Redeemed by Beauty: The Life of Brother Andrew

by Carmel Duca

REVIEWS

“Redeemed by Beauty follows the unusual journey of Brother Andrew, a journey full of unexpected choices as he tries to be faithful to God’s call. Coming from a comfortable Australian family, the first surprise is his teenage addition to gambling. A series of events wakes him up to the reality that gambling cannot be a career and God is calling him to religious life, to serve the poor. After joining the Jesuits, he volunteers to go to India, where he tenaciously struggles to be faithful despite the difficulties. India is where he discovers the beauty and the joy of people even in the midst of their suffering; and, contemplating this, he develops a gift for writing. The author, Br Carmel draws on Br Andrew’s writings to follow his journey, as he comes to see the work of Mother Teresa in Calcutta and realises he has found what he has been looking for all along. Invited by Mother Teresa to lead the young Missionaries of Charity Brothers, he takes the name Brother Andrew and oversees a remarkable expansion to many poor parts of the world. Undaunted by the limitations and weaknesses of the Brothers, many themselves poor and little educated, he realises that they are exactly the ones God wants to touch the hearts of the poorest. This realisation becomes his message to all who struggle; God is waiting to work through our woundedness and weakness. Attentive to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, he goes to live with the poor in Vietnam, ends up living through the fall of Saigon and then being expelled. It is possibly the pain of this and the burden of leadership, which causes some years of struggle, hidden drinking and angry outbursts. Just as he thinks he has recovered, the new leadership challenges him with the belief that he needs help; and he decides to leave. The mystery around this has led Br Carmel to seek out the many friends, family and colleagues of Br Andrew. Drawing on interviews and the many letters they preserved, the book is able to look into the inner journey he made towards peace. Trusting in God, he set out with no home, no money, moving from retreat to retreat, wherever he was invited. Continuing in the charism he shared with Mother Teresa, he was able to see and welcome the poverty of ordinary people and show them that God welcomes them as they are. His message is that our brokenness and weakness are precisely the places through which God loves us – just as we are.” – Br Marc Daniel Delapeyre, MC

TESTIMONIALS

“A compelling testimony about a new religious brotherhood, the Missionaries of Charity Brothers, and its Jesuit co-founder, Fr. Ian Travers-Ball, who took the name Brother Andrew.” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, co-author with Bishop Richard Henning of Missionary Priests in the Homeland: Our Call to Receive

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After graduating from the University of Malta, Carmel Duca joined the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1990. He has served in missions in the Americas and India.

OTHER CATHOLIC MEMOIRS

Seeing God’s Face: A Catholic American Woman in India

by Kiki Latimer

REVIEWS

“Seeing God’s Face: A Review by Ivan Arthur of Goa, India,” author of Pavement Prayers and Saynt Lachmi. To read the review, click here.

TESTIMONIALS

“Kiki Latimer’s book Seeing God’s Face is a veritable snapshot of life in the squatters or backwaters of India’s many cities. It presents the Western tourist – about to set foot on India’s soil – with a road map that navigates through the rough and tumble of life in India’s marginalized societies.  The narrative is truthful, although India has seen a metamorphosis that has driven the middle class up many rungs in the socio-economic ladder since the writing of this book eighteen winters ago. But Latimer views this dismal social and cultural landscape with a different lens. She writes: “Despite all the poverty I have seen, I would not wish the American form of wealth upon this land. Our wealth is spiritually empty. We throw away family and community life for our gods of privacy, comfort and space. Here, there is the possibility, if even for one bright shining moment, to be a lily in the field.” In this milieu of trial and tribulation, where the resilience of its people combat poverty and roll back despair, Latimer sees the face of God.” – Robin Arthur, author of Global Healing

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kiki Latimer is the author of Islands of Hope, The WaterFire Duck, Bubble Butt, Heal of the Hand, Seeing God’s Face, Home for the Homily, co-author of Philosophy Begins in Wonder, and host of The Catholic Bookworm. She lives in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, with her husband Jim.

