Vessel of Clay - 9781589662179

"Two great passions ruled Carla's life: love of the `poor, old, beat-up people,' as she called them, and love of Jesus, whom she experienced as alive in those she served. She struggled to live as a companion of Jesus whatever the cost, and called us all to greater faithfulness."---Joan Ratermann, M.M., Fellow missioner, Chile

"With the insight of her personal relationship with Carla and her family, the author reveals the complexity of these real human beings that we made into saints without always appreciating the profound inner struggles and personal hardships that framed the decisions they made as missioners, and the courage of their commitments."---Margaret Swedish, Director, Spirituality and Ecological Hope Former Director, Religious Task Force on Central America and Mexico Co-author, Like Grains of Wheat: A Spirituality of Solidarity

"In an age where greed and corruption have become the norm, the biography of Carol Piette presents a powerful and refreshing contrast. A Maryknoll Sister who gave her life for "God's poor, old, beat-up people in Latin America," Carol, or Carla as she came to be known, carried all her earthly possessions in one small bag, lived in a poor neighborhood of Chile, and died in a flooded river in El Salvador while assisting refugees. Although her life was radical in many respects, when you read this book you will come to know Carla as a very human person with a wonderful sense of humor.

With a wealth of memories recounted by people who knew Carla, as well as an analysis of the times in which she lived, Vessel of Clay captures her personality and commitment to the poor as well as her struggles with her health, family relationships, and the effects of poverty and violence in her adopted home. Thanks to other authors, we know about the four church women who died in EI Salvador, but this is the first book to tell the story of the extraordinary woman who worked with them, and whose death preceded theirs by only a few months. We are grateful to her life-time friend, Jackie Maggiore, for making Carla Piette known as well."---Janice McLaughlin, M.M., President of the Maryknoll Sisters

"Vessel of Clay, besides being an inspirational story of courage for young and old alike, is especially important for narrating the prosaic day-to-day life of the missionary. Besides witnessing to the love of Jesus Christ in a modern day follower, it also serves as a vade mecum for anyone contemplating such a life. We don't have enough of such honest narratives of what is, indeed, a heroic life."---Peter Hinde, O. Carm., Tabor House, Member of Pro-Refugee Commission in EI Salvador in 1980, Co-founder, Christians for Peace in EI Salvador (CRISPAZ)