Apologetics and Catechism
Finding the Meaning of Life Within God's Plan
by Venerable Louis of Grenada
What is the meaning of life? What is love? How can I be happy?
These are questions that people today often ask rhetorically, as though there were no answer. Others hunt down answers in self-help books, guides from experts, or television.
The great Dominican, Venerable Louis of Granada, best known for his work The Sinner’s Guide, penned this treatise—The Quest for Happiness—to help us see that we cannot trust in man’s own work to bring about happiness.What is the meaning of life? It is not a rhetorical question, rather, the Church has the answer! To know, love and serve almighty God. This book gives the answer of how to proceed on such a quest out of the unhappiness of the world and toward the happiness of God.
This new edition of Venerable Louis’ work, lightly edited and adjusted for the problems that modern man faces today, is a map to navigate the wasteland of modernity and discover true happiness.
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 96 pages
by Roderick MacEachen, D.D.,
From the Preface by His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons:
”This little volume has a great mission: it goes forth to defend the holiness of the marriage state and the dignity of parenthood; to define the duties and mutual relations of man and wife; to warn our people against the abuses that too often surround marriage in modern society. It is concise enough for the busiest of men, erudite enough for the most scholarly, and simple enough for the humblest of our people. That it may teach many to love and respect the great Sacrament of Matrimony is our ardent wish.”
Eleven chapters to include: The Sacrament of Matrimony, The Jurisdiction of the Church over Marriage, Mixed Marriage, Conjugal Relations and 7 others.
Also included is Marriage Ceremony and Nuptial Blessing.
Booklet, size 8.25" x 5.3, 48 pages, Impr 1947
A Manual of Religion, A Catechism in Pictures
by Bp. Louis LaRavoire Morrow
The classic 1954 edition of this fabulous catechism.
193 chapters in three sections: What to Believe, What to Do, and Means of Grace.
Abundant Scriptural quotations (excellent for proving Catholic Doctrine to "Bible-Believing" Protestants). It\'s also an excellent tool for dealing with liberal Catholics because two subjects of utmost importance are thoroughly treated: the true nature of the Catholic Church (today denied by false ecumenism) and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (today obscured by the New Mass).
This catechism is known and loved by Catholics because of its timeless texts, charts, lists and graphs. Profusely and beautifully illustrated!
Paperback, size 10.25" x 7.75", 415 pages
by Matthew R. Plese
This book explains fasting and how it has changed over the centuries in one of the most complete compilations yet written. Unfortunately, most summaries of fasting are either inaccurate or incomplete. However, rather than being a mere academic exercise, the purpose of studying the history of fasting is ultimately to help us rediscover these more ancient practices in an attempt to better observe Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother’s call for penance and reparation for sins.
As Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once remarked, “It is a long-established principle of the Church never to completely drop from her public worship any ceremony, object or prayer which once occupied a place in that worship.” The same may be said for matters concerning either Holy Days of Obligation or fast days. What our forefathers held sacred should remain sacred to us in an effort to preserve our catholicity not only with ourselves but with our ancestors who see God now in Heaven.
The 2nd edition features the following topics which were not covered (or covered only briefly) in the first edition, including detailed explanations of how fasting changed in other countries besides America, including Spain and the Philippines, a detailed explanation of who was exempt from fasting and/or abstinence and how those changes were documented and taught in various catechisms over the centuries. Mr. Plese also cover Easter Week food traditions, highlighting their connection with the Lenten fast, Armenian fasting and abstinence rigors, Maronite fasting guidelines, the heroic example of St. John of the Cross and the Primitive Rule of Pope Innocent IV vs. the mitigated rule approved by Pope Eugenius IV, how the time of the meal on fasting days differed (e.g., sunset for Ember Days but 3 PM for the weekly devotional fasts), and so much more.
Even priests have said that 95% of the book's content is new and was not taught to them!
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 197 pages
Translated and Introduced by Rev. H. J. Schroeder
This Council of Trent (1545-1563) spanned the pontificates of five popes and shone as a beacon to all the world, condemning errors of the Protestant Reformation and making pronouncements on a vast number of Church doctrines and disciplines.
In this volume of The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, originally published in 1941, Fr. H. J. Schroeder, O.P., provides an exact translation of the texts promulgated by the council and elucidates its momentous accomplishments. Readers will find the text of the documents as here presented refreshingly clear and definitive, as characteristic of the Church's official pronouncements. Covered within are the official decrees on such elements of Catholic doctrine as:
- Transubstantiation of the Eucharist
- The nature of the Mass
- Penance
- Extreme Unction
- Matrimony as a sacrament
- Holy Orders
- Original Sin
- Veneration of saints, Relics, and Our Lady
- And far more!
Footnotes with Scriptural references are provided throughout the text, as well as internal cross-references between different parts of the council's decrees. Lovers of Church history, the development of doctrine, and Catholic truth will not want to miss this magnificent translation of one of the greatest of the 21 ecumenical councils of the Catholic Church.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 298 pages
The not-so-trivial trivia game.
Keep Learning. Keep Growing. Keep the Faith.
