Mediatrix Press
The Catechism Explained
An Exhaustive Explanation of the Christian Religion
by Fr Francis Spirago
At long last, the Catechism explained by Fr. Spirago is back in print. This edition is not a facsimile, but a full reprint with increased font size, and very minor updates to antiquated English. Some of the numbering has been redrafted to avoid confusion.
We already have so many catechisms, what do we need of another? We indeed have in abundance catechisms and religious manuals which appeal only to the intellect; books that do not aim at the warmth of expression and the fervent, persuasive eloquence which appeal to the heart, the force and vivifying power which affect the will through the influence of the Holy Spirit.
This Catechism aims at cultivating all the three powers of the soul: the intellect, the emotions, and the will. It does not therefore content itself with mere definitions. The idea in it is not to teach men to philosophize about religion, but to make them good Christians who will delight in their faith. Consequently questions of scholastic theology, doctrines debated among theologians, are either omitted altogether or merely receive a passing mention.
In this catechism, Fr. Spirago has endeavored to divest religious teaching of the appearance of learning, and to present it in a popular and simple form. Technical terms, in which almost all religious manuals abound, even those intended for children, are carefully eliminated from his pages since, while useful and necessary for seminarians and theologians, they are out of place in a book intended for the laity. Popular manuals of religion ought to be couched in plain and simple language, like that used by Our Lord and the apostles, easy to understand. What we need is something that will touch the heart and influence the will, not merely cram the mind with knowledge.
“The Catechism Explained by Spirago embodies the Catechism of the Council of Trent, yet contains fuller discussions for each point in the language that was developed by the Church, saints and theologians throughout time. Rather than being locked into a specific age or decade, this catechism is an explication of the faith in an almost timeless manner. It is a catechism that any subsequent generation could read and learn the essence of the Catholic faith.” -Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 872 pages
Also available in Hardcover.
The Catechism Explained by Stories and Examples
Organised according to the questions and answers of the Baltimore Catechism
by Fr Francis Spirago
From the author of The Catechism Explained: An Exhaustive explanation of Christian Doctrine, now comes the Catechism Explained: By Stories and Examples. This classic work draws from saints, classical antiquity, medieval and early modern figures, and cultural stories to illustrate what the teachings of the Catholic faith are. Fr. Spirago, in his introduction notes:
“The great value of examples and illustrations in teaching children and the uneducated is universally acknowledged. The Romans used to say: Verba movent, exempla trahent (Words influence, examples attract). The reason for this is that examples stimulate the imitative instinct, which is strong in most people, especially in the young; consequently they are a powerful factor in education. In imparting instruction, also, examples are of no slight assistance, for they serve to elucidate the teaching, to render the lesson interesting and attractive, and keep the attention of the scholar from wandering. The teacher need only say: Now, children, I am going to tell you a story, and all eyes are forthwith fixed on him.”
Spirago’s wonderful volume of Catechetical Stories has been arranged around the question and answer format of the Baltimore Catechism. Thus, each question and answer of the Catechism has accompanied by a series of stories illustrating its teaching, drawn from the depths of Catholic Tradition. This new addition has been supplemented by stories from the lives of the saints and historical anecdotes.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 536
Also available in Hardcover.
Practical Meditations for Each Day of the Month of November
by Abbé Berlioux
The two great commandments are to love God above all things and one's neighbor as oneself. The highest regard that can be paid to one's neighbor is to remember him, and all the poor souls in Purgatory after they have passed out of this world beyond the grave. This is why man needs the liturgical month of November.
The season has passed from the heat of summer to the crispness of Autumn with all its bounty. Many reap from the gardens and fields that which God graciously bestowed to them through the labor of their hands. Harvests are celebrated and preserved in various ways all around the world. Fittingly, we retire with full larder and bursting barns in order to now pull from the treasure of graces and indulgences, that are available at every moment for the relief of the poor souls in Purgatory, again, from our Father's loving hand. To better make use of these graces, and to preserve a holy life, The Month of the Souls in Purgatory, by the Abbé Berlioux, contains a valuable harvest of devotions, practices and meditations toward sanctifying the month of November. The book is excellent as a daily reader for the month, but also very useful for the anniversaries of the deaths of loved ones, whose daily assistance is a chief duty of the Church Militant. Let us remember the dead, and look to our last day as well.
