Art and Wonder: Our Lady's Feast

Our Lady's Feasts

by Sister Mary Jean Dorcy, O.P.

This book is recommended by Mater Amabilis™for Level 3 Year 2 Easter reading, seventh grade. I don't remember where I found this book, but I'm sure I bought it used. Right now (June 2018), the online prices for a print copy of this book are outrageously high, but it is available in free downloads for a variety of devices.

The book is divided into chapters for ten of the most important Marian feasts:

• The Immaculate Conception
• The Nativity of Our Lady
• The Annunciation
• The Visitation
• The Nativity of Christ
• Feast of the Holy Family
• Our Lady of Sorrows
• The Assumption
• Our Lady and the Rosary
• Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Graces
• short chapters / appendices: Devotion to Our Lady, Source of Quotations, Appendix: Mary, the Mother of God

Each of the ten feasts is illustrated with a lovely silhouette; the one on the cover shown here does not do them justice. Contemplating the silhouette while reading the text encourages the reader to slow down and contemplate the words while looking at the illustration.

The book was originally published in 1945, so some of the dates when the feasts are celebrated have changed and some Marian feasts have been added.

The chapters invite us to contemplate Mary's life. For example, in the chapter on the Annunciation:

Where was Mary when the angel came to her? We do not know. She was in prayer, for Mary never was separated from God in her thoughts and affections, which means she was always at prayer. She might have been spinning, or weaving, or reading the Scriptures: the Gospel does not tell us.

In simple words, the author describes some of the most miraculous events.

With the word of a humble little maiden in an unknown corner of the world, the most tremendous occurrence of all time took place, and God became man. Not in His sublime majesty, from which man would hide his face in terror, but in the humble way that all children of Adam are brought into being, by means of an earthly mother, who was to give Him His human needs of flesh and blood.

Sister Mary Jean Dorcy compares the mark of the Incarnation on Mary's soul with the mark baptism leaves on all of our souls.

The Incarnation placed upon her soul a mark that will glow forever with a beauty that all eternity will not dim.

When describing the Visitation, Mary's zeal to share the joy of her cousin Elizabeth with that of missionaries unable to stop themselves from rushing to share the love of Christ.

The language is fairly careful when describing the doctrines surrounding Mary, which are much less followed, defined, or understood by our Protestant brethren. (I might argue some Catholics are mistaken in some of their Marian beliefs.)

Mary is a creature, and as such, is separated by infinite distance from the God Who made her. But as His Mother she has become a co-helper in our redemption. Through her free consent at the Annunciation, God took from her the flesh and blood needful for His Incarnation.

Later:

In regard to our spiritual life, Mary does not act independently of Christ, and she is never honored apart from her offie as His Mother. She was herself redeemed by His sacrifice. But Mary cooperated in the Redemption by her free consent. Without Christ, Mary would be as poor as any other creature, but with Him she is immensely rich in grace.

This is definitely a book for Catholics, though not necessarily for those who already have a devotion to Mary. This book is clear and good even for those who might not be inclined to Marian devotions. Except for one sentence, which I thought went a little too far:

Devotion to Our Lady is the least common denominator under which all human sanctity is measured; it would be impossible to find a saint who was not devoted to her.

We believe people with aren't Catholic can lead good and holy lives and even (gasp) go to heaven. It's not even clear that all the declared saints had an explicit devotion to Mary. However, a devotion to Mary can bring us closer to Christ and this little book is a lovely one to share. I personally thought it would appeal more to a female student, but First Son read it without complaint.

This post contains my own opinions. I purchased the book, Our Lady's Feasts. Links to Amazon in the post are affiliate links.

Lenin and Mary: 1917: Red Banners, White Mantle

1917: Red Banners, White Mantle

by Warren H. Carroll

This book appears on the list of supplemental history reading for the study on Russia and the Fall of Communism Level 4 history program at Mater Amabilis™. It is recommended to choose one of these supplemental books, many of which are historical fiction, to read over the six week study. I flipped through four or five of the options listed for the Russian study (ones our library had or that I purchased inexpensively) and, without reading any in full, choose 1917: Red Banners, White Mantle because it included information on Fatima, which otherwise we only touched on, and because the writing seemed particularly eloquent. As I read it, in fact, I found the writing so rich I created a list of words for First Son to look up each week before his reading. (He probably could have figured them out well enough to get by, but I wanted him to appreciate them.)

