Vinita Hampton Wright – författare

Only four women in the two thousand–year history of the Church—Thérèse of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, and Hildegard of Bingen—have the distinction of being named Doctors of the Church because of their impact on the faith.

In Set the World on Fire, bestselling author, retreat leader, and spiritual director Vinita Hampton Wright offers a four-week personal retreat that immerses you in the dramatic lives, historical eras, and groundbreaking ideas of these formidable saints and invites you to develop the grit, humility, pragmatism, hope, joy, and vision these women possessed.

Each week of your retreat begins with weekend reading and prayer to introduce the saint and the primary topic of the chapter, followed by five days of morning and evening prayer. Much of the text comes from the saint’s own writings. Scripture, reflection questions, and suggestions for action are designed to help you engage personally with the saint and her wisdom for living your faith.

Each week offers a unique and in-depth experience of the saint and her unique gifts to the Church:

Week one: St. Thérèse of Lisieux—the young Carmelite nun whose autobiography sent ripples across Christendom—will teach you to love God through her Little Way.Week two: St. Teresa of Avila—a Carmelite who spent years reforming her order and gave to the world a spiritual masterpiece called The Interior Castle—will instruct you in trusting your personal experience of God.Week three: St. Catherine of Siena—a Third-Order Dominican who poured out her life for people in need but also gave astute, sharp direction to Church leaders—will guide you to live every moment with courage through the love of truth.Week four: St. Hildegard of Bingen—a Benedictine abbess whose spiritual visions led to books, poetry, music, art, and early scientific discovery—will show you how to engage life with passion and creativity.

Each woman’s experience of God, understanding of spirituality, and timeless wisdom gained her the title Doctor of the Church, which indicates that through her life, research, study, and writing, she has deepened and advanced the faith.

Four remarkable women stand apart as women who boldly carried their faith into the heart of American life: Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton and Frances Xavier Cabrini, and Servants of God Dorothy Day and Thea Bowman.

Building on the success of Set the World on Fire, renowned spiritual author and retreat leader Vinita Hampton Wright now offers Blazing the Trail, a powerful four-week retreat with these American Women of the Church to help you connect personally with some of the Church’s most influential female visionaries and activists. Spanning three centuries of American history, the dramatic lives of these women will inspire you to cultivate grit, humility, discernment, vision, courage, and strength.

Each week of your retreat begins with weekend reading and prayer to introduce the woman and the spiritual theme of the week, followed by five days of morning and evening prayers. Much of the text comes from the women’s own writings. Scripture, reflection questions, and action steps are thoughtfully crafted to help you engage personally with each woman and her wisdom for living out your faith:

Week one: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton—considered the mother of American Catholic education, Seton’s pursuit of truth transformed her journey from Episcopal convert to Catholic founder, revealing how faith can redefine your calling. Week two: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini—a determined Italian immigrant whose missionary work brought hope and purpose to thousands of orphans and impoverished children in New York City during the late 1800s—offers a lesson in how perseverance and faith can change the world. Week three: Servant of God Dorothy Day—a social activist of the twentieth century who poured her heart out for the poor and the marginalized while unabashedly criticizing hypocrisy in the Church—dares us to match our bold declarations of faith with equally bold actions. Week four: Servant of God Thea Bowman— A Black religious sister and dynamic teacher who, through her love, liturgy, and voice, inspires us to embrace our full selves and to love others without reservation.  

This retreat goes beyond simply reading about saints—it invites you to integrate the wisdom of these extraordinary women into your everyday life. Through scripture, prayer, and their own words, Blazing the Trail calls you to grow spiritually and take meaningful action, guiding you toward a deeper, more courageous faith.