How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of the Catholic Church's Biggest Names

by Kate Sidley

Part history lesson. Part sacrilege. An entirely good time.

Think you have what it takes to be a saint? Lucky for you, thousands of souls have paved the way to heaven—creating a clear formula for getting the job done while also leaving a rich, disturbing history behind them. And in just five easy-ish steps, you can learn how to secure your own halo!

But even if the whole "dying and becoming a saint" thing doesn't appeal to you, the bizarrely bureaucratic process of canonization is still guaranteed to delight and entertain. How to Be Saint is a compulsively readable and endlessly entertaining ride through Catholicism for anyone who enjoys their history with a side of comedy. From flying friars to severed heads, this book explores the wild lives (and deaths) of saints and pulls the curtain back on the oddest quirks of religious doctrine.

Whether you're a lifelong Catholic or a weird-history enthusiast, How to Be a Saint is your ultimate guide to understanding the hilarious, fascinating, and shockingly true history of sainthood.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, History, Religion, Audiobook, Catholic, Historical

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2025

About the author

Kate Sidley is a WGA Award and Peabody Award-winning, Emmy-nominated comedy writer and performer who currently writes for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her first book, HOW TO BE A SAINT, is available now.

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed a lot. Does this mean I am going to hell?

While an extreme long shot to become a Saint, I found a lot to like about Kate Sidley's How to Be a Saint. Sidley looks at some of the most interesting people in the Catholic Church, and sometimes they are even real! Clearly, I should state who the audience for this book is. The way I see it, there are 3 types of people I'd like to speak to directly:

1. Non-Catholics, people who hate the Catholic Church, and people who don't care even a little bit - this book will totally be fun for you! Sidley is funny, and she is going to be pointing out a lot of weird stuff you probably already have when you have made fun of your Catholic friends. You don't need to believe in the Jesus stuff because there are still some quick and eye-opening stories that will make you say, "Well, I'm glad I don't have to worry about becoming a martyr."

2. Catholics, but who are not about to lead a crusade anytime soon. You try and go to church and you are sometimes successful. You believe, but when your non-Catholic friends ask, "Hey, isn't it super weird that in Catholicism," you cut them off and say, "Yeah, there is a lot of weird stuff and I just push passed it. Can we talk about politics or something?" This is my category and I had a wonderful time. I even remembered some stuff from my 13 years of Catholic school! Congrats, Sister Pat, Sister Agnes, Sister Lynn, Sister....I think there was a Helen in there. Anyway, something got through!

3. You are very Catholic. Religion is no laughing matter. You may go on crusade soon. Uh, you should skip this.

The book is very funny and I didn't take it as mean-spirited. In fact, I don't think a non-Catholic could write it. There is a love to the mocking almost like an older sibling who knows what buttons to push, but only knows because they pay attention. Now, I am going to go pray that this review doesn't get me sent straight down. Amen.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Sourcebooks.)

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny and informative book about obscure Catholic history. When I requested this ARC, I thought it would be 75% humor and 25% learning, but this was pretty well researched and had a lot of solid information portrayed in a humorous manner. Kate Sidley is a great writer, having made her career writing for television. Her voice reminds me of Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling, who also write for TV but their books have sharp observations and random quirkiness. If you are interested in history/anthropology/religion and are okay with not taking it too seriously, you would enjoy this book. There are many pictures of renaissance and earlier art of various Catholic saints, which adds to the narrative and inspires the author to humorous ideas about them. You can't really study European history without studying the history of the Catholic Church.

While the tone is light and silly, and overall does call out all of the ironies and hypocrises in the church, it somehow manages to be respectful if not deferential of the church. It makes the history accessible and funny. Like the subtitle says, it is sacrilegious, but only mildly so.

I am pretty devout myself, but I think God has a good sense of humor.

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the ARC. Book to be published August 19, 2025

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

i actually learned a lot

[Ellen Scheid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: This isn't your typical book on the saints. As a matter of fact, this book may be considered offensive to some.

This is a book that you can totally read in one sitting! 224 pages of Kate Sidley's snarky writing style with full-color images, paired with her well-constructed research; this made for a fun, possibly heretical, educational read.

Kate Sidley truly went all-out when she compiled this comedic, how-to guide to sainthood. You can easily follow along with the guidebook though the whole process of becoming a Catholic Saint, and enjoy an array of interesting facts and "punny" jokes along the way.

