Somehow Saints

Book excerpt: The author of Saint Everywhere is answering the call from fans for more reports from her quest to learn from some quietly extraordinary women—and a man or two—who have changed the world. Mary Lea Carroll travels to shrines and hometowns to learn about such amazing people as Saint Marie of Quebec, who founded the first girls’ school in the New World; philanthropist-turned-saint Katherine Drexel of Philadelphia; Saint Brigid, a patron saint of Ireland; Sudanese native Saint Josephine Bakhita, who ended up living in Venice, Italy; and Pierre Touissant, the 19th-century slave-turned-hairdresser in New York City who is in the process of being canonized. In between her travels, Mary Lea connects with everyday heroes she encounters in her daily life, all inspiring her to continue her own journey to be a better citizen of the world.