Curious about the saints? Looking for stories that inspire? Or do you prefer stories about giants, dragons, kitchen angels, mad hermits, torture, disfigurement, and the occasional cute otter?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then welcome to Friends Above. Join me this liturgical year as I explore the stories about holy Christians from the beginning of Christianity to modern America.

This blog focuses on unfamiliar saints, those not yet officially canonized, and odd stories of better known saints. I believe that the stories of St. Columba facing a mysterious monster on Loch Ness, St. Patrick watching his new converts killed and enslaved by a fellow Christian, and Servant of God Thea Bowman protesting racism in America all have something to tell us about confronting evil in our daily lives. And maybe it will turn out that the stories we find most outrageous, challenging, or just plain odd are the ones that best shake us from our complacency and help us look at our lives anew.