Seraphic Singles Book Review

Dorothy Cummings delivers humorous insights and tips to Catholic singles as they navigate the Catholic dating scene and search for happiness.

Being single is tough. However, for traditional Catholic singles, there are additional challenges. “For sincerely Catholic women as for women of most faiths,” writes author Dorothy Cummings, “the state of “single blessedness” is something a lot more serious, a lot more real, than the sugary fantasies of Sex and the City.”

Since 2006, Dorothy Cummings has shared her adventures, challenges and insights on the dating scene as a single, Catholic woman on her blog, Seraphic Singles. She has attracted readers from around the world. Her insights are compiled in her book, Seraphic Singles: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Single Life.

What is a Seraphic Single?

According to Cummings, being a “seraphic single” relates to loving the single life. After reading St. Paul's writings on the single life, she concluded that “if one were called by God to remain single, whether temporarily or permanently, then one should be as cheerfully accepting of God's will as possible.”

Cummings shares her discoveries and revelations about “single blessedness” throughout the book. She reminds readers that there is no better time in history and no better place than the western world to be a single woman. Cummings shares her Top Ten Great Things About Being Single, from not being nagged as much as married folk, to being able to make life changing decisions without having to ask someone for permission. The prevailing theme is that it is OK to be single.

A Catholic's Rules for Dating

While navigating the dating scene, Cummings developed “A Catholic's Rules for Dating”. These are:

• Know yourself.

• Be consistent.

• Be just.

• Be careful.

• Be chaste.

• Keep your spiritual director or confessor in the loop.

• Be loyal.

• Listen to your friends.

• Be brave.

• Pray that God's loving will be done.

Cummings reminds readers that God wants us – single, married or otherwise committed – to be happy. “Don't date someone because you should; date him because you want to.”

Journeys in Dating and Courtship

According to Cummings, there is a clear distinction between dating and courtship.“ Dating is what people do because they are lonely,” she wrote. “Courtship is what people do because one or both are falling in love.”

Cummings touches upon important lessons and advice regarding online dating, local dating and courtship. She covers topics such as:

• No Sex in the City

• Who Pays on a Date?

• Maybe I'm Too Smart

• Kind you are attracted to vs. the kind you get a crush on

• Loneliness Happens

Cummings knows just what we single folk are going through – because she's been there. Her description of the loneliness singles feel resonates strongly with readers. “The loneliness of Friday night when you are all dressed up and have nowhere to go...The loneliness of listening to a humming fridge in the dark...”

Seraphic Singles offers insights into being single and being a traditional single Catholic. It provides lessons and dating advice for all types of “Searching Singles”, delivered with Cummings' charm, wit and upbeat writing style. The book is a delightful read (and re-read).

“My advice to Searching Singles everywhere is to give up the search,” she wrote. “Don't sit around missing out because you are single. There are people to meet and things to see.” Enjoy the life you have now.

About Author Dorothy Cummings

Dorothy Cummings McLean is a Canadian writer who earned her Masters in English Literature from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Divinity from Regis College. Cummings also spent two years at Boston College working on her doctoral studies in theology.

Cummings writes for the Catholic Register and Novalis Publications. Seraphic Singles is published in the US as The Closet's All Mine: From a Seraphic Single. Since publishing Seraphic Singles, Cummings has married. She now lives and works in Scotland. Her blog Seraphic Singles continues to attract new readers. She has also started a new blog detailing her adventures in Scotland, called, Seraphic Goes to Scotland.

My Seraphic Singles Review Acknowledged by The Author

I've been giggly for the past hour. I checked my Suite101 writer stats to see how my latest article is doing. It's a review of Dorothy Cummings McLean's delightful book called Seraphic Singles: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Single Life

She's witty, she's funny and boy, she gets what it's like to be a single Catholic, navigating through the dating scene in search for happiness and love.

Anyhow, I was surprised to see that Dorothy Cummings blogged about my review today. That soon progressed to feeling delighted, giggly and giddy.

[February 26, 2013 update: My review will be posted on my blog here!]

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