Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness

by Meg Hunter-Kilmer

Overview

Winner of a first-place award in the backlist beauty category from the Catholic Media Association.

How is it possible that a chain-smoking socialist, a teenage video gamer, an opium addict, a satanic high priest, a disabled beggar, and a self-absorbed mean girl became saints?

Popular itinerant missionary Meg Hunter-Kilmer will stretch your preconceived notions of holiness by exploring the lesser-known lives of seventy-five extraordinary people whose human struggles and limitations reveal the power of God’s grace.

Pray for Us isn’t your ordinary saint book: Hunter-Kilmer highlights the sorrows, struggles, and idiosyncrasies of broken people who turned their lives around and dedicated themselves to God and his work. Through these edgy profiles, full of fresh and fascinating stories, she explores the universal call to holiness and how God can transform anyone—from grouchy theologians to bratty teenagers—into saints. You’ll discover that anyone—even you—can become a saint if you trust in the Lord.

Among those you will meet are

• Blessed Carlo Acutis, an ordinary Italian teen who enjoyed video games and loved the Eucharist but refused to waste time on things that weren’t pleasing to God.
• Blessed Sara Salkahazi, a chain-smoking socialist and wild-child from an upper-class Hungarian family who exposed the plight of the working class and smuggled Jewish people to safety during World War II.
• Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo, a married woman who defied the opposition of her difficult family to lead the Church in Madagascar.
• St. Dulce Pontes, the daughter of a wealthy family in Brazil who decided to serve the poor by becoming a nun and teaching literacy to children and their parents in the slums.
• Blessed Bartolo Longo, a satanic priest who returned to the Church, worked to bring people back to Christ, founded schools for the poor, established orphanages, and created Rosary groups.
• St. Mark Ji Tianxiang, a Christian opium addict who never got clean but still had the courage to die a martyr’s death for his beliefs during the Boxer Rebellion in China.

Hunter-Kilmer presents the unvarnished lives of the saints and holy people in a way that reveals the power of God’s grace in their lives. Their stories—and especially their brokenness—are relatable to us all.

An extensive index that includes names, feast days, and patronages will help you find the inspiration you are looking for in the lives of these holy people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646800834
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	10/22/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	315,074
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Meg Hunter-Kilmer is a Catholic speaker, author, retreat leader, and itinerant missionary whose work appears regularly on Aleteia and on her blog, Held by His Pierced Hands.

Hunter-Kilmer is the author of Saints Around the World. She has written for Magnificat, Our Sunday Visitor, The Catechetical Review, and Take Up and Read. She has appeared on a variety of Catholic media, including CatholicTV, SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel, Relevant Radio, and Ave Maria Radio.

Hunter-Kilmer earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Notre Dame. She previously served as a teacher, youth minister, and campus minister.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part 1 Saints Who Defied Expectations 1

1 Bl. Catherine Jarrige: A Mischievous Woman Who Smuggled Priests to Safety 3

2 Bl. Nicolas Steno: The Father of Geology, a Proto-Paleontologist, a Convert, and a Bishop 7

3 Bl. Sara Salkaházi: A Chain-Smoking Socialist Who Became a Misfit Sister 10

4 St. Martha Wang Luo Mande: A Quiet Homemaker with the Courage of a Warrior 13

5 St. Hyacintha Mariscotti: A Self-Obsessed Mean Girl Who Learned to Love God 15

6 St. Robert Southwell: A Poet of Legendary Good Looks Who Was Unbreakable under Torture 18

Part 2 Saints Who Never Gave Up 21

7 Bl. Peter Kasui Kibe: The Most Determined Man on the Face of the Planet 23

8 Ven. Matt Talbot: An Alcoholic Who Didn't Have a Drink for Forty Years 26

9 Ven. Teresa Chikaba: A Ghanaian Princess (and Miracle Worker) Despised for Her Race 28

10 Servant of God Ragheed Aziz Ganni: A Popular Young Priest Killed by Terrorists 32

11 St. Charles Lwanga and Companions: Royal Attendants Who Preferred Death to Sin 35

12 Servant of God John Baptist Yi Byeok: The Teenage Pagan Who Introduced the Gospel to Korea 39

13 Servant of God Mary Elizabeth Lange: The Haitian Immigrant at the Heart of Black Catholic Baltimore 42

14 Ven. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan: An Archbishop Who Embraced Life in Solitary Confinement in a Communist Prison 45