The Mater Amabilis™ page states this book is a "Catholic perspective on the events of 1917." That's clear from the very beginning of the book.

In the short November afternoon, Francis Joseph felt a great weakness coming upon him. He understood what it meant. He knew he faced death, and he knew death faced his empire, hard beset by the enormous, incalculable perils of a world disintegrating under the stresses of a conflict far more protracted and cosmically destructive than anyone had imagined possible. And he knew the quality of the radiant young couple who had visited with him that morning: their goodness, their hope, their relative innocence, their inexperience, their crystal simplicity of purpose and conviction, but with scarcely a trace of the touch of the ruthless which is very close to being necessary in a temporal ruler in the fallen world.

The book covers, in chronological and detailed order, the events on the World War I battlefields, in the fields of Fatima, and in Russia from December 1916 (after a few preliminary chapters) through December 1917, with a chapter to briefly describe pertinent events through the death of Lenin.

Carroll does not shy away from descriptions of the horrific war or the madness of its beginning and repeated refusals of diplomats to come to peaceable solutions.

These gigantic losses were not suffered in a struggle for some overriding moral or religious principle or right that might not be sacrificed at any cost. Except for one small country, Belgium, the war did not involve any nation's essential freedom or existence. It was a war of fronts in border regions, a war of trenches and attrition, a war that pitted the deadly machine gun against unprotected human flesh. 

His description of Lenin:

Lenin was not a monster. He had a happy childhood, his parents taught him Christian morality (though he rejected it), he loved music and the countryside; he could even care genuinely for people when they did not get in his way. But over and through and above all else throbbed the pounding power of his relentless will, fixed immovably on the revolution, to be achieved by any means, at any cost.

While the author's descriptions of the people and events of the book are riveting, it's sometimes difficult to discern how much those descriptions are shaped by the author's opinions rather than facts. For example, a significant part of his description of the actions of Emperor Charles and Empress Zita upon hearing of Germany's return to unrestricted submarine warfare is based on Zita's remembrances many years later. That doesn't make it untrue, of course, merely weakly supported by the evidence he quotes if one were disinclined to believe Empress Zita. Later, he describes President Woodrow Wilson's re-election.

Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the former professor who had first been elected President of the United States when two opponents split the vote against him and was then re-elected by an eyelash because his opponent forgot to shake the hand of the Governor of California, is one of the most improbable figures in Americn [sic] political history.

That seemed surprising to me, so I researched a little, trying to wade through websites online. It seems Hughes (running against Wilson) did neglect to shake the California governor's hand, but it might have been more deliberate than it seems from this statement. Also, while the election was close, it seems unlikely that was the only reason Wilson won and rather flippant of the author to suggest it was.

The book presents a rather confusing series of diplomatic negotiations, with many different people involved. I found an article at 1914-1918 Online that helped me understand exactly what was happening. I added it to a page of notes for First Son as well. The article views Charles's attempts at negotiations more as a result of the ravages of war suffered by his country than his professed desire for peace for all Christendom, which is the view presented by Carroll. It seems likely to me it was both and historians choose to emphasize one or the other as they lean themselves.

The author only touches briefly on the horrors experienced outside Petrograd as the peasants were provoked into violent action by Communist agitators.

The full story of the ensuing horror has never been, and probably never will be told. It is composed of ten thousand local tragedies of burning and looting and smashing and killing, of old scores settles [sic] and envy slaked, of just and imaginary grievances all jumbled together and avenged in blood and ashes, each one a bit in a mosaic which it has never served anyone's interest to assemble, and for which most of the needed records either never existed, or vanished in the cataclysm.

Even as I neared the end of the book, I found it difficult to discern the relationship Carroll was attempting to draw between the apparitions at Fatima and the events as they occurred in Russia. He would make these kinds of grand sweeping statements:

The war that came upon the world from 1914 to 1918 was not only a war of men and nations, generals and armies, monarchs and revolutionaries. The legions and the powers of Heaven and of Hell were engaged as well, as well-attested events from December 1916 to October 1917 clearly show to those with eyes to see, and ears to hear.

