St. Hemma of Gurk? St. Deicolus? These saints are not household names, but maybe they should be. Although the Church recognizes thousands of saints, a relatively small number of them are well known to most Catholics. This book introduces the reader to a group of diverse saints—men and women, single and married, from all corners of the world—whose exploits have been lost to most of us. Each story highlights an aspect of that saint’s life that can be applied to today’s circumstances. The book contains a short biography of each saint, a section on why that saint merits our attention and devotion today, and a short prayer.
BIOGRAPHY:
BRIAN O'NEEL is the author of 39 New Saints You Should Know. He has appeared several times on EWTN and is a regular guest on both the Relevant Radio and EWTN Global Satellite radio networks. A writer and editor who lives in rural Necedah, Wisconsin, he and his wife are the proud parents of six children, who all are growing into fine Green Bay Packer fans.
REVIEWS
"Saints' lives never cease to fascinate. We devour their biographies, sometimes craving tales of the miraculous; other times looking for the secret to holiness. How did this person do it? Is there something here that I can apply to my own spiritual journey?
But enough already of Therese, Francis, Padre Pio, and the top 40 rock stars of sanctity! There are other holy men and women whose lives can inspire us. Brian O'Neel has assembled a list of obscure saints and blesseds and unearthed the essential facts of their lives. The table of contents reads like a What Not to Name Your Baby list: Baudile, Radegund, Guntrum, Gangolf, Homobonus, and Lydwine! As the author moves out of the Dark Ages and into recent centuries, the names become more commonplace but the stories no less unknown to us. These O'Neel relates in three-page sketches, explaining at the end, 'Why this saint deserves our attention.'" — Catholic Digest, October, 2012
