Inspirational Stories of Young Saints

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur reviews Charlotte Grossetête's new book about saints for children and teens.

Young Saints: Fifteen Extraordinary Lives from Blandina to Carlo Acutis

By Charlotte Grossetête

Publisher: Ignatius Press

Do you want to offer the young people in your life some inspirational stories of holiness? Young Saints: Fifteen Extraordinary Lives from Blandina to Carlo Acutis by Charlotte Grossetête provides engaging profiles of children, teens, and young adults who made a difference and lived exemplary lives in the short time they were on earth. For each saint, there is a full-page illustration, a story featuring important moments in their life, a one-page graphic depiction, a timeline placing them in historical context, and a prayer. 

A chronological collection of holy lives 

The saints, blesseds, venerables, and servant of God profiled in these pages are presented in chronological order.  

There are two from the relatively early days of the Church. Saint Blandina (162-177) was a slave in the Roman Empire who stood up for the Christian faith even when it meant martyrdom. Saint Tarcisius was a third-century altar server who was killed for bringing the Eucharist to other Christians. 

Three are from the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) was an Italian noble trying to find his place in the world before he joined the Jesuits and died from the plague after ministering to those suffering from it. Saint Kateri (1656-1680) was a Mohawk maiden, scarred and with poor eyesight due to smallpox, who embraced Christianity. She shared her faith with those in her community and cared for the poor and sick. Saint Dominic Savio (1842-1858) was a student of Saint John Bosco. He was a positive role model for the other students and always strove for holiness.  

The remainder of the holy youths are from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

Modern saints 

It is wonderful that this book has a special focus on modern saints, as these are individuals that young people today may be more readily able to relate to rather than the saints of earlier time periods.  

Blessed (soon to be Saint) Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) enjoyed climbing mountains but was never too busy to spend time caring for the poor of Turin.

Saints Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta Marto (1910-1920) were visionaries at Fatima and offered their sufferings for the conversion of sinners. (The book counts them as one saint, so despite the subtitle, it actually highlights sixteen lives.) 

Venerable Anne de Guigné (1911-1922) was an upper-class French girl who experienced a profound conversion as a young child and strove to be a best friend to Jesus. 

Saint José Luis Sanchez del Rio (1913-1928) was a flagbearer for the Cristeros in Mexico who was arrested and put to death. 

Blessed Marcel Callo (1921-1945) joined the Young Christian Workers organization in France and had a deep relationship with God. He was forced to leave for Germany to join the labor forces there during World War II. He continued to provide support to other Catholics before dying in a concentration camp. 

Venerable Antonietta Meo (1930-1937) lived in Rome and lost her leg to bone cancer. Over the course of her short life, she wrote many letters to Jesus and the Blessed Mother. She bore her pain for sinners. 

Servant of God Claire de Castelbajac (1953-1975) was homeschooled when young because she was too sick to go to school. She eventually studied art restoration and restored frescoes in Assisi before dying of meningitis. She is credited with interceding for religious vocations.  

Blessed Sandra Sabattini (1961-1984) was an Italian who worked as a counselor to children with disabilities. She dreamed of being a missionary doctor before her life was cut short when she was hit by a car. 

Blessed Chiara Badano (1971-1990) was part of the Focalore movement from a young age. When she was diagnosed with bone cancer, she offered her pain to God. 

Blessed (soon-to-be Saint) Carlo Acutis (1991-2006) had a deep faith from a young age. He went to Mass every day and set up a Eucharistic Miracles website before he died of leukemia. 

Young Saints is a wonderful addition to any parish, Catholic school, or Catholic family library. Ask for it at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from the publisher, Ignatius Press.  

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2025 Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
Images: Canva