Part 3 Saints Who Had Great Adventures 49

15 Bl. Maria Troncatti: A War Nurse Jungle Surgeon Evangelist Sister 51

16 Bl. Natalia Tulasiewicz: A Polish Intellectual Who Fought the Nazis by Preaching the Gospel 53

17 St. John Francis Regis: The Mountain-Climbing, Prostitute-Rescuing Priest Who Was a Role Model to St. John Vianney 56

18 St. Luigi Versiglia: A Missionary Bishop Who Fought Communist Pirates to Save His People 60

Part 4 Saints Who Lived Ordinary Lives 63

19 Ven. Jan Tyranowski: A Working-Class Bachelor Whose "Unsuccessful" Life Changed the World 65

20 Bls. Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi: An Ordinary Marriage Shot Through with Glory 68

21 Ven. Antonietta Meo: A Sweet Little Girl Who Knew How to Suffer Well 71

22 Bl. Lucien Botovasoa: A Man Whose Wife Was Resentful of His Piety 74

23 Ven. Teresita Quevedo: The Captain of the Basketball Team Who Was Voted Best Dressed in Her Class 77

24 Servant of God Antonio Culpa: A Husband and Father Whose Skill as a Musician Made Him a Star Evangelist 80

25 Ven. Margaret Sinclair: A Factory Worker from the Slums Who Became a Poor Clare Nun 83

26 Bl. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago: A Chronically Ill College Dropout Who Taught His People to Love the Mass 85

27 Bl. Ceferino Giménez Malta: A Grandpa Killed for Being Armed with a Rosary 88

28 Bl. Carlo Acutis: A Teenage Boy with a PlayStation and a Website 91

Part 5 Saints with Difficult Families 95

29 St. Marguerite Bays: A Saint Who Loved Her Dysfunctional Family 97

30 Servant of God Rose Hawthorne Lathrop: A Frivolous Socialite Who Left Her Alcoholic Husband 99

31 St. Marguerite d'Youville: A Pioneer Woman with a Dramatic Life 104

32 Bl. Victoire Rasoamanarivo: The Married Woman Who Defied Her Family to Lead the Church in Madagascar 107

Part 6 Saints Who Found Holiness through Suffering 111

33 Bl. Benedetta Bianchi Porro: The Medical Student Who Went Blind and Deaf but Refused to Despair 113

34 Ven. Rutilio Grande: A Heroic Priest Plagued by Mental Illness 116

35 St. Magdalena Son So-byok: A Mother Who Buried Nine Babies 119

36 Ven. Cornelia Connelly: A Woman Who Didn't Hate Her Ex-Priest Ex-Husband Even after He Took Her Children 121

37 Bl. Zdenka Schelingová: The Sister Who Defied Communists and Died Abandoned by Everyone She Loved 124

38 Sts. Columba Kim Hyo-im and Agnes Kim Hyo-ju: Sisters Who Survived Sexual Assault but Gave Their Lives for Jesus 126

39 Servant of God Darwin Ramos: A Twenty-First-Century Impoverished Teenager with Muscular Dystrophy 129

40 Sts. Timothy and Maura: A Couple Whose Marriage Only Lasted a Month 132

Part 7 Saints Whose Ruined Plans Opened the Way to More Beautiful Things 135

41 Bl. Lindalva Justo de Oliveira: A Life of Failure and Uncertainty Crowned with Martyrdom 137

42 Bl. Catalina de María Rodríguez: A Woman Called to the Convent but Pressured into Marriage 140

43 Servant of God Léonie Martin: The Awkward, Unruly, Unstable Older Sister of St. Thérèse 143

44 Bl. María Guggiari Echeverría: A Carmelite Nun Who Rejoiced in Her Broken Heart 147

45 St. Frances of Rome: An Introvert Who Found Holiness in a Vocation She Never Wanted 150

46 Ven. María Luisa Josefa: An Infertile Wife, a Widow, Then an Ex-Nun Twice Over 152

Part 8 Saints Who Were Failures 157

47 St. Mark Ji Tianxiang: An Opium Addict Who Never Got Clean 159

48 St. Leopold Mandic: A Faithful Priest Whose Only Dream Never Came True 161

49 St. Pacificus of San Severino: A Talented Priest Who Lost His Ability to Walk, Hear, and See 164

50 Ven. Maria Giuseppina Benvenuti (Zeinab Alif): A Captive Ransomed from Slavery to "Waste" Her Life in the Cloister 166