The author seemed to believe they were clear, but other than the chronology and the reflections written some twenty years later by someone who was a sometimes frightened and impressionable child, I don't think he made his case very well. I am not saying the apparitions at Fatima did not occur or that the documentation of them made later were inaccurate, just that this book did not seem to explain exactly what effect the prayers of the children and believers at Fatima had on the events in Russia.

It remained to be seen how many, even yet, would hear and heed her words and help her by their prayers, and by lives more pleasing to God, to change the course of history--to convert the Russia which was about to fall into Lenin's grasp.

But...what was the effect? Is he arguing it would have been worse? Or that the people did not sacrifice and pray enough? Or that we should be continuing to sacrifice and pray for the people suffering under Communism in the USSR (in 1981, when the book was published)? I couldn't tell!

Only in one place, late in the book, does he refer to one possibility. Carroll was writing of how Lenin thought all of Europe, and then the world, would revolt and become Communist in the wake of the horrors of World War I.

His euphoria was somewhat premature, even in light of what he did surely know and reasonably suspect. But he was not so far wrong as nearly everyone since has tended to think. There is good reason to believe that the Western world stood very close to final catastrophe in that ghastly autumn of 1917. How many more Passchendaeles could any nation, however disciplined and loyal to its leaders, have endured without breaking? We may presume that no inconsiderable part in preventing that ultimate collapse was played by the prayers offered for peace--by Pope Benedict XV, by the children of Fatima offering their daily rosary for peace as the Lady had asked, by the suffering and the dying, by the victims of the rural terror in Russian, and by millions more throughout Europe and the world.

So, we are presumably to believe that the prayers of Fatima offered in response to Mary's request, did save the world from a massive Communist movement that would have begun in Russia and enveloped the world. There's no way to argue against that and it might very well be true, but it was odd to me that this was the only instance where he mentioned what might have been an outcome. There are other times when he points out how Lenin's plans nearly fell apart (like when he was not arrested the night before the revolution in October, despite being stopped by two mounted officers while wandering the streets without papers). It would be just as easy (thought not in line with the rest of the book) to argue that the prayers of the faithful benefitted the revolution.

Warren talks about how Woodrow Wilson, in his speech asking Congress to declare war, said it was necessary in order to help bring democracy and freedom to the world. Warren contends that almost the opposite occurred.

The principal historical consequence of World War I was to be the establishment, as far into the future as human eyes can see, of the most fearful, pervasive, far-flung tyranny in the history of mankind--a tyranny so gigantic and so evil that, in the end, only the Mother of God in person can conquer it.

A powerful statement, and one that might be interesting to consider: Was the most important consequence of World War I the rise of communism in Russia, especially given Germany's obvious use of Lenin as a disruptive agent delivered to Russia? It's seems a different argument then to move from that to Mary being the only one who can conquer it.

There are clear references to Rasputin's debauchery and lewdness that would be inappropriate for some younger readers. Additionally, descriptions of the trench warfare are also graphic and horrific, as befits the war.

Here's a link to the Google Doc I made for First Son with a list of vocabulary to check before reading and some articles of interest. I divided the book into five readings and planned for him to read one each week. That gave us some leeway, which we ended up needing when his World War II book (the unit just before this one) went a week over.

I am glad I read this book as I found it an interesting and engaging account of the events of the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. I have assigned it to First Son, though I didn't finish it before he started it. Having now read the whole book, I will leave the assignments as they are, though I'm not convinced I'll assign it to the other children. I think that will depend on discussions I may have with First Son about it. There's nothing overtly wrong with the book, but I feel like the author makes vast statements without adequate support and I'm not sure how that may come across to a Level 4 student. Will First Son believe it all at face value? Is it necessary that he does not? I don't know! Unless there are some amazing discussions around this book, I'll probably choose something else as there are lots of other options. But we'll see.

Homeschool Review: Our Lady's Book

Our Lady's Book by Lauren Ford

Mater Amabilis recommends this book for Easter reading in the second year of Level 2 (fifth grade). It is centered on the life of St. Catherine Laboure from her childhood through her life in the convent, telling of how Mary appeared to her. Later, it introduces other Marian apparitions as Sister Catherine may have heard of them from visitors and fellow religious. Through it all, the author weaves together the apparitions to reveal a common thread, a recurring theme that speaks to a young reader.

