In this fourth installment of "The Pope's Cat" series, Margaret and the Pope travel for the first time together away from the Vatican and out of Rome. They go by train to the Umbrian hill town of Assisi, a place of pilgrimage for Christians all over the world who want to remember the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Together they visit the great Basilica named for St. Francis, greet Franciscan friars at the monastery, attend a World Day of Prayer for Peace, meet religious leaders (each, it seems, with a very different hat!) from around the world, and see evidence of the spirit of St. Francis all over town.
Most of all, the Pope shows his love and care for his vulnerable creature friend, as at the beginning of the book when someone from the Curia has frightened Margaret and she's hiding in a closet in the Pope's apartment. “Don’t worry, il mio amore.” (Il mio amore means “My love.”) “People can be so fussy, can’t they?” the Pope says, picking her up in his arms.
Jon M. Sweeney is an author, husband, and father of four. He has been interviewed on many television programs including CBS Saturday Morning, Fox News, and PBS's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. His popular history The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation was optioned by HBO. He's the author of thirty-five other books, including The Complete Francis of Assisi, When Saint Francis Saved the Church, the winner of an award in history from the Catholic Press Association, and The Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started. Sweeney is also the author of The Pope's Cat series for children. He presents often at literary and religious conferences, and churches, writes regularly for America in the US and The Tablet in the UK, and is active on social media (Twitter @jonmsweeney; Facebook jonmsweeney).
Roy DeLeon is an Oblate of St. Benedict, a spiritual director, a workshop facilitator focused on creative praying, an Urban Sketcher, and a professional illustrator. In addition to illustrating The Pope's Cat series, he is also the author of Praying with the Body: Bringing the Psalms to Life. He lives in Bothell, Washington, with his wife, Annie.
“I’ve been to Assisi and the Vatican many times, but I saw them fresh when I saw them through Margaret’s eyes. I’m severely allergic to cats, but I can’t help but love the times I spend with Margaret and my grandchildren. This is the gift for all your young-uns (and yourself too).” —
Mike Aquilina, author of
Angels of God, and executive vice-president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
“Slurping on gelato, sleeping through sermons, and annoying the Roman Curia ... Margaret’s back, and is as mischievous and lovable as ever.” —
Brendan Walsh, Editor,
The Tablet "If you've ever wanted to know more about the real man we call St. Francis, then let the Pope's constantly curious cat be your guide. Discover this saint's revolutionary teachings and why they are more important than ever in our world today. Walk the streets of Assisi through Roy DeLeon's magnificent illustrations and even savor the sweetness of gelato with Margaret as she gives us a peek inside all the places we long to explore." —
Lisa M. Hendey, author of
I Am God's Storyteller "Pack your imagination and board the train with Margaret and the Pope, on a historical, fun-loving, faith-filled adventure to the city of St. Francis. Margaret's infectious curiosity makes her the perfect traveling companion, with every twist and turn a page turner. Get ready.
Arrivederci!" —Karen Kiefer, Director, The Church in the 21st Century Center, and author of
Drawing God