Each chapter contains the whole day's reading, prayer, and a fitting example for the reading, usually taken from the author's personal knowledge or some other historical example. The subjects range from the ancientness of praying for the dead, the pains and nature of the suffering, the holiness and nearness to God of the souls, the favors granted by them to those on earth who relieve them, the various means of relieving the poor souls, the ways souls end up in Purgatory and how to avoid these downfalls, as also apparitions by the dead, carrying out the wishes of those who pass before us, an admonition to make provisions in one's own will that supplies for masses and alms against time spent in Purgatory, and more. The readings are short and easy to complete for a morning meditation, between the labors of a busy life, and for raising to a higher level one's entire being toward a particular goal that is common to all men. As one saint said before beginning the November devotions, "Let us empty Purgatory!"
The Month of the Souls in Purgatory was first published in the French language in Grenoble. The book was soon after translated for the English-speaking world and published in 1886. The Abbé Berlioux was a priest of the diocese of Grenoble and was the Curé, or parish priest, of the church of St. Bruno. In this work, he calls out to the reader, addressing him by the name, "Christian Soul", in nearly each day's reading as he gets to the point of what the individual could do to utilize and live a Christian life based on a greater devotion to the souls in Purgatory, increasing the seriousness of the tone as well as gripping the attention of the reader with it.
Read The Month of the Souls in Purgatory to increase in the soul the love of God's justice and mercy! In its pages you will find:
- An organized 30 days of devotions to the Holy Souls for the complete month of November
- Daily spiritual reading on the various truths and means of the devotion
- A detailed study of the pains and helplessness of Souls in Purgatory, and ways to personally apply the message
- Daily prayers to and for these suffering souls
- Daily examples of true-life stories that draw out the truths within each day's reading.
- A special Rosary of the Dead
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 158 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
The Members of the Church Suffering
by St Robert Bellarmine
In the De Controversiis, St. Robert Bellarmine defends the doctrines and teaching of the Church against all comers, starting from Scripture, the Church Fathers and also reason. His work was widely read and commented on by both Catholics and Protestants and quickly became one of the standard texts in Catholic theology for centuries.
In On Purgatory, Bellarmine defends what is one of the more difficult doctrines to understand in his characteristic style beginning with Scripture and the Fathers, stopping at every step of the way to answer the objections of all the major Protestants of his day, not only Luther and Calvin, but also those less known to us such as Brenz and Peter Martyr. Dividing his work into two books, Bellarmine shows that there is such a place as Purgatory by copious exegesis on Old and New Testament passages, and the clear consensus of the Church Fathers who witness the fact that prayer was made for the dead in the early Church.
Then, in book 2, he examines questions about the specifics of Purgatory, what souls there suffer, where it is located, how the faithful can assist the souls of Purgatory, and other questions.
This treatise, translated into English for the first time, is the best and most in depth treatise on this subject available, and is just as relevant today as when it was first penned.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 250 pages
by Rev. Herman J. Heuser, D.D.
A book is a book, and a very good thing, for all the wisdom and knowledge that makes up its contents. Books are common, everyday tools of leisure, education, and prayer; but not every book is a common thing - the Holy Bible is certainly an extraordinary one; and so too the Breviary of the Catholic priest is a very great book, having its roots in Holy Scripture itself. The breviary is the lifetime companion of the priest. It is his first act in the morning to open its pages and begin the day with prayer. It is his last act in the evening, to finish the day's prescribed reading and prayers from it. We may hear priestly conversation on the subject of the breviary, but did you ever wonder what a breviary, may reflect about itself?
