Picture Book of Saints: Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Young and Old

Book of Saints

by Lawrence G. Lovasik

Picture Book of Saints - Padded Hardcover Edition 978-89942-235-0

Picture Book of Saints is an excellent gift idea and a great educational resource for children seeking to know more about and follow the examples of these holy figures. Recommended for children ages 7 and up.

Picture Book of Saints by popular author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D., recounts the lives of over 100 well-known Saints and Blesseds. Written in a straightforward, easy-to-understand style that will appeal to parents, teachers, and children, the life of each figure in this classic and enduring collection is beautifully illustrated in full color. Picture Book of Saints has been a favorite of Catholics for over sixty years and was expandedin 2015 to include sixteen of the Blesseds and Saints that have been beatified and/or canonized in the 21st century. 

A short prayer accompanies the biography of each included figure. Picture Book of Saints is an excellent gift idea and a great educational resource for children seeking to know more about and follow the examples of these holy figures. Recommended for children ages 7 and up.

Among the features of this book presentation pageGilded EdgesPrinted EndpapersA short prayer accompanies the biography of each included figureBrief and easy-to-text and simple descriptions of each SaintIllustration of each SaintHigh-quality paperDurable, paperback bindingConveniently sized at 6" x 9" to accommodate little handsNihil ObstatImprimaturattractive padded hardcover
In the Apostles' Creed we say, "I believe in the communion of Saints." Saints are those who have attained Heaven and are praying for us, they are special heavenly friends who have shown us how to live and love like Jesus while they were on earth.

The lives of Saints play a vital role in the faith formation of Catholic children, offering them tangible examples of how to live a life rooted in love, virtue, and holiness. Saints are real people who overcame challenges, grew in their faith, and demonstrated heroic virtue, showing children that holiness is achievable in every walk of life. Their stories inspire young minds to strive for goodness, courage, and selflessness.
By learning about Saints, children gain a deeper understanding of Catholic values, such as compassion, forgiveness, and trust in God. The Saints' diverse backgrounds and missions—ranging from helping the poor to defending the faith—teach children that everyone has a unique role in God’s plan. This instills a sense of purpose and encourages them to seek their own vocation.
Moreover, the Saints' lives often resonate with children in personal ways. For instance, young Saints like St. Thérèse of Lisieux or St. Dominic Savio show that even children can achieve great holiness. Their examples help children recognize that their everyday choices—acts of kindness, prayers, and sacrifices—can bring them closer to God.
In a world filled with conflicting values, the Saints provide a countercultural example of living for Christ. Their lives illuminate the path to Sainthood, inspiring children to become beacons of faith, hope, and love in their own communities.

The following Saints are featured in this Lady, Queen of SaintsSt. AgnesSt. Aloysius GonzagaSt. Alphonsus LiguoriSt. AmbroseSt. Andre BessetteSt. AndrewSt. Andrew Dung-LacSt. Angela MericiSt. AnnePLUS 90 MORE SAINTS
We invite you to view other Saints titles
 

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Childrens, Spirituality, Inspirational

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1979

About the author

Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, SVD attended primary school at Saint Clement School before continuing on to Divine Word minor seminary and college in Girard, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1931.

Father Lovasik then entered the Divine Word Major Seminary in Techny, Illinois, where he graduated in 1938. After completing his theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Father Lovasik was ordained a missionary priest of the Society of the Divine Word on August 14, 1938.

Father Lovasik spent several years as a teacher and Prefect of Seminarians for the Society of the Divine Word. For over forty years, he preached parish missions throughout the Eastern United States and conducted retreats throughout the world.

In 1954, Father Lovasik founded the Sisters of the Divine Spirit, a missionary congregation of women religious. In 1967, he founded the Family Service Corps, a secular institute devoted to charitable work for the sick, elderly and needy.

Father Lovasik said his life's ideal was to make God more known and loved through his writings. He published more than 30 books and over 75 pamphlets including prayer books, Bible stories for children, lives of the saints, and catechisms.

Father Lovasik retired from missionary work in 1982.

Reviews

[Rosanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The copy I read was "The Saint Joseph Edition."