The visions included are those of La Salette, Lourdes, Pomain, and Fatima. All of these are approved by the Vatican. (The pages on the Marian apparitions at The Miracle Hunter are excellent resources.)

Obviously, someone who is not Catholic would not share this book with his or her children, but even Catholics may hesitate. The damage done by false reports of apparitions is real, as Simcha Fisher recently said better than I could. Distraction from Jesus and what he is calling us to do, even at a site of real visions and miracles, can be damaging. Finally, I always wonder if a heightened focus on Marian apparitions will be perceived as further evidence by Protestants that Catholics worship Mary. (We don't; or at least, we shouldn't.)

I debated a little with myself and Kansas Dad before assigning this book to First Son. While some Marian apparitions have been deemed worthy of belief (as have all of the ones described in this book), no Catholic is required to believe any of them. I did assign it, but did not require narrations. Because it was after Easter, we were also at the end of the school year and I knew he would read it quickly.

I read this book along with him and enjoyed it myself. The tone reminds me of A Life of Our Lord for Children (which I love).

We must ask for that peace. This is prayer. And, of course, we must do penance...Our Lord Himself told her, "It is penitence alone that will bring peace to the world." And then He went on to say just how we should go about achieving this. He only wishes that each person do his simple and honest daily tasks as best he can, accepting all the trials and bothers along the way.

The apparitions themselves are not exactly the focus; it's more on the people involved and how they tried to live as Jesus called them to do so. Overall, a decent book, but one I think you could skip (especially in a school year with a late Easter) without too much worry.

Amazon links are affiliate links. I purchased this book used on Amazon.

The Catholic Company Book Review: The Catholic Prayer Book

The Catholic Prayer Book
Compiled by Msgr. Michael Buckley; Edited by Tony Castle

This is a wonderful little prayer book. The cover feels nice and the pages are light-weight but not too delicate.

Included are many well-known prayers, prayers from the Roman Missal, and a few select modern prayers the editors believe will stand the test of time. The prayers are organized in sections: prayers to the Holy Trinity, prayers regarding the sacraments, daily prayers, family prayers, prayers for special needs, prayer to Mary (including the Rosary), prayers to angels and saints, and prayers for the Holy Souls.

I haven't read every prayer in the book. After all, it's meant to be used over a lifetime, not read in a few weeks.

The manner in which each person uses The Catholic Prayer Book will be unique as he or she grows in the life of the Spirit. That the reader will come to love and treasure this book as an instrument that leads to a fuller life with God: This is its function and my prayer for you. (Micheal Buckley)

I have flipped through every section, finding many prayers I recognize and new ones as well. There were quite a few in the section on family prayers I think we'll incorporate into our morning or evening prayers over the years, as the children grow. I do wish it had a prayer or a blessing for the anniversary of a baptism, but that was the only thing I sought that I did not find.

There are some Christian prayers that are not specifically Catholic.

The Church is spiritually one. In this it reflects the unity of the Trinity. But we live, in fact, in a fragmented Church and world. We believe that the Spirit pours out his gifts on all those in the Church who confess Jesus as Lord to the glory of the Father. The Catholic Prayer Book, therefore, in acknowledging this diversity of spiritual gifts of the Spirit to all members of Christ's Church, incorporates in its pages many prayers of Christian denominations other than Catholic.

The brief section, "How to Use this Prayer Book," contains some succinct advice for anyone wondering how to pray.

Prayer is not a matter of talking a great deal but of loving a great deal. It is thinking about God while loving him and loving him while thinking about him. Silence, for the Christian, is not just the absence of speech but the stillness of soul in which our true self is united with its Creator and Father. We become silent in awe and wonder, as we contemplate God within us. It is an experience too rich and sensitive for words.

This is the perfect prayer book to pack for a trip, to take to Adoration, for someone with a tiny apartment (or dorm room), and especially for someone who will be somewhere without access to the Internet because it lists so many important and common Catholic prayers. It is worthy of gift-giving for important occasions like confirmations and graduations.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Catholic Prayer Book. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.

