In his Via Fidelis Pastoral Letter, Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS emphasizes that in this year of understanding the faith, we should give attention to the communion of saints, our “heavenly brothers and sisters who befriend us, intercede for us and help us” (page 28).

One of the first encounters I had with the saints was reading “The Catholic Treasure Box” series. Originally published in the 1950s, my grandmother had wisely stashed them away along with all my aunt’s vintage Barbie dolls. I still remember reading short stories about St. Thérèse of Lisieux and learning about how she did “little things” for God, something my 5-year-old brain could easily grasp.

For elementary-age readers, Meg Hunter-Kilmer has written several books. Her “Saints Around the World for Little Ones” are brief enough to be read independently. They introduce well known saints like Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, as well as lesser known friends in heaven, like Sts. Dulce Pontes and Joseph Vaz.

We were also gifted “Book of Saints” by Amy Welborn. I found her ways of introducing saints to children so relatable, grouping their stories around themes like “people who tell the truth” or “people who help in ordinary ways.” Each saint is presented to kids by highlighting a part of their life that is relatable to everyone.

In middle school, I was assigned a biography of St. Martin de Porres. I had never heard of him and was surprised to read all that he had overcome — abandonment by his father and racism from fellow Christians. Of course, now I know that many saints experienced adversity, but reading this account of how Martin pursued holiness amid the cruelty of the world had a profound impact on my pre-teen brain, one that was just beginning to grasp injustices in the past and present.

Louis de Wohl was an author I discovered in high school. After reading his novels on Sts. Thomas Aquinas and Catherine of Siena, many more were added to my library over the years. A teen recently asked me what I read that most shaped my Catholic faith in high school, and these historical novels were the first books that came to mind. De Wohl describes the cultures, challenges and conversations that would have been experienced by his subjects, and reading these novels provided inspiration for how I could begin to live my faith as an adult. It definitely put my teen angst in perspective.

Hebrews encourages us to “persevere in running the race that lies before us” because “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (12:1) — those who said “yes” to God daily in their time on earth and now intercede for us in heaven. As I reflect on my journey of faith, learning about these brothers and sisters, and how they navigated the challenges of their era, gave me a blueprint for how to better live my faith in the present.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church lays out our faith in an organized and systematic way. However, there are many times that life isn’t either of those. That’s why befriending the saints through studying their lives, and asking for their intercession, is so valuable. While a smattering of my favorite books are listed here, there are so many more saints to be discovered, and countless ways to learn about them. 

We have so many friends in heaven! Who inspires you to live out your faith on earth?