The Lives of the Saints

The Lives of the Saints is a book by Alban Butler, first published between 1756 and 1759 in London. Designed as both a devotional aid and a scholarly resource, this celebrated hagiography has served generations of readers, from clergy and educators to lay devotees and students of church history. In this Benziger Brothers edition of 1894, edited (though uncredited) by John Gilmary Shea, reflections and meditations were added that were not part of Butler’s original. These enhancements transformed the text into a richer spiritual companion for daily meditations, personal reflection, and liturgical study. The edition gained widespread popularity among American Catholics around the turn of the 20th century and continues to be valued for its blend of piety, historical narrative, and devotional insights—making it a lasting resource for daily saint readings, saints biographies, and Catholic devotional literature.