History
A Novel of Baldwin IV and the Crusades
by Susan Peek
A new historical novel about the unusual life of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, the leper crusader king who - despite ascending to the throne at only 13, his early death at 24 and his debilitating disease - performed great and heroic deeds in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Teenagers and avid readers of all ages will be amazed at this story and be inspired by a faith that accomplished the impossible!
Age range 13 - adult
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 185 pages
by Father Henri Hello, C.M.
“The insincerity of some and the prejudices of others make the Inquisitor out to be a monster. However, the Catholic nations were very happy with an institution that both protected their Faith and ensured public order.” Father Henri Hello.
The very idea of the Inquisition is anathema to men of the 21st Century. Not only have we imbibed the anti-Catholic propaganda that depicts it as a club of stupid and ferocious monks who had men roasted for the fun of it, but we even struggle accepting the very principle of every inquisition, in other words, the right to seek out and punish heretics who are perverting the faithful.
But we cannot escape the fact that this principle was officially recognized in the Church and put into practice from the very beginning by the Roman Pontiffs and by the bishops.
In this short but thorough book, Father Henri Hello shows us how the Inquisition was both an eminently Catholic and an eminently commonsensical institution that the Church has every right to be proud of.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 90 pages
The Suffering of Irish Catholics Under Cromwell and the Puritans
by Cardinal Francis Patrick Moran
“All the cruelty inflicted on the city of Rome by Nero and Attila, by the Greeks on Troy, by the Moors on Spain, or by Vespasian on Jerusalem – all has been inflicted on Ireland by the Puritans” (Dr. John Lynch, Archdeacon of Tuam. Eyewitness of the Puritan atrocities in Ireland.)
In this meticulously documented book, the Irish-born Cardinal Francis Patrick Moran, third Archbishop of Sydney, gives us the harrowing yet heroic story of the sufferings of the Irish Catholics under Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans. In it, we see how these wicked men were determined to annihilate the Catholic religion in Ireland and the terrible and bloodthirsty lengths they went to in order to achieve this. However, we also see how the power of God’s grace and the stalwart example of a virtuous clergy enabled the Catholics of the land to weather the horrendous storm, remain faithful to Christ and His Church and win the only victory that ultimately counts, the victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 378 pages
The Soul of Ireland
by Fr William Lockington, S.J.
Ireland, the most westerly island of Europe, is world-renowned for the rugged natural beauty of her landscapes, the friendly welcome of her people and the joyfulness of her culture.
Fr Lockington, shows a deep appreciation of this exterior charm. But he goes much deeper. He asks the question: “What is the soul of Ireland?”
Taking us on a captivating and inspiring geographical, historical and spiritual journey of Ireland and all things Irish, Father Lockington shows us beyond a shadow of a doubt that “Ireland is Ireland in her Catholicity and her Catholic history”.
Written in 1919, some may be tempted to consider this book beautiful but irrelevant. “Ireland is no longer like that”, they will object. This is true, but if Ireland is to survive, she must rediscover her soul. This book will help her in that task.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 220 pages
Fabiola
or the Church of the Catacombs
by Cardinal Nicholas Patrick Wiseman
This classic novel plunges us into Rome of the fourth century AD. and depicts the clash between the existing pagan civilization and growing Christianity.
Fabiola is a cultured young patrician woman who admires the ideals of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. One day she discovers that her friend Sebastian of Rome, an officer in the Praetorian Guard, is a Christian. So is one of her slaves, and worse still, her beloved cousin Agnes.
As Maximian reignites the persecution of Christians in Rome, all around Fabiola heroes and traitors clash. “Whoever is not with Me is against Me”, “whoever does not gather with Me scatters”, says Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what is at stake in this drama where the actors show us the best and the worst of what each one can become.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 562 pages
Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary
by Charles A. Coulombe
Empress Zita of Austria (1892—1989) was declared a Servant of God by Pope Benedict XVI. But who is she? What is it about her life and spirituality that inspired the Church to open the investigation into her beatification?
