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Reviewed by Sharon Boehlefeld | The Observer
For some traditional Filipinos, it’s already Christmas time.
“In the Philippines they have the longest running Christmas season,” says Mia P. Manansala. They celebrate during “The ‘ber’ months — September, October, November, December.”
Manansala, who is a Filipina-American, launched her debut novel, “Arsenic and Adobo,” the first of her Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series, last summer.
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With a backdrop of Paris during La Belle Époque at the turn of the last century, this tale of two lovers and their journeys of and toward faith come to life amid balls, worlds fairs, travels in Europe and North Africa, and more.
Chovelon’s book, however, is not a novel. It is a well-told recounting of the lives of Elisabeth and Felix Leseur, translated into English by Mary Dudro.
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Kim-Doan Katrina Nguyen, MD, is Vietnamese by heritage and Catholic since childhood.
She is also a big fan of the St. Vincent de Paul Society as evidenced by her book signing in early August with SVdP as the recipient of $9 per $15 book sold.
“I was able to donate $600,” she says of that event, noting that the money was divided between the four Rockford parish conferences: St. Rita, St. James, Cathedral of St. Peter and Holy Family.
She became active with the Holy Family conference of the SVdP Society in late 2016 and serves on the conference’s fundraising team. Her family’s experiences as refugees and the support they received along the way, are part of her attraction to the society and its spirit, she says.
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Tracy Clark’s first published mystery story started one day during a moment when her mind slipped away from a homily at St. Philip Neri Parish in Chicago.
“I looked at the confessional, and I thought, ‘You could put a body in there.’”
When that passing thought eventually coalesced with a character she’d been imagining since she was about 12, “Broken Promises” was born. In that first novel, Cass Raines was the private detective who wanted to solve the murder of her favorite priest in a Chicago parish much like Clark’s own.
"Brilliant! 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians and Super Smart People" by David Michael Warren, illustrated by Jaclyn Warren. Pauline Books and Media (Boston, 2020). 101 pp., $24.95.
If there was ever any doubt about the intrinsically compatible relationship between faith and science before, it surely will be debunked after reading "Brilliant!" Although not the intention of the book, the remarkable men and women of faith featured within will surely amplify the aforementioned. The illuminating illustrations pair perfectly with the stories, perhaps a natural result of the collaboration between the married author-illustrator creators of the book.
Written by retired journalist Anna Marie Kukec Tomczyk, the book artfully weaves stories of struggle and success in “We Are Eagles: Inspiring Stories of immigrant Women Who Took Bold Steps in Life through Literacy.”
It's a matter of faith that Catholics who die in a state of grace join the communion of saints in heaven. Indeed, the church has codified that recognition in the celebration of All Saints' Day each Nov. 1.
For a few extraordinary Catholics, however, the recognition of sanctity takes a more public form. In a process known as canonization, Vatican officials examine the lives of certain Catholics to determine if they are, indeed, worthy of special commemoration. When the church is convinced of the truth of sanctity, the pope grants formal sainthood.
The process of canonization can be arduous, so supporters seek to advance these causes through books and articles. Two recent books offer insight into the process; both are informative contributions to our understanding of the canon of saints.