Chances are that no, not many have sat and contemplated what the life of a breviary might have held; and this is why The Autobiography of an Old Breviary is an interesting speculative read; and the author makes it quite entertaining. To educate and inspire the reader, Rev. Herman J. Heuser amusingly writes in the first person the "character" of a Totum Roman Breviary, or complete breviary. This character is high-minded, being a Totum and not just an abbreviated prayer book, and begins with a complaint at having been shelved at assumedly nearing the end of its life. "Sometimes," says the Totum, "I have been in the hands of clerics who just treated me as if I were nothing but a common prayer-book, or a school manual which one wants to get through with as quickly as possible. But the professor knew better." The professor here is the Totum's inseparable companion, the Padre. Likening a priest and breviary to be a couple, working through the hardships of life together, much of the complaint of the Totum is that it is being treated ill compared to its high value, and set aside much as a wife might complain about her husband for being preoccupied or set aside for other persons.
The "Voice" of the Breviary speaks more than the story would relate, which is a pleasant read to say the least. Yet it goes further to uncover the deep reverence one must hold for the Roman Breviary itself, and its relationship with the priest, and indeed all the faithful. The author states in the introduction that the main purpose for the title is the encouragement and benefit of the priest, who by reading will be inspired with a greater devotion and love for his duty toward the Divine Office.
The book does well to detail the Hebrew origins of the Catholic liturgy, and spends a good deal of time doing so. It is a very exact and well-referenced study, relating the psalms by name and their use in both the Hebrew worship and the Catholic, and explaining their fittingness and meaning of use.
Autobiography of an Old Breviary is a cherished read, once begun. In the process of reading this title, the reader gains:
· A complete history of the Roman Breviary
· An Apologia for the Faith, Priesthood, and Catholic interpretation of the Bible
· In-depth detail of the linguistics of the Church
· An excellent explanation of the Church's liturgy and culture through the Kalendorium
· A brief instruction on how to follow the Breviary with description of its parts
· A greater devotion in the recitation of the breviary
Paperback, size 8.6" x 5.5", 204 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)
A Compendium on the Life of St. Galgano
by Torchj Dei Gius Galetti
This is the first work of any length in the English language on St. Galgano, an Italian knight who gave up his comfortable life to become a hermit. One particular incident from his life is already known to English speaking audiences, though through entirely other means, namely, the medieval stories of King Arthur.
It may come as a surprise that there was a real sword in the stone, which may still be seen in Galgano, Italy.
The sword in the stone, though a significant miracle in St. Galgano’s life, is but a divine confirmation of his calling to penance, prayer and sacrifice for souls, whereas in Arthurian legend it is centered around the establishment of an earthly kingdom. This introduction into the Arthurian legend is late, around the 14th century, and most certainly has its origin in the story of St. Galgano.
This simple, straightforward narrative was written in the 19th century, and has been translated for the first time into English, so as to acquaint English speakers with this famous Italian saint.
The story traces St. Galgano’s life from his early youth and sinful years, his conversion, and the circumstances by which he became a hermit on Mt. Siepi. Then, the events of his holy life, his death and burial, as well as a description of what the abbey of St. Galgano looked like. The author, Galetti, even adds the testimony of miracles associated with Galgano’s head, a relic preserved in Siena.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 76 pages
The Catechism Explained
An Exhaustive Explanation of the Christian Religion
by Fr Francis Spirago
At long last, The Catechism Explained by Fr. Spirago is back in print. This edition is not a facsimile, but a full reprint with increased font size, and very minor updates to antiquated English. Some of the numbering has been redrafted to avoid confusion.
We already have so many catechisms, what do we need of another? We indeed have in abundance catechisms and religious manuals which appeal only to the intellect; books that do not aim at the warmth of expression and the fervent, persuasive eloquence which appeal to the heart, the force and vivifying power which affect the will through the influence of the Holy Spirit.
This Catechism aims at cultivating all the three powers of the soul: the intellect, the emotions, and the will. It does not therefore content itself with mere definitions. The idea in it is not to teach men to philosophize about religion, but to make them good Christians who will delight in their faith. Consequently questions of scholastic theology, doctrines debated among theologians, are either omitted altogether or merely receive a passing mention.
In this catechism, Fr. Spirago has endeavored to divest religious teaching of the appearance of learning, and to present it in a popular and simple form. Technical terms, in which almost all religious manuals abound, even those intended for children, are carefully eliminated from his pages since, while useful and necessary for seminarians and theologians, they are out of place in a book intended for the laity. Popular manuals of religion ought to be couched in plain and simple language, like that used by Our Lord and the apostles, easy to understand. What we need is something that will touch the heart and influence the will, not merely cram the mind with knowledge.
