Family Life and Parenting
The Joys, Sorrows and Glories of Married Life
by Fr Paul Wickens
The traditional principles of Catholic marriage in a brief, dignified, and insightful manner that is both humorous and enlightening. By a priest with many years of pastoral experi-ence. Covers God's law, indissolubility, various forms of unfaithfulness, Union of Mind and Heart, Differences between Male and Female, the Physical Union, Periodic Abstinence, etc. Great for the married, engaged, or anyone considering marriage.
Paperback, 84 pages
Educating a Child: The Art of Arts
The Goal of Education, the Family and Authority
by Fr Joseph Duhr, S.J.
A must-read for all parents and educators who want to understand the role they must play as God’s co-operators in the education of children.
In this first volume (of two), Fr Duhr begins by laying out the goal of education, which is to gradually form the child physically, intellectually and morally, teaching him to master his instincts and passions, so that he will one day be capable of leading himself. Ultimately, it is to establish God as Master and King in this soul which was created by Him for His Greater Glory and destined to find its happiness and perfection in possessing Him.
Having laid the foundations, Father then describes the family atmosphere which is favorable to the blossoming of the child. Finally, he looks at authority, its origin and purpose, and how to use it in order to bring the child to what God wants him to be.
Like every good teacher, Fr Duhr knows how to make his subject matter palatable, while not watering it down in any way. He constantly illustrates his points with beautiful and entertaining stories from the real lives of parents and children, some famous (like Saint Augustine, George Washington, Daniel O’Connell, Frédéric Ozanam, Louis Pasteur and Anne de Guigné) and others not so famous.
This book is an indispensable tool for all parents and educators and is destined to become a classic in the English language.
Paperback, size 8.2" x 5.8", 328 pages
by Fr Francis X. Weiser, S.J.
This book unfolds the story of the celebration of Christmas. Beginning with its gospel and history, the author leads us through the festivities of the Middle Ages, to the decline and eventual revival of Christmas customs in Europe and in America.
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 188 pages
by Fr. Ludger Grun
“Many want to have a Christian marriage, but they lack the courage to start anew.” - Fr. Ludger Grun
Many married couples are emotionally exhausted or simply too disconnected to find the motivation for improving their relationship. But by taking an honest look into the depth and fundamental elements of this sacrament, couples can be reminded of forgotten opportunities, once familiar paths of communication and the shared joys of mutual lifelong goals.
Topics of discussion:
- Is it normal for love to diminish?
- What do we do with a stagnant marriage?
- How do we keep our marriage from flattening out?
- Does God want our love to flourish?
- With whom can I have a good marriage?
- Why we should work to build a happy marriage?
- Whom can we turn to for help?
For married couples and those about to be married, this book is a guide on how to avoid a loss of connection, closeness, and fervour in marriage. Fr. Grun clearly demonstrates, based on years of marriage counselling experience, how to keep or rekindle true Catholic love. Written in a compassionate tone, this brief work is vital for all married people, regardless of age.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 84 pages
Christian Marriage
Casti Connubii
by Pope Pius XI
Necessary reading for every couple preparing for marriage. Also fantastic for both those who are newly wed and even for those who have been married many years. It explains matrimony's sanctity, blessings, and pitfalls. It exhorts spouses to make saints of each other.
Booklet, size 8.5" x 5.5", 43 pages
by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
In the face of a world crisis, which is manifestly deeper than one can imagine, many are inclined to ask: “Has Christianity failed?” Fulton Sheen’s Thinking Life Through seeks to answer this critical question. The conclusions the author proposes are far-reaching and touch upon subjects as diverse as the truth and meaning of human sexuality, the purpose of life, discordant marriages, angels, alcoholism, the vocation of the soldier, materialism, parenting, and even the question of spanking children.
On the critical subject of freedom, Sheen writes, “The true definition of freedom is the right to do whatever one ought, and oughtness implies law, goals, purposes, and perfection. Freedom is a moral power and not a physical one. It revolves around what man is rather than what man does. We are more free within the law than outside of it.”
Thinking Life Through also addresses the world’s political climate, something that in many ways mirrors the present political discourse. Focusing on the tragic decline of post-Christian society, Sheen gives special attention to both the threat of communism and the dangers of socialism. Sheen also gives clarity to the role of the individual and the family while living in a time of moral and political uncertainty. Finally, Sheen addresses good manners and politeness as he states in his quintessential style, “Another effect of materialism is to be seen in the decline of courtesy. There is politeness and decorum and a desire to please others when it is generally recognized that every person bears within himself an image of the Divine.” For anyone seeking to grow in wisdom, Thinking Life Through will be your guide.
