100 Great Catholic Poems

by Sally Read

Sally Read is an award-winning poet whose first collection since her conversion from atheism to Catholicism, Dawn of this Hunger, was the fruit of her ten-year tenure as poet in residence at the Hermitage of the Three Holy Hierarchs. Sally’s poetry has been recorded for the UK’s Poetry Archive, and her writing, in both poetry and prose, has appeared in numerous publications and anthologies, including The Times Literary Supplement, The Picador Book of Love Poems, and Forward’s Poems of the Decade. Her poetry has also been featured on BBC Radio, and episodes of her Radio Maria England show, “Poetry for the Season,” are available on Spotify.

Since her conversion, Sally has written lyrics for the sacred music of Paul Flynn, and their songs have been performed by The Palestrina and Trinity College Chapel Choirs in Dublin. Sally has also written two books of nonfiction, Night's Bright Darkness and A Call to Faith in a Broken World, the latter of which was the subject of a short film by Norman Servais for EWTN Great Britain. Sally’s work has been translated in five languages. Her literary memoir, The Mary Pages, is forthcoming from Word on Fire.

Genres: Poetry, Catholic

467 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 20, 2023

Reviews

[Geoff Atwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book about o e year ago and thought it might be good for me to read some poetry. At first, a random method was used to find a poem. Later, it became device to set the mood for daily prayer. The bonus content has been the wonderful explanatory material provided for each poem. The combination of a great poem accompanied by a great explanation has been a wonderful gift. I may even read more poetry.

[Joseph Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

A book that highlights 100 Catholic Prayers. I loved the diversity of the poets. For a religion with a very masculine frame of reference, the author was intentional in identifying female poets.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful anthology of poetry and commentary of some of the most beautiful poems written. I thought that I knew a good number of the important Catholic poets, but there are so many more to be discovered. Go and get this book, read one a day, you won't regret it.

[Auguste Meyrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of poems highlighting the various aspects of Catholicism and religious devotion. There’s a nice diversity of voices from the regal to the humble. Read’s breakdowns of each poem are also very helpful without being overbearing. This is the kind of book I will return to again and again. It’s a powerful kind of text to help deepen one’s thoughts and feelings.

[Jime · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Poetry is the language of Catholicism” and this anthology does a beautiful job of showing us this.