This book won't teach you more about God, but it will show you a small glimpse into the underbelly of the Catholic doctrine for sainthood, and a potentially wider view on human nature and the need for religious structure. There were a lot of WEIRD facts in this book that I did take the time to research a little bit further for my own interests, and I didn't regret reading any of it.

If you like to read about strange religious facts, pick this up. It's worth the read.

[Sharondblk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not as clever or funny as it thinks it is. It attempts to structure around the steps to becoming a saint, but the actual content is all over the place. Lots of lists of saints with short descriptions, lots of 'sassy' asides, quite a few scatological jokes. There are some interesting facts, but on the whole it's all rather shallow. I wouldn't call it mildly sacrilegious, I would describe it as mildly tedious. It's very repetitious, with some concepts repeated a number of time.
I'm also not sure who this book is for. If you don't know anything about Catholicism this book is going to confuse you. If you do, this might amuse you, if you like lowest common denominator jokes. What's most frustrating is I think Kate Sidley knows and cares about her topic, but she's too busy trying to be funny to be truly interesting.

I was given a free audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

How To Be A Saint by Kate Sibley, I listen to this audio book narrated by the author and I must admit I am kind of jealous. If Kate Sibley has the type of friends that love her so much they don’t want to criticize and inevitably allow her to put out the book with such low hanging fruit about how to be cantaanized by the Catholic Church I mean she either is a wonderful person or potentially explosive. I wasn’t raised Catholic the due to babysitting issues I did go to Catholic Church a lot and I’ve always thought due to it history and what I’ve witnessed firsthand that the Catholic Church was like how to be religious without really being religious type of religion. So whenever I see a book about the Catholic Church and its Saints I’m always down to read it I find them so very interesting and although this book was light on the Saints and there were so many jokes in the book unless you know you will find some of it hard to separate from the truth I still didn’t find this book that funny and I find the Catholic Church hilarious on its own. The head jokes such as when explaining to a non-Catholic about why we kneel it’s an honor of when Jesus injured his Achilles in the local football game so if you find this funny then this is the book for you I myself really didn’t chuckle at all. I do think there is an audience for this but I just don’t belong to it. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #KateSibley, #HowToBeASaint,

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who grew up Catholic (but left the church in my mid-20s), I came into this book with a basic understanding of Catholicism and sainthood. There were some interesting bits sprinkled throughout, and I appreciated learning more from time to time.

That said, I found the humor a bit overdone. The author clearly has a talent for comedy, and after reading Stephen Colbert’s introduction I learned that she wrote for his show. That explains a lot — the sharp punchlines and satirical tone definitely fit late-night television, but in my opinion, they don’t translate as well into a full-length book. What felt fresh at first became a little too much for me after a while.

Still, it was entertaining overall, just not quite the reading experience I hoped for. 3 stars from me.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny, irreverent, educational!

[Marl · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.5 stars rounded up]

It’s good to read just a fun walk through a short, comedic history book. How to Be a Saint by Kate Sidley is exactly that. An easy to follow book broken down into many short sections and interlaced with very abridged versions of many, many Saints. These sections are treated like themes lists such as “the virgin martyrs” or “hermits”, for example. The book takes us step by step through the process of becoming a saint, both on the reader’s end and on what would happen after you die. From becoming a Roman Catholic to dying to having your miracles investigated and finally the mass canonizing you as a Saint, we get to hear about, and poke fun at, all the bureaucratic steps and changes over the years to the process. I listened to the audiobook and read the bonus material PDF that came with it. Though I lost the seemingly fun and impressive stylization/layout of the pages, Sidley does an excellent job narrating and bringing life to her sense of humor in every chapter. Either medium seems like it would be perfectly fine to read the book in, and I especially think that this would be a really fun one for a short day trip drive.

Though I think a lot of Americans will be able to laugh and find something out of this book, it’s obviously not meant for very by the books trad Caths. I am Catholic and do really revere the Saints (most of them at least) but I also had a lot of fun at how Sidley points out some of the more out there aspects of Catholicism and the Papacy. If you’re going to be put off by the book opening with a letter from God welcoming you to the process of dying and becoming a Saint, then this isn’t a book for you. Some of the humor is definitely pointed at those who were at least raised Catholic. Jokes about not knowing what to do with Holy Cards and keeping your baptism candle awkwardly in your attic and never using it are spread throughout. Sidley herself grew up going to Catholic school and was at least raised Catholic, so she’s not an outsider gawking in.