January 2013 Book Reports

Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage by Kay Bratt is based on excerpts from a journal the author kept while her family was living in China, mainly focused on her experiences as a volunteer at a Chinese orphanage. I was mainly interested in this book because my cousin adopted an adorable little girl from China a few years ago. From what I've seen elsewhere, her descriptions are accurate (and depressing). Unfortunately, her writing is merely adequate. Also, although she claims to love China, she never shows any great love for the people or culture of China in her writing. Because she lives in an enclave for ex-patriots, her main encounters with China is through the orphanage, which is probably China at its worst. (I don't have any recommendations for other books on orphanages in China, but if you can find a great love for China in the magnificent writings of Pearl S. Buck.) (Kindle edition, borrowed for free from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library)

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the tale of a murder no one prevented. I read it in a day and highly recommend it. (library copy)

The Trees Kneel at Christmas by Maud Hart Lovelace is the story of the two children in a Lebanese family set in Brooklyn in 1950, right in Park Slope, the wonderful neighborhood Kansas Dad and I called home when we lived in New York City. Afify and her brother, Hanna, set out on Christmas Eve to see if the trees kneel just as they do in Lebanon, to honor the Christ child's birth. It's full of wonderful details about life in New York for Lebanese immigrants, a heart-warming tale of faith. I didn't pre-read it in time to share it with the children last Christmas, but we'll read it during Advent next year. (We also didn't get to The Christmas Carol, so we're going to start with that and then read this one.) Do pre-read it as there are references to Mary and the Mass that seemed explicitly Catholic to me. Also there are quite a few adults who smoke, which isn't something we find often in contemporary children's literature. (library copy)

Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget and Vygotsky by Carol Garhart Mooney is a brief introduction to these five child development theorists and how those theories would impact classroom and educational practices. She either assumes everything they theorize is accurate or doesn't touch on the less accepted ideas. I'd like to read more about Montessori and I consider what I am learning in my Catechesis of the Good Shepherd classes and as I continue to implement and learn about Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. This was the shortest book at the library on the topic and I found it a nice introduction, useful for childcare providers, early childhood educators, and parents. (library copy)

The Woman Who Died A Lot: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde is the newest Thursday Next novel. I just love reading the Thursday Next books for the pure entertainment value. I thought the end of this one was wrapped up a little too quickly after how the plot was sluggish through earlier parts of the book and got the sense that much of the book was merely setting up his next Thursday Next book. That being said, I thought there could be some interesting discussions about the portrayal of religion and the value of human life and family relationships. I wish Kansas Dad could have read it along with me, but he still hasn't had time to read the last Thursday Next book. (Don't let anyone tell you being a college professor is a relaxing job, though I'm sure the four kids don't increase his free time.) (library copy)

A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children selected by Caroline Kennedy with fabulous paintings by Jon J. Muth just might be my new favorite book of poetry. For the past few years, I've purchased an anthology for each school year. If I continue the tradition, this will be the choice for next year. I imagine Ms. Kennedy and I would disagree on many things, but her poetry selections are delightful. There are fun selections for the children along with more challenging ones which will only appeal more as the children grow. As the very best collections should, it includes Daddy Fell into the Pond. The illustrations are simply perfect. (library copy)

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm is the first person tale written in the vernacular. It tells the tale of a 12 year old girl living with her large boy-filled family as pioneers in the Pacific Northwest. I suppose it was alright, but I didn't think it was great and was a little disappointed at how her grandmother treated her. (purchased at a library sale, but I think I'll pass it on to someone else)

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray is altogether a different story. The book is set in the last thirteenth century in England. Adam is the young son of a minstrel and loves his life on the open road. On one eventful day, he loses both his dog and his father. Alone, he searches for them. It's a tale full of adventure, friendship, courage, loyalty, wisdom, prudence, and a host of other virtues. It's full of wonderful glimpses of medieval life in the most natural way, as all the best historical fiction is. Highly recommended. I intend to read it to the children even though we're a little bit past this time in our history studies. (purchased copy, and worth every penny)

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall just wasn't very good. It's not terrible, though I don't like how the girls keep secrets from their father. The plot and writing seemed forced. If my kids asked to read it, I'd let them, but I don't intend to give it to them otherwise. (library copy)

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling is truly delightful and I can't believe I'd never read it before. That's a travesty I don't intend to inflict on my children. I'm going to read it aloud to them soon, hopefully before the end of the school year. We had listened to a wonderful audio version of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, so my children will recognize that story. (free Kindle edition)

Holding Jesus by Alfred McBride (a review for The Catholic Company)


