What do you think?
Rate this book
Saintly Women of Modern Times
Most female saints familiar to Catholics today belonged to religious orders and lived long ago. But a number of lesser-known women of more recent times have also achieved exemplary holiness as lay Christians who made an impact on the world. They serve as role models for women today who struggle with the difficulties of everyday life in secular surroundings.
In Saintly Women of Modern Times, best-selling author Joan Carroll Cruz presents portraits of seventy-five Catholic women from the past century whose extraordinary holiness set them on the path to sainthood. Their circumstances varied Some were poor farm girls, rag-pickers, or factory workers. Others grew up in luxury. Still others were middle-class stay-at-home housewives and mothers.
They were poets and musicians, professors and political activists, doctors and nurses, teachers and social workers. Some seemed naturally pious, while others struggled more visibly to live a holy life. But all of them lived and died for the love of God and others.
Women today—and men as well—will find inspiration, comfort, and companionship in these Saintly Women of Modern Times. Through their life stories, Cruz wonderfully shows that, whatever your state in life, you can become a saint.
In Saintly Women of Modern Times, best-selling author Joan Carroll Cruz presents portraits of seventy-five Catholic women from the past century whose extraordinary holiness set them on the path to sainthood. Their circumstances varied Some were poor farm girls, rag-pickers, or factory workers. Others grew up in luxury. Still others were middle-class stay-at-home housewives and mothers.
They were poets and musicians, professors and political activists, doctors and nurses, teachers and social workers. Some seemed naturally pious, while others struggled more visibly to live a holy life. But all of them lived and died for the love of God and others.
Women today—and men as well—will find inspiration, comfort, and companionship in these Saintly Women of Modern Times. Through their life stories, Cruz wonderfully shows that, whatever your state in life, you can become a saint.
280 pages, Paperback
Published July 19, 2016
21 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Joan Carroll Cruz
28 books36 followersMrs. Cruz is a native of New Orleans, LA, and was educated by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She was a member of the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order for 50 years and received the Mother Teresa Award in 2005.
Mrs. Cruz was the author of 15 Catholic books, all of which received the imprimatur. She was perhaps best known for her writings on miraculous occurrences of faith which she compiled through meticulous research of foreign shrines, churches, convents and monasteries.
Mrs. Cruz was the author of 15 Catholic books, all of which received the imprimatur. She was perhaps best known for her writings on miraculous occurrences of faith which she compiled through meticulous research of foreign shrines, churches, convents and monasteries.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 20, 2020
Really good and inspirational! Plan to buy eventually.
June 3, 2023
4.5 stars
This was such a great read! I think we often think of Saints as these incredible witnesses, but they lived in a time so far from ours they can be hard to relate to at times. The women discussed in this book gave their witness in the last few centuries, during times we still very much remember (WWII, the early 1930's, Spanish wars, etc.). Each story is so inspired, with each woman undergoing a variety of struggles that demonstrates we are all capable of becoming Saints. I think this would even be a fun discussion for a women's group or a Bible study.
I took off half a star because there were spelling errors and it seems like this book was not proofread. Otherwise, highly recommend!
This was such a great read! I think we often think of Saints as these incredible witnesses, but they lived in a time so far from ours they can be hard to relate to at times. The women discussed in this book gave their witness in the last few centuries, during times we still very much remember (WWII, the early 1930's, Spanish wars, etc.). Each story is so inspired, with each woman undergoing a variety of struggles that demonstrates we are all capable of becoming Saints. I think this would even be a fun discussion for a women's group or a Bible study.
I took off half a star because there were spelling errors and it seems like this book was not proofread. Otherwise, highly recommend!
March 26, 2025
Definitely some ladies I've never heard of - in fact, most of them were new to me! I would have appreciated it if all of the women featured at least had a cause for canonization open, but it was interesting nonetheless.
June 2, 2025
It's great to read stories of more modern day women on the road to sainthood.
November 8, 2025
This was an enjoyable, simple book full of some really remarkable women. It was fun to discover those on the path to sainthood that I’ve never heard of.
October 7, 2016
Poorly written but with good information and a few moving quotes from the saints themselves.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews