The Daughters of St. Paul Counseling and Spiritual Growth Collection (12 vols.)

Nancy Groves has given a voice to the shifting emotions one feels when diagnosed with a chronic illness. Providing reflections and prayers for many stages of emotion, this is a valuable guide to finding the comfort of God’s loving embrace in difficult times.

—Matthew Ellis, executive director, National Episcopal Health Ministries

In the face of illness, which every person will either experience or be impacted by, there is an invitation to grow in grace and perspective. This book opens the inner door of dialogue to think, feel, and pray through suffering, to discover God’s healing love.

—Philip McGaugh, pastor, St. Bartholomew, Needham, MA, and former Catholic chaplain, Massachusetts General Hospital

Give this book to anyone who is facing serious or chronic illness. It uses Scripture and prayers that are soothing and comforting to the soul. What a gift!

—Patti Moore, RN, BSN

Sometimes we are so stuck in our pain we can’t even hear Jesus asking us that question or allow Him to come into our hearts to do the work that needs to be done. What is wonderful about Hermes’ reflections is that she, too, has been in that darkness. One can relate deeply to her experience and learn from it.

—Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur, MA, Elms College

Beautifully humble, empowering, and inspiring, Sister Kathryn Hermes teaches restless souls like me how to move into the silence and into our personal vulnerability so to find peace and healing.

—Therese J. Borchard, blogger, “Beyond Blue,” Beliefnet.com

Midwife for Souls is a book on hospice care, but it is much more than that. It is a ‘how to’ for family members, friends, and hospice care professionals involved in caring for terminally ill patients as they enter into the phase of their last moments, when life slowly ebbs away and death releases the soul to go home to God. Kalina’s deep understanding of what human beings go through as their lives come to and end makes this book useful to everyone, regardless of religious preference.

—Josefina B. Magno, MD, past president, International Hospice Institute

I wish I had read this before my dad’s death. . . Midwife for Souls is a book full of hope, emphasizing the integrity, love, and spiritual care of the dying person. It speaks of the gift of relationship between family members and the importance of reconciliation. It blends practical psychological insights with an emphasis on the importance and power of prayer.

—Sandra Guancial, BSSW, Londonderry, NH

Many people struggle with serious problems with self-hate and self-rejection. Often these are genuinely deeply religious people who have turned to God and Christ because they did not [know] where else to go. Sister Marie Paul has taken on this challenge of self-hate, which troubles so many people. Her own well-thought and clear understanding can lead many to a relationship with Christ. She gives a meaningful answer to this question that troubles so many people.

—Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR, author, A Virtue-Driven Life

Drawing from her deeply profound struggle to move to a sense of God’s unconditional love, Marie Paul Curley throws lifelines of purpose, meaning and hope to others. The combination of evocative stories-her own and others, relevant scripture, spirit-touching mediations, and daily mantras make this a unique and useful book.

—Suzanne Mayer, professor of pastoral studies, Neumann University

Having recommended the earlier edition of Surviving Depression to colleagues and students alike, I wondered what could be added to improve it! Happily, Sister Kathryn still speaks in the same voice, rich in compassion and wise in lived experience, to those who suffer with or support others with depression. Scripture still interweaves with sound psychological understanding. This tenth anniversary revision features a new sense of the even more complicated world in which her readers live and the even more distressing weights that rest upon them. The new second part provides a clear, lived-out eight step process inviting a contemplative stance acquired, as the author evidences, not by efforts to battle depression as an antagonist, but by coming out from under it.

—Suzanne Mayer, professor of pastoral studies, Neumann University

This book sheds considerable light on the dark subject of depression with extraordinary insight and wisdom. When the author writes that ‘people who have suffered depression can learn much from each other’s stories,’ I know it is true, because I have the illness, and I learned even more about it from this book which blends sound spiritual and psychological principles with masterful articulation. The depressed and those who care about them will benefit greatly from this book.

—William Rabior, author, Emerging from Depression: Revised Edition, hospital chaplain at Saint Mary’s, Michigan

Depression is often a dark and lonely path, but in Surviving Depression, we are given a guide and a hand to hold that embraces the beauty and richness of our Catholic faith. In these pages, there is companionship and hope, and I am grateful to have it as part of my personal library.

—Sarah Reinhard, blogger, www.snoringscholar.com

I absolutely love this book! Fr. R. Scott Hurd has given us all a straightforward, honest, and practical guide to a Catholic understanding of forgiveness. This book is not simply to read as one would read a novel; rather, it is in the form of a spiritual retreat: at once exhortative, prayerful, and insightful. I found myself reflecting on the important issues Fr. Hurd raises on almost every page, and that reflection continues long after the reading is done. Forgiveness, as Hurd reminds us, is not for the faint of heart. It lies at the very heart of Christian metanoia and discipleship. This is a book from which everyone can benefit, and it is truly a wonderful gift from an experienced minister of the Gospel to be shared with all.

—William T. Ditewig, PhD, professor of theology & religious studies, Saint Leo University

This book links together the need to forgive with what St. Thomas Aquinas calls the deepest desire of the human heart—the desire for happiness. Drawing from real life examples, Hurd sets before us the self-inflicted misery of a constricted, unforgiving heart and the deep joy and spacious happiness that forgiveness bestows. It is a very wise and practical book that clears up the confusion that results from equating forgiveness with being reconciled and offers a ten-step program on acquiring a forgiving heart and the consequent happiness that we all seek.

—Marc Foley, OCD, author, The Context of Holiness and Peace of Heart

Hurd wraps Scripture, theology, and story together to offer readers the gift of a thoughtful examination of the process of forgiveness. Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach is a resource for preachers and spiritual directors and a manual for people looking for guidance in taking the first steps.

—Susan M. Timoney, PhD, executive director, Department of Evangelization and Family Life, Archdiocese of Washington

The desolation of infertility leaves many Catholic couples feeling alone and misunderstood. Jean weaves psalms, testimonials, and faithful reflections in this much needed book to guide and console those touched by infertility. This book will be a catalyst for hope and healing for many as they discern God's will for their families.

—Jean Golden-Tevald, DO, CFCMC, FCP, family physician, past president, American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals

The moment I began reading Facing Infertility I felt that I was stepping into my life. The chapters were easy to read and incredibly insightful, providing hope and reminding the reader that they are not alone on this journey. There was also an invaluable section at the end of each chapter to help family and friends better support a struggling couple. I would highly recommend this book to any couple struggling with infertility. It will remind you that God is with you, you are not alone, and there is great hope for all of us if we but trust in him!

—Lottie Hilgefort, owner and webmaster, www.catholicinfertility.org