History
The Divine Surprises and Chastisements that Shaped the Church and Changed the World
by Diane Moczar
Here are the saints and sinners, popes and kings that God used to shape his Church and change the world. You'll meet Clovis and Charlemagne, Luther and Pope Leo, Suleiman and St. Francis, the Arians, the Franks, the Huguenots, and others whose sins or sacrifices altered the course of history.
Here, too, are the wars and plagues, the ideas and institutions -- and, yes, the miracles that gave birth to our Christian civilization and often threatened to doom it. Experience the battles of Tours and Lepanto, the Crusades, the Russian Revolution, and Fatima, the miracle that foretold (and offered a way to prevent) the conflicts that killed millions in the twentieth century.
Wars and terrorism have rendered the first years of our new century no less bloody. Has God now abandoned us?
Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know finds the answer in history: from the first days of the Christian era, at key moments when civilization hung in the balance, God has intervened sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically but ever and always he has come forward himself or given strength to those who were faithful to him.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 177 pages
Infamous Myths About the Church's Past and How to Answer Them
by Diane Moczar, PhD
In Seven Lies about Catholic History, Diane Moczar (author of Islam at the Gates) tackles the most infamous and prevalent historical myths about the Church—popular legends that you encounter everywhere from textbooks to T.V.—and reveals the real truth about them. She explains how they got started and why they're still around, and best of all, she gives you the facts and the arguments you need to set the record straight about:
- The Inquisition: how it was not a bloodthirsty institution but a merciful (and necessary) one;
- Galileo's trial: why moderns invented a myth around it to make science appear incompatible with the Catholic faith (it's not);
- The Reformation: why the 16th-century Church was not totally corrupt (as even some Catholics wrongly believe), as well as how the reformers made things worse for everybody;
- And other lies that the world uses to attack and discredit the Faith
Written in a brisk style that's fun and easy to read, Seven Lies about Catholic History provides the lessons that every Catholic needs in order to defend and explain not just apologize for the Church's rich and complex history.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 200 pages
Fr. Simeon Lourdel
Planting the Faith in the Furthest Africa
by F. A.Forbes
Fr Simeon Lourdel, a French missionary priest, became the Apostle of Uganda. In his short life, Fr. Lourdel had transformed the landscape of the entire country.
The charity, the tact and prudence of the missionary were taxed to the utmost. When after years of patient toil, he had the consolation of reaping the first fruits of his conquests for Christ, behold—a cruel and sudden persecution visited the newly established Christian Community, and in an instant, he had the untold sorrow of seeing his mission swept by fire and drenched in blood.
Midst this awful upheaval, the faith and the charity of the apostle waxed the stronger; at the peril of his life, the good shepherd remained close to his flock, encouraging them by day and by night, preparing them for the crown of martyrdom that was soon to be theirs. He hoped too that he would be allowed to share the sufferings of his children and to die with them in testimony for the Faith. But though repeatedly threatened with death and suffering, imprisonment twice—his cross—and could a heavier one be imagined?—was to witness the oppressing, and the slaying of his beloved neophytes.
Mother F.A. Forbes tells the story of Uganda’s first Apostle in a beautiful yet simple to read account that will inspire as well as uplift.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 126 pages
The Origin and Early Years of the Capuchin Reform
by Fra Ruffino da Siena and Fra Bernadino da Colpetrazzo
A Capuchin Chronicle is a translation of a 16th century account of the first Capuchin Franciscans: their trials, tribulations and holiness as they went on to become a great religious order in the Church.
The Chronicle, though anonymous, is attributed to Fra Ruffino da Siena, and begins with a review of previous reforms, laying the ground for the turbulent period of the 1530s and the struggle with the regular Franciscans to establish their first houses. Students of the discalced Carmelite reform will see here similar attitudes and obstacles to overcome to establish reform.
