From Saint Agnes of Rome, first of the fearless girl martyrs, to Saint Zedislava Berka, who balanced a demanding husband and children with a deep spiritual life, The Big Book of Women Saints will introduce you to more than four hundred courageous Catholic women, including: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) The first-ever U.S.-born saint was a devoted wife and mother of five who converted to Catholicism after the death of her husband. She went on to found the Sisters of Charity, and is considered the mother of the American parochial school system. Canonized 1975. Saint Clare of Assisi (1193-1253) She was only eighteen when she abandoned her privileged life to embrace the "holy poverty" preached by Saint Francis. Clare became his treasured advisor and co-founder of the Franciscan movement. Saint Agatha of Catania (235-250) When Decius announced the edicts against Christians, the beautiful Agatha was handed over to a brothel in punishment. After refusing to accept customers, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and her breasts were removed with pincers. She is the patron saint of nurses and breast-cancer patients. Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) A Spanish Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church, Teresa was one of the greatest mystics and a leading figure in the Counter Reformation. She gives a glowing and powerful picture of the contemplative life in her classic Interior Castle . Saint Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380) As a young woman she experienced what she described in her letters as a 'Mystical Marriage' with Jesus, after which she began to tend the sick and serve the poor. Known for her daring letters to the Pope and people in authority, in 1999 Pope John Paul II made her one of Europe's patron saints. We are not all called to be saints, but every saint is a unique human being. In this book you will meet brilliant scholars, fearless warriors, miracle workers, and tireless toilers for charity. More than one hundred fifty of them have been canonized or beatified since 1979, and more than one hundred lived in the twentieth century. They are women for today and for all time.