• Catholicism for Dummies, by John Trigilio
• Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, by Joseph Ratzinger
• The Catholic Youth Bible Revised: New American translation, by Brian Singer-Towns
• The Catholic Youth Bible: New Revised Standard version
• United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
• Catechism of the Catholic Church, by U.S. Catholic Church
• St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica, by St. Thomas Aquinas
• Fireside Catholic Youth Bible: New American translation
• The Cheese and the Worms, by Carlo Ginzburg

Book Review

A book review on "The Who's Who of Heaven: Saints for All Seasons" by Msgr. John P. Kleinz

This modern Christian book not only gives short biographical sketches of selected saints, but also gives an introduction on what saints are, and how significant they are in our Catholic spirituality, even for today's secular-influenced living. This is a book that anyone will want to read over and over again, especially when we need sources of spiritual inspiration and the motivation to excel in our Christian living.

A brief introduction

The book is meant for all Catholics of all states of life. The core content of the book are short biographies of selected saints plus a special feature and focus given on the Blessed Mother. For those who are not as yet familiar with the saints and their role in our Catholic faith, there is an introduction that gives direction to the reading of the biographies in the book. An Introduction explains what a saint is, and how important each one of them is to the tradition of venerating them as intercessors, patrons, exemplars and models par excellence of imitating Christ.


Each of the saints featured in this book are given in short biographical sketches that span no more than three to four pages, and is written in a very colorful and interesting style. What is quite unique about these hagiographical sketches [studies and stories on the saints] is that they incorporate some of the saints sayings and quotations themselves, and some prayers they have written and composed while they were alive, plus other written materials they have produced during their lifetime.


To get an idea of the content of the book, below is an outline of the main divisions in the book:

Chapters of the book

• Introduction - What is a Saint?
• Chapter One: Mother of God
• Mary's Role in the Church Today
• Marian Prayers
• Marian Shrines
• Chapter Two: Eight Role Models for Priests
• Chapter Three: Missionary Martyrs
• Chapter Four: Missionaries to the Americas
• Saint Martin de Porres
• Saint Turibius de Mogrovejo
• Saint Peter Claver, SJ
• Fray Juniper Serra, OFM
• Father Damien
• Mother Marianne of Molokai
• Bishop Frederic Baraga
• Father Jean Pierre Aulneau, SJ
• Father Pierre Jean de Smet, SJ
• Saint Martin de Porres
• Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys
• Saint John Neumann
• Chapter Five: Nine Foundresses
• Chapter Six: Eight Jesuits
• Chapter Seven: Saints of the Early and
  Medieval Church
• Chapter Eight: A Woman for Our Time
  - Venerable Mary Katharine Drexel

About 48 holy men and women featured

The book features about 48 holy men and women who are categorized according to the chapters given above. Some of these holy men and women are not yet beatified or canonized, but because of the witness of their holy lives, they are included by Msgr. Kleinz in this book. One of them, Brother Charles de Foucauld, has recently been beatified last November 2005.

For those who love to read on the lives of the saints and some who are avid collectors of books on hagiography, this is a book that you will surely read not only once. The facts given in the book are more precise because the information concerning each holy man or woman is a result of historical studies and the sources from which they came from are well-documented. What is remarkable though, is the inspiring spirit that juts out from the pages, and calls us to be influenced in the same heroic spirit that these Christian heroes lived. Especially inspiring are the lives of the martyrs, who witnessed to Christ with their very lives. This proves how heroism in the human spirit is brought to a higher level when inspired by the Spirit of God Himself.

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