This chronicle while near contemporary and a great source for information on the order, is also a spiritual treatise of first rank, on the virtues which the men of that age felt were necessary to not only wear the habit of St. Francis, but truly embrace the spirit of their founder. This should be considered as a quintessential Franciscan work.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 266 pages
by Abbe Constant Fouard
Next to the period of Our Lord’s earthly life, the apostolic age that followed was—and is—the richest and most revealing for Christians. It was then that the blueprint for living the Gospels was drawn. Yet, for Catholics of the past two generations, the indispensable fruits of the Patristic Era have been all but memory holed, and the Church and broader society have suffered for it.
Fouard created an authoritative and reverent account based on the Acts of the Apostles, brimming with precious facts from historians of Greece and Rome, penetrating reflections on Saints Matthew and Mark’s Gospels, an extensive outline related by Saint Luke, and a timeless introduction by James Cardinal Gibbons which upholds the authenticity of the Sacred Scriptures.
As Catholic World magazine trumpeted over 100 years ago:
“[Abbe Fouard’s book] shows how much may be obtained by the diligent and truth-seeking student ... simple, clear [and] distinct. ... Peter and the other Apostles seem to stand before us as living men. With him we follow them as they descend the Mount of Olives to re-enter the Supper-Room, where with Mary they persevered in prayer until the Holy Spirit came. Afterwards we see how he to whom Jesus had said, ‘Feed my lambs, feed my sheep,’ took the position of leader. ... Our author does not have to prove that there was a church, because his readers hear the Church speaking.
“We wish that more Church historians knew how to bring out our religion as a living thing. ... Men are perishing because the truth is being willfully ignored, Christianity is being rejected because erroneous confessions of faith can be picked to pieces. Conviction is being overthrown to give place to doubt, and the remedy is knowledge of religion as God gave it to man through the channels which He appointed for its extension. ... Abbe Fouard’s book will help to make the truth known.”
This work brings to life through fascinating narratives and intimate details:
- The life of St. Peter. not only as an apostle, but as a man
- The true story of the early Church—free from modern criticism
- The ancient Roman culture and religion
- The moral condition of the pagan world (Is it better or worse than today?)
- Six fascinating aspects of early Christian worship
- Three ways that the Holy Spirit taught the Apostles to transmit the Faith
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 472 pages
Crisis of Christendom
A History of Christendom vol. 6
by Warren H. Carroll
The Crisis of Christendom is the sixth and final volume of Dr. Warren H. Carroll's history of Christendom. It is concerned with the "crises," or turning points, in the diseases which plagued humanity during the modern era. The book discusses in detail Nazi and Japanese militarism and its crisis in World War II, the inhuman system of Communism and its fall in 1989, and the origins and consequences of the denial of human dignity in the modern culture of death. Carroll shows the power of evil in the twentieth century, but focuses also on the great popes, in particular Pope John Paul II, and the great apparitions of the Marian Century. He ends with a call to hope and action.
As did earlier volumes in this sweeping series, The Crisis of Christendom reflects an unabashedly Christian and Catholic view of history, taking as one of its major themes the centrality of the Papacy to the destiny of the West. Dr. Carroll holds that God and individual men and women, not impersonal social and economic "forces," make history. The characters and actions of these history-makers, both good and evil, are vividly depicted as essential elements in the triumphs and tragedies of Christian civilization in Europe and the New World for two centuries (1815-2010).
Both a gripping, dramatic narrative and an indispensable work of reference for Christian history, this volume, and the entire series of which it is a part, belong in the library of every serious Catholic who desires to understand the work that Christ has done in the world through His Church and His faithful people.
How would a historical narrative read if the author began with the first principles that truth exists and the Incarnation happened? The long-awaited sixth and final volume to the late Warren Carroll's highly regarded history of Christendom covers the years 1815 through 2005. This series is the only in-print, comprehensive narration of Western history written from an orthodox Catholic perspective
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 700 pages
The Story of Takashi Nagai a Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb
by Fr Paul Glynn, S.M.
On August 9, 1945, an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, killing tens of thousands of people in the blink of an eye, while fatally injuring and poisoning thousands more. Among the survivors was Takashi Nagai, a pioneer in radiology research and a convert to the Catholic Faith. Living in the rubble of the ruined city and suffering from leukemia caused by over-exposure to radiation, Nagai lived out the remainder of his remarkable life by bringing physical and spiritual healing to his war-weary people.