Sidley has been nominated for a comedy Emmy seven times and has been a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for years and it is pretty obvious through her sense of humor. I don’t really watch any of those late shows but have laughed enough at the short clips I’ve seen online over the years. However, the book makes use of the general humor found in these shows - minus the political jokes or heavy pop-culture referencing. There’s a lot of “[describing the story of Saint Alexius who left on his wedding night of his arranged marriage to become a hermit] since Alexius left after his wedding, his wife had to continue living with her parents-in-law, which means that she ultimately sacrificed more than Alexius!” style of humor. The book’s sense of humor comes across very clearly from the start, so if you know you’re gonna hate it then you probably are. I thought, though generally not laugh out loud funny, the book remained entertaining throughout and didn’t have too many instances that fell flat. Again, Sidley does an excellent job narrating these parts and delivering the jokes perfectly.

The main bulk of the book follows the steps of “how to be a Saint”. We begin with the process of becoming Catholic (baptism, etc.) and end with what your duties as a Saint would be (listening to prayers and intervention). These chapters are short but not lacking in information. Though obviously not the be all end all complete detailing of every aspect of the steps to confirm a Saint (which this book is obviously not trying to be), the book still acts as both a good primer and an easy way to gawk at the admittedly very odd parts of Roman Catholicism and the stories of certain Saints.

I really enjoyed the parts where she went step by step with all the people involved with your canonization of being a Saint, from your local petitioner off to Rome reviewing everything, then a Vatican group reviewing everything again, and then maybe another group again before the Pope reviews everything. She points out the ways that the canonization of Saints has been used in ways to support the Church (a modern example being Carlos Acutis being fast-tracked to Sainthood so quickly as a possible first Millennial Saint just as the Church faces the lowest attendance of young people in its history) and all the ways that the system has been streamlined and made easier over time. I always love pointing fun at bureaucracy, and this one is no different.

This book was exactly what I assumed it was and was such an entertaining book to listen to. Definitely something to pick up for a long day or as a Christmas gift!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb doesn't lie when it says Sidley's book is "part history lesson. Part sacrilege. An entirely good time." If the tone of the blurb doesn't do it for you, then you probably won't chuckle or smile to yourself while reading. While some of the jokes didn't land for me, felt somewhat juvenile, the type of humor doesn't shift throughout the book, so you will know fairly quickly if it's suited for you or not. So long as you're a reader open to a dash of humor bordering on irreverence, and (light) critique towards the Catholic Church, you should be fine to read the well-researched information presented in the book.
It's quirky and goofy enough to keep the tone light, though the bulk of information is presented in an easy to follow, not-getting-lured-by-the-Pied-Piper sorta way. Humor aside, Sidley has presented the information one needs to try to become a Saint with many examples of the Catholic Church's biggest names. She presents the wannabe Saint with a checklist, with encouraging words along the way, a few examples of what to do, and a timeline of how arduous and expensive the process of canonization is (and, wow, it's expensive). There are real Saints and there are fictional Saints, but they've both got words for you. It's well-written and very informative. I think even some of the most devout believers will learn something from this book.
The book is full of information, though, so as Stephen Colbert says, in the introduction, buy the book so Kate's kids can attend college. Read before or after your sexy elf book.
*There are some layout issues if you're reading through Kindle. Some of the errors in text are easy to decipher but there were a few that were wholly out of order and I had to skip over entirely.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It probably isn't a requirement that one be Roman Catholic to enjoy this book but I think it helps. That is, if you're not too sensitive about the institution of the church and some of it's odder rules.

Personally, I found this book hilarious. And the things the author (Kate Sidley) pokes fun at have nothing to do with faith but more the hoops one has to jump through to become a saint.

There's a lot of interesting information in this book but that wouldn't be my most important reason to read it.

My reason is that it's hilarious. This is a how-to guide on, as the title lays out, to become a saint and every page had something--or things--that made me laugh.

Although less amusing and a big surprise to me is how expensive the process of canonization is. I'm thinking of saints very differently now (those that are real--Sidley tells of many saints who though legendary probably--or definitely--did not exist outside the imagination.

