Writing for St. Bridget

Published: August 1, 2014

By Kasandra Barker

July 29, 2014 | Hot Springs

Kasandra holding books "Words of Hope" and "Words of Faith" by Tan books, edited by Craig Turner.

It was the winter break in 2009; I was a philosophy major at UALR wondering how to fill the time wisely. One afternoon, I picked up my Our Sunday Visitor newsweekly and saw an ad. Craig Turner, a Catholic journalist in Virginia, was looking for research writers for a project. He contributed a chapter to "The Power of Miracles: Stories of God in the Everyday" by Joan Wester Anderson (author of New York Times bestseller Where Angels Walk). Since my minor was writing, I called him for info.

Craig said that he had read "Words of Love" by Tan books, a selection of personal revelations, or locutions from our Lord Jesus to 19th century nuns Josefa Menendez, Mary of the Trinity and Consolata Bertone. It was so inspiring he made a proposal to Tan that "Words of Love" should be expanded to include revelations by saints in two books, "Words of Faith" and "Words of Hope."

Tan agreed, and I joined seven other volunteer writers to select books on Sts. Birgitta (Bridget) of Sweden, Margaret of Cortona, Catherine of Siena, Catherine of Genoa, Teresa of Avila, Gertrude the Great and Margaret Mary Alacoque. For her charity and bold devotion to the Church, I selected Birgitta of Sweden: Life and Selected Revelations. St. Bridget founded the Bridgettine Order after the death of her husband of 20 years. In 1999, St. Pope John Paul II named her a patron saint of Europe. My research is in "Words of Faith" published with "Words of Hope" in January 2014.

Neither Craig nor the writers will receive any compensation for these books; we are pleased that the beautiful books are a free will offering for the building up of the Church.