercession is just what our government and president need!), and some of my new favorite martyrs.

One of the best elements about this particular saint book is that author O'Neel strives, and I think succeeds, at portraying these holy men and women as actual people - not just "high above me in holiness overachievers." He explains that this is his goal in the introduction:

...I have endeavored not to give you a collection of stories about saints that will leave you thinking, "I can never be that perfect. I will never be a saint." Rather my goal is to inspire. ... You, too, can be a saint. You just have to persevere, to not give in to those distractions but work to conquer them, no matter how many setbacks you encounter.

All 39 of these men and women stand out as amazing heroes and mentors for Christians still fighting the good fight, but here are a couple that spoke to me in a special way:

Saint Jan Sarkander (Czech 1576-1620) - this amazing priest gave his life rather than violate the sacred seal of the confessional, which states that no priest may reveal by explicit or implicit means what has been confessed to him in the Sacrament of Penance. Under prison and torture, this priest clung to his vows and trusted in the mercy of the Eternal High Priest even unto death. In an age in the Church where many priests have failed to be holy and where many, many more struggle to persevere each day, what a wonderful patron for them to look toward!

Blessed José Luis Sånchez del Rio (Mexico, Cristeros War, 1913-1928) - did you do the math right? Yes, this boy died at age 13, rather than renounce Christ and the True Faith to the atheist Mexican government. Mexican saints hold a special place in my heart since I studied abroad there in college and along with Blessed Miguel Agustîn Pro, the saints and martyrs of the Cristeros War in Mexico always stand out. In addition, child saints are so very inspirational - their devotion and the purity of their love for Jesus and His holy Mother are something to strive for.

Blessed Enrico Rebuschini (Italy, 1860-1938) - a man who strove to serve God in many walks of life - a business man, military officer and eventually a priest - he did it all while struggling with serious and repeated bouts of depression and anxiety. What a wonderful patron for those similarly afflicted and even mothers suffering with post-postpartum disorders as well!

Blessed Luigi and Maria Belrame Quattrocchi (Italy, 1880-1951, 1884-1965) - that's right, another married couple saint. We all know the vocation of marriage is for the procreation and education of children (they had four, two priests and a nun!), but it is also for the sanctification of the spouses. When you marry, your primary responsibility becomes getting your husband or wife to heaven, in addition to yourself. Blssd. Luigi and Maria were ordinary married folk, living an ordinary married life, and loving each other, their children and whoever darkened their doorstep in an extraordinary way. In a time where marriage is so very much under attack, thank heavens we have another [set of!] patron[s] to turn to for prayers and support.

And, how cute and romantic: their feast day? Their marriage anniversary. Heehee!


Definitely a worthwhile read. My only complaint? O'Neel does not include the feast days of the saints about whom he writes (minus the above couples' mention); for those of us trying to live liturgically in our little domestic churches, that would have been a great addition!

If you read this yourself, please come back and let me know how you liked it!