The Lay Saint

In The Lay Saint, Mary Harvey Doyno investigates the phenomenon of saintly cults that formed around pious merchants, artisans, midwives, domestic servants, and others in the medieval communes of northern and central Italy. Drawing on a wide array of sources—vitae documenting their saintly lives and legends, miracle books, religious art, and communal records—Doyno uses the rise of and tensions surrounding these civic cults to explore medieval notions of lay religiosity, charismatic power, civic identity, and the church's authority in this period. Although claims about laymen's and laywomen's miraculous abilities challenged the church's expanding political and spiritual dominion, both papal and civic authorities, Doyno finds, vigorously promoted their cults. She shows that this support was neither a simple reflection of the extraordinary lay religious zeal that marked late medieval urban life nor of the Church's recognition of that enthusiasm. Rather, the history of lay saints' cults powerfully illustrates the extent to which lay Christians embraced the vita apostolic—the ideal way of life as modeled by the Apostles—and of the church's efforts to restrain and manage such claims.

“These are the footprints that the saints on ascending to heaven left behind upon our earth, in order that we, following after, might attain to the same reward.” —The Venerable Bede In Lay Saints: Ascetics and Penitents, Joan Carroll Cruz guides you through the lives of fifty-eight lay men and women who achieved the heights of sanctity. These inspiring biographies present saints who seemed destined for sainthood, as well as those who led sinful lives prior to a conversion of heart. Find a role model from among these saints as Joan Carroll Cruz explores: -the acts of charity that you can imitate -ascetical practices that lead us closer to God -stories of conversion -effective acts of penance to atone for prior sins -the stories of pilgrims who spent their lives searching for closer union with God Both those who have just begun their spiritual journey and those well advanced on the road to perfection will find a saint to help them take that next step closer to God. Through their examples, these saints will inspire ever-greater acts of charity and remind sinners that there is yet hope for salvation.

In Lay Saints: Martyrs, Joan Carroll Cruz guides you through the lives of seventy-three lay men and women who achieved the heights of sanctity. These inspiring biographies present martyrs who displayed extraordinary fortitude in holding fast to their faith in the midst of great persecution.

Everyone has dreams and goals that they want to achieve, but the foremost and overarching goal for every catholic, and the only one that brings true happiness, should be to become a saint and enjoy the Beatific Vision. It is a momentous task that can often seem overwhelming and unattainable. Indeed, without the aid of grace it is impossible. But confident hope can be placed in God that He will always provide the grace necessary to accomplish such a feat. The saints in this volume are evidence of this fact and serve as role models for cooperation with the action of God’s grace. Within this volume are fifty eight saints who achieved holiness as husbands, wives, parents, or youth. Some lived in marital bliss with never a quarrel; others suffered greatly at the hands of their spouse, and many became saints while still at a tender young age. Each of these saints have qualities to be emulated in living as a member of a family, whether patience is needed in bearing with the faults of a spouse or temperance is needed to check a natural inclination to anger.

A monumental Lives of the Saints: people who lived and died as laymen and laywomen. No priests, nuns or monks here--people who often had to overcome incredible difficulties to achieve holiness or who had committed outrageous sins prior to their conversions. Fully indexed by topic. Purposely written to inspire and encourage lay people today. Unique in Catholic literature! 800 pgs 192 Illus, PB

A gorgeously illustrated co-publication with Christine Burgin by “one of the world’s great essayists” (The New York Times). With a guide to the illustrations by Mary Wellesley. Angels have soared through Western culture and consciousness from Biblical to contemporary times. But what do we really know about these celestial beings? Where do they come from, what are they made of, how do they communicate and perceive? The celebrated essayist Eliot Weinberger has mined and deconstructed, resurrected and distilled centuries of theology into an awe-inspiring exploration of the heavenly host. From a litany of angelic voices, Weinberger’s lyrical meditation then turns to the earthly counterparts, the saints, their lives retold in a series of vibrant and playful capsule biographies, followed by a glimpse of the afterlife. Threaded throughout Angels & Saints are the glorious illuminated grid poems by the eighteenth-century Benedictine monk Hrabanus Maurus. These astonishingly complex, proto-“concrete” poems are untangled in a lucid afterword by the medieval scholar and historian Mary Wellesley.