Melanie Rigney

When Teresa of Ávila had a mystical encounter with an image of the wounded Jesus, the floodgates of her prayer life opened.

After little Jacinta Marto became ill, the Blessed Virgin asked if she was willing to suffer further to convert more souls. Jacinta said she was—and did.

The community so admired Benedict the African (1526–1589), their cook, that they named him as superior although he was not a priest. Benedict served a single term, then went back to the kitchen because he believed his gifts were better used through cooking and one-on-one ministry.

Saint Faustina knew the only opinion that mattered was God’s, and she pushed on to fulfill his desire that she spread the message of divine mercy to the world.