A Song for Nagasaki tells the moving story of this extraordinary man, beginning with his boyhood and the heroic tales and stoic virtues of his family's Shinto religion. It reveals the inspiring story of Nagai's remarkable spiritual journey from Shintoism to atheism to Catholicism. Mixed with interesting details about Japanese history and culture, the biography traces Nagai's spiritual quest as he studied medicine at Nagasaki University, served as a medic with the Japanese army during its occupation of Manchuria, and returned to Nagasaki to dedicate himself to the science of radiology. The historic Catholic district of the city, where Nagai became a Catholic and began a family, was ground zero for the atomic bomb.
After the bomb disaster that killed thousands, including Nagai's beloved wife, Nagai, then Dean of Radiology at Nagasaki University, threw himself into service to the countless victims of the bomb explosion, even though it meant deadly exposure to the radiation which eventually would cause his own death. While dying, he also wrote powerful books that became best-sellers in Japan. These included The Bells of Nagasaki, which resonated deeply with the Japanese people in their great suffering as it explores the Christian message of love and forgiveness. Nagai became a highly revered man and is considered a saint by many Japanese people. Illustrated
"Christians and non-Christians alike were deeply moved by Nagai's faith in Christ that made him like Job of the Scriptures: in the midst of the nuclear wilderness he kept his heart in tranquility and peace, neither bearing resentment against any man nor cursing God." — Shusaku Endo, from the Foreword
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 267 pages
by G.K. Chesterton
Edited by Dale Ahlquist
Hilaire Belloc called “Lepanto” Chesterton’s greatest poem and the greatest poem of his generation. But not only have English classes neglected this masterpiece of rhyme and meter, History classes have neglected the story of the pivotal battle upon which the poem is based.
This book brings together the poem, the historical background of the famous battle, a riveting account of the battle itself, and a discussion of its historical consequences. The poem is fully annotated, and is supplemented with two interesting essays by Chesterton himself. Well-known Chesterton expert, Dale Ahlquist, has gathered together all the insightful commentaries and explanatory notes. Here is the story behind the modern conflict between Christianity and Islam, between Protestant and Catholic Europe, and the origin of the Feast of the Holy Rosary. A fascinating blend of literature, history, religion and romance!
Paperback, size 8" x 5.2", 124 pages
A history of Christendom vol. 4
by Warren H. Carroll
This series is the only comprehensive narration of Western history written from the orthodox Catholic perspective still in print. How would a historical narrative read if the author began with these first principles: Truth exists; the Incarnation happened? This series is essential reading for those who consider the West worth defending.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 801 pages
by John Lenz
“What we priests were forced to endure under the Nazi regime, especially in Dachau concentration camp, is no more than a cup filled from the vast sea of human suffering in the world today,” wrote Fr. John Lenz. “It is not this suffering as such that is important. The important thing is to show those who have crosses of their own to bear in life just what the grace of God can do for those who follow faithfully in the footsteps of Christ the Crucified. It is no less important to reveal the wickedness of Hell.”
The Nazi hellhole Dachau concentration camp held the largest number of Catholic priests — more than 2,400 — in the Nazi camp system. They came from two dozen countries, from every background — parish priests and prelates, monks and friars, teachers and missionaries. More than one-third were killed.
Among the survivors was Fr. Lenz, who was asked by his superiors to write an account of what he saw — and experienced — so that it would not be forgotten. This book, filled with gripping real-life stories and eighty photos, was the stunning result and became an immediate sensation.
