Sacred Heartache: Stories from Women Longing for their Vocations
$21.00
Edited by Claire McCreavy. What do you do when life doesn’t go as planned—when the longing for love becomes overwhelming? Sacred Heartache is an anthology of stories from seventeen Catholic women who searched for their vocations through bad dates, breakups, and uncertainty. An eclectic mix of contributors—religious sisters, newlyweds, and those wandering the desert of single life—share candidly about their seasons of suffering, and how God led them through the dark valley to find the sunrise of His love.
PRE-ORDER NOW – Book releases on June 12, The Feast of the Sacred Heart
A book for women whose souls are longing for love
“When our hearts are aching, we need consolation from the Holy Spirit, which often comes through the witness of others. Sacred Heartache is filled with the stories of women who persisted through loneliness, doubt, and pain, and still trusted that God, in his Fatherly love, would lead them eventually to find hope in their aching.”
Christopher West
President of the Theology of the Body Institute
With heartfelt stories from seventeen women
1. Ache for Everlasting Love, Sister Allison Regina Gilot, FSP
2. Ache for Marriage, Claire McCreavy
3. Ache for Redeemed Love, Natalia Ramírez
4. Ache for Companionship, Jean Goodwin
5. Ache for Fruitfulness, Molly Kate Clavenna
6. Ache for Meaning, Angela Clair
7. Ache for Accompaniment, Megan Holzgrefe
8. Ache of Surrender, Michaela Robinson
9. Ache for the Divine Bridegroom, Sarah Rocko
10. Ache of Singlehood, Gabrielle Stiehle
11. Ache for Beauty, Kathleen Calvin
12. Ache of Widowhood, Mariana Kuhlman
13. Ache of Infertility, Maegan Bruno
14. Ache for Self-gift, Katie Weiss
15. Ache of Loss, Sister Confidence Etheridge, SSVM
16. Ache of Loneliness, Stacey Sumereau
17. Ache of Perseverance, Jennifer Cole-Schaefer
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“Sacred Heartache touches on the deepest longings of the feminine heart. Each tender story offers eternal hope in the midst of seasons of waiting and longing. These brave and beautiful voices collectively whisper, ‘You are not alone!’”
Carrie Daunt
John Paul II Healing Center
“St. Paul promises that ‘hope does not disappoint’ (Romans 5:5). But has St. Paul ever been a woman trying to discern her vocation in the 21st century? No, but his inspired words are still true. This is a book of hope, a resource to combat the despair that is so tempting for the modern Catholic woman who longs for an everlasting love. Have courage! Learn from your sisters in Christ, soak up their spiritual wisdom, and let Jesus renew your trust.”
Maggie Craig
Catholic speaker and author of Friendship Reset
“We all know the heartache of unfulfilled longings, but how many of us have allowed these longings to be transformed into sacred opportunities for deeper encounters with Jesus? In Sacred Heartache you will hear the beautiful hearts and blossoming faith of 17 women who long for the fulfillment of their vocations as sisters, brides, and mothers. As I read through each story, I thought of the women in my family and those I have ministered to over the years, who have gone through similar trials of waiting for their vocation. It is often a silent ache that goes unseen and unheard. I am grateful to Claire McCreary for giving a voice to these God-given longings for communion, while tenderly expressing her own. If you are a woman with unfulfilled desires or a man who cares for the women in your life, this is a must-read.”
Bob Schuchts, Ph.D.
Founder of the John Paul II Healing Center
Author of the best-selling book, Be Healed
“Claire McCreavy taps into a critical realization that every person must encounter at some point in their life - the ache for your vocation is a sharing in the larger ache we all have for our Heavenly Home. It’s tempting to think that when you finally get married, your ache will be satisfied. But only deep, intimate union with your Bridegroom, Jesus Christ who loves you with an unfathomable love, will satisfy you. Sacred Heartache is a beautiful accompaniment on the journey to unite your heart to His Sacred Heart and let Him walk with you through the single years to your earthly vocation and then ultimately to the Heavenly Wedding Feast of the Lamb!
Elizabeth Busby
Content Specialist, Theology of the Body Institute
“Real, raw and beautiful. In a culture that has tried to redefine marriage, and where it’s often easier to scroll through negativity than encounter truth, these women’s stories gently redirect our hearts to what we are truly called to and what will ultimately fulfill our aching hearts deepest desires. Open your heart to the powerful stories and find renewal and peace.”
Taylor O’Brien
CEO of Candid Dating
“As a Catholic therapist I’ve walked along side the ache of women in every vocation for nearly thirty years. Every story in this book impacted me and brought to mind soul after soul. Each of us has our own Gospel story to write, our own Via Dolorosa to walk, our own ache for fulfillment, including a dying, rising and ascending. Each story here is an invitation into the sacred ground of a beautiful heart wrestling with the mystery of suffering being redeemed in Christ. Inspired by these women, may you have courage to enter into the depth of your own soul, through your very wounds and aches, to find transformation, peace and hope in Christ’s expectant love. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II, ‘Have courage! Put into the deep!’”
Ian Butler, MA, MTS
Executive Director of Holy Family Counseling Services
“In pastoral ministry, I’ve seen that nothing brings about the New Life that the Gospel promises like giving voice to the aches of our hearts and bringing them before the healing kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through these powerful testimonies, paired with excellent and piercing reflection questions, Sacred Heartache gently puts the reader in direct contact with the ache of their own heart and gives them the encouragement to listen for the Lord’s voice over their own lives. This book will prove to be a tremendous gift to the Church.”
Father Michael Silloway, SLT
Pastor of All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody, GA