Zita’s life and her integral role within the House of Habsburg during the tumultuous 20th century are not well known. In Zita: Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Charles Coulombe takes readers through Zita’s lineage and the political climate she was born into, Bl. Charles and Zita’s marriage, her support of Bl. Charles amid the destruction of the Catholic Monarchy, and much more. Bl. Charles and Zita’s story is one of hope, perseverance, and great faith. Through this couple’s devotion to the Sacred Heart, they inspired their children and their peoples to a greater love of God and country, despite the many trials they faced. As we similarly live in a society that denies God and attacks the family, we can turn to the example of this saintly couple.
Journey with Zita to learn how she persevered after Charles’s death, which left her in exile with their seven children and an eighth on the way, and how she kept the hope of a restored House of Habsburg alive, even under the threat of Nazism.
Hardcover, size 8.5" x 5.5", 424 pages
A Family’s Heroic Witness in an Age of Intolerance
by Patricia W. Claus
This is the true story of four courageous men who played pivotal roles in the religious and political struggles which nearly ripped England apart, from Henry VIII’s break with Rome in the 1530’s through the Civil Wars and the Restoration of 1660.
John Hampden, “The Patriot”, was a Puritan member of Parliament who reluctantly fought against King Charles I; his friend and relative the Reverend Robert Lenthall left England’s shores only to return home, disillusioned, barely three years later. Two of the Reverend’s relatives, the Speaker of the House of Commons William Lenthall, and the Speaker’s uncle St Robert Southwell, also played their parts in the political and religious upheavals of the times. The Speaker defended Hampden and four other men accused of treason by boldly asserting the rights of the House of Commons when Charles invaded it in January of 1642, a moment remembered forever in the annals of the Commons. But he also abandoned the faith of his ancestors to cling to power under the Puritan Parliament during the Civil Wars, a source of bitter regret at the end of his life.
His uncle St Robert Southwell, a Jesuit priest, poet and writer of some renown, paid the highest price of all these men for the freedom of conscience, dying as a martyr at Tyburn for the crime of being a Catholic priest. In a world in which religion was absolutely central to the individual, at a time when all Englishmen were forced to choose irrevocable political and religious paths according to their consciences, they all risked imprisonment or martyrdom; but their sacrifices ultimately led to the enshrinement of the ideas of freedom of speech and religion which are now the bedrock of the political systems of the entire English-speaking world.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 228 pages
A Holy Emperor And His Legacy
by Charles A. Coulombe
October 3, 2004 saw what appeared to many to be a very strange thing: Emperor-King Charles of Austria-Hungary, last Habsburg to rule in Central Europe and wartime foe of the United States, was raised to the altars of the Church as a Blessed by Pope John Paul II. But odd as this appeared, the real story of the “Peace Emperor” and his just as remarkable wife reads like a combination of a suspense thriller, Greek tragedy, and hagiography.
The inheritor of a tradition of Catholic monarchy dating back to the Roman Empire, Bl. Charles struggled to update it sufficiently to survive in the modern world. A brave soldier coming to the throne during a war whose start he had no part in, he risked everything to bring the bloody conflict to an end. Betrayed on all sides by allies, enemies, and subjects, his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart, and the Virgin Mary helped him to avoid hating those who wronged him.
Devoted to his wife and children, Charles succeeded, with the help of his loving Empress, in leading a good Catholic family life despite everything. In a life filled with signs and miracles before and after his death, Bl. Charles managed to combine a life of deep piety with intense practicality. After his death, his wife and children continued his work—her cause for beatification is now being considered.
In these pages, prolific Catholic author Charles Coulombe brings to bear his vast erudition, affection for Catholic monarchy, and assorted contacts close to the Hapsburg family, through his residence in Austria in the production of a biography of a man whose thrilling and event-filled life story deserves to be better known.
Hardcover, size 8.5" x 5.5", 264 pages
by Sr Mary Loyola Vath
From the 1930s through the 1950s, Oxford Book Company produced a series of educational books called the “Oxford Visualized Texts”, encompassing topics from History and Government to Chemistry and Biology. How fortunate we are that they decided to include this Visualized Church History among their series! Collaborating with a group of talented Catholic art students, Sister Mary Loyola Vath managed to create in this volume a memorable Church History text for the upper grades. With charts, diagrams and cartoons to illuminate the text, she manages to present several complicated topics with unusual clarity.
