Aside from his virtues as a father and man of faith, Joseph is also a poor working man—a detail not without significance in the Gospels.

Frances’s practical skill in managing household affairs and her attention to the needs of others was combined with a deep life of prayer.

A lawyer by training and a lay theologian raised in the Episcopal Church, sought through his many books to apply the Word of God to the moral issues of his age.

One of the great women of the Gospels is remembered by her deed alone; her name is totally lost.

Janani Luwum was the Anglican primate of Uganda. By all accounts he was a traditional prelate, not naturally suited to the role of prophet. But this was the era of General Idi Amin.

“Pacifism,” he wrote, “is built upon a central truth. . . . That truth is: God is love, love is of God. Love is the central thing in the universe.”

The themes of generosity and compassion feature in many miracles attributed to Brigid, whose only desire was “to satisfy the poor, to expel every hardship, to spare every miserable man.”

Not every conversion is as sudden or as dramatic as Paul’s. In many cases it is a much longer process, marked by internal struggle and doubt.

Driven by a desire to enkindle hearts with the love of God, he was responsible for many conversions and attracted a good number of disciples.

She traveled throughout the Third World, documenting the life, struggles, and humanity of the poor. “The camera lens,” she said, “is the eye of my soul.