“The Catechism Explained by Spirago embodies the Catechism of the Council of Trent, yet contains fuller discussions for each point in the language that was developed by the Church, saints and theologians throughout time. Rather than being locked into a specific age or decade, this catechism is an explication of the faith in an almost timeless manner. It is a catechism that any subsequent generation could read and learn the essence of the Catholic faith.” -Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD
Hardcover, size 9.25" x 6.25", 872 pages
Also available in Paperback.
The Catechism Explained by Stories and Examples
Organised according to the questions and answers of the Baltimore Catechism
by Fr Francis Spirago
From the author of The Catechism Explained: An Exhaustive explanation of Christian Doctrine, now comes the Catechism Explained: By Stories and Examples.
This classic work draws from saints, classical antiquity, medieval and early modern figures, and cultural stories to illustrate what the teachings of the Catholic faith are. Fr. Spirago, in his introduction notes:
“The great value of examples and illustrations in teaching children and the uneducated is universally acknowledged. The Romans used to say: Verba movent, exempla trahent (Words influence, examples attract). The reason for this is that examples stimulate the imitative instinct, which is strong in most people, especially in the young; consequently they are a powerful factor in education. In imparting instruction, also, examples are of no slight assistance, for they serve to elucidate the teaching, to render the lesson interesting and attractive, and keep the attention of the scholar from wandering. The teacher need only say: Now, children, I am going to tell you a story, and all eyes are forthwith fixed on him.”
Spirago’s wonderful volume of Catechetical Stories has been arranged around the question and answer format of the Baltimore Catechism. Thus, each question and answer of the Catechism has accompanied by a series of stories illustrating its teaching, drawn from the depths of Catholic Tradition. This new addition has been supplemented by stories from the lives of the saints and historical anecdotes.
Hardcover, size 8.75" x 5.75", 536 pages
Also available in Paperback.
Practical Meditations for Each Day of the Month of June
by Abbé Berlioux
After the devotions of May to His Blessed Mother Mary, we turn now to June, the month of His love. To increase our fervor, The Month of the Sacred Heart, by the Abbé Berlioux, contains a valuable trove of practices and sentiments toward sanctifying the month of June. Excellent as a daily reader for the month, but also very useful for the monthly First Friday devotions and home enthronement preparations and ceremonies, as well as matrimonial devotions, anniversaries and vow renewals.
Each chapter contains the whole day’s reading, prayer, and a fitting example for the reading, usually taken from the author’s personal knowledge or some other historical example. Much of the life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is included, as well as incredible inspiration and pearls of hope from the tumultuous nineteenth century – a century that echoes our own in social and spiritual unrest. This is what gives the book a unique atmosphere, and timeless appropriateness. As each of the thirty days of June progress, the subjects cover every possible facet of the Sacred Heart devotion, solidifying for the devotee a rich theological truth and piety.
The subjects range from the origins of the devotion and life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the incredible promises of the Sacred Heart devotion, the material and spiritual objects of the devotion, a description of, and ways to devote oneself to each symbol within the Image itself, the various desires of our Lord’s Heart, the terrible “thorns”, or sorrows, with which His people wound His Heart, the means of honoring His Heart, beautiful ways to execute the practice of this devotion in our everyday lives, the hearts of the Holy Family, and more. The readings are short and easy for modern man to complete for a morning meditation, between the labors of a busy life, and for raising to a higher level one’s entire being to live each moment in honor of His Divine Heart. Let us make impossible the words of St. Francis of Assisi that, “Love is not loved”.
The examples after each reading reflect upon each truth taught each day. Many of the stories are literally of conversions and miraculous events occurring due to a petition to the Sacred Heart, and others are simply inspiring about individuals who lived deeply devoted lives, consecrated to the Heart of Jesus. Truly, those who persevere through this devotion will save their own souls, the souls around them, and deliver many souls from the fires and pains of Purgatory.
The prayers that follow each daily reading are written specifically to inspire a greater love in relation to the subject treated for that day, perfectly-matched to the theme of the reading.