Ultimate Catholic Trivia is a compilation of over 1,700 questions divided into 12 categories covering the Catholic Faith and culture. As the ever growing distractions of the digital era continue to overwhelm daily life, traditional “offline” games that can be played with friends and family face-to-face are making a return.
Ultimate Catholic Trivia focuses on almost every facet of the Catholic Faith, including its traditions, doctrine, art, architecture, and other cultural components. This new trivia game provides more than a dry recitation of catechetical questions by focusing instead on a wide variety of Catholic topics which will inspire players to learn more about the Catholic Church and its role in culture over the past 2,000 years.
Durable box and instructions included. 1,740 Questions
This game makes catechism lessons, lives of the saints, and Church history fun! Educational and entertaining for the whole family.
Contains two decks each containing 250 cards; 1,500 questions in total.
Six categories:
- the Baltimore Catechism (C),
- the Latin Mass (M),
- History and the Liturgical Calendar (H).
- The other contains Popes, Patron Saints and Other Pious People (P);
- Ritual, Symbol, and Doctrine (R);
- and Et Cetera (E).
Played using a Trivial Pursuit board game (not included).
by St Thomas More
In The Four Last Things, St. Thomas More prescribes frequent meditation on Death, Judgment, Pain and Joy in order to combat the spiritual diseases of pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth.
The Supplication of Souls is More's vigorous, humorous, and artful defense of one of the flashpoints of the Reformation: the Catholic dogma of Purgatory. It is his devastating response to a defamatory political tract that claimed that the greed and corruption of English clergymen stemmed from their insistence on being paid to pray for the dead.
A Dialogue on Conscience sets forth More's reasons for refusing to abjure his Catholic faith by taking the oath of allegiance to King Henry VIII as the head of the Church in England. It illustrates why More has a deserved place among the Church's greatest saints and martyrs.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 218 pages
or The Triumph of the Church
by St Alphonsus M. Liguori
A history of heresies with a supplementary chapter, added by the translator, of the heresies of the 18th and 19th Centuries. In the Second Part, the Refutation of Heresies, the Holy Author comprises, in a small space, a vast amount of Theological information; in fact, there is no Heresy which cannot be refuted from it. Not alone are the usual Heresies, which we have daily to combat -- such as those opposed to the Real Presence, the Authority of the Church, the doctrine of Justification, clearly and diffusely refuted, but those abstruse heretical opinions concerning Grace, Free Will, the Procession of the Holy Ghost, the Mystery of the Incarnation, and the two Natures of Christ, and soforth, are also clearly and copiously confuted; the intricacies of Pelagianism, Calvinism, and Jansenism, are unravelled, and the true Doctrine of the Church triumphantly vindicated.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 648 pages
by Canon Henry Taylor Cafferata
The Catechism Simply Explained is an excellent short and simple explanation of the Traditional Catholic Faith. First printed in England in 1897 by Canon Cafferata, the book was a remarkable success, such that it was reprinted many times throughout the 20th Century. This reprint is an exact copy of the 1954 New Revised Edition, available for the first time to the English-speaking world of North America.
The book is excellent for adult converts or anyone who wants to improve their knowledge of the Catechism and may not have time for a more in-depth study. The work is written in the traditional ‘penny catechism’ question and answer style, supported throughout by scriptural references. This ‘instruction manual for salvation’ should be an essential part of any spiritual first- aid kit!
Paperback, size 7 x 4.75", 184 pages
by St Peter Canisius
Translated into English for the first time in 300 years! The Parvus Catechismus Catholicorum is now in print, with a new translation by Ryan Grant. This catechism includes instruction on:
-The 3 Theological virtues and the Creed
-The Our Father, Hail Mary, and 10 commandments
-The Sacraments
-The Duties of Christian Justice (morals)
-Testimony from the Scriptures which support the Catholic faith.
-Artwork from great painters such as Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt and Van Eyck.
This book also includes a foreword by Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD.
Paperback, 84 pages
by M.B. Coussinier
This was the first book of its kind to combine the benefits of a solid catechism and the finest artwork with an affordable price. The Apostle’s Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Commandments of the Church, Sin, Virtue, the Sacraments and Prayer are all brought to life with illustrations and quotes from Scripture pertaining to the precepts being taught.
Despite its object “to inculcate the doctrines of Romanism” and its hearty recommendation by Cardinal Wiseman, even the London Art Journal in May 1863--amidst sidehand comments that its texts “differ from those in our authorized Bible”--saw fit to recommend this Pictorial Catechism for its “One hundred and twelve wood engravings, well executed, after the original designs of a distinguished artist of the Dusseldorf school.”
We have lovingly restored these engravings and have improved the original layout of the book, grouping the subjects into clearly demarcated sections. The table of contents displays the tenets to be learned, while an index helps the reader find images in chronological order as they are found in the Bible.
Best of all, the engravings make perfect coloring pages for children.
