American Saint: Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J.

Read his two books and they will change you forever.

Photo credit: Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, S.J. on Facebook.  

"Frankly, I often marveled at the way these people had clung to the faith in this professedly atheistic country.  Atheism was taught and preached everywhere, in the newspapers, on radio and television, in the schools, and in books and periodicals of all sorts.  The Soviet Constitution, of course, guarantees every citizen the right to practice religion, but it forbids any formal preaching or teaching about religion.  In fact, the law has been interpreted to mean that children under eighteen years of age are not allowed to attend church, even in the company of their parents, and priests are forbidden to give religious instructions to youth.  The same article of the constitution that guarantees freedom to practice religion but not to preach it also guarantees the freedom of atheistic propaganda.  And that guarantee was exercised to the full by the state in every conceivable way.  Everyone, from the youngest child to the oldest grandparent, was constantly exposed and subjected to the influence of such propaganda.  Teh effect of all this upon once Holy Russia has been to change the entire social life of the country, the manner of thinking and behavior of the average citizen.  And yet, for all that, it has not affected the faith of millions of believers."

-He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J