In praise of stories

Do you remember the first time a story captured your imagination?

• Did Harry Potter and the stories of Hogwarts transport you to a magical world where good and evil squared off in a life-or death battle?
• Did Luke Skywalker make you believe you could fly an X-wing or use a light saber to protect you and your friends?
• Did the Lord of the Rings series take your imagination on a quest through Middle Earth with a pack of your best friends?
• Did Anne of Green Gables help you discover how to be true to yourself and to adapt to life’s challenges with grace and creativity?
• Did Bible stories shape your understanding of how God calls us to live together and work for the common good?

One of the first things we learn in literature is that fiction is made up. The libraries that fed our curiosity and creativity were initially divided into fiction and non-fiction. Hopefully you went to both sides of the library! 

Catherine’s Mercy, a novel by USA Today bestselling author Nicole Evelina. Based on a true story, Catherine’s Mercy brings to life Irish reformer and Sisters of Mercy founder Catherine McAuley. Set two centuries ago, McAuley, a Catholic spinster of 44, unexpecedtly inherits a fortune. Instead of using her new-found wealth to climb the social ladder or snare a husband; she instead fulfills a lifelong dream of building a refuge for the poor and sick of Dublin, Ireland. Catherine defies opposition from the church, society, and the nefarious Lord Montague as she protects women victimized by society — and shows mercy when mercy isn’t required.

That’s a lesson we can all use in times like these, right? In its best moments, stories can teach us more effectively than any facts-based lecture. That’s one reason the parables of Jesus are so dear to hearts and our souls. Stories can help us understand our own lives better.

Catherine’s Mercy is the first of our new Chalice Stories imprint. You’ll hear more about Chalice Stories in the coming months. In the meantime, we encourage you to travel to Dublin in 1824, to meet the first Sisters of Mercy, and to explore where you can show compassion and mercy in your own life.

Gratefully,
Brad Lyons
President & Publisher