When I converted to Catholicism after being an Evangelical Protestant, there were a lot of new things to take in. There was the Pope and the tradition of the Church. There was Mary and the rosary. There was adoration and confession. There were feast days and fast days. And then there were the saints. As I tackled many of these new aspects of my faith, I kind of left the saints in the background. I acknowledged there were saints, and that they were importan,t but that’s about as much thought as I gave them.

It wasn’t until I started doing research for a Catholic project I was working on, that I began to actually meet some of the saints. I was searching for quotes and I kept thinking, “Wow, that’s a great quote!” “I’d love to have that quote up in my office.” “That is such a profound idea, I want to learn more about this person.” And so began my journey of learning about particular saints in more depth than just scanning a Wikipedia page.

I started with St. Brigitta of Sweden. I moved on to St. Thomas Aquinas. I quickly fell in love with St. Louis de Montfort, who also led me to participate in the 33 Days of Morning Glory program. I enjoyed St. Bernadette so much that I shared much of her life with my daughter, as an example of how God uses young people to do amazing things. Each saint I encountered shed light on how to be an outstanding Christian even when it’s really hard. I found myself wanting to be a better me.

As I discovered the great treasure chest of Saints that we have as a Catholic Church, I couldn’t believe that the people in my life didn’t tell me how powerful these Christian examples were. Even my husband, who is a very devout Catholic, didn’t seem to mention saints to me. I had been Catholic for almost four years before I started incorporating the saints into my life and now I can’t picture my life without them.

I’m convinced that like me, many people become Catholic and leave the saints in the background. They may know small snippets of what each saint is famous for, but they have not taken the time to really understand their trials and triumphs. And I understand this. There are so many saints, it can feel overwhelming to start. But you have to do just that, pick one and start.

There are so many saints, you’re likely to find one with similar struggles to your own. Once you discover the ones that really speak to your heart, become friends with them. Lean on these gifted people. Pray with them, chat with them, let their wisdom seep into your thoughts and guide your choices.

I often feel overwhelmed by our culture that so often rejects Jesus and his teachings. But now, when I find myself having a pity party over “how hard it is to be a Christian in the world today,” I think of some of the extreme situations the saints had to endure to show their steadfast love for the Lord. I realize that I have so many blessings like religious freedom and access to unlimited information. I think of my friends, the saints and all they accomplished with the little they had and I feel empowered to be more and to do more with my little life.

Now my heart is bursting with love for these amazing men and women. Every time I find another, I feel like a toddler holding an armful of my favorite stuffed animals and trying to figure out how to squeeze one more in!

If you haven’t met many saints, start today. If you have a deep relationship with some saints, share your favorites with your loved ones. If you know new Catholics, don’t hide this amazing side of our religion from them. Help them discover the treasure chest of saints. I’m convinced that if we spend more time studying the lives of saints, we will start to see more saints in our world today.

“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.” -Saint Augustine