A Catholic chaplain who held the hands of the sick and dying discovers what it means to surrender to God's will when she is denied holding the hand she loves most.



She Held the Hands of the Sick and Dying. Then Came the One Hand She Couldn't Hold.

A Thousand Hands But One tells how former Catholic chaplain Laura Riccardi discovered that years of ministry had been preparing her for a surrender to God's will she never expected.

JACKSON, NJ, September 09, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A.J. Neal Publishing announces the release of A Thousand Hands But One: How GOD Prepared a CATHOLIC Chaplain For the Surrender She Never Expected, a new memoir by former Catholic chaplain Laura Riccardi about how years of ministering to the sick and dying prepared her for the greatest trial of her life—and 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 drawn from her years in hospital chaplaincy. As she ministered to others, those encounters were quietly preparing her for what was to come in her own life. 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 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," said a Benedictine monk and priest of more than 50 years who has known Riccardi for many years and asked to remain anonymous.
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.

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.

About Laura Riccardi
Laura 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.

Book Information: A Thousand Hands But One | A.J. Neal Publishing | Publication Date: September 8, 2026 | Paperback ISBN: 978-1-970956-00-9 | Paperback: $16.95 | Ebook: $3.99 | www.athousandhandsbutone.com

About A.J. Neal Publishing
A.J. Neal Publishing is an independent publishing company dedicated to bringing distinctive stories and ideas to readers.

Our titles span fiction, satire, memoir, faith, culture, and family—books that entertain, challenge, inspire, and sometimes look at the world from a decidedly different angle.

Founded by author Christopher Holl, A.J. Neal Publishing is home to The Kano, The Teacher, & The Lola: A Filipino-American Fable, The Schiff Who Cried Wolf…Blitzer, Life Lessons From The Chocolate Factory, and other original works, including A Thousand Hands But One by Laura Riccardi.

Independent books. Original voices. Stories worth telling.

Media Contact:
A.J. Neal Publishing
Jackson, New Jersey
Christopher Holl
[email protected]
732.598.6218
www.ajnealpublishing.com

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