First published in 1942, our reprinted edition of this classic includes the 1959 and 1962 updates that bring the reader up to the events just preceding the Ecumenical Council of Pope John XXIII.
Paperback, size 8.3" x 5.8", 374 pages
by Nicolas C. Prata
The year is A.D. 1565 and the tiny island fortress of Malta, defended by an anachronistic crusading order called the Knights of St. John Hospitallers, is all that stands between the war machine of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and the very heart of Christendom. Pitifully outmatched and against impossible odds, the indomitable Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Valette nevertheless inspires his knights to "strike a blow for Christ" and sacrifice their lives to halt the invading Turks at the gates of Europe. Nicholas Prata relates the actual events of the Great Siege in riveting and graphic prose which brings the extreme heroism of the knights and the horror of combat sharply into focus.
Age range: 12 years up
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 292 pages
Heroic Catholic Chaplains
Stories of the Brave and Holy Men Who Dodged Bullets While Saving Souls
by Thomas J. Craughwell
For nearly 200 years—standing alongside our heroic military men and women—have been heroic Catholic priests risking their lives to carry wounded soldiers to safety and to console, anoint, and absolve the dying. Heroic Catholic Chaplains spotlights the stories of these courageous, selfless, holy priests who volunteered to bring the Mass and the sacraments to American troops, while also offering them their friendship and spiritual counsel.
In this book, you’ll encounter… Father William Corby, who left his post at Notre Dame to serve the Irish Brigade during all four years of the Civil War; Father Francis Duffy, a World War I chaplain whose story became the subject of a Hollywood movie; Father Aloysius Schmitt, who, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, saved the lives of a dozen men before losing his own; Monsignor James O’Neill, who composed the famous “Weather Prayer” for General Patton, an incident that would be immortalized in film, if not entirely accurately; Father Emil Kapaun, who, during months in a North Korean prison camp, worked tirelessly to save the lives and the souls of his fellow POWs (the process that could lead to Father Kapaun being declared a saint is underway); Father Vincent Capodanno, who was killed by the Viet Cong as he ran to help a wounded corpsman; And more!
Heroic Catholic Chaplains brings to the fore the stories of remarkable priests, most of whom have been overlooked by both military and Catholic historians. Their sacrifice and courage are difficult to imagine. They served so that our servicemen and women would not be without comfort, or without a friend, or be deprived of the Mass and the sacraments; so they would not fall into despair. These chaplains deserve to be remembered, their stories told, and their memories honored.
Hardback, size 8.75" x 5.6", 216 pages
by Fr Denis Fahey, C.S.Sp
When Jesus Christ, our King and Master, taught us how to pray to His Father and Our Father, he used the phrase “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In heaven God’s will is perfectly accomplished, but here on earth, fallen mankind cannot fulfill God’s will without the constant assistance of sanctifying grace communicated to the world through the sacraments of His church.
After the fall of Adam, a world perfectly ordered to God’s divine will was corrupted and dis-order became the ‘natural’ state of mankind and the created universe. It was the role of the Messias to re-order this fallen world—to bring a new state of order to the world His Father had created. The means for establishing that order by which a fallen world may return to God is the Catholic church and the life of sanctifying grace. As Christians newly born into the life of grace—a ‘supernatural’ state of being—we are all called to bring as much order to this world as is possible, all the while never forgetting that this world is in a fallen and corrupted state and that a ‘utopia’ is not possible here on earth. The church of Christ is constantly opposed in this mission by all of the forces of ‘naturalism’ or dis-order, that is those forces opposed to the supernatural life of divine grace. It is the duty of all Christians of the Church Militant to battle against these forces.
This calling of Christians to the battle for order was the motto of the pontificate of Pope Saint X. That motto was Instaurare Omnia in Christo, “to restore all things in Christ”, taken from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1:10. The modern popes have frequently warned us of the dangers of ‘naturalism’, which denies the supernatural life of grace and militates against it, and they have called us to fight in our private and public lives against this pernicious error. No priest has heeded that call and risen to defend the supernatural life of grace as clearly and as vigorously as Father Denis Fahey. He truly understood, and explained why, there is no salvation outside the Catholic church, either for individual persons or for the life of society and of nations.
