Donald A. Guglielmi Staritsa

The present book is the first work to highlight Catherine Doherty's vocation to spiritual motherhood. Drawing upon primary archival sources, the author traces Catherine's development as a staritsa, or spiritual mother in the Russian-Eastern tradition. Of particular interest are the chapters dealing with Catherine's exercise of spiritual motherhood for priests and laity alike. Previously unpublished letters of spiritual direction between Catherine and her major spiritual directors offer the reader a privileged glimpse into the soul of this servant of God and her spiritual children, as she grows in her vocation as staritsa. For example, in one striking letter, Catherine describes how she guided a disillusioned young priest who was struggling with a drinking problem and temptations involving young women, and was bordering on despair: ""With clenched teeth I sailed into him, first gently, almost caressingly calling him back to Christ he once loved, then more sternly, then quietly. . . . He left full of thanks and some hope . . . .""""How rare it is to find a work of theology that's both groundbreaking and readable. Guglielmi examines a neglected gift, spiritual motherhood, as practiced by an underappreciated figure of the last century, Catherine Doherty. He provides substantial historical context for understanding both, but the narrative never bogs down. This book will be rewarding for academic readers as well as those who wish to grow in t...