Lessons from Religious Saints (interesting stories from history)
Why people are so interested in celebrity gossip is mindboggling, because the life stories of ancient saints are far more interesting! And they also have lessons to teach us, including ancient saints of England.
An illustrated guide to modern saints
The Modern Saints is a wonderful and unique book to change the way you think about saints. Gracie believes (and we agree!) that stuffy images and boring text can lead people to be uninspired by Catholic saints and lead people away from their faith.
The artist also has a website The Modern Saint, where she uses her creative skills to modernise the lives of ancient saints.
St Anastasia was born to a pagan nobleman and a Christian mother in Sirmium (an area which is now Serbia and under Roman rule at the time).
Her mother baptised her and secretly raised her as a Christian. When she was older, she married a loving husband, until he discovered that she was Christian.
He immediately changed and would chain her up, beat her and instructed servants to do the same, while he was away as ambassador to Persia. However, his boat sank and he drowned on one journey, setting Anastasia free.
In this book, Gracie paints funky images, shares their stories and also includes information on what she believes they would care about today.
You can also use the book and site to discover your most likely ‘kindred spirit’ saint, and then you know which of her affordable prayer cards to buy, with images on the front and prayers on the back, to keep with you when you need them.
- St Agnes, a wealthy beauty from Rome who after deciding she did not want to marry (but devote her life to God) was dragged through the streets and set on fire, then beheaded. Today she would likely care about domestic abuse and assault survivors.
- St Mary was a Celtic nun in Australia who got ex-communicated (only returned just before her death) because her order of nuns reported alleged sexual abuse by a priest, in the last century.
- St Basil was a Turkish priest who created soup kitchens and weeded out leaders unfit for church positions. He helped thieves and prostitutes, and built shelters, hospitals and hospices, and broke up trafficking rings. Today he would be involved in world justice.
- St Dymphna was a beautiful red-head from Ireland, whose father began to lust after her, when his wife died. When she refused to marry him, he beheaded her. She is patron saint for mental health issues.
- St Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish saint from nobility, who found faith while recovering from a soldier’s wound, and used the rest of his life to service. He’s the saint, to use your God-given talents to help others.
- St Francis of Assisi (and his friend St Clare of Assisi) are patron saints of animal welfare. Francis was born to a wealthy family and a real party boy. He gave all his possessions away to live a simple life.
Animals stopped everything to listen to him preach. He is also patron saint of simple living and ecology. These are the saints, if you love animals more than humans (and Catholics don’t understand you!)
Gracie Morbitzer is a graduate of Columbus College of Art & Design, whose work is popular with the Catholic church, as it’s bringing back young people to the faith.
Do what really matters to you! Don’t do what you think will sell or what you think as popular. Don’t be afraid to ruffle some feathers – if everyone likes it, it is probably not honest enough to make a difference.
Being truly ourselves and working authentically (while sharing our art) is how we make a different in the world. Gracie
The miraculous astonishing stories of saints
Saints’ Lives is a fun and interesting book, profiling stunning collections of tales of saints, written by a professor of Catholic Studies.
From St Jerome nursing a lion and St Brigid’s miraculously expanding cloak, you’ll also learn about how St Kevin stood still while a blackbird nested in his hand, and how St Margaret was swallowed by a dragon.
All the stories are filled with bravery, kindness and resilience. And there are beautiful illustrations by award-winning artists Alicia Rutigliano, to bring the ancient saints to life.
You’ll also learn about St Cuthbert, the saint of Northumberland and County Durham, who protected eider ducks, and otters even dried his skin with their fur, after he’d gone for a swim!
The book profiles over 25 saints, each filled with a fact-filled profile and the story of one of their miracles. Find out which saint gave us Santa Claus, and which saint may have created the Loch Ness Monster.
A reference section includes information on patron saints, relics and miracles. Plus there is a calendar of feast days, for each day of the year.
Whether for a special occasion such as a confirmation or simply a child or adult who enjoys adventure stories, this is the perfect gift!
Tina Beattie is an independent researcher, writer and broadcaster. Previously the Professor of Catholic studies at University of Roehampton, she has written both on theology and works of fiction.
How ordinary people can become saints!
Room for Good Things to Run Wild is an interesting and unique book. If you feel that your faith has been reduced to a boring list of ‘should’ advice from preachers who are as bored by what they preach to you listening, then this is an anti-dote.