The Month of the Sacred Heartwas first published in the French language in Grenoble. The book was soon after translated for the English-speaking world and published in 1885. The Abbé Berlioux was a priest of the diocese of Grenoble and was the Curé, or parish priest, of the church of St. Bruno. In his works he often uses a literary charm of addressing the reader personally. In this work, he calls out to the reader, addressing him by the name, “Christian”, or “Christian”, in nearly each day’s reading as he gets to the point of what the individual could do to utilize and live a Christian life based on a greater devotion to the Sacred Heart, increasing the seriousness of the tone as well as gripping the attention of the reader with it.
Read The Month of the Sacred Heart to increase in the soul the love of Christ’s love! The devotion taught in its pages will take the reader by the hand and lead him to live more fully the life of a brother of Christ. In its pages you will find:
- An organized 30 days of Sacred Heart devotions for the complete month of June
- Daily spiritual reading on the various facets of the devotion to Jesus’ Heart
- A detailed study of the Image of the Sacred Heart and ways to personally apply the message
- Daily prayers to the Sacred Heart
- Daily examples of true-life stories that draw out the truths within each day’s reading.
- A collection of devotions and prayers, including a special means of attending Mass through the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 173 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
Practical Meditations for Each Day of the Month of May
by Abbé Berlioux
In May we run with excitement to endow Mary’s altars with boughs of flowers that vie with nature’s splendor, and spiritual offerings as well as good works to pay homage to the most generous of queens. To more fully live the spirit of the season, we must enter into the very spirit of the Mother of God. As the preface states: “She is a spiritual universe.” There is nothing in our path toward heaven, which she cannot supply, if we but study her soul and apply her works in our lives.
The subjects, containing two short points each day, range from Our Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Conception, her holy name, her motherhood, each of her shining virtues, her devotion to Holy Communion, and other subjects.
It was originally written in the 19th century by the Abbé Berlioux, who was a priest in the diocese of Grenoble in 1872 and was the Curé, or parish priest, of the church of St. Bruno. The devotional enjoyed ten editions of popularity in the French language before being translated and printed in English in 1884. Each chapter contains the whole day’s reading, prayer, and a fitting example for the reading, usually taken from the author’s personal knowledge or some other historical example. This is what gives the book a unique atmosphere. As each of the thirty-one days of May progresses, the subjects cover every possible facet of the known life of Mary, historical tradition, apparitions and the life of the Church surrounding this ancient devotion, solidifying for the devotee a rich theological truth and piety.
The author uses literary tools in his writings so as to awaken his reader from a spiritual slumber. Particular emphasis in this book is derived from the daily repetition of the phrase “Children of Mary”, addressing the reader affectionately and with a personal effect that cannot be ignored. It is as though the very voice of our heavenly mother is calling out to the reader, as a mother calls her children to her, and should we all not come running? Come, Children of Mary, come to the safety of your mother’s mantle.
In this book you will find:
- An organized 31 days of devotions to the Blessed Mother for the complete month of May
- Daily spiritual reading on the life, virtues, and traditions surrounding the Blessed Virgin
- Daily prayers to Mary
- Daily examples of true-life stories that draw out the truths within each day’s reading.
- Various ways of consecrating oneself to Mary
- Various ways of praying the Holy Rosary and a unique Marian way to attend Mass.
The book is most excellent for the original purpose, to devote one’s life to the practices of the May altar, but it is also an excellent choice during the time of Lent, when the entire Christian world is tuned in so singularly to the deep sorrows and grief of Our Blessed Mother; and Advent, at which time we contemplate Our Blessed Mother’s expectation of her Divine Child.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 198 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
Practical Meditations for Each Day of the Month of March
by Abbé Berlioux
Devotion to the foster-father of Christ is an ancient practice that has endured to the present day, and wherever Catholics are found there is also found a deep love for the man to whom God gave the elevated work of raising His Incarnate Son.