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Adventures with the Holy Spirit: A Journey with RUACH

by Deacon Charles Louis Durban

TESTIMONIALS

“Charlie’s book, Adventures with the Holy Spirit, illustrates how the Holy Spirit is alive and active in our lives.” – Carol Hess, parishioner, Incarnate Word Parish, St. Louis, MO

“In Adventures with the Holy Spirit, Deacon Charles Durban recounts numerous surprise experiences of being saved from disappointment or disaster by a mysterious presence in his life which he calls the saving work of Ruach, or the Holy Spirit. For even the casual reader these incidents will trigger memories which will now have a far deeper meaning because of a ‘Presence’ which is now recognized for the first time. ‘There is Someone with me and He is taking me to a place with a new purpose and a new meaning.’ I hope you enjoy the adventure!” – Bishop Robert J. Hermann, author of Come Alive in Jesus! Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“Using his own life journey in the Spirit, Deacon Charlie Durban offers his readers a possible template for looking at the manifestations of God’s abiding presence in the reader’s life experience. This can be a great tool for individual faith exploration or a group study approach. Read the whole book and discern how it might relate to your own story.” – Deacon J. Gerard Quinn, J.C.L.

“What we learn through another’s journey can enhance our own recognition of the influences in our own journey. I have been fortunate to journey in a professional career with Charlie for 40 years. Together, we have shared our faith experiences, discussed our differences, and agreed that God is present in our lives. In Adventures with the Holy Spirit, Charlie provides insight and a template for us to examine our journey and to recognize that the paths opened to us and traveled are influenced by the presence of the Holy Spirit. As you read this life journey, I encourage you to stop at the end of each chapter and reflect on your own journey as I did. Consider where has the Holy Spirit made its presence known for you at various times in your life journey? By traveling with Charlie, you will awaken to what you hadn’t perceived and in turn see God’s Presence through the Holy Spirit in your journey. A wise man once told me, ‘We are all here to walk each other down the path to the end.’ The experiences that Charlie has shared show us that we are not walking that path alone.” – W. Dennis Derr, Ed.D., LPC, author of Building Personal Resiliency; A Simple Book of Practice for Living a Life of Resiliency

“At times laugh-out-loud funny and achingly sad, Adventures with the Holy Spirit is a spiritual Odyssey with a deeply personal edge. Deacon Charlie Durban has distilled the wisdom of a full and fascinating life in prose that is both eloquent and conversational. Tag along with Ruach (spoiler alert: Ruach is Hebrew for Holy Spirit) and your own adventures will take on that much more meaning.” – J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B., Saint Louis Abbey, author of Humility Rules and The Eighth Arrow

“Charlie Durban’s engaging personal testimony encourages us to look for the hidden patterns in our own lives, the times in which the Holy Spirit is working even when we don’t recognize it. I enjoyed Adventures with the Holy Spirit and the contemplation it inspired. The author recounts a variety of God-incidences in his life, ranging from the simple to the remarkable, from both before he realized God was pursing him and later after he consciously began seeking to follow God. His stories offer ideas for how we can spot the workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. For Charlie, the progression of small miracles in his life resurrected his faith and led eventually to discerning his vocation as a deacon. From Charlie’s ‘yes’ flowed many graces. Major setbacks turned into new opportunities. His deeply personal testimony about the workings of the Holy Spirit in his daily life, as well as his reflections on faith, hope, charity, and gratitude, impart light to others on their faith journeys.” – Lynda Rozell, author of Journeys with a Tin Can Pilgrim (St. John’s Press, 2021), In Plain Sight Hidden (St. Bona’s Press, 2022) 

“Deacon Charles Durban addresses often overlooked contributions the invisible Holy Spirit dispenses constantly in the course of our lives. His desperately necessary message to a culture caught in the misbelief all predicaments can be assuaged through recourse to relativism or scientism, is constructed upon personally experienced, inexplicable, beneficial events which should encourage in the reader, a practice of confidently asking the Holy Spirit to intercede in our daily challenges. All will benefit from perusing this concise, yet well substantiated narratives that rekindles a trusting Faith in God.” – Joseph J. Hurley, M.D., author of the forthcoming book about El Camino, Why are you walking?