After spending too many days feeling bored and depressed, this author was disillusioned by both his faith and the world around him. So instead of ‘giving up on faith’, he chose to explore the real life and mission of Jesus, and the ‘saints of old’.
Accompanied by original illustrations and living liturgy, this book travels the Jesus Way, from Canada to England, and from Ireland to Spain.
Rediscover the wild world that God created for you, in order for you to experience it. Not to listen to a hate-filled preacher, but to discover the beauty of the natural world, the amazing wonder of a polar bear or a purring cat or the leaves of the trees.
Awaken your soul to the real faith, whatever you believe.
Author Josh Nadeau is an artist and writer from Canada’s west coast. His art and words are invitations to imagine the holy ordinary of everyday life, under the beauty of Jesus. He has a Master’s in Theological Studies, an undergraduate in physics, and a doctorate from the ‘school of hard knocks’.
He has his Undergrad in Physics, a Master’s in Theological Studies, and a doctorate from the School of Hard Knocks. He is a husband to Aislinn and a father to Ransom. He spends his days reading, writing, bouldering, and trying to enjoy every good and perfect Gift.
This video from Josh explains why he would use addictions to cope with life, and finally wanted ‘the big sleep’ until he found a way of communing with Jesus in a more hopeful way.
There is hope to be a Saint!
Saint Francis of Assisi (the patron saint of animal welfare, ecology and simple living) was a real party boy! Born in a wealthy family in Italy, he only gave away his possessions and became a saint later on life. It was said that birds would listen to his word, and fish would leap up from the sea, to hear him preach!
St Alban (the town in Hertfordshire is named after him) was a pagan, who was so impressed by a priest that he sheltered, that he converted himself. The first-ever Christian martyr, he was killed for his faith.
Bartolo Longo (the satanist who became a saint!)
This is such an interesting story. And a hopeful if you’ve kind of given up on what singer Jack Johnson sang about ‘Where have all the good people gone?’ Our world is getting madder and madder, and more nasty, dishonest and spiteful. But here’s a real historical story, to show that good can come from evil.
Bartolo Longo was born near Brindisi in northern Italy, to a devoutly Catholic family. He grew up without his mother (who died when he was just 10) and studied law at Naples University, where many of the tutors would teach against the established church, believing they were intellectually superior.
This rubbed off on Bartolo, who was turning not just against the church, but dabbling in the occult, visiting psychic mediums. And eventually he became a satanist (which does not always mean worshipping the devil, but more promising his soul to demons, and preaching against God, through intense study and fasting).
But Bartolo went even further, he would hold satanic services and speak out against the church. It’s not clear what he did during these services, but before long he was plagued by nightmares, depression and hallucinations that were sending him mad.
Bartolo’s family begged him to return to the church, but he refused. They asked a local Professor (Vincenzo Pepe) at a university to meet with him. He did manage to convince him to visit a Dominican priest, who after three weeks of deep conversation, convinced him to return to the church, and be forgiven for his sins.
The professor even moved Bartolo in with him, surrounding him with ‘good Catholics for two years’ to try to help him get better. Bartolo prayed, worked in a hospice and eventually become a third-order Dominican and promised to be celibate and faithful to God for the rest of his life.
He would even return to his old haunts and publicly declare his faith in God, and show them his Rosary breads! He still however was not happy, wracked with guilt over his former life. He still felt suicidal, wondering if his former life had condemned him to never have a life of true faith.
Bartolo hears a voice from Mary
Then he heard a voice ‘One who propagates my Rosary shall be saved’. He decided that he would spend the rest of his life praying and telling others to pray the Rosary. He (with donations) built schools and orphanages, and was responsible for building Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Pompeii (near Naples) and wrote books and novenas (nine-day prayers).
It was from his writings that Pope John Paul II was inspired to create the Luminous Mysteries (prayed by Catholics on Thursdays). In 1980 (over 60 years after his death), Bartolo Longo was canonised as a saint. The mysteries cover:
- The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
- The Wedding Feast at Cana
- The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
- The Transfiguration
- The Institution of the Eucharist
So if you think that you’ve messed up in life, chances are you never became a Satanist priest! And even if you did, there’s still hope. One of the world’s most popular Rosaries (and one of its most hopeful) all stemmed from a Naples boy who gave his soul to demons, confessed, and is now one of the world’s most beloved Catholic saints!
