A Miracle for St. Cecilia's

Dorsetville

by Katherine Valentine

In the New England town of Dorsetville, the citizens are poor in worldly goods but rich in faith and compassion. For generations-long before the last woolen mill closed five years ago-Dorsetvillians have been bound together by the massive St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, slated to close after mass on Easter Sunday. On a bitter cold Ash Wednesday morning, Father James Flaherty despairs of ever turning the parish finances around. What will become of his flock and the beloved, ancient Father Keene, who had planned to live out his days at St. Cecilia's? Delightful and moving, with a cast of endearing and quirky characters, A Miracle for St. Cecilia's warms hearts and enchants readers everywhere.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Catholic, Contemporary, Adult, Mystery

278 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2002

Reviews

[Thalia]

Okay, first, you must remember what kind of book this is. It's goody-goody, cozy and non-excitable. I loved the fact it was about Catholics AND it wasn't portraying us in a bad light, just ordinary Christians, practicing their faith. I thought the author did a commendable job of gently explaining "Catholic Stuff". The premise of the story was awesome. The only failure here was she could have taken it a little further. For example: Dear wifey, working, taking care of her cancer suffering husband, is feeling hopeless and suddenly there's a marrow match and that's the last we hear of it. Lots in the first part, none in the second....this sort of thing broke the continuity. Plus I would have liked to know more about the characters.

[Sarah Grace Grzy]

Didn't finish this one. I started it, and I looked to have some potential, but there was some language\inappropriateness, and a lot of Catholicism, which isn't my cup of tea. Disappointing, because I think I would have enjoyed the story.

[writer...]

Love the humour of this Dorsetville, New England community, church, and its collection of unique characters . Perfect intro audio read arriving on Ash Wednesday as is story's setting. Further series additions will happily be pursued...


#AshWednesday #Lent

[Dawn]

I love this heartwarming tale about carrying on with hope in the midst of setbacks and trials. A beautiful story about faith!

[Rev. Linda]

A sweet story about a church that due to disrepair and member attrition due to death, was going to close...God had other plans. This one will make you smile. -- In the New England town of Dorsetville, the citizens are poor in worldly goods but rich in faith and compassion. For generations-long before the last woolen mill closed five years ago-Dorsetvillians have been bound together by the massive St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, slated to close after mass on Easter Sunday. On a bitter cold Ash Wednesday morning, Father James Flaherty despairs of ever turning the parish finances around. What will become of his flock and the beloved, ancient Father Keene, who had planned to live out his days at St. Cecilia's? Delightful and moving, with a cast of endearing and quirky characters, A Miracle for St. Cecilia's warms hearts and enchants readers everywhere.

[Roxanne]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first in the Dorsetville series. It’s kind of a Catholic version of the Mitford books. Valentine has created lovable characters, people we’ve all known in our own lives. References to differences between religious denominations are presented with humor – I laughed out loud quite a few times. All important, the Christian message comes through loud and clear as Father James meets challenge after challenge in his parish. I will read the next in the series.

[Melissa (Always Behind)]

Not a Christian book by genre, but full of faith. A church is about to be closed and miracles happen to keep it open.

[Bice]

What a lovely little book. No it is not literature but exactly what one wants to read on a lazy summer day. I liked the Catholic slant also. Will definitely look for book 2 in series soon.

[Teresa Perez]

3.5. Nice story with a great message. A little reminiscent of Mitford (interestingly alluded to in the book).

[Barbara]

Thoroughly enjoyed. Uplifting and inspirational. Story of a close knit community and how they dealt with the possibility of their church being closed down.

[Sharon Dorival]

"A Miracle for St. Cecilia's Katherine Valentine" is a heartwarming tale of faith, community, and resilience in the face of adversity. Set in the quaint New England town of Dorsetville, this story follows the struggles of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, a beacon of hope for its impoverished but compassionate flock. As the church faces closure, Father James Flaherty grapples with the potential loss of his community's spiritual home and the fate of beloved Father Keene. With its endearing characters and delightful storytelling, this book is a touching exploration of the power of faith and community.

[Irene]

Normally i would give this book 3 stars. It is pretty predictable and somewhat contrived. But during this time of stress and anxiety it sure was nice to just read a good old fashioned happy book with lots of nice characters!! Four stars today!

[Samantha]

A comfortable cozy read involving every day challenges, heartaches, and questions we all have concerning God. Does He hear my prayers? Is He working? And, more. The characters are loveable and set in a place most probably wish were a real life town.

[Amy]

I saw so much of my beloved parish in this book. The dream of retiring and attending daily Mass with my current parish friends has been created! Lovable characters and delightful humor makes this my first 5 star read of the year. This will definitely be a book to reread next year during Lent!

[Kayla]

I enjoyed this book! A good story and great characters, and some of the individual lines were very interestingly crafted and vivid. You got a lot of different POVs, which made the community lively and made me invest in the story.

[Margaret Hardie]

This whole series is just sweet, inspirational, funny, . . . but not too fast paced. If you need fast paced, these are not the books for you. But just so good.

[Christine]

This was just a cute, feel good kind of book. It made me chuckle and occasionally guffaw. It was pretty cheesy but still warmed this grouchy young lady's heart.

[carol]

Very inspiring faith-filled book.

[Cyndy]

What heartwarming story of faith and miracles. Very enjoyable with some spiritual inspirations.

[Susy Skidmore]

This is a very sweet book. I loved the characters and the emphasis on faith.

[ChrisGA]

Sweet story of church in small town.

[Karen]

A heartfelt enjoyable story.

[Dale Brown]

I loved this book. I read it again, getting it out of the library from the Weschester where I live now. I read it over and over during the pandemic.

[Sharon]

Fun, clean book. I didn’t want the story to end.

[Debbie]

Entertaining sentimental story set in a small eastern town. Inspirational Christian theme about a Catholic community and trusting in God to answer prayers. Lighthearted and yet, thoughtful.

[Kim]

Great book! It’s funny and entertaining. If you are tired of smut and other social crap being shoved down your throat, this is a refreshing and enjoyable read.

[Carol Birch]

Such an inspirational, feel good story!

[Joyce Shutts]

It is a wonderful book!

[J]

Listened on Audible.

[Lisa]

3 1/2. Very heartwarming with some lovable characters