Celtic Crossing

by Len Mattano

Overview

A deeply poignant, transcendent tale of life redeemed through death.

For generations Aideen Callaghan's ancestors were miraculously cured of cancer through the power of a holy relic--the very relic that inspired the Celtic cross--until it vanished from history in 1866 and became Irish lore.

Raised on faith but with an inheritance of death, Aideen has been at odds with religion since losing her daughter to a brain tumor. Now it is her orphaned grandson who lies dying. In desperation Aideen turns to popular American author and New Testament era scholar Fr. Kevin Schaeffer for help. Armed with a priceless family Bible and the sacred pendant worn by Aideen's beloved great-grandmother--the last to be cured--Kevin abandons his sabbatical research in Dublin and sets his sights on finding the relic in time to save the child.

In their search for clues from Armagh, to Skellig Michael, to Rome, the historical trail from Golgotha to Gaul is slowly revealed as Kevin, his lifelong Vatican friend Marco, and a passionate would-be Irish seminarian uncover truths that ultimately reshape their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640603059
Publisher:	Paraclete Press
Publication date:	09/01/2019
Series:	Paraclete Fiction , #1
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Len Mattano is an accomplished, well-published pediatric oncologist, clinical researcher, and professor whose academic career spanned 20 years. He is currently a part-time consultant transitioning to full-time novelist. Len and his family reside in Mystic, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

09/30/2019

Mattano makes a moving debut with this story set in contemporary Ireland that weaves together ecclesiastical lessons and stories from the New Testament. Father Kevin Schaeffer is a Jesuit academic from Boston hoping to capitalize on the success of his first book, and possibly a second, to relieve him of the academic life. While he is on sabbatical in Ireland, Aileen Callaghan, a grandmother whose grandson is dying from leukemia, brings to Schaeffer’s attention a mystery he cannot resist: the existence of a cross known to heal generations of the Callaghan family of the cancers they seem cursed to be afflicted with. His research, rooted within his strong faith in God and belief in Aileen’s story, becomes an attempt to locate the cross and save Michael’s life and draws Schaeffer deep into the past. He digs into the lives of Mary from Magdala; Mary, the mother of Jesus; and eventually the stories of Irish patron Saints Patrick and Brigid, guardians of the holy healing relic, while tracking the historical and geographical movement of the cross. Featuring a passionate sleuth and God-graced relic, Mattano’s scripture-heavy tale will be of interest to faith readers who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code but prefer lower stakes. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"A vast tapestry of inter-woven stories that link the past with the present, the saint with the sinner, the living with the dead, Celtic Crossing invites the reader on a quest to find the true Cross. To read this novel is to embark on a pilgrimage that takes us to an unexpected and holy place." --Suzanne M. Wolfe, novelist, author of A Murder by Any Name, The Confessions of X, and Unveiling

"Wistfully beautiful...one woman's heart-rending journey toward faith...a priest's quest to find a relic. Celtic Crossing opens our eyes to the possibility of miracles and what it truly means to have faith." --John Jude Palencar, Artist and Illustrator

"Len Mattano's breakout novel is exhilarating for those who enjoy suspense tales and are searching for a genuinely inspiring story. Celtic Crossing weaves together the Christian messages of hope and healing with a cast of endearing, believable characters drawn together on quest to help a sick child at a time of crisis. As the story unfolds, those involved are forced to confront their individual struggles, their belief in the reality of God, and their relationship with God. Like many in today's world, Len's characters discover the unending love that God has for each of us and all of us. This is a story that will cause sleepless nights as readers turn just one more page--over and over--being drawn with the characters into their own spiritual journeys."​ --Rev. Thomas F. X. Hoar, SSE, PhD, President and CEO, St. Edmund's Retreat, Enders Island, Mystic CT

"Celtic Crossing is simultaneously a tale of a disabling family tragedy and an urgent quest for a life-altering, missing relic dating back to the very foundation of Christianity. In tracing the mysterious path of the cherished relic from the Crucifixion to medieval Ireland and the Vatican, Mattano weaves a story of faith under challenge, new-found love, faith redeemed, and ultimately the resiliency and healing power of the human soul."
--Ray Hutchinson, MS, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Michigan

From the Publisher