The well-known and very popular Catholic couple, Scott and Kimberly Hahn, have been constantly travelling and speaking all over North America for the last few years about their conversion to the Catholic Church. Now these two outstanding Catholic apologists tell in their own words about the incredible spiritual journey that led them to embrace Catholicism.

Scott Hahn was a Presbyterian minister, the top student in his seminary class, a brilliant Scripture scholar, and militantly anti-Catholic ... until he reluctantly began to discover that his "enemy" had all the right answers. Kimberly, also a top-notch theology student in the seminary, is the daughter of a well-known Protestant minister, and went through a tremendous "dark night of the soul" after Scott converted to Catholicism.

Their conversion story and love for the Church has captured the hearts and minds of thousands of lukewarm Catholics and brought them back into an active participation in the Church. They have also influenced countless conversions to Catholicism among their friends and others who have heard their powerful testimony.

Written with simplicity, charity, grace and wit, the Hahns' deep love and knowledge of Christ and of Scripture is evident and contagious throughout their story. Their love of truth and of neighbor is equally evident, and their theological focus on the great importance of the family, both biological and spiritual, will be a source of inspiration for all readers.

When Pier Giorgio Frassati died at the age of 24 on July 4, 1925, people from all walks of life flocked to his family home in Turin, Italy, to pay their respects. The young university student, athlete, and member of the Third Order of Dominicans died of polio contracted while visiting people in need. He radiated a burning charity born of an ardent faith, heroically caring for the sick and the poor. Beatified in 1990 by Pope John Paul II, who held him up as a model for young people, Pier Giorgio became the patron saint of mountaineers, sportsmen and women, and World Youth Day. His whole life was guided by his motto: “To the Heights.”  

During the height of the French Revolution, at the peak of the Reign of Terror, sixteen Carmelite nuns from Compiègne were arrested, tried, and condemned to death. On July 17, 1794, they were led to the guillotine. For months, they had offered their lives as a sacrifice for peace, steadfast in their faith. As they ascended the scaffold, they lifted their voices in singing Veni, Creator Spiritus, a final act of devotion. Ten days later, the Reign of Terror collapsed.

Pope Francis officially declared them saints in December 2024.

The Surprising Power of Family Meals is the first book to take a complete look at a ritual that was virtually universal a generation ago but has undergone a striking transformation. No longer honored by society as a time of day that must be set aside, some families see family supper as little more than a quaint relic. But others are beginning to recognize it as a lifeline – a way to connect with their loved ones on a regular basis and to get more enjoyment out of family life. The Surprising Power of Family Meals presents stories, studies, and arguments from the fields of psychology, education, nutrition, family therapy, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and religion. It provides examples of families and communities around North America responding creatively to the pressures of a 24/7 world to share strategies for taking what is best from our past and transforming it to meet current needs.