There is a handy checklist after each part of the process that is worth holding on to, if that is a goal of the reader.

I went around telling people they must read this book, something I rarely do. But I need some people to share quotes. This is a book that longs to be shared with others.

Sidley is a writer for Stephen Colbert--another Catholic with a biting sense of humor that still manages--for me--to include a strong Catholic faith with a willingness to look at and critique, however amusingly, the foibles of the institution that carries.

This book immediately became one of my favorite--not just this year but of all the books I've read and I'm sure I will be rereading it.

A suitable Christmas gift?

How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of The Catholic Church's Biggest Names by Kate Sidley will be published by Sourcebooks in 2025.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, very informative little book. I had a great time reading this, and I will say the humor the author added to the explanations made this infinitely more readable and finish-able than a lot of other informational books on different aspects of Catholicism (even if it was a bit blasphemous, but really, who's worried about that?). I would definitely recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC!

[Thor Balanon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laughed a lot. Learned a lot. Of weird things.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do appreciate how Sidley pokes fun at the Catholic church measuring piety through the sainthood while discussing the history. It's a fun ride if you don't take it too seriously.

[Sudha Murali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely not for you if you think there’s nothing funny about religion.

Please note: if you do pick up the book, and you’re any kind of Catholic (practicing, ex, educated by nuns), expect to feel terribly guilty during and after reading it. They don’t call it Catholic guilt for nothing, you know.

I’m off to atone for my sin of thoroughly enjoying this irreverent, funny, and interesting book.

[Edie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I desperately wanted to love this book. It appeals directly to my niche interests. Perhaps that is the problem. Maybe the humor and intriguing facts might land for a general reader. As someone already invested in the quirky facts & fiction of saints, this was a miss for me. It was fun. It was entertaining. The narration was like grabbing drinks with a girlfriend who info dumps her latest hyper-focus. Thank you to Kate Sidley, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for the audioARC.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I'd be tempted to describe a history book as a "fun romp," but here we are!

This fun romp of a read perfectly showcases the doctrinal contortionism required of a centuries old religion as it absorbs and is absorbed by other cultures. Sensibilities change over time, and not all things age well. For example, we might not view St. Rita as a paragon of parenthood now, but she was canonized in the middle ages for praying for the *deaths of her sons* so that they'd be prevented from seeking vengeance for her husband's murder. In the modern Catholic church, she remains a patron saint of parenthood!

This heavily illustrated book is strongest when the author isn't trying to be funny and instead lets absurd chapters of church history and doctrine speak for themselves. Don't get me wrong, the author is funny-- very-- but the more boggling choices of the historical church deserve the spotlight. If I had one wish for the book, it would be that it were slightly more factual and every so slightly less about the witty commentary. It nailed the inclusion of religious paintings. There are way more paintings of saints with their body parts on platters than I would have ever guessed.

Is it mildly sacrilegious? More than mildly, I think. It is exactly what I signed up for? Absolutely. As a protestant who married a Catholic and spent the first years of my relationship ogling at my in-laws' unquestioned religious convictions and saying, "wait, really?" this book definitely resonated with me. Seeing Catholicism in practice, not just in theory, was like looking through a funhouse mirror at my own religious upbringing. And boy, oh boy, does this author hold the canonization process up to every mirror in every light. If this book looks funny to you, I think it will be. If it looks offensive, it probably will be. The marketing for this feels spot-on, so whatever vibe potential readers are getting is likely the right one for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC! I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my Catholic husband when this comes out.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of How to Be a Saint.

First, great cover!

Second, this was funny and informative without being preachy or mean.

Third, to paraphrase the author; getting approved for sainthood is the religious equivalent of an audit.

It's a bureaucratic heck hole and who wants to go through all the nonsense?

When I was young I was obsessed with saints.

I was astonished by their faith, devotion, and godliness at a time of severe and scary religious persecution.

This humorous and eye-opening look at the process of sainthood also include mini bios of real (and not so real) saints, reminding me of my love (and obsession) with saints as a child.

I learned facts about some of the saints I never knew (not with the tame children's illustrated edition I had) and enjoyed the hilarious captions that accompanied the sort of creepy formal portraits of the saints being discussed.