Hardcover, size 8.75" x 5.75", 264 pages
by Fr Benjamin R Fulkerson, S.J.
A short story about a young boy and his three friends, all members of the third-year class of a Jesuit boarding high school, that go on a trip to the Rocky Mountains. They meet up with their high school teacher and prefect, Mr. Robinson, who is there spending a couple weeks at camp with a number of fellow Jesuits. Mr. Robinson leads them to the lodge and all of the boys gladly roll into their bunks, all but Jim.
Jim Eagan stays up to talk with Mr. Robinson about some things that have been bothering him. They roast marshmallow over the fire and talk about unclean thoughts and Mr. Robinson explains to him that simply having unclean thoughts does not mean you are committing a sin, there are three conditions to mortal sin. Mr. Robinson also explains lots of other things and his tips on temptation.
Booklet, size 8" x 4.7", 20 pages
Catholic Family Celebrations for Every Season
by Mary Reed Newland
Celebrate the Faith with your kids all year round! For over half a century, Catholic families have treasured the practical piety and homespun wisdom of Mary Reed Newland's classic of domestic spirituality, The Year and Our Children. With this new edition, no longer will you have to search for worn, dusty copies to enjoy Newland's faithful insights, gentle lessons, and delightful stories. They're all here, and ready to be shared with your family or homeschooling group. Here, too, you'll find all the prayers, crafts, family activities, litanies, and recipes that will help make your children ever-mindful of the beautiful rhythm of the Church calendar.
Learn how to make an Advent wreath and how to make it more than just a pretty ornament. Teach your children about the real Santa (the one who was a bishop) and how to celebrate all twelve days of Christmas, giving them a holy wonder that will continue long after all the presents have been opened and the wrapping thrown away.
When Lent comes, read Newland's simple secrets to helping your kids embrace their sacrifices with enthusiasm. Then, let her show you how to make your home a place where Holy Week and Easter are duly treated as the highest, holiest days of all the year.
She'll teach you ways to reclaim All Souls' and All Saints' from the popular occultism of modern Halloween. She'll also show you why Church tradition accords special meaning to certain foods, colors, and symbols, and how these add to the incarnational character of Catholic spirituality allowing children to experience the Faith through sight, smell, touch, and taste.
Mary Reed Newland wrote numerous beloved books for Catholic families, but The Year and Our Children is her undisputed masterpiece. Read it, cherish it, share it, put it into practice and give your kids the gift of a fully lived faith, every day and in every season.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 328 pages
Educating a Child: The Art of Arts
The Stages of Education
by Fr Joseph Duhr S.J.
A must-read for all parents and educators who want to understand the essential role they must play as God’s co-operators in the education of children.
In this second volume (of two), Fr Duhr successively examines each stage of the child’s education from before birth to the point when he or she is finally ready to leave the family home. The author distinguishes four main stages in this educational journey: the awakening of the senses (1-4 years), the awakening of the mind (4-7 years), the awakening of the will (7-12 years) and the awakening of the heart (12-18 years). He insists that “the best way of preparing the child for his or her life as the man or woman of tomorrow is to allow him or her to live out as perfectly as possible these distinct lives which correspond to the different stages of their development”.
Paperback, size 8.2" x 5.8", 264 pages
Talks to Boys and Girls
by Fr. Winfrid Herbst, S.D.S.
These talks were given by the great storyteller, Fr. Winfrid Herbst, in the early part of the 20th century. So well-received were these talks that it was decided to put them in print so that all Catholic children across America could benefit from them. Parents and teachers alike will also find them useful as fools for teaching the Faith or as a read-aloud.
Contained in this work are talks about Virtues, the Holy Family, the Liturgical Year (and how to observe the different seasons properly), Angels, School Days, and many certain truths found within our Catholic Faith.From each and every story, the child should be able to draw good thoughts, from which they will be directed to make good resolves. Thus these stories will have a salutary influence on the lives of children and help them to grow in goodness; to become model Catholic boys and girls.
Paperback, size 8.25" x 5.75", 206 pages.
Time-Tested Ways to Help You Strengthen Your Marriage and Raise Good Kids
by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik
Here is a crucial book for you if you want to shield your family from the effects of our selfish secular culture, which destroys families and poisons relationships.
Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, the renowned author of The Hidden Power of Kindness, gives faithful Catholics all the essential ingredients of a stable and loving Catholic marriage and family — ingredients that are in danger of being lost in our turbulent age.
Using Scripture and Church teachings in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step format, Fr. Lovasik helps you understand the proper role of the Catholic father and mother and the blessings of family. He shows you how you can secure happiness in marriage, develop the virtues necessary for a successful marriage, raise children in a truly Catholic way, and much more.
