Religion

These are relatively short (usually about 20 or 30 pages each) autobiographical essays from Catholic converts. The stories cover a numer of converts who are becoming well-known for their vibrant Catholic ministries of various sorts, and so you may have heard the names Marcus Grodi, James Akin, Steve Wood, Tim Staples and Dave Armstrong before). Because of the variety of authors, the reading levels and vocabulary used vary greatly - some are simple and succinct and others more complex - but all are compelling in their own way; all help to shed more light on what it means to be a Catholic and why the Catholic Church is so different from other beliefs. Although primarily intended for adults, the book would make excellent apologetics reading for high schoolers because it provides a wealth of information and "holy ammunition" in intellectual battles with non-Catholics.

This third collection in the series features the stories of ten more converts. As with the previous collections, these make great reading for those inquiring into the Catholic faith. Each story also invites those of us already blessed to be Catholic to a deeper understanding of our own Faith in areas in which many struggle, such as: materialism and doubts about the supernatural, answering the challenge to seek the truth, marriage and sexuality, and separated groups ranging from anti-Catholic Protestants to "More Catholic than the Pope." It never fails to amaze me how many different routes there are to the one Truth.

Well-known Catholic writers Carl Olson, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, and Pete Vere are among the converts and reverts in this volume.

This particular set of stories includes one, entitled "Sex, Lies, and the Catholic Church," that parents may want to preview before giving it to their children to read. As the title indicates, issues of sexuality are raised, specifically contraception, cohabitation, premarital sex, sterilization, and adultery. Another story ("More Catholic Than the Pope" no More) mentions the writer's previous involvement in satanism. I consider the book appropriate for mature teens and adults.

In the consistent style of the Vision Series of non-fiction Catholic stories for young people, the author presents a very engaging account of the important story of Our Lady's appearnces to Bernadette Soubirous - probably the poorest and simplest child in the small town of Lourdes, France. Bernadette's beautiful devotion is inspiring and her stubborn honesty is refreshing. More important, however, is Our Lady's message and her profound effect on those who come to her out of devotion and sometimes only curiosity. Many people who have visited the famous spring at Lourdes have experienced miraculous cures, but there are many more miracles that can be seen only within the human heart.

The story of the great Italian missionary to the United States is told to two young students in one of the schools she founded. The story especially elaborates on the history of the schools and works founded by Mother Cabrini in New Orleans, Louisiana. A very beautiful story already, this particular rendition has the unique angle of being told by one of the Sisters of Charity who had come to America from Italy with Mother Cabrini. This would make a good read aloud story for the whole family and would be a helpful supplement to your American History curriculum.