A Treasury of Saints: 100 Saints : Their Lives and Times

The lives of 100 Christian saints are chronicled in brief, enlightening biographies, supplemented with summaries of their good works and the miracles attributed to them. Most profiles come with a full-color illustration of the saint, and many illustrations are reproductions of paintings by famous artists. This anthology of saints spans two thousand years of history, from an account of the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the story of Maximilian Kolbe, who, at Auschwitz in 1941, sacrificed his own life to save the life of another prisoner of the Nazis. Other holy figures included in this collection are Francis of Assisi, the patron of animals and nature; Vincent de Paul, the patron of charitable societies; Benedict, the founder of European monasticism; Joan of Arc, who defended France in battle; and Thomas Aquinas, the renowned scholar and philosopher. Also portrayed are several of Christ's apostles, as well as the angels Michael and Raphael. Cross-references in many accounts direct readers to connections with other saints. Both patronage and symbolism are explained as they are traditionally connected with each of the book's historic figures. More than 150 full-color illustrations.