This work is unique among those written on the Holocaust; it reveals how, by tireless sacrifice amid barbaric suffering, the Church was victorious in one of the darkest times in human history. When the Nazis entered several European countries, many people were afraid to speak up. Numerous priests, however, continued to preach the gospel and the truth about the dignity of life and freedom. Through their courageous witness you will learn about:
- The arrest and imprisonment of priests and other faithful citizens
- What really happened at Dachau and the horrific treatment of prisoners
- How priests ministered to fellow prisoners and prayed unceasingly in the camps
- Ways in which priests secretly brought the Blessed Sacrament to the people and heard confessions
- Spiritual lessons learned in the face of death and despair
“Only when we are forced to endure the most profound suffering and hardship do we learn how to catch hold of God’s hand in our misery,” Fr. Lenz reflected. “We learn to pray.”
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 328 pages
by Rose Hu
Rose Hu was born on May 4, 1933, in Shanghai, the eighth of nine children. She converted to Catholicism and was baptized on April 17, 1949 just six months prior to China officially becoming Communist.
Following her arrest in 1951, Rose spent the next 26 years in Chinese concentration camps under Mao Tse-Tung. After her release in 1982, she was able to tell this story in her own words.
This book is filled with the raw, unfiltered thoughts and experiences of a soul who endured much for Christ. What Rose suffered for her Catholic Faith defies belief, demands respect and certainly draws a clear picture of the treatment of Catholics under Communism in China.
Recently translated for an English audience, this is an inspirational story of a young woman's life in communist China, that lead her to the Catholic Faith. She gives her account of Catholics suffering in a Chinese labor camp during the communists' persecutions in the 1950's. Her story is highly recommended by Fr. Daniel Couture, SSPX, her spiritual director.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 287 pages
by E. Mary Christie
The First to Shed Their Blood!
This captivating book delves into the lives of six extraordinary men who shaped the Catholic Church through their unwavering devotion and sacrifice. Building on the author's previous exploration of the Twelve Apostles, this work brings to light the heroic lives of Stephen, Mark, Barnabas, Timothy, Paul, and Luke.
Readers will be drawn into earliest days of the Church as they discover:
- The unique bond between Stephen, Mark, and Barnabas - early disciples who knew Jesus personally and shared a deep connection with His mother Mary.
- The remarkable journeys of Timothy, Paul, and Luke - converts who never met Jesus in person but became pivotal figures in spreading the Gospel.
- Vivid accounts of how these men boldly preached the Gospel across the classical world, facing persecution and ultimately martyrdom.
- A powerful reminder of the foundations of the Catholic Faith and the price paid by its earliest adherents.
- The sobering reality of what it truly costs to be a Catholic in a hostile world.
This book is both a historical treasure and a source of spiritual inspiration. It challenges readers to examine their own faith in light of these exemplary lives and encourages them to stand firm in their beliefs.
This work is perfect for both history enthusiasts and those interested in the roots of Catholicism.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 82 pages
Phsyical Apparitions of Angels Throughout Church History
by Dom Bernard-Marie Maréchaux
The Angels are pure spirits. Therefore, they do not have bodies. However, Sacred Scripture is very clear – Angels appeared to men in physical form right throughout the New and Old Testaments.
Would these kinds of apparitions come to an end when the Church began to grow and expand? Not at all, Dom Maréchaux tells us. And he proves this with countless examples of historically recorded instances of Angels appearing to the saints and servants of God down through the ages.
The learned Benedictine brings his readers on a tour of the history of the world and especially of the Church showing that in every age the Angels have condescended to appear to men in a form perceptible to their senses.
Protectors of the budding Church, consolers of the martyrs, guardians of the virgins, companions of the anchorites, custodians of the churches and protectors of the monasteries, readers will discover the fascinating history of how the Angels have visibly accompanied the saints and servants of God from Saint Peter to the children of Fatima and beyond.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 182 pages
The first thousand years of Christian culture
by Roy Peachey
In Popes, Emperors, and Elephants, Roy Peachey takes us on a wide-ranging and sometimes surprising journey through the first thousand years of Christian culture. Starting in Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem, we travel as far as China, Ethiopia, and Iraq, meeting saints, sailors, popes, emperors, and the occasional elephant as we go.
Written in an accessible style, Popes, Emperors, and Elephants can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It is a book that tells familiar stories in an unfamiliar way, introduces us to many forgotten aspects of Christian civilization, and brings some of the historical greats to life.