51 Bl. Paul Thoj Xyooj: A Missionary Prodigy Who Lost Everything but His Faith 169

52 Bl. Charles de Foucauld: A Nobleman Who Died a Failure in Everything but Love 172

Part 9 Saints Who Lived with Great Humility 177

53 St. Vitalis of Gaza: The Hermit Who Spent Every Night with a Different Prostitute 179

54 St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin: The Village Simpleton Who Became a Brilliant Nurse 181

55 Bl. Francisco de Paula Victor: The Man Freed from Slavery Who Fought Using Gentleness and Humility 185

56 St. Hugh of Grenoble: A Bishop Convinced He Wasn't Good Enough (Despite His Success) 189

Part 10 Saints Whose Generosity Changed the World 191

57 St. Dulce Pontes: The Sister Who Played Soccer with Orphans, Pulled a Dozen People out of a Burning Bus, and Nearly Won a Nobel Prize 193

58 Ven. Pierre Toussaint: The New York City Philanthropist Who Was Born into Slavery 196

59 Bl. Augustine Thevarparambil Kunjachan: An Unremarkable Priest Who Became the Apostle to the "Untouchables" 200

60 Ven. Felix Varela y Morales: A Condemned Criminal Who Spent His Life Serving Immigrants 203

61 Bl. José Gregorio Hernandez: The Medical Genius Who Served the Poor for Free 206

62 Ven. Satoko Kitahara: An Aristocratic Convert Who Moved to the Slums and Became Holy by Smiling 209

Part 11 Saints with Sinful Pasts 213

63 Bl. Bartolo Longo: A Satanic High Priest Turned Preacher of the Rosary 215

64 St. Mary of Egypt: A Life of Depravity Handed Over to Jesus 218

65 Sts. Mary of Edessa and Abraham of Kidunaia: A Hermitess Who Became a Prostitute and the Father Who Brought Her Home 221

66 St. Michael Ho Dinh Hy: A Scrupulous Former Adulterer Who Finally Realized He Couldn't Earn Mercy 224

67 St. Brice of Tours: A Bishop So Arrogant Only a Saint Could Put Up with Him 227

68 Servant of God Bartolomé de Las Casas: A Slaveholding Priest Who Fought Prejudice in Himself and Became a Champion of the Marginalized 230

69 Bl. Anthony Neyrot: An Arrogant Priest Who Was Kidnapped, Sold into Slavery, and Committed Apostasy before Finally Becoming Holy 234

70 St. Jerome: An Angry Man Who Became a Saint through His Temper 237

71 St. Fabiola of Rome: A Divorcee Who Spent Decades without the Sacraments 240

Part 12 Saints Who Were Merciful 243

72 Servants of God Cyprien and Daphrose Rugamba: A Broken Marriage Made Whole by Grace 245

73 Servant of God Takashi Nagai: A Physician, Convert, Poet-and Victim of the Atom Bomb 248

74 Bl. Jean-Joseph Lataste: A Dominican Who Founded an Order of Convict Nuns 252

75 Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur: A Gentle Woman Whose Prayers for Her Atheist Husband Led to His Conversion-after Her Death 255

Notes 258

Alphabetical Index of Saints 265

Chronological Index 266

Feast Day Index 267

Geographical Index 268

Topical Index 269

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The Saint book for the rest of us who have failed more times than we care to admit.” —Fr. Agustino Torres, C.F.R., founder of Corazon Puro

“What a diverse collection of captivating stories, so well told and so invigorating! These are not dull, saccharine accounts, stringing together bare facts and dates as most saint collections do. This book is like fiery magma, lively and flowing with verve. Meg Hunter-Kilmer’s stories of relatively unknown saints will make your heart come alive, beating with new possibilities. Get this book for any person who thinks saints are boring and irrelevant.” —Brandon Vogt, senior content director at Word on Fire Catholic Ministries

“Pray for Us is a fresh take on holiness. Meg Hunter-Kilmer’s vignettes reveal the humorous and relatable aspects of holy Catholics from all over the globe—lay people as well as clergy and religious.” —Gloria Purvis, Catholic speaker, podcaster, and radio host

“With passion, captivating storytelling, and compelling insights, Hunter-Kilmer has provided a force of a resource to help tell the stories of the saints, the ones we know well and the ones we should take the time to meet.” —Katie Prejean McGrady, SiriusXM Radio host and host of the Ave Explores Podcast