The Pope's Cat

By Jon M. Sweeney and Roy DeLeon

"A heartwarming tale, which gives the papacy a human touch." –Christopher Lamb, Rome correspondent, The Tablet

"I give it one million stars!" —Luca, Mrs. Gilman's class, St. Margaret Mary School (Omaha, NE)

Meet Margaret — the Pope's cat — in the very first book in this best-selling series by Jon M. Sweeney!

This is the story of a stray born on the Via della Conciliazione in Rome, how she's adopted by the Pope, and then "rules" the Vatican from museum to floorboard! First in a new series.

No one has a closer view of what's happening in the world's tiniest nation, Vatican City, than Margaret, the Pope's new cat. But she wasn't always Margaret, and she wasn't always the Pope's cat. She started out as a stray on the streets of Rome, and there are those in the Vatican who wish she'd never been allowed inside.

This fun, adorable new character will appeal to all kids! Here is a cat who does what she likes regardless of what others, even someone like the Pope, expects of her—even when the Queen of England comes on a state visit!

This new fiction series is intended for Catholic schools, elementary school teachers, Catholic librarians, superintendents of schools, reading specialists, educators, catechists, school principals, Catholic homeschoolers, and parents.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paraclete Press
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781640601055

Jon M. Sweeney

JON M. SWEENEY is an independent scholar and an award-winning writer. He is a biographer of St. Francis of Assisi and translator of his writings, and his books on Franciscan subjects have sold more than two hundred thousand copies. Jon is the author of more than forty books, including The Pope Who Quit, which was optioned by HBO. He edits the magazine Living City, and is religion editor/associate publisher of Monkfish Publishing in Rhinebeck, NY. He’s appeared on CBS Saturday Morning and numerous other programs, and writes regularly for America magazine in the US, and The Tablet in the UK. Jon is married to Rabbi Michal Woll; their interfaith marriage has been profiled in national media. He's the father of four, and lives in Milwaukee.

Book preview

The Pope’s

CAT

The story of a stray that was born

on the Via della Conciliazione

in Rome, is adopted by the Pope, and how she then runs the

Vatican from museum to floorboard. For ages six and up.

A NEW SERIES

This volume to be followed by

Margaret’s Night in St. Peter’s

(A Christmas Story)

The Pope’s

CAT

JON M. SWEENEY

Illustrated by ROY DELEON

PARACLETE PRESS

BREWSTER, MASSACHUSETTS

2018 First Printing

The Pope’s Cat

Text copyright © 2018 by Jon M. Sweeney

Illustrations copyright © 2018 by Roy DeLeon

ISBN 978-1-61261-935-4

This is a work of fiction. The author has used the real titles of Pope and Holy Father in the sense in which they are normally understood: for the leader of the Roman Catholic Church who resides in Vatican City; but no historical Pope or Holy Father, past or present, is intended. That said, the Queen of England and her husband, Prince Philip, make a cameo appearance.

The Paraclete Press name and logo (dove on cross) are trademarks of Paraclete Press, Inc.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: Sweeney, Jon M., 1967- author. | DeLeon, Roy, illustrator.

Title: The Pope’s cat / Jon M. Sweeney ; illustrated by Roy DeLeon.

Description: Brewster, Massachusetts : Paraclete Press, [2018] | Series: The pope’s cat ;