Saints' Lives - Collections
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 6 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
- a concluding prayer
Saints included in this edition are:
| St. Edward the Confessor | St. John Neumann | St. Benedict Labre | St. Catherine of Siena |
| St. Barnabas | St. Bonaventure | St. Maximilian Kolbe | St. Gabriel the Archangel |
| St. Jerome | St. Francis of Assisi | St. Ignatius of Antioch | St. Anthony Mary Claret |
| St. Pius V | St. Martin of Tours | St. Ambrose of Milan |
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 32 pages
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 8 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
- concluding prayer.
Saints included in this edition are:
| St. Joseph | St. Mark | St. Philip & James | St. Matthias |
| St. Peter | St. Paul | St. Thomas | St. James the Greater |
| St. Bartholomew | St. Matthew | St. Luke | St. Jude Thaddeus |
| St. Simon | St. Andrew | St. John |
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 32 pages
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 5 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
Saints included in this edition are:
| St. Basil the Great | St. Anthony the Abbot | St. Isidore of Seville | St. Vincent Ferrer |
| St. Gemma Galgani | St. Philip Neri | St. Camillus de Lellis | St. Christopher |
| St. Ignatius of Loyola | St. John Eudes | St. Gregory the Great | St. Robert Bellarmine |
| St. Paul of the Cross | St. Leo the Great | St. Peter Canisius |
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 32 pages
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 1 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
- a concluding prayer
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton | St. John Bosco | St. Patrick | St. John Baptist de la Salle |
| St. Anthony of Padua | St. Thomas More | St. Anne | St. Lawrence |
| St. Pius X | St. Peter Claver | St. Vincent de Paul | St. Teresa of Avila |
| St. Margaret Mary Alacoque | St. Isaac Jogues | St. Stephen |
Paperback, 32 pages
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 12 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
- concluding prayer.
Saints included in this edition are:
| St. Rosalina | St. Teresa Margaret Redi | St. Lucy Filippini | St. Mary Mazzarello |
| St. Simeon the Younger | St. William of York | St. Bertrand of Le Mans | St. Philip Benizi |
| Bl. Marie Rose Durocher | St. Bertrand of Comminges | St. Peter of Alcantara | St. Winifred |
| St. Andrew Avellino | Bl. Mary Fontanella | St. Anthony of Lerins |
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 32 pages