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 Nguyễn Văn Thuận: 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 Cuipa: 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 Rodríguez Santiago: A Chronically Ill College Dropout Who Taught His People to Love the Mass .....................................................................................85 27. Bl. Ceferino Giménez Malla: 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 Mandić: 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 Hernández: 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