I received this book as a gift for my First Communion in 1989. I never picked it up to read cover-to-cover until Lent this year. The book gives a nice introduction to the lives of saints. It is a very brief introduction that I imagine is intended to get the reader wanting to know more. The book also includes a prayer a picture relating to each saint.

At this time, the book is starting to get a bit dated. Saint Christopher is included. I think that the Church no longer considers him to be a saint. The way the book talks about people who are not Christian and people who are from countries that are not in North America / Europe is not modern.

This book is still useful, but it would be great if a new updated edition was produced. I enjoyed it overall.

[Amy Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of saint stories.

[Ron Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Classic Catholic kids book. I'm not a fan of organized religion so I'm always fascinated by the propaganda used to brainwash children. In this case, I got a kick out of the cheesy 1970s illustrations and earnest attempts to spin the pagan practice of saint worship. That sounds harsh, but let's be real here. A lot of folks don't realize just how much Christianity has ripped off its predecessors and rivals. Christmas, Easter and many feast days are pagan holidays. The Virgin Mary is a pagan earth goddess. A lot of the saints you see in Latin American, Caribbean, African and Asian churches are pagan spirits. Like pedophilia and corruption, idolatry is a very taboo subject. Let's just look at the pretty pictures, read the nice stories and pretend that everything's fine and dandy...

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good source of inspiration, examples of lives of faith and good stories for the Catholic family. Included are brief biographies of each saint. I have had this book for over 20 years and gave it to my oldest daughter.

[Izabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for mass! It had so many wonderful saints with gorgeous art and prayers!!

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before actually rereading any of this book, I thought surely that here would be a book that I would be ready to depart with. However, I changed my mind after reading 10 of the saint stories. Yesterday, I read from The Dictionary of Saints. In that book, there is a concise but dry entry for each saint which gives the important dates and details of their life. In this book, the passages are mostly shorter, but they are on fire with inspiration. Where the other book got all the dry details, this book captures the most inspiring elements of each saint's life and includes a picture and short prayer to the saint. Like The Dictionary, it is dated and only contains saints canonized before 1979. Luckily, though, there were some very beautiful saints canonized before 1979, and this book contains 112 of them.

I have always liked Fr. Lovasik's books. This book contains a forward by him which includes these sentences: "The word "saints" means all those in the state of sanctifying grace. Therefore, you have millions of friends, bound to you by their spiritual bond of divine grace and charity flowing from Christ, our divine Head. These friends are especially the saints in heaven who are now enjoying their triumph with God forever....They are your brothers and sisters in heaven. They want to help you get to heaven."

Who doesn't want to have millions of friends and brothers and sisters in heaven wanting to help us?

I'll be repairing and keeping this book and recommend it for families trying to learn more about the saints. Note: This book does include information on the saints based on legends as if it were factual. Two that I noted were the story of St. Jerome having a lion companion because he removed a thorn from its paw and the story that St. Andrew preached the gospel in Russia. These elements don't bother me because legends could be true, but I mention for those who don't like legends included in the stories of the saints.

[Pankachu102 · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of saints (Jesus, his parents, apostles, priests, nuns, virgins, and martyrs) and some angels. Each includes a drawing, prayer, their associated calendar date, any patronages, and a brief rendition of their story.

There appeared to be no discernible rationale for the order of saints, with some mentioning saints not included in the book. A few logical orderings would be 1. Chronological 2. Alphabetical 3. By associated calendar date.

Overall, unless you’re obsessed with saints, it’s a pass from me.

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading this now, the thing that most strikes me that I didn't pick up on as a kid is that a lot of saints died young. (Mostly I didn't see this as a kid since they were still older than me, even the 15-year-old.)

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

basic information, not well written - leaves many questions about many of these saints unanswered

[Cole Rich]

A Catholic classic. Good reference book of many popular Saints.

[alyssa santore]

saints are so cool to me

[Sofia Ysaac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book only has a few saints like St. Gabriel, St. Boniface, St. Bernard, etc.

[Victoria B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved this series since I was in junior high - I like learning about the lives of others!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite saints books! I got it when I was a little girl and I still read it!

[Martha Madanat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book