It is a book that explores intriguing questions such as “What did the past sound like?” “When did the Roman Empire really end?” and “Were the barbarians barbarians?” Whether you want to know the history of the liturgy, when Vesuvius really destroyed Pompeii, or why hair matters in history, this is a book that will provide the answers.
Also available in hardcover on request (additional cost)
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 244 pages
A Novel of Christian England
by Donna Fletcher Crow
Glastonbury Abbey was, according to legend, the centre from which radiated a Christian presence on that island for two thousand years, a sacred site from which the Christian faith was passed down through the generations.
The story begins with the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea and his family, bearing the most sacred relic in all Christendom, the Holy Grail; and continues on to their confrontation with the Druids and the conversion of the new land to Christ; to the persecutions under the Roman Empire, until that rule is ended and Patrick becomes the first Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey; the adventures of King Arthur and his knights as they fend off invading barbarians; the revival of Christianity under St. Augustine of Canterbury; the struggle to keep alive the Faith in the midst of the Viking raids; the ages of Alfred the Great and Richard the Lionheart; and ends, finally, with the terrible upheavals under Henry VIII. Glastonbury was dissolved but its ruins still stand as a beacon of hope and destination of pilgrims down to our own time. Here is the telling of an immense spiritual epic—a stirring novel of Christian faith.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 798 pages
Also available in Hardcover on request (additional cost)
An Unwritten Story
by Prof Roberto de Mattei
No event of the 20th century produced a greater effect upon the Catholic Church than Vatican II, the 21st Ecumenical Council. To many it might seem to have been simply a meeting of important churchmen gathered to discuss church matters, but because the Catholic Church is the only church founded on this earth by God himself to guide men to salvation, the reality is that centuries from now historians will likely consider it, (as well as the message to the world delivered by the Mother of God during her personal visit at Fatima in 1917), as one of the two pivotal events of world history for the recently ended century.
Vatican II opened fifty years ago on October 11, 1962. Since it ended in 1965, the council has been written of in countless books, articles, scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers all over the world. Things said and done since the council, in the name of the council and in opposition to it, have affected the lives of everyone living since that time.
As with any significant historical event, it is only after considerable time has elapsed that a fuller story of exactly what happened in those years before, during, and after “the event” can be engagingly told and wisely summarized. Professor de Mattei’s genius lies in the application of a lucid, literate, and philosophical mind to thorough scholarly research and mountains of documentation. From this framework he has presented us with a story; a story of an event, a previously unwritten story that has been begging to be told for many years. This book will unfold for you the answer to the question, What happened at the Council?”
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 600 pages
Pope John Paul II Versus Russia and the West for Control of the New World Order
by Malachi Martin
Only Malachi Martin, consummate Vatican insider and intelligence expert, could reveal the untold story behind the Vatican's role in today's winner-take-all race against time to establish, maintain, and control the first one-world government.
- Will America lead the way to the new world order?
- Is Pope John Paul II winning the battle for faith?
- Is the breakup of the Soviet empire masking Gorbachev's worldwide agenda?
The Keys of This Blood is a book of stunning geopolitical revelations. It presents a compelling array of daring blueprints for global power, and one of them is the portrait of the future.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 736 pages
by William Thomas Walsh
The greatest book about the Spanish Inquisition as opposed to the Roman Inquisition in the years following the Spanish Reconquista.
Walsh delves into the Inquisition, its practice, purpose, history and personalities. He sets the facts straight and exonerates the Church of the phony accusations against her over the Inquisition. Story of 6 famous inquisitors, plus the background of the entire institution. It was a reasoned response to infiltration of the Catholic Church by enemies of the Christian Faith who pretended to be Christians in order to pervert worship, doctrine and weaken Christendom.
Anyone wishing to understand the Inquisition would to well to read Characters and learn of the heroes of the Faith, Cardinal Ximenes, Torquemada, and others who fought the good fight for Jesus Christ and his Church.
After reading Characters of the Inquisition, you will never look at the Inquisition in the same way.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 306 pages