A clear image of just what the life of a Christian in a society imbued from top to bottom with the social principles of Christ the King would be like, is not a widely shared understanding in much of the Christian world today, especially in America. We must remember that Christianity is a religion of world conquest! We are called to conquer the world for Christ and to do all that we can to subdue persons and nations to His will. A Catholic undertakes this battle first within himself and then within his family. Soon the influence of many families begins to pervade the community and then the nation or state. If Christian people do not have the full picture in their mind of exactly what God’s Plan for Order in this world would look like in its accomplishment, then they can have no long-term strategy for victory and little hope of achieving it. We have all of the tools required and all of the powers of heaven backing us. Let us take into our hearts and our minds the full plan and its potential for the realization of peace in the world and Christ the King of heaven and earth will bless our efforts. This was the permanent admonition of Fr. Fahey.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 92 pages
How Christendom Defeated the Ottoman Turks
by Dane Moczar
Historian Diane Moczar pulls back the curtain on one of the most important acts in the drama of Muslim aggression against the West: the 500-year-long siege of Europe by the Ottoman Turks. Tracing the rise of the Turkish people from wandering Asian tribe to mighty pan-continental empire, Islam at the Gates chronicles the heroes and villains, the battles and atrocities, the tragic errors and timely miracles, that marked the Ottomans incursions from Europe s borders to the very heart of Christendom; and then, by the grace of God, their eventual repulsion and final defeat.
In these pages you'll encounter:
- The bold sultans, timid emperors, and vile traitors who aided the Turkish advance and the popes who tirelessly preached Crusade against it
- Brave saints who rallied Christian forces against the invaders including the hardy warrior-monk who died in battle at the age of sixty-one
- The island fortress whose rag-tag defenders continually thwarted superior numbers of Ottoman attackers defying even the great sultan Suleiman
- The suffering of millions of Christian families in occupied lands their children kidnapped and forced into Muslim armies and harems
- Folk heroes from the hills of Hungary and Albania who rose up against their Ottoman overlords and whose guerilla tactics inspired their people
- The tragic fall of Constantinople, seat of Eastern Christianity its people slaughtered, its treasures plundered, its sacred places befouled Europe s pivotal, improbable pair of victories at Lepanto and Vienna, and the defeat of the last great Turkish offensive on September 11, 1697
Solid history and dramatic narrative make Islam at the Gates a moving look at Europe s long struggle against the Turks.
But the author's shrewd Catholic outlook also makes it an edifying one. Had these events unfolded just a little differently, Christian civilization might have been conquered by the sword of Allah. If we fail to learn the lessons of history, Dr. Moczar warns, the West may yet fall.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 243 pages
If you want to be strong and of good courage, be sure that you care less about death than about shame.
-Geoffroi de Charny
Battles - Honour - Miracles!
This book is filled with amazing stories of little-known Catholic heroes presenting spectacles of bravery and valour never exceeded in all the annals of history. Demonstrating his gallantry through daring feats of arms, the knight's faith, coupled with his marvellous courage, made him nearly invincible on the field of battle. Built around a stirring chronicle of the Knights of St. John, these inspiring accounts bring to life Catholic heroes who fought with courage, chivalry, and an unwavering trust in God to protect their neighbour, their country, and their Faith.
"You must in no way indulge in too great fondness for pampering your body, for love of that is the worst kind of love there is. But instead direct your love toward the preservation of your soul and your honour, which last longer than does the body."
- Geoffroi de Charny, a 14th century knight and author of The Book of Chivalry
252 pp. Softcover.
by Marie de Sainte-Hermine
Inspired by first hand accounts, this touching story of the French Revolution is a great example of the popular Catholic literature of the 19th century. Plunged into the disasters following the murder of Louis XVI, Marie de Sainte-Hermine recounts, as only a grandmother can, the history of her noble family and their struggle against the tyranny of the Revolution. The reader learns of her guilded childhood in the manor house of Bois-Joli, and follows her through the tragic hours of the Vendean War of 1793, the massacres and atrocities of the revolutionaries, and the sinister prison of Nantes, where her family paid the ultimate price. Through the darkness of the Terror, however, shines the light and power of Christian nobility and virtue - a lesson fit for all ages.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 357 pages
The Rising in the Vendee
by Michael Davies
It is a matter of regret that very few English-speaking Catholics know anything whatsoever about the events that took place in the Vendee region of France during the French Revolution of 1789.
