Discovering a New Friend

Michelle Nott reviews Kathleen Beckman’s book, Beautiful Holiness, about the life of a Catholic mother who wanted to lead her family, and others, to Jesus.

Beautiful Holiness: A Spiritual Journey with Blessed Conchita to the Heart of Jesus by Kathleen Beckman is a great book to read this summer if you are looking for another holy friend to turn to in your motherhood journey.

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I began this book barely knowing anything about Blessed Conchita; I may have heard her name once before, but she is not someone I was familiar with. By the time I finished the book, I found that I had a new inspiration for my motherhood and faith life.

Beckman starts off the book by telling the story of a miracle attributed to Blessed Conchita, giving the reader a powerful opening that leaves them wanting to know more about this woman who saved a man from a painful health journey. It continues by introducing the reader to her family, and the trials they faced. Afterward, we learn about her holy life, the apostolates she founded, and her encounters with Jesus as a mystic. Beckman does a wonderful job detailing the life of Blessed Conchita, showing her holiness but also her human nature by sharing the fears, doubts, and trials she faced.

Blessed Conchita took on the role of physical motherhood for her nine children and became a spiritual mother for priests at the urging of Jesus. As a mystic, she constantly talked with Jesus, receiving messages from Him to pray for priests, form a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and granted her a vision of the cross, now known as “The Cross of the Apostolate.” She submitted herself to God’s plan for her, obeying his will for her life. When you read this book, you not only get to know Blessed Conchita but also get to know Jesus better through the written encounters she had with Him.

I enjoyed reading this book and learning about a new candidate for sainthood I can relate to as she is also a mom. Her dedication to her family and her role in leading them to Jesus is inspiring. It is also comforting to know that mothers have another mom to guide them on their path to sainthood and a woman who understands the pain of losing a child and a spouse.

The book is a little bit longer, just shy of 300 pages (not including the introduction), and may seem intimidating at first glance, especially if you have constant interruptions from little ones like I do. However, don’t let the thickness of the book deter you; if you have a bookmark to mark your place, it is an easy one to stop and put down when you need to, as each chapter is divided into sections. The cover of the book is beautiful and used as a reference as it has the vision of the cross that Conchita was given. The book is of great quality, with thick pages that made me feel more comfortable leaving it within reach of my kids.

Overall, I enjoyed getting to know Blessed Conchita by reading Kathleen’s book and look forward to following her sainthood journey. I hope you will consider adding this book to your summer reading list and getting to know her too.

Ask for Beautiful Holiness at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Sophia Institute Press.

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