The Lives of the Saints

What It's About

This collection presents the lives of hundreds of Catholic saints, organized by their feast day throughout the calendar year. Alongside each entry, this edition adds reflections and meditations intended to prompt daily prayer and personal reflection, turning the book into both a reference work and a devotional companion for use across the liturgical year.

Key Concepts

The book draws on the tradition of hagiography, presenting saints' lives as models of virtue and faith rather than strict historical biography. Its structure follows the liturgical calendar, tying each saint to a specific feast day, while the added reflections encourage a rhythm of daily, cumulative devotional reading.

About the Author

Alban Butler (1711–1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and scholar. Ordained abroad due to the restrictions on Catholics in England at the time, he spent much of his career teaching and later serving as a chaplain, and became known for his careful, well-researched approach to the lives of the saints.

About This Edition

This is an 1894 edition prepared by Benziger Brothers and edited, though uncredited at the time, by John Gilmary Shea, who added reflections and meditations not found in Butler's original text.