Let Fr. Lovasik strengthen your marriage and family as you discover:
- Three things you can learn from the Holy Family about living as a family today
- The secret of gaining God's blessing and peace upon your family: do you know it?
- Four crucial lessons no school can teach to your children (only you can!)
- Why marital happiness is not automatic, but must be earned (and how to earn it)
- Common mistakes fathers make that can damage their families irrevocably
- The primary requirement for family happiness: does your family measure up?
- The secret of overcoming the anger that can disrupt any relationship
- Eleven simple steps you can take to bring harmony to your marriage right now
- Are you selfish? Sixteen searching questions to ask yourself in order to find out
- Four qualities that every good parent has: can you name them? Do you have them?
- Sex education: how to navigate this minefield in a way that is good for your kids
- Plus much more that will help you imbue your family with Catholic values!
Paperback, 240 pages
Symbol of the Spouse of Christ
by Elizabeth Black, Emily Sparks
In this beautiful booklet, you will learn what the Sacred Scriptures and Church Fathers said about wearing a veil, as well as the rich theological and symbolic meanings behind the tradition. You will discover how wearing a veil reveals woman’s:
- Esteemed vocation in God’s creation
- Intimate spousal relationship to Christ
- Sacredness as a tabernacle of life
- Mystery as a “garden enclosed”
- Adoration for God and praise of His glory
- Humility and receptivity to God’s love
Booklet, size 6" x 3.75", 48 pages
by Br. Charles Madden OFM, Conv.
56 years of marriage and 11 children. The Maddens of Baltimore will surprise you, comfort you, make you laugh until you cry, and make you cry until you laugh again! From games of “pitch” to petty thievery, from over-zealous confessions to exacerbating obedience, there is truly never a dull moment!
But these true stories about a real family, as told by the youngest brother, are much more than just a collection of humor. Together, they weave a tapestry about family life—the way it should be lived and enjoyed. The virtues and the vices, the laughter and the frustration, the happiness and the mourning, the prosperity and the poverty: the family is the first school of love.
Paperback, size 8.25" x 5.25", 111 pages
Time-Honored Wisdom on the Perfecting Power of Marriage
by Msgr. Ronald Knox
“Every marriage is an event in human history,” declared renowned preacher Msgr. Ronald Knox, articulating the animating principle of Bridegroom and Bride. “In the tapestry that Divine Providence weaves out of our lives, love of man for woman and love of woman for man” is the underlying structure.
Msgr. Knox delivered a treasure trove of wedding homilies — whether at the marriages of earls or those of numerous former students whom he served as chaplain. The result is this classic spiritual gem of a collection containing twenty-four wedding sermons befitting for both engaged and married couples as well as all seekers of genuine human affection. Each chapter is “the kind of thing for which five minutes is too short and ten minutes is too long.”
With his customary charm, wisdom, and assurance, Msgr. Knox underscores the goodness and beauty of human love. Taking its cues from the features and Scripture readings of the nuptial liturgy, these precious pages illuminate the perfecting power of the Sacrament of Marriage and the grace of the covenant to sanctify and strengthen bride and bridegroom and their family unto eternal life.
The awe-inspiring meditations delve deeply into commonplace truths that are not often pondered. As Msgr. Knox reflects upon the words of the wedding vows and the wedding ritual, you will delight in finding:
- Two things that make for a happy marriage
- Three ways that Christmas offers an example for newlyweds
- How the love of a husband and wife warms the lives of others
- Why the fiat in marriage is like Our Lady’s yes at the Annunciation
- Three warrior virtues learned in the school of love
Above all, you will see out how “nature is supernaturalized” in marriage, and “becomes the handmaid of grace,” through which the husband and wife grow in holiness. As Msgr. Knox explains, through the Sacrament of Matrimony, the couple is taken up in the current of divine love and — in their ordinary duties and lives of sacrifice — live in worship of God. Through the intercession of the Holy Family, the husband and wife will begin to enjoy a love that finds its fulfillment in Heaven.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 160 pages
by Abbe Henri Louis Hulot
The moral dangers of the too common and too fashionable amusements of dancing are pointed out, with as much force as clearness and learning, in this small but valuable book. The author extracts proofs from the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Fathers, Holy Councils, and from the theologians most renowned for their piety and learning.
Familiarity removes, often, a due appreciation of the dangers of the dance. There are Catholics who seem to have become skeptical as to the very existence of the danger attendant on their supposed innocent recreations.
We hope that these collected proofs will enlighten the mind and change the heart of those who have been the advocates of dancing, solely because they have never sufficiently considered the evils of which it is the cause and the occasion.
