Estimated Time: 5 minutes

In The Inquisitor’s Tale, the dog Gwenforte becomes a saint. But what does that mean?

In the Catholic Church, a saint is someone who lived a very holy and virtuous life and is believed to be in heaven with God. Saints are people who are admired for their goodness, bravery, or the special ways they helped others during their lives. Some saints are even said to have performed miracles—amazing things that can’t be explained by science.

The Catholic Church has a process called canonization to officially recognize someone as a saint. This process involves looking closely at their life to see if they showed extraordinary faith and goodness. People often pray to saints to ask for help or guidance because saints are seen as close to God.

Gwenforte’s story is unique because she’s a dog. While saints are usually people, the story of Gwenforte is a fun way to explore the idea of sainthood and why people admire saints for their actions and their faith.