How Saints Die: 100 Stories of Hope

by Fr. Antonio Maria Sicari

Italian Carmelite Antonio Maria Sicari''s vibrant biographies of saints—from Augustine to Catherine of Siena to Faustina Kowalska—have been read across Europe for decades. In How Saints Die , Sicari turns to the most difficult challenge in the life of a the hour of death. What he uncovers in this darkest moment, however, is not desolation, but inexplicable joy. "I have recounted the death of many saints," he writes, "but all of them have confirmed for me the truth of this ancient Christian in the death of a saint, it is death that dies!" With in-depth research and a flair for storytelling, Sicari brings before our eyes the gracious last hours of one hundred men and women—lovers and martyrs, thinkers and workers, ancients and moderns, old men and teens. Included are Kateri Tekakwitha, Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Teresa, Thomas Aquinas, Josephine Bakhita, Jérôme Lejeune, Clare of Assisi, and many more. In each, a new shade of the divine light shines through. Those seeking insight into the mystery of death and suffering will find in this book not only wisdom, but rich and realistic consolation. Divided into brief, readable chapters organized by theme, the collection offers at every bend another fine-grained snapshot of a Christian fully alive.

Genres: Catholic, Biography

234 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2021

Reviews

[Bice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I will reread often I’m sure. Read as an ebook but definitely will acquire the hard copy. It is translated from Italian. Wish my reading Italian was better.
Many lovely quotes.
There are Saints who are well known and many Friends in Heaven that I met for first time.

Father Antonio Maria Sicari divides the Saints into categories.

1 Dying as Martyrs
2 Dying of Love
3 Dying of Ecclesial Passion
4 Dying of Maternal Charity
5 Dying of Paternal Charity
6 Dying of Apostolic Zeal
7 Dying Innocent
8 Dying as Saints

Highly recommend.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

November 29, 2021
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the Book How Saints Die by Antonio Maria Sicari, O.C.D, October 27, 2021
This book was purchase, from Ignatius Press, by my wife, but I picked it up, before she read it, from her library as I was in-between books to read. It looked interesting. The author is a Priest of the Carmelite Discalceate Order; and it was written originally in Italian and translated by Matthew Sherry.

This book is not an entire biography of the Saints life but ones selected by the author based on his research and categorization of the 100 Saints selected for following reasons that the Church used to declare them Saints:

1. Dying as Martyrs; 2. Dying of Love; 3. Dying of Ecclesial Passion; 4. Dying of Maternal Charity; 5. Dying of Paternal Charity; 6. Dying of Apostolic Toil; 7. Dying Innocent: 8. Dying as Saints.

Many of the Saints selected for each of the categories above, were well known to me, but there were several of which I was unaware. I believe the categories set out by Father Sicari were interesting and I am sure he did a lot of research to develop them, and placing them into the categories listed above. The namesake for the church I attend is presented here, namely, St. Rita of Cascia. She is one of many I was previously aware of and I was aware of her deep love of Jesus and bore a form of stigmata through out her religious life. Her story of love of family was very familiar to me but the biography was lacking in many details. I noted also significant details were not covered in other Saints I was aware of and whose biography I have previously read.

I suppose this idea was the reason I was a bit disappointed in the book also I believe a lot of the negative things were the consequence of translation from Italian to English. I did sense Sicari’s love of the Saints but I had a difficult time seeing and feeling them in most of the very brief biographical outlines.

The book was easy to read and some readers may be satisfied with the limited sketches and some may even be prompted to read more expansive biographies. While I did enjoy the book in its totality, I have some difficulties recommending the purchasing of this book, especially if you anticipate more specific details.

I rated this book three stars out of five.