The aim of this book is to commemorate the visit of Pope John Paul II to the Vendee, where the people remained faithful to the Vicar of Christ and attached to their parishes and their priests, in spite of the cruelty of persecution to which they were subjected during the French Revolution. There is no more noble or inspiring story in the history of the Church than that of the heroic struggle of the people of the Vendee to defend their altars and their King.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 100 pages
by Warren H. Carroll
The slogans of the French Revolution are now accepted unquestioningly. We forget their bloody birth. Carroll helps us remember the Reign of Terror that claimed 40,000 lives in a few months. Covers Danton, the architect of the Terror, whose re-conversion to the Faith led him to a death-battle with the monster he created, and the heroic resistance of the Vendee.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 203 pages
A History of the Protestant Reformation in England & Ireland
by William Cobbett
William Cobbett stunned the Protestant world of 19th century England with his publication in 1824 of his groundbreaking work The History of the Protestant Reformation in England and Ireland.
Not only was the book deeply researched and footnoted, but it presented a historical picture that was profoundly contrary to the “official history” that had been drummed into the minds of countless Englishmen for three hundred years. In addition, the fact that it was so well written, so sympathetic to the Catholic cause, AND written by a fellow Church of England Protestant made this book an overnight bestseller running into many editions and reprints over the next thirty years.
Theological issues are not treated directly, but the illogic of the Protestant positions is clearly seen in the practical results of the break from Rome. For those who wish an objective history of this critical period of English and American history there is no better book available. The power of Cobbett’s prose and his convincing logic and sardonic wit make for a delightful reading experience as well.
This is one of the best books ever written on the EFFECTS in both the Church and in society of the English Reformation.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 349 pages
Where They Went and How They Got There
by J. Charles Wall
The Jews usually burned the crosses used by the Romans after executions but following Jesus' crucifixion they quickly threw the Cross in a ditch to get it out of sight before the feast of Passover. That preserved the True Cross, and memory of the events preserved its location.
Disgusted with continued Christian veneration of the spot, pagan Roman Emperor Hadrian erected on the Cross's burial site a statue to Venus, hoping thereby to obliterate their memory. It didn't work.
Indeed, because of the statue, when the Empire became Christian, St. Helena knew the exact spot where she would find the very Cross on which Christ died. All relics from Christ's crucifixion have a similarly fascinating story, all of which are told here in this 1910 work by the enterprising Catholic investigator Charles Wall.
Among the things you'll discover in these pages:
- The miracle that revealed to St. Helena which of the three discovered crosses was that of Jesus.
- The horse's bit made from a nail of the True Cross, and the successes it brought the horse's rider.
- The nails and why there are so many in existence today. A history of the fortunes the Crown of Thorns to those who held them, and a list of towns where thorns are found.
- Where, in 1492, workman accidentally discovered again the actual board on which "King of the Jews" was written.
- The modest Frenchman who saved a holy nail from profanation during the French RevolutionDrawings of the spear of Longinus, and reports of its later use in battles.
- Relics of Jesus' actual blood from the Crucifixion: and why it makes sense that some still exists.
- The veil of Veronica, Christ's seamless robe, and much more!
Paperback, 144 pages
100 Memorable Events in Catholic History Told in Picture and Story
by Rev Edward Lodge Curran, Ph.D.
Father Curran describes one-hundred events in Catholic history from the Annunciation to the 1930s. Each event includes a beautiful drawing and a brief one-page description. Events include stories from the life of Christ, works of the saints, important discoveries and contributions to culture, persecutions, as well as critical conflicts. The text includes 500 review questions for use by students.
Recommended for families or for 5th or 6th grade students.
Paperback, size 10" x 8", 132 pages