Books in Progress (and date started)

• The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey (October 2012) 
• Destination: Bethlehem (December 2012)
• When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself (January 2013)
• The Cloister Walk (January 2013)
• Quo Vadis (January 2013)
• Walk the Worlds Rim (January 2013)
• Simple Living - 30 days to less stuff and more life (January 2013)

The Catholic Company Review: Holding Jesus

Holding Jesus: Reflections on Mary the Mother of God 

by Alfred McBride

The first part of this book provides daily readings for Advent, focused on Mary's relationship with Jesus in his childhood. The second and third parts focus on Mary's relationship with Jesus during his public ministry and Mary during Christ's Passion, death and resurrection. The latter two parts would be appropriate at any time of the year. I think they might be nice to read during Lent as a complement to the Advent readings, though there would not be enough readings for one each day.

Overall, this is a nice little book. The quote, refection, question, and prayer provided for each day are quite short. The Bible passages recommended would flesh out the daily reading well. Sometimes the reflections didn't flow very well, but perhaps that was just the author's style. I thought most of the questions were quite good as well, especially if the reader was willing to be honest.

I was disappointed in the references. (I know, I'm odd; I almost always check the end notes in a book.) It seemed like the majority of the references are webpages (even for poetry or hymns in the public domain) or McBride's other books (at least once for an encyclical). There was nothing inaccurate with the references; it just seems like they were rushed or something. It made me wonder how much of the ideas in the reflections might also appear in other of McBride's books, none of which I have read.


This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Holding Jesus. The Catholic Company is the best resource for gifts for every Sacrament celebration, such as First Communion gifts and Baptism gifts, as well as a great selection of limited-time Year of Faith gifts and resources.

The Catholic Company Review: Those Who Saw Her

Those Who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary (Updated and Revised) by Catherine M. Odell

Though I was raised Catholic, Marian apparitions were not a large part of my childhood. I really don't know much about them at all. I was pleased to see this book available for review from The Catholic Company.

As difficult as some Catholic teachings may be, we cannot pick and choose what we wish to believe. Marian apparitions are different, however. They are not part of Revelation, "Scripture and Tradition (doctrine transmitted by the apostles but not in Scripture)" and therefore we are each left to decide for ourselves.

Since Revelation supplied the necessary body of truth about God and salvation two thousand years ago, "particular revelations," including apparitions, can't really add anything. This is the reason why belief in apparitions, even those like Lourdes and Fatima, is optional.

Most apparitions are not even investigated by the Church. Of those that are, the greatest number do not receive any official response or are deemed "nothing contrary to the faith." A few are determined to be false, "not worthy of belief" (a purposeful attempt at fraud, a seer who is psychologically impaired, etc.). This book concentrates on those that are determined "worthy of belief" and a few of the more recent and well-known sites that continue under investigation.

It is clear the author, Ms. Odell, does belief in Marian apparitions, if not necessarily every one examined in the book.

With all apparitions, there is a tension between authority and prophecy (the Church and apparitions) that must work itself out again and again. The tension will continue, but there is little need to be concerned that it will damage the Church, theologians assure us. Because Mary has assured us that she is indeed Mother of the Church, it is safe--and even necessary--to believe that she will always be near. And when the time is right and the needs of the world warrant it, she will be close enough for some eyes to see and many hearts to know.

Knowing the author's bias, I was pleasantly surprised at the clear description of events and struggles of each apparition. Ms. Odell did not condemn the bishops or priests for withholding belief or delaying decisions (though she did stress the sorrow or struggle such delays may have caused the visionaries).

It should not be surprising that the stories of the apparitions are enthralling and inspiring. Many of the seers experienced pain and suffering, ridiculed by many and embarrassed by a great amount of attention from believers. Most of them were devout Catholics before Mary appeared and approached their priests and bishops humbly.

I will admit I find many of the apparitions difficult to grasp. I will not say any Marian appearance deemed worthy of belief is false, but I'm glad to be able to read books like this one and learn more. The only Marian apparitions I knew much about at all was Lourdes (thanks mainly to a movie) and Guadalupe (thanks mainly to children's books). This book has greatly improved my knowledge and given me much to consider.

This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. I have not received any payment for this review, but I did receive a free copy of the book Those Who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary. Learn more about joining the reviewer program here.