“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.

John Neumann wished to study for the priesthood but his local diocese already had a surfeit of priests. Consequently, he departed for America, where he was accepted at a seminary in New York.

In 1987 Brazilian union organizer Chico Mendez was given a U.N. award for environmental work. It was not enough to protect his life.

Srs Alicia Domon and Léonie Duquet were among thousands of civilians killed from 1976 to 1983 by the military in Argentina.

In his life as a monk Thomas Merton was constantly challenged to go deeper into the heart of his vocation.

At 16, Johann Baptist Metz saw his army unit die in an air strike. The lessons of war and Hitler’s rise formed his work as a theologian.