A.J. Neal Publishing has released A Thousand Hands But One: How GOD Prepared a CATHOLIC Chaplain For the Surrender She Never Expected, a memoir by former Catholic chaplain Laura Riccardi. The book, published on September 8, 2026, explores how Riccardi's years of ministering to the sick and dying prepared her for the greatest trial of her life—and her ultimate surrender to God's will.
For years, Riccardi held the hands of patients at their bedsides, offering prayer, comfort and Christ's presence. Yet when her own husband, Len, was hospitalized during Covid-19, his was the one hand she could not hold. Rigid hospital protocols kept them apart as he became gravely ill and died alone. In A Thousand Hands But One, Riccardi shares stories from her years in hospital chaplaincy, revealing how those encounters quietly prepared her for what was to come. Together, these experiences brought her face-to-face with the book's central spiritual lesson: surrender to God's will.
"This is a story of spousal love both on earth and as the Bride of Christ—a story for every soul seeking understanding of God's eternal plan, with lessons for us as a people and as a nation," said Cynthia Zack, composer and host of Mary, Mother and Queen of the Divine Will on Radio Maria.
A Benedictine monk and priest of more than 50 years who has known Riccardi for many years and asked to remain anonymous added, "A Thousand Hands But One is more than a memoir. It is a testimony to the grace of surrender—to trusting God when the path ahead is uncertain."
Heartbreaking yet hope-filled, Riccardi's memoir is a story of love, loss and trust in God's will—bearing witness to the message at the heart of the book: Where human hands fall away, God's grace remains.
Riccardi's Catholic life and ministry have included eighteen years of formation with the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, fifteen years as an RCIA catechist, seven years as a hospital chaplain, and five years cohosting Radio Maria's Mary, Mother and Queen of the Divine Will. She is also an award-winning former teacher, mother of four and longtime homeschooling mom.
A Thousand Hands But One is published by A.J. Neal Publishing of Jackson, New Jersey, and is available in paperback and ebook editions through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. The book is also featured at www.athousandhandsbutone.com.
This memoir matters because it offers a timely reflection on faith, grief and the power of surrender in the face of uncontrollable circumstances. For readers navigating loss, the book provides a testament to trusting God when human hands can no longer hold on.