The Month of St. Joseph by the Abbé Berlioux is a powerful tool with which to equip the devotee as he embarks upon the month of March, and a fitting one. Each chapter contains the whole day’s reading, prayer, and a fitting example for the reading, usually taken from the author’s personal knowledge or some other historical example. As each of the thirty-one days of March progress, the subjects cover every possible facet of the life and history of St. Joseph, solidifying for the devotee a rich theological truth and piety.
The subjects, containing two short points each day, range from St. Joseph’s fatherhood and devotion as a husband, his poverty, his holy name, his meekness, his exile in Egypt, and life in Nazareth, his example as a worker, and his aid at death beds. So many more subjects are given, which seem to exhaust the complete realm of St. Joseph’s honor, glory, and aid to his devotees. The readings are short and easy for modern man to complete for a morning meditation or between a life of busy labors.
Likewise the prayers following each daily reading are concise and powerful, always containing a petition to beg the grace and strength to imitate the saint. They are also matched to the theme of the reading.
The examples after each reading and prayer reflect upon each truth taught each day. Many of the stories are literally of miraculous events, and others are simply inspiring about individuals who lived a deeply devoted life consecrated to St. Joseph. In these latter, what really shines is the fact that with a fervent devotion to and trust in St. Joseph, even the impossible will be made possible.
The Month of Saint Joseph was first published in the French language in Grenoble in 1872. The book was soon after translated for the English-speaking world. The Abbé Berlioux was a priest of the diocese of Grenoble and was the Curé of the church of St. Bruno. In his works he often uses a literary charm of addressing the reader as “Christian Soul”. In this work, he repeats this name in nearly each day’s reading as he gets to the point of what the individual could do to utilize and live a Christian life based on a greater devotion to the holy patriarch, increasing the seriousness of the tone as well as the attention of the reader with it.
Read The Month of St. Joseph to increase in the soul the love of Christ’s foster-father. The devotion taught in its pages will take the reader by the hand and lead him to live more fully the life of a brother of Christ. In its pages you will find:
- An organized 31 days of St. Joseph devotions for the complete month of March
- Daily spiritual reading on the life, character, and devotions of St. Joseph
- Daily prayers to the holy foster-father of Jesus
- Daily examples of true-life stories that draw out the truths within each day’s reading.
- A collection of devotions and prayers
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 186 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
Mother & Mystic
by Mary Elizabeth Herbert
Elizabeth Canori Mora was born in 1774, in Rome. Raised in a devout but poor household, she was given an excellent education by religious sisters. Her life changed dramatically when she was married to Christopher Mora, a local lawyer and son of a famous doctor. The marriage began happy but turned sour as her husband changed from becoming possessive of her to the point of preventing her communication with her relatives, to abandoning her and taking up a mistress.
Yet Elizabeth turned to God and prayed for his conversion, taking solace in her two surviving daughters and raising them in the faith.
The story of Elizabeth Canori Mora is one both familiar, and unique. The story of a wronged wife, celebrated on her wedding day but whom we ought rather to mourn for if we could foresee the great sufferings she will undergo in wedlock; and unique in that her heroic virtue, fidelity and love excels that of so many that end up in this all too familiar state.
For her fidelity and love of Christ, Elizabeth received many revelations from God, and merited that her husband would turn from his wicked ways and become again devout-to the point that after her death he became a Franciscan cleric.
In this work, you will discover what you rarely see in so many lives of monks, abbots and missionaries, a married saint, a wife who should be the patron of wronged and long-suffering wives. The reprinted work of Mary Elizabeth Herbert has been revised for modern English and has pictures added for the benefit of the reader, with new typesetting in an easy to read font.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 210 pages
Also available in Hardcover upon request (additional cost)
Sermons of the Cure of Ars
For the Sundays and Feasts of the Year
by St John Vianney
Reprint of the 1901 edition of St. John Vianney’s Sermons! These sermons cover all the Sundays of the Year and all the principal feasts, combined with a few of the greater saints. It is almost 400 pages and unabridged from the original.
- Easy to read layouts with large font;
- Beautiful dropcaps and floral effects
- Balanced margins that provides an easy reading experience
This edition has all 85 of the extant sermons of St. John Vianney, and several additional sermons distributed to cover all the Sundays of the Year as well as the principal feasts (as they were in 1901). There is a lot more here to find spiritual nourishment.
