--- title: "Book Notes: \"Our Lady of Charity\"" description: "Learn about a beautiful devotion to Our Lady: Barb Szyszkiewicz reviews Maria Morera Johnson's new book, \"Our Lady of Charity.\"" image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/our-lady-of-charity.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2019/05/10/book-notes-our-lady-of-charity/#) [BOOKS](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/books) # Book Notes: "Our Lady of Charity" May 10, 2019 2:00:17 PM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/our-lady-of-charity.png) [![](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/our-lady-of-charity.png)](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/our-lady-of-charity.png) Image created in Canva using free elements.[/caption] Maria Morera Johnson's new memoir,* [Our Lady of Charity: How a Cuban devotion to Mary helped me grow in faith and love](https://amzn.to/2H2SUr6)* (Ave Maria Press), is a beautiful testament to the ways the patroness of Johnson's native Cuba helped her grow in faith even after she moved with her family to the US. This quick read introduces *la virgencita* -- Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of Cuba. Johnson traces the history of devotion among Cubans to this depiction of Our Lady, a devotion that has continued within the Cuban-American community to this day. Johnson found in devotion to *la virgencita* a connection with her ethnic and spiritual heritage. I particularly enjoyed the chapter "Ermita de la caridad" (Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, in Miami), not because of the description of the shrine itself, but because of the discussion of Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, and the ways in which immersing herself in her ethnic traditions has enriched her. [![](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/our-lady-of-charity.jpg)](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/our-lady-of-charity.jpg) I have to admit, this left me more than a little envious of the rich traditions Johnson observed with her family. As an Irish cradle Catholic from the Northeast, I didn't experience much in the way of that kind of tradition. There was plenty of Marian devotion (my grandmothers had the well-worn rosaries to prove it, and one grandmother prominently displayed a picture of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help icon in her home) but there really was no food, music, particular devotion, or patron saint we could call our own. I don't know if that's an ethnic or geographical phenomenon, or if it's because the most recent immigrant in my immediate family tree arrived in New York in the 1930s. But -- and this is the point of Johnson's book, I think -- the kind of devotional tradition she describes here nurtures faith. When you look beyond the externals of statues, paintings, rosaries, hymns, and food, there's a deep tradition of faith that underpins all of it. As Johnson notes in the final chapter, devotion to Mary can lead us to Jesus: > Mary is the first disciple. She brought the Good News of salvation to Elizabeth and then the world! If I'm going to learn all I can about Jesus and how to be a disciple, what better teacher is there than Mary? (100) I highly recommend [*Our Lady of Charity*](https://amzn.to/2V1NujS). You'll learn about a beautiful devotion to Our Lady, but more than that, you'll learn how she can bring you closer to her Son. ### **Visit [our Book Notes archive](http://catholicmom.com/category/book-notes/).** --- *Copyright 2019 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS **This article contains Amazon affiliate links; your purchases through these links benefit the author.* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2019%2F05%2F10%2Fbook-notes-our-lady-of-charity%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2019%2F05%2F10%2Fbook-notes-our-lady-of-charity%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2019%2F05%2F10%2Fbook-notes-our-lady-of-charity%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Book%20Notes%3A%20%22Our%20Lady%20of%20Charity%22) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2019%2F05%2F10%2Fbook-notes-our-lady-of-charity%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2019%2F05%2F10%2Fbook-notes-our-lady-of-charity%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg) ### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor. ## Related Blog Articles [ Our Lady of Charity Book Club: Join Today! Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2019/06/22/our-lady-of-charity-book-club-join-today/) [ Book Notes: 2 Coloring Books for Prayer from Pauline Books and Media Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/09/23/book-notes-2-coloring-books-prayer-pauline-books-media) [ Walk With Me Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/walk-with-me) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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