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Therese, Faustina, and Bernadette: Three Saints Who Challenged My Faith, Gave Me Hope, and Taught Me How to Love
In Thérèse, Faustina, and Three Saints Who Challenged My Faith, Gave Me Hope, and Taught Me How to Love author, speaker, and retreat leader Elizabeth Ficocelli introduces her readers to three remarkable women saints who became not only her role models, but also her life-changing friends. Thérèse, Faustina, and Bernadette taught Ficocelli about faith, hope, and love, and showed her what true Catholic womanhood looks like. Some of the best saint stories are not about wonder-workers, but rather the everyday saints—friends who understand the challenges of marriage and motherhood and the banalities of day-to-day life. Bestselling author Elizabeth Ficocelli discovered three such friends in Thérèse of Lisieux, Faustina of the Divine Mercy, and Bernadette of Lourdes. The witness of their lives moved Ficocelli to cultivate the virtues of faith, hope, and love as she journeyed from a successful career as a marketing executive to what she found was a more authentic, even counter-cultural Catholic womanhood. Ficocelli offers women the wisdom of these saints for their own spiritual journeys.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 22, 2021
I read this book when I was just starting to get serious about my faith again and I think it’s a great book for someone in that place. Not very in-depth, but still a good book to learn about these 3 incredible saints and the authors spiritual journey.
I will say this book inspired me to ask St Therése for my own miracle and she answered in the most beautiful way. So for that I’m eternally grateful!
I will say this book inspired me to ask St Therése for my own miracle and she answered in the most beautiful way. So for that I’m eternally grateful!
February 13, 2023
I read this book for a church book club. The author discusses 3 Saints (Therese, Faustina, & Bernadette) & how each one impacted her life. This is an excellent read for a ladies group at church or even for one who wants to read more about these 3 Saints.
February 4, 2024
3 1/2 Stars
July 23, 2025
So hard to tear myself away from it. Skillful writing and such heartfelt explanation of these 3 saints.
March 27, 2014
In Short: Oddly compelling, but at the same time hollow feeling. It feels like the author is rehashing stuff she’s done before (I say that not having read anything else she’s written.)
The Long Version: I am (still) fascinated with non-fiction books about other people’s spiritual journeys. In particular, I enjoy it when people convert to another religion, or in this case from non-practicing-Christian to Catholicism. I am ALSO fascinated with Catholicism. I requested this one from NetGalley They weren’t mothers, nor where they even wives. That said, I could see understand that one might learn something from them. For example, Saint Therese was an example of pure love. And, in all honestly, I did see where the author is going here. I can see how you should learn from the book that You! Too! Could be sainted if you only love Jesus/everyone enough, but I absolutely could not tell how the author was relating that to her life. Her personal stories were interesting, but they didn’t relate to the specific saints that she was claiming she was learning from.
I also didn’t feel like the book itself delved very deep. Let’s take for example Faustine of the Divine Mercy. Ficocelli repeated “Divine Mercy” roughly every other sentence, but barely even touched on what “Divine Mercy” means. Yes, I can see, God’s Mercy. Whatever. Tell me what that really means and why I WANT that, don’t assume that I know. OR assume that I am well versed in Catholic theology and write ALL the book like I know what you’re talking about. (It’s like telling someone they have a “Federally Compliant ID card” but not explaining what that is or why it matters.) Ficocelli also continually refers to books she’s written or read about each or the saints prior to writing this one, and I couldn’t tell what new thing this book brought to the table. Sure to me it’s all new, but I hate to read something that feels like a summary of something else. Perhaps if she’d done a better job of relating her personal stories to each saint and tying it all together I would not have felt this way. I really came out of it feeling like this is a 60 minute speech she gives somewhere and she padded it out to be a 180 page book.
In the end, I am more interested in the lives of these saints, and exactly what made them a saint, but I didn’t feel that this book was one I’d recommend to other people.
The Long Version: I am (still) fascinated with non-fiction books about other people’s spiritual journeys. In particular, I enjoy it when people convert to another religion, or in this case from non-practicing-Christian to Catholicism. I am ALSO fascinated with Catholicism. I requested this one from NetGalley They weren’t mothers, nor where they even wives. That said, I could see understand that one might learn something from them. For example, Saint Therese was an example of pure love. And, in all honestly, I did see where the author is going here. I can see how you should learn from the book that You! Too! Could be sainted if you only love Jesus/everyone enough, but I absolutely could not tell how the author was relating that to her life. Her personal stories were interesting, but they didn’t relate to the specific saints that she was claiming she was learning from.
I also didn’t feel like the book itself delved very deep. Let’s take for example Faustine of the Divine Mercy. Ficocelli repeated “Divine Mercy” roughly every other sentence, but barely even touched on what “Divine Mercy” means. Yes, I can see, God’s Mercy. Whatever. Tell me what that really means and why I WANT that, don’t assume that I know. OR assume that I am well versed in Catholic theology and write ALL the book like I know what you’re talking about. (It’s like telling someone they have a “Federally Compliant ID card” but not explaining what that is or why it matters.) Ficocelli also continually refers to books she’s written or read about each or the saints prior to writing this one, and I couldn’t tell what new thing this book brought to the table. Sure to me it’s all new, but I hate to read something that feels like a summary of something else. Perhaps if she’d done a better job of relating her personal stories to each saint and tying it all together I would not have felt this way. I really came out of it feeling like this is a 60 minute speech she gives somewhere and she padded it out to be a 180 page book.
In the end, I am more interested in the lives of these saints, and exactly what made them a saint, but I didn’t feel that this book was one I’d recommend to other people.
January 27, 2015
I enjoyed this book because the author introduced me to saints I've been wanting to befriend. She made them approachable and relatable. It's an easy read that helps you relate to someone who goes through the same struggles and victories of life as a Catholic woman. We all search for faith, hope, and love, and this is a nice way to help the journey of life and faith. I love the saint references and how they all made an impact on her life. I am more aware of how they are doing the same thing for me :)
July 14, 2014
Gave me a nice introduction to this author and an overview of a few saints I hear about, but couldn't tell you much about before. It was nice, light Catholic informational reading -- not too challenging in the ideas, but interesting.
November 10, 2014
I enjoyed it but didn't LOVE it. I enjoyed the intro much more than when she got into details about saints. Most of what she said about saints, I either knew or just felt a bit bored in the way she told it. I liked her personal story better.
March 16, 2014
A wonderful, heartfelt, and deeply personal tale. The author's passion is infectious - the book has led me to seek out others about the Saints. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews