Catholic Heroes of Civil and Human Rights
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Ignatius Press
- Published: 2024
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Publisher's Description
This inspiring work profiles sixteen Catholic men and women--lay and religious, canonized saints and ordinary car mechanics---who defied all odds to advance civil and human rights since the turn of the eighteenth century. Ranging from the birth of the United States to the current immigration crisis at the United States-Mexico border, this survey features men and women whose faith drove them to courageously defend the dignity of the children of God, especially the most vulnerable. In doing so, they transformed others’ lives and paved the way for a more loving and equitable society. Supported by official Church documents, each chapter is themed on one of the pillars of the natural law foundations of human rights—freedom, perseverance, hope, justice, and conscience. These short, readable, yet insightful biographies of figures who exemplify each pillar demonstrate how the teachings of Christ, through his Church, can drive ordinary believers to an extraordinary deeds. Among the sixteen heroes in this book are former slave Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Austrian farmer and martyr Blessed Franz Jagerstatter, Native American catechist Nicholas Black Elk, Servant of God Dorothy Day, St. Katharine Drexel, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Oscar Romero, former slave and later entrepreneur and philanthropist Venerable Pierre Toussaint and teacher, evangelist, and singer Sister Thea Bowman.
Endorsements (22)
“We live in strange and unpredictable times. Evidence that our world is a dangerous place is found in newspapers, on TV, radio and especially on social media. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are things we can do to change it, each in our own way. This book is an antidote to the negative and often violent social unrest witnessed the last several years. It offers hope and inspiration to bring about healing, reconciliation and peaceful change. It is the story of saints in our own time: Sister Thea Bowman, Dorothy Day, Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Nicholas Black Elk, as well as twelve others. It is a beautiful and inspiring book.”
“Catholic Heroes of Human & Civil Rights presents students with a chapter that is missing or incomplete in many history books. The compelling accounts of Catholics whose witness to the Jesus Christ was manifested in their witness to justice demonstrates that the principles of the civil and human rights movement are deeply embedded in the Church’s understanding of the nature and dignity of the human person. This work challenges young people to deepen their own witness to Jesus Christ, and in turn, to those who suffer injustice.”
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