This wonderful work by the patron of parish priests should be in every home!
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 424 pages
Also available in Hardcover upon request (additional cost)
by Candide Chalippe, OFM
The Life of St. Francis, by the French Franciscan Candide Chalippe (circa 1727) is now back in print, unabridged, with footnotes and pictures!
This is one of the best books we have read in English, not just with respect to St. Francis, but spiritually, theologically and historically it is an awesome work. In spite of all the miracles it relates, it also humanizes St. Francis in many ways, by depicting the outstanding virtues he practiced, humility, sacrifice, mortification and charity. There is a reason why St. Francis is one of the greatest Saints in the history of the Church. You won’t regret this!
St. Francis de Sales said, that while many saints should be imitated, some of the saints are to be admired more than imitated. The life of St. Francis gives us some of both. On the one hand, his extraordinary love of God, his humility, his penance, his charity, his prudence and his detachment from and loathing for the world, are all virtues that every Christian should seek to emulate throughout his life. On the other hand, his discernment of spirits, his miracles, his extraordinary fasting and mortification of his body, his ecstasies and the stigmata are all things God performed in St. Francis for our wonderment, to give glory to Him for what He brought about in his servant. We have provided a spiritual classic, Fr. Candide Challipe’s Life of St. Francis, translated by the Oratorians of London into English. The value of Challipe’s narrative, having compiled all of the sources available at the time of his writing (1700’s) is that he balances the narrative between the two different elements which made Francis one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church.
Challipe’s work is not only a spiritual tour de force, but is also a great work of theology, as he unfolds the life of St. Francis with respect to the subsequent theology of the Church through St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas, The Council of Trent and St. Robert Bellarmine. He quotes frequently not only from the Franciscan sources, but also from the Holy Scripture, the Fathers, and the great Theologians of the Middle Ages and the early modern period.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 466 pages
Also available in hardcover on request (additional cost)
by St Robert Bellarmine
In this work, Bellarmine meets the attack of Protestantism against Catholic teaching on the saints, firstly on their own ground with sound Scriptural Exegesis, backed up by the witness of the Greek and Latin Church.
The great counter-reformation doctor begins the work with a treatise on whether the souls of the saints receive a particular judgment and go to heaven or await for the end of time suspended as it were in some hidden place; then what canonization is, who does it and what is its authority; then lastly, whether the saints may be venerated and invoked.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 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 St. Robert Bellarmine
St. Robert Bellarmine was not only the most prolific apologist of the 17th century, but of all time! Yet the loss of Latinity has relegated his valuable work to obscurity.
This is the first ever translation of St. Robert’s, On the Marks of the Church into English, translated by Ryan Grant, the translator of the Canisius Catechism. In this valuable work, Bellarmine lays out no less than 15 Marks of the true Church, which are all developed from the 4 given by the Creed of the Council of Constantinople (second half of what we call the Nicene Creed). Bellarmine contrasts these marks with the marks posed by Protestant teaching, so as to show where the true Church really is. It is a short read, at 135 pages, but is beautiful and hard hitting on every point. A segment describing some miracles and anti-miracles at the end is especially enjoyable.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 132 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
by Fr Joseph Heuser, D.D.
In the Workshop of St. Joseph, presents the reader with a fictional account taking place at the time of the Holy Family's flight to Egypt, and later return to Nazareth.
It follows several fictional characters, Eliab, his daughter Zelah who becomes a servant for the Holy Family, and his son Ahijah, all of whom are Jews living in Egypt. Zelah accompanies the Holy Family back to Nazareth, and Eliab and Ahijah follow them, ultimately taking up residence in Nazareth itself. The story allows Fr. Heuser not only to illustrate the circumstances in Israel during the first century, the rites and ceremonies of the Jews which the Holy Family knew and participated in, but also the prefigurement of the Messiah in the Scripture, as well as the spiritual and moral meaning of the tools in Joseph's workshop.
In the Workshop of St. Joseph is a beautiful and spiritually enriching story for youth and adults alike, weaving Fr. Heuser's erudition and use of 1st century archeology with a wonderful and pious story.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 250 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)