A Unique 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!)
About the Author
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
