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Saintdom: A Reader's Guide (Part 1)
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Marmion Kreations profile picture
Marmion Kreations
Who are the saints in the Catholic Church? Why do Catholics pray to and venerate the saints? Sigrid Undset, a Nobel laureate in Literature and a favorite author of mine, simply dubbed saints “God's friends.” Once recognized merely by popular acclamat... Part 1 is a list of reference works for the serious reader and researcher. Most can be found on Amazon, at your local library, and/or online at the Internet Archive.  Not to worry.  I'll get to more popular accounts later in an ongoing series of lists.
Sections
6
 
Quick Takes on Canonization, Veneration, and the Lives of the Saints
 
Classic Works: Ancient Martyr Passions and Medieval Readers
 
Classic Works: Voragine's Golden Legend
 
Classic Works: Alban Butler
 
Classic Works: Sabine Baring-Gould
 
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Quick Takes on Canonization, Veneration, and the Lives of the Saints

A short guide to the canonization process, a defense of Catholic practices vis-a-vis the saints, and a list of starter sites and books on their lives. Need basic info? Names, dates, capsule bios? The internet is your friend! Here are three reliable w... Also a book or two…

 
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An authoritative, one-page synopsis of the canonization process by the Vatican
Canonization of saints
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A short, spirited, defensive tract on Catholic practice…  See also: catholic.com/tract/the-intercession-of-the-saints
Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints?
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My go-to source used almost daily
CatholicSaints.Info
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My back-up resource
Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
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Don't you love modern technology? The individual articles can be auto-translated into English. An added bonus: Bios are accompanied by albums of representative images.
Santi, beati e testimoni - Enciclopedia dei Santi
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For those who prefer to hold an actual book in their hands, I recommend this hefty volume.
The Book of Saints: Biographical Dictionary
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Classic Works: Ancient Martyr Passions and Medieval Readers

Sections 3-5 here feature some of the most important works on the saints from Early Christian times to the turn of the 20th century. Section 3 deals with Martyr passions and Medieval texts. Martyr passions are an Early Christian literary genre detail... Written in Greek, Latin, Syriac, and other ancient languages, such Passions were once accessible only to scholars.  Today, however, many are readily available in translation. This section also includes two compilations of primary sources from the post-Apostolic period to about 1500 that cover a wider array of topics.

 
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If you read only one, read The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. It's short… about 25 pages in an average book.  It's available in several English translations in print and online. And, it's authentic.
The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity | Internet History Sourcebooks: Medieval Sourcebook
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The same translation available for Kindle.  Also includes a novena for the devout.
The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity
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For a much deeper dive into the literature, see Michael Lapidge's book that translates 40 passions written between 425 and 675.    (See also academic.oup.com/book/11048.)
The Roman Martyrs: Intro, Translations, & Comm.
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Nearly 700 pages of excerpts from the writings of and about both male and female saints to about 1500 by a noted Medievalist.  The topics covered include: Early Martyrs; The Desert Fathers *and* Mothers; Bishops, Monks, and Nuns; Royalty; Pilgrimage; Relics; Changing Definitions of Sainthood; and Hagiographic Romances.  An excellent gender-inclusive survey of the literature.
Medieval Saints: A Reader (Medieval Civilizations)
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A much shorter version (only 191 pages) of the previous work, limited to one or two selections per topic. With some additional material.
A Short Reader of Medieval Saints
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Classic Works: Voragine's Golden Legend

For Medieval and Renaissance artists, The Golden Legend compiled by Bl. Jacobu de Voragine and incorporating earlier material such as saints’ passiones (martyrdom accounts) was a primary resource for their visuals. Voragine (c. 1230-1298) was an Ital...

 
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Essential reading for anyone interested in the saints, religion, the Middle Ages, and art history. Available in numerous formats. This is the online version of the modernized first translation of the book from Latin to English published by William Ca... It is convenient to consult.
Internet History Sourcebooks: Medieval Sourcebook
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THE modern translation of Voragiine's Classic work published in two volumes.  See also the 1-volume edition.
The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints, Vol. 1
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THE modern translation of Voragiine's Classic work published in two volumes. See also the 1-volume edition.
The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints, Vol. 2
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Essential reading for anyone interested in the saints, religion, the Middle Ages, and art history. Available in numerous formats.  This is the best English translation in a 1-volume printed book.
The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints
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Classic Works: Alban Butler

Alban Butler (1710-1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer (a writer of saints' lives).  Butler's great work, The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints ("Butler's Lives"), was written over thirty years. It was first published in four volumes in London, from 1756–1759 but has had many editions, revisions, alterations, ...

 
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Many editions of Butler's Lives of the Saints are available for free at the Internet Archive. Type Alban Butler in the Search bar. Limit your results to English. And, filter the results by a range of dates.  The 1847 edition published in twelve volumes is considered the best and most complete publication.
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts ...
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The 1847 edition, published in twelve volumes and considered the best and most complete version of Butler's Lives, is available online here in a handsome, easy-to-read format.
The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints Archives - Collection at Bartleby.com
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The 1847 edition published in twelve volumes is considered the best and most complete version of Butler's Lives.  However, there are over 350+ entries for Butler's Lives on Amazon! Available illustrated or text only in print or for Kindle, there are complete sets, abridgements, and annotated texts.  Take your pick!
Amazon.com : alban butler
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Classic Works: Sabine Baring-Gould

Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924) was an English Anglican priest, eclectic scholar, and prolific writer with more than 1,240 publications to his credit! In addition to writing the lyrics of "Onward, Christian Soldiers," he authored a 

 
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Available free at the Internet Archive. In the search bar, type:  sabine baring-gould lives of the saints.  This search will result in multiple copies of the 16-volume set.
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts ...
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All 16 volumes are also availalbe at Wikimedia Commons.
Category:Lives of the Saints
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Individual volumes can be found for purchase, but be forewarned: A search even by author's name and title brings up a mixed bag of the author's other works, Alban Butler's volumes, and totally off-topic books.
Amazon.com : sabine baring lives of the saints
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Up Next

Coming soon: Saintdom: A Reader's Guide (Part 2)! This list will feature books by contemporary and near-contemporary authors on more modern saints, female saints, married ones, regional surveys, and some special topics.  In the meantime, why not view (or purchase) a documentary, docudrama, or theatrical film on the saints, new and old?

 
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Mary's Dowry Production has made over 100 short films on the lives of the saints.  View the short trailers on YouTube!
marysdowry
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The ETWN Gift shop carries some  of the Mary's Dowry films as well as a selection of other saint flicks.  Visit them TODAY!
Saints Religious Media | EWTN Religious Catalogue
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And, finally, while all 45 movies on the Vatican list celebrated in this book “Popcorn  with the Pope” are not about saints, you'll find several that are. (A separate, enumerated list of the films appears at https://www.listchallenges.com/the-vatican-film-list).
Popcorn with the Pope: Vatican Film Guide
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