"But, you will say, the Commandments of God do not forbid dancing, nor does Holy Scripture, either. Perhaps you have not examined them very closely. Follow me for a moment and you will see that there is not a Commandment of God which dancing does not cause to be transgressed, nor a Sacrament which it does not cause to be profaned." - St. John Vianney
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 95 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
by Janet Erskine Stuart
"We insist on the teaching of handicrafts, training of the senses in observation, development of knowledge, taste, and skills which are useful for life, and for girls especially on things which make the home."
A century after its first publication, Mother Janet Erskine Stuart's classic The Education of Catholic Girls is back, and it is as relevant and useful as ever! Practical as it is pious, witty as it is wise, this collection of counsels not only helps educators in school or at home meet Catholic girls' special intellectual needs, it offers sage strategies for whole-person formation, showing us how to help our girls grow into virtuous Catholic women.Catholic girls among other girls, writes Mother Stuart, and Catholic women among other women, have the privilege as well as the duty of upholding what is highest.
The Education of Catholic Girls will help you teach your girls, whether through math and science, needlework, Catholic philosophy, or good manners, to uphold what is highest; it will help you train them to live a perfectly honorable and fearless life.
This centenary edition of The Education of Catholic Girls features English translations of the original's foreign phrases and quoted sources (Mother Stuart's presumption about her readers' knowledge of Latin, French, and German points to something education has lost over the years), as well as a new preface by Catholic homeschooling author and speaker Susie Lloyd.
Chapters on: Religion, Character, Realities of Life, Lessons and Play, Mathematics, Natural Science and Nature Study, English, Modern Language, History, Art, Manners, Higher Education.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 266 pages
Fatherhood
by Fr. Jean Dominique, O.P.
What Is Fatherhood?
Among men, those who are called by the beautiful name of father receive it as a delegation from God. They only possess paternity by participation in God's paternity, and it is in Him that they find their model. This easy-to-read, short booklet illustrates the awe-inspiring duties of fatherhood while explaining society's need for good fathers. This must-read title is a foundational solution to the problems that plague modern society. Get copies for your sons, brothers, and all the men in your life today!
Paperback, size 6" x 4", 100 pages
Marijuana
by Fr Juan Carlos Iscara and Fr Paul Robinson
Is using marijuana wrong?
The cannabis question has been the subject of debate for over sixty years. Over time the conversation has radically shifted as scientific research on the matter has developed. This short study breaks down the science and terminology surrounding marijuana and efficiently examines its effects on the mind and body. Despite the growing belief that marijuana is harmless, this booklet critically evaluates the implications of marijuana use in light of Catholic moral principles.
Read this concise and critical text to understand the Catholic position on what has become America’s drug of choice.
Booklet, size 6" x 4", 55 pages
by Fr. Alain Delagneau
You are a central part of God’s plan to convert the world and this book will help you realize how crucial the Catholic Faith is for your future.
To accomplish your mission as faithful Catholics and to have a rich, fruitful, and worthwhile life, here and in eternity, you must prepare your soul. You need to thoroughly understand the goal you wish to attain, and consider the difficulties you will encounter, both mentally and physically, and accept them. The world will tell you that comfort is the highest goal and that only fools deny themselves. This is the battle between those who wish to live according to eternity versus those who live simply for today.
Your future will be exhilarating because it is your mission to rebuild a Christian society. The generations before you fought to preserve the Faith and Catholic Tradition and to pass them on to you. Now it falls to you to continue this noble fight and to spread the reign of Our Lord around you. What could be more inspiring than working for the greatest good there is: the good of souls and societies?
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 64 pages
Pope Pius XII Speaks to Married Couples
by Pope Pius XII
In his time, the world knew Pope Pius XII for his sanctity, his efforts for world peace, his remarkable gifts of diplomacy, language and letters. But there was another side to this holy Pope who found time to address scores of newlyweds who came to seek his blessing on their marriages. This is the Pius XII who is revealed in Dear Newlyweds.
Dear Newlyweds should be placed in the hands of every newly-married couple. It is a book to read, ponder, cherish, and be guided by, all through married life. Newlywed, married, and engaged couples will be inspired and uplifted by Pius XII's explanation of Matrimony and his insight into the practical problems of everyday marriage. Dear Newlyweds is a book to turn to again and again. It is a sure guide as new difficulties arise - problems of discipline in the rearing of children, temptations against fidelity, relationships with elderly parents, and much more!
Dear Newlyweds combines the solid doctrine of the Roman Magisterium with the pastoral touch of the Angelic shepherd himself. It is Catholic truth digested and perfectly fitted to those who need it most. It is not a haphazard collection of talks, but forms a complete course on Catholic married life.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 269 pages