Celtic Crossing, Paperback

A deeply poignant, transcendent tale of life redeemed through death.

For generations Aideen Callaghan's ancestors were miraculously cured of cancer through the power of a holy relic--the very relic that inspired the Celtic cross--until it vanished from history in 1866 and became Irish lore.

Raised on faith but with an inheritance of death, Aideen has been at odds with religion since losing her daughter to a brain tumor. Now it is her orphaned grandson who lies dying. In desperation Aideen turns to popular American author and New Testament era scholar Fr. Kevin Schaeffer for help. Armed with a priceless family Bible and the sacred pendant worn by Aideen's beloved great-grandmother--the last to be cured--Kevin abandons his sabbatical research in Dublin and sets his sights on finding the relic in time to save the child.

In their search for clues from Armagh, to Skellig Michael, to Rome, the historical trail from Golgotha to Gaul is slowly revealed as Kevin, his lifelong Vatican friend Marco, and a passionate would-be Irish seminarian uncover truths that ultimately reshape their lives.

Len Mattano is an accomplished, well-published pediatric oncologist, clinical researcher, and professor whose academic career spanned 20 years. He is currently a part-time consultant transitioning to full-time novelist. Len and his family reside in Mystic, Connecticut.