The Friendship Project: The Catholic Woman's Guide to Making and Keeping Fabulous, Faith-Filled Friends

by Michele Faehnle, Emily Jaminet, Larry Richards (Foreword by)

Overview

Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet are busy wives, mothers, and volunteers. They are also friends, Catholic speakers, and the dedicated coauthors of Divine Mercy for Moms, which continues to inspire women to come together to pray, study, and live in friendship around the Divine Mercy devotion. In the midst of their active lives, Faehnle and Jaminet found themselves missing their old friends and searching for new ones. They also realized that they needed to continually work to develop deep, meaningful relationships that would allow them to be themselves, to care for others and be cared for, and to deepen their Catholic faith.

In The Friendship Project, Faehnle and Jaminet explore the cardinal and theological virtues with an eye toward friendship. Focusing on faith, hope, love, prudence, gratitude, loyalty, generosity, and prayerfulness, they help us answer questions such as, “What does it mean to be women of hope, and how does that change our lives and make us more compassionate friends during difficult times?” and “How does prayerfulness teach us how to listen to and talk with both God and our friends, which helps us reach out to those we love?”

Faehnle and Jaminet answer these questions and more by employing Church teaching and telling us stories of their own friendships and those from the lives of saints and biblical women—including the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Elizabeth, St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her sister Servant of God Léonie, and Sts. Perpetua and Felicity. Not only will you be drawn closer to friends both new and old but you’ll also be reminded how these friendships—and the virtues you practice to nurture them—draw you closer to God.

Prayers, discussion questions, and a study guide make this a perfect resource for women’s groups

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594717611
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	09/22/2017
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	709,901
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michele Faehnle is a school nurse at St. Andrew School in Upper Arlington, Ohio, and the host of Answering the Call on St. Gabriel Radio. She is a contributor to CatholicMom.com, codirector of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, and coauthor of Divine Mercy for Moms, The Friendship Project, and Our Friend Faustina.

Faehnle earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1999. Faehnle has spoken at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy and to several women’s groups and conferences, including 1:38 Women, Mothering with Grace Annual Mother’s Conference, Indiana Catholic Women’s Conference, and the online Catholic Conference for Moms. Faehnle has appeared on EWTN’s At Home with Jim and Joy and a number of Catholic radio programs.

Along with her coauthor, Emily Jaminet, Faehnle received the Bishop John King Mussio Award from Franciscan University of Steubenvile, of which she is an alumna. She and her husband, Matthew, have four children and live in Columbus, Ohio.

Emily Jaminet is the executive director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network. She is the author of the award-winning book Secrets of the Sacred Heart and the coauthor of Divine Mercy for Moms, The Friendship Project, Pray Fully, and Our Friend Faustina.

Jaminet earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1998. She is the cohost of Inspired by Faith on St. Gabriel Radio and the host of the Emily Jaminet Podcast. She has spoken to a number of parish and diocesan women’s groups and conferences, serves on the leadership team of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, and consults with the Catholic Men’s Ministry. She is the director of adult faith formation and coordinates RCIA for her parish.

Jaminet has appeared on EWTN’s Women of Grace, Bookmark, and At Home with Jim and Joy. She is a monthly contributor on Spirit Catholic Radio, Relevant Radio, and Diocesan.com. She also writes for CatholicMom.com.

Jaminet received the Bishop John King Mussio Award from Franciscan University. She and her husband, John, have seven children and live in Columbus, Ohio.

Rev. Larry Richards is the founder and president of The Reason for Our Hope Foundation. A retreat leader, speaker, radio host, and author, he also founded the Divine Mercy Encounter Retreat Program in the Diocese of Erie, where he serves as pastor of St. Joseph Church/Bread of Life Community.

Table of Contents

Foreword Fr. Larry Richards ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

1 Finding Faith: Sts. Gertrude and Matilda 1

2 Holding on to Hope: Sts. Perpetua and Felicity 17

3 Cultivating Charity: St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Servant of God Léonie Martin 35

4 Practicing Prudence: St. Hildegard of Bingen and Bl. Jutta 49

5 Growing in Gratitude: St. Teresa of Avila and Bl. Anne of St. Bartholomew 67

6 Living Loyalty: Ruth and Naomi 81

7 Giving Generosity: Sts. Catherine of Siena and Catherine of Sweden 97

8 Pondering Prayerfulness: Mary, Mother of God, and St. Elizabeth 111

Appendix 1 Prayers 127

Appendix 2 Study Guide 131

Notes 157

Editorial Reviews

10/02/2017
Faehnle and Jaminet (Divine Mercy for Moms), contributors to the Catholic Mom online magazine and organizers of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, facilitate deeper friendships between Catholic women in this practical book. Early on, Jaminet relays a conversation she had with a woman in which she realized that the woman’s friendships had dissolved over time, “having been replaced by shallow social media friendships and work acquaintances.” In that moment Jaminet realized God was calling her to take a deeper look at how to be a better friend by following the virtues of Catholicism. She concluded that friendships come from being true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious. In presenting their advice, Faehnle and Jaminet discuss seven pairs of well-known women of faith who were intimate friends, using them as representations of important aspects of a strong friendship: St. Gertrude and St. Matilda represent the early stages of bonding through faith, St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Léonie Martin represent charity and selflessness, and St. Hildegard of Bingen and Blessed Jutta of Disibodenberg represent the practice of prudence. Faehnle and Jaminet lace in stories of their own friendship as well as others, creating a light, conversational guide to making and keeping friends. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"In an age that values social networks over face-to-face relationships, Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet make a compelling case for the lost art of spiritual friendship. They draw from a rich vein of personal experience and the lives of the saints to prove that the old proverb is still true: to have a friend, you must be a friend. Read this book to find out how." —Colleen Carroll Campbell, Author of My Sisters the Saints

"The Bible says that 'a faithful friend is a sturdy shelter and he that has found one has found a treasure.' The same goes for finding this book! We are all a work in progress, and while finding virtuous friendships can be difficult, they are vital in life. The Friendship Project shows us just how to find and invest in these intentional and virtuous friendships." —Sarah Swafford, Speaker and author of Emotional Virtue: A Guide to Drama-Free Relationships

"We live in a technology-driven world where people are instantly connected, yet in our own personal lives, we often feel isolated and alone. The Friendship Project is an inspiring and uplifting answer to how we can be internally connected and equipped to form lasting friendships—first with God and second with others. It underscores the truth that happiness lies in living a virtuous life." —Sr. John Dominic, O.P., Developer of Disciple of Christ, Education in Virtue

From the Publisher