However, I never wanted to be a saint and How to Be a Saint confirms what I've always known.

I'll never be a saint, not with my past. 😆

[Mary Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny book, especially if you're a lapsed (sinner) Catholic

[A Broken Zebra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS for eARC!

Okay, this was delightful. Informative and humorous, with excellent visuals, as a non-Catholic I learned, I laughed, I loved. Definitely adding this to my pre-orders list, because it's just that much fun. Gave me Michael Largo vibes, and he's one of my favorites so I welcomed it. Kate's writing has a natural, easy flow to it, and the book is quite approachable for any reader. Extensive, diligent research went into this, and it's shown through the work (and list of resources at the back in the bibliography.) A glossary is included, very helpful. You can also make your own holy card and certificate of saintification!




Quick and fairly easy read, and I think I saw less than three typos?

* NOTE: Do not read the eARC on Kindle, the format is effed. But the NetGal app works flawlessly.

[강거 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

How to Be a Saint by Kate Sidley was an unexpected gem—like finding out your hilariously sarcastic friend has a secret PhD in obscure Catholic trivia and wants to spill all the tea. I usually can’t commit to a full book of humor without needing a palate cleanser, but this one? This one hit the sweet spot. I read it in little bites—10, maybe 20 minutes at a time—and each time I came away both laughing and weirdly more informed about religious history. Who knew enlightenment could be this entertaining?

Kate Sidley has this incredible way of mixing legit historical facts with just the right amount of irreverent sparkle. It felt less like reading a book and more like being let in on centuries of ecclesiastical gossip. Did I expect to snort-laugh over “mystic abilities” being ranked by skill level and provability? No. Did it happen? Absolutely. I mean, saints who never decomposed? That’s both horrifying and fascinating, and I loved every bit of it. (They’re real! You can Google it.)

What really makes the book work is the tone. It never crosses into mean-spirited or mocking—just gently cheeky, smart, and genuinely respectful in its own playful way. You’re learning real stuff here, but without the heavy-handed sermon vibes. Honestly, I’d recommend this to anyone who likes their nonfiction with a twist of humor and isn’t afraid of a little holy irreverence. Bless this book.

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun(ny), although did start to feel a little repetitive after a while. I was raised Catholic, and found a lot of resonance and self-deprecating humor, which I enjoyed. It's a pretty thorough-going look at what I remember of the religious experiences of my youth, and I enjoyed the snarky oh-so-helpful tone. The narration was spot-on for the book - I usually like when an author reads their own work, and definitely enjoyed it here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.

[Anna Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this audio book not knowing what it was about as it was suggested by Libby. I think that it does live up to the description quite well.

It provides a lot of information but in no way feels like a textbook. After listening to this book, I am in no way an expert on Saints but I do have a few fun facts that could come in handy at bar trivia.

As an audiobook, this was the easiest to comprehend what the author was saying out of the limited number of audiobooks I’ve listened to. Perhaps since it was narrated by the author the tone and the emphasis was the most intentional.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Kate Sidley is hilarious!
Learned many new things (that’s what 12 years of Catholic school will get ya!) and laughed aloud at all the sacrilegious bits.

Not sure it would hit the same if one isn’t familiar with the myriad traditions of Catholicism but,hey why not? Maybe you still want to be a saint!

[Kyle McKeever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catholics are wild! I feel as though after reading this book, I have some work to do on becoming a saint. Kate blends humor with facts(and a myriad of sources to substantiate the claims) that made this read informative and fun.

Side note- one excerpt mentions a saint whose tongue is preserved and maintained in a reliquary. Huh?

[Debbe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed. I thought this would be funnier. Too repetitive and sort of boring. Grew up Catholic so a lot of the history and many of the stories were familiar. I’ve even seen a relic or two.

[farheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these saints are weirdos what even??? except olga of kyiv, you’re amazing and i love you

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a heathen with Catholic guilt and a sense of blasphemous humor, read it.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was tons to learn and even more to roll your eyes at. Sidley takes the catholic sainthood process and makes a right good giggle out of it.

[Crizzle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous enough to pass the time, this is by a writer for the Late Show, and Stephen Colbert wrote the foreword. Coincidentally, as I read it on a trip in “the cities”, I learned that St. Paul was originally named “Pig’s Eye Landing”.