Suggested Age Range:0-12
Hardcover, size 7.5" x 9.25", 260 pages
Wonder Stories of God's People
by Rev. P. Henry Matimore
This second volume in the Madonna Series, intended for the fourth grade, follows on from the Bible stories found in its predecessor, A Child’s Garden of Religion Stories. Where that volume focused on the early portions of the Old Testament, including the stories of Creation, of Abraham and of the Exodus, this one begins with Jacob and his son Joseph, then jumps ahead to the stories of Samson and David, Job, Daniel and Esther. Likewise, where the first volume presented the birth and early life of Christ, here we find the stories of His Miracles as well as His Passion and Death. Finally we end with several stories of the Saints, from St. Ignatius of Antioch to St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes.
This book has been printed in full colour with a hardcover binding because of its beautiful illustrations!
Hardcover, size 5.83" x 8.27", 368 pages
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma
by Fr Ludwig Ott
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma has been considered as the definitive single volume summary of Catholic dogmatic theology ever since its original publication in German in 1952. This great work by Ludwig Ott presents a comprehensive yet concise outline of the entire system of Catholic doctrine, laying out its sources in Scripture and Tradition as taught by the Magisterium of the Church. The level of authority behind each doctrinal point is indicated and there are frequent references to the teachings of Fathers, Doctors and numerous Saints of the Church.
This definitive work of dogmatics is presented in a language that is both academically rigorous and accessible to laymen. Whilst written for study purposes it is suitable to anyone who wants to go beyond the basics in understanding the faith.
The new edition of the Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Baronius Press is based on the original translation by Dr. Patrick Lynch. It has been fully revised and updated and brings the language into greater harmony with current usage.
Ludwig Ott was born in Neumarkt-St. Helena, Germany in 1906. He was ordained a priest in 1930 and received his doctorate in 1936 after studying under Martin Grabmann, one of the 20th century’s greatest authorities on medieval scholasticism. That same year he became a professor of dogmatics in the Catholic University of Eichstätt, rising to full professor in 1941. From 1960 to 1962 he served as the university’s rector. His studies in the field of dogmatics and the history of scholasticism made him eminently qualified to write the Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. He also wrote works on the history of medieval spirituality and theology and on the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Ludwig Ott died in Eichstätt in 1985.
Leather Hardcover, size 9.5" x 6.3", 568 pages
An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine, also known as Baltimore Catechism No. 4, provides teachers, parents and adults wanting to know more about the Faith with a complete overview of essential Catholic belief.
Since the Baltimore Catechism was first launched in 1885, it has proved an incomparable tool for passing on the faith to the next generation. The revival of this Catechism reflects the growing realisation among Catholics, that to accept, practice and defend the holy faith, we must first understand and learn its truths. Clearly and concisely explaining what Catholics believe, the Baltimore Catechism remains a classic and authoritative reference work for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
The question and answer format stimulates successful growth in knowledge of Christ and His Church, dealing with important questions of faith and morals in a clear yet concise manner. There are 421 questions with detailed responses that are often over a page in length.
Teachers and parents will also find this traditional catechism invaluable when instructing children in the fundamental truths of Catholicism whether it is used on its own conjunction with the other books in the Baltimore Catechism series. This manual will serve both educators and families for a life time.
376 pp hardcover
Our Quest for Happiness Series Book One
by Msgr Clarenc E. Elwell, Ph.D., Fr James T. O'Dowd, Ph.D., S.T.D., Msgr Anthony N. Fuerst, S.T.D., Sr Mary St Therese Dunn, S.N.D., M.A. and Msgr John J. Voight, M.A., Ed.D.
This highly acclaimed, doctrinally sound high school religion book, has been reprinted with no revisions to the original 1950's edition.
The book is refreshing to study compared to the books and ideas so prevalent in today's society and insures a complete presentation to our Holy Faith. The book is based on the most important doctrines of Christianity as found in the Scriptures and in the Apostles Creed: the Unity and Trinity of God; the Incarnation and Redemption; sanctification by the Holy Spirit through the Church, and "life everlasting." The book gives our young Catholics the principles they need to build a better world.
Hardcover, size 8.75" x 5.75", 480 pages
God, Christianity and the Church
A Course in Religion IV
by Fr John Laux, M.A.
Fr. John Laux's perennial text Catholic Apologetics presents readers with well-reasoned answers to classic objections against the Catholic faith. This text covers the "motives of credibility": how it is reasonable to believe in God, to believe in Jesus Christ, and to believe in the Catholic Church. Superficial objections to these three core beliefs are decisively and logically refuted in this well-written presentation on apologetics, a powerful tool to help souls hold fast with firm confidence to their Faith.
One of the best apologetics books we have ever seen. Covers the nature of our knowledge, justifications for our belief, proofs for the existence of God, Immortality of the soul, proofs of Revelation, reasonableness of our belief in the Church, primacy of the Pope, etc.
Recommended for 10th grade students.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 134 pages
Quizzes to a Street Preacher
by Fr Leslie Rumble and Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty
44 Questions and Answers on Indulgences--what they are and are not, how they work, the Church's authority to grant them, indulgences in Scripture and the early Church, abuses and supposed sale of indulgences, etc.
Booklet, size 7" x 4.25", 32 pages