Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire

Mallory Smyth has been where many young Catholics are today. But the difference between her and other fallen-away Catholics is that she figured out that when she overlooked the shortcomings of the Church as an institution, she fell in love with Jesus and rediscovered the beauty and truth of her faith.

In Rekindled, Smyth’s raw, relatable account of her own disillusionment and departure is sure to resonate with anyone who has struggled to feel at home in the Church. For anyone who has left the faith or has one foot out the door, this powerful book just might illuminate a path back home—to a Church that is both holy and in need of perfection.

Shallow homilies. Hypocritical authority figures. Trite answers to pressing questions. These and other shortcomings of the Church have led plenty of Catholics to question their faith—or to abandon it entirely.

Rekindled is for those who have left the Church and those with one foot out the door. Smyth’s account of her own disillusionment and departure is relatable and honest. She understands and validates the pain and doubt that many Catholics and former Catholics feel. Smyth also provides you with practical guidance for keeping your faith even when what you encounter in the Church falls short:

• How to recognize Christ’s presence even in the most mediocre Mass experiences.
• Strategies for finding faithful role models when authority figures let you down.
• Where to turn when the answers and pastoral guidance you receive don’t reach the heart of the issue.
• How to find fulfillment in Christ and in the community of the saints even when joy seems to be in short supply in the Church.