“Charles Durban writes with honesty and inclusivity about his journey to find his most confident and spiritual self. Even if Durban’s journey to find the Spirit in his life doesn’t parallel your own, the book reflects a life fully lived with an open heart and will help any reader begin to clarify the meaning of faith in their own life. With professionalism and a sense of humor, Durban invites the reader into a complicated and blessed life.” – Rachel Eve Moulton, author of Tinfoil Butterfly

“Although I was Deacon Charlie’s spiritual director for a 30-day Ignatian silent retreat at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House in Sedalia, CO., I really had no idea what I would encounter in his “Adventures with the Holy Spirit”. I set aside portions of two back-to-back afternoons and read the book. It is excellent! Charlie is a very good writer. I found it an easy and pleasurable read. Adventures highlights the finding and experiencing of God in the everyday experiences of an ordinary life—which, indeed, makes the life extraordinary. I can imagine this book to be a very positive read for many Christians.” – Fr. E. Edward Kinerk, S.J., Director, Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House and former President of Rockhurst University 

“What a grace I have enjoyed to have personally heard many of the stories Charlie recounts of his adventures with his ever-present companion, Ruach. I wish I could capture for you his wonder as he would bring each story to life. His awe was always contagious. Let Charlie’s stories inspire you to find Ruach in your life and believe.” Susanne Harvath, Ph.D., author of The Augustine Way Workbook

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deacon Charlie Durban has served St. Anselm parish in St. Louis, MO, for 15 years. His professional life of 50 years included mental health programs in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Missouri; and, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) regionally, nationally and internationally. His parish assignments included Assistant to the Pastor and Director of Liturgy. He served for 5 years as Assistant Director of Psychological and Counseling Services at Kenrick Glennon seminary. Somewhat retired, he remains very active leading men’s prayer groups, St. Vincent de Paul conference, Kairos prison ministry, and a variety of parish assignments. He and his wife Penny co-teach Counseling Skills to the men in deacon formation and several classes of the Archdiocesan Spiritual Direction program. He is also an Army veteran, serving at the Pentagon and one year in Vietnam. Along with his professional training and education, Deacon Charlie has also completed the two-year professional certification in Spiritual Direction at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO. Semi-retirement has increased his hopes of getting out once a week for 18 holes of golf, usually with a variety of results. Fortunately, his parish golfing buddies are generous with their “gimmes” on the greens. He and his wife Penny eagerly await the grace of grandchildren and further “adventures”.

OTHER CATHOLIC MEMOIRS

The LIFE Runners of Central Asia: The Genesis of a Pro-Life Movement in Pakistan and Afghanistan

by Aqif Shahzad

TBA

Paperback: TBA | Kindle $5.99

TESTIMONIALS

“Aqif Shahzad’s LIFE Runner about his pro-life work in Pakistan is an incredible witness to the great miracles God can do when we offer Him the five loaves and two fish of our ordinary lives. Looking with mercy on the Pakistani people, the Lord has inspired Aqif to spread the Gospel message of the sanctity of human life in a myriad of ways -and He has blessed Aqif’s missionary work with abundant fruit, including the saving of many little girls from abortion. I hope and pray that by reading this book people will be inspired to join in the pro-life mission in Pakistan through prayer and financial donations to both the families in need and to printing the books Aqif uses to teach the sanctity of human life. Come Holy Spirit!” – Mary Kloska, author of Raising ‘Children of the Cross,’ The Holiness of Womanhood, Out of the Darkness, A Heart Frozen in the Wilderness, In Our Lady’s Shadow, and Mornings with Mary

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aqif Shahzad was raised in a family of four brothers and two sisters in a village in Pakistan. He lost his father early, and his mother, whose faith in Our Lady strengthened and deepened his love for Our Lady, played a significant role in his life.

Teaching and translation are his passions. Children of the Cross (Ministry) is the answer to his continued prayers. Giving life, hope, and healing to persecuted Christians in Pakistan and throughout the world is his vision. God has called him to reach the unreached. He lives in Pakistan with his small daughter, Eliana, who is four years old. 

OTHER CATHOLIC MEMOIRS

What God Had Emptied: How I Found Hope in my Children’s Diagnoses

by Kathryn Anne Casey

Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99

REVIEWS

An Honest Window Into the Heart of a Mother’s Suffering, a review by Jeannie Ewing, author of Waiting With Purpose

 

What God Had Emptied: How I Found Hope In My Children’s Diagnoses by Kathryn Anne Casey is a powerful read. Her depth of spirituality is interwoven into every loss and every fragmented moment of peace or joy in the midst of constant crises and unexpected/surprise pregnancies (and subsequent losses).

I am a mom of 5, two of whom are neurodivergent. Sarah, my middle daughter, was born with a rare disease. As I turned the pages of Casey’s book, there were moments I nodded my head enthusiastically – because, finally, someone expressed in words my experience! There were moments I shed tears – because, yes, I asked myself the same questions about God’s goodness and mercy. I wondered if life would ever return to “normal” again.

She is so direct about her struggles, but never in a defeated manner. Casey offers incredible insight as she draws the reader into her journey of navigating Peter’s complex medical needs and the fatal prenatal diagnosis and subsequent death of her baby daughter, Celeste.

Another aspect of the book that makes it unique is that Casey explains the ways she found meaning and joy and cared for her body and soul and mind in the midst of the incessant uncertainty. Her daily walks, which she scheduled while Peter was in the hospital, included exploration and adventure – a return to her senses and to grounding her with what simple delights may await in the form of local cuisine, a scented candle, a book, some lipstick.

For mothers who find themselves, or have found themselves, in a place of constant mental exhaustion, particularly if they have a child or children with ongoing medical needs, this book is a light. A genuine light. There is no fluff here. There are no pat answers or platitudes we tend to hear when people don’t know what to say.

Casey is an incredibly gifted writer, as well, and selects her words thoughtfully and beautifully.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OTHER CATHOLIC MEMOIRS

Peregrino Pródigo: Cartas al Papa Francisco desde Lourdes, Fátima, Garabandal y Medjugorje

by Peter Breen

TESTIMONIALS

“En su libro, el Peregrino Pródigo, Peter Breen se enfoca en la crisis del medio ambiente. Señala el pensamiento del Papa Benedicto XVI – mencionado por el Papa Francisco – en que sería necesaria la intervención divina para superar esta problemática. Breen, en una serie de cartas a Francisco, recurre a declaraciones del Papa Benedicto para concluir – de manera fascinante – que esta intervención ya se ha producido a través de los mensajes de la Virgen en Lourdes, Fátima, Garabandal y Medjugorie.” – Dra. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson, Profesora de Teología Dogmática, Colegio y Seminario de los Santos Apóstoles

“El Peregrino Pródigo envuelve al lector en un conflicto cautivador; el impulso hacia la incredulidad, por un lado, y, por el otro, la devoción generada por la fe. Algunos pueden leer el Peregrino Pródigo como una versión de Disenso Leal de Charles E Curran. En la introducción del libro, Peter Breen confiesa ser un católico practicante con una crisis de fe en la Iglesia, derivada de razones que van más allá de los escándalos sexuales del clero. A través de un confesionario enrejado, Breen hace una apasionada súplica al Papa para que reconozca los milagros de Medjugorje. Lleva al lector y también al Pontífice, en una peregrinación a los lugares de las apariciones de Nuestra Señora: Lourdes, Fátima, Garabandal y Medjugorje, fomentando la devoción a María como profeta de nuestro tiempo. María, la Madre de Jesús, se presenta como la que ofrece al mundo un salvavidas. La forma epistolar en la que el autor expresa su mezcla de fe y disidencia, es inusual. Podría haber sonrisas y ceño fruncido en lo que algunos pueden considerar como la mejilla del autor al escribir una serie de cartas personales al Santo Padre Francisco, dirigidas como el Padre Jorge Bergoglio; cartas que comienzan con un querido Padre Jorge, como si fuera un párroco. Es una lectura atractiva; una invitación a creer ante los baches intelectuales. Ofrece al católico disidente, pero leal, un lugar en el que podemos llamar, después de Breen, la peregrinación pródiga.” – Ivan Arthur, autor de Saynt Lachmi y Pavement Prayers

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Breen es un escritor australiano y autor de varios libros, incluido el éxito de ventas The Book of Letters, publicando por Allen & Unwin. Es un abogado de casos de difamación y medios de comunicación y ex miembro del parlamento estatal. En su neuvo libro Peregrino Pródigo, Peter vuelve a escribir cartas en un libro de correspondencia al Papa Francisco sobre la Iglesia en el mundo moderno y la revelación Mariana privada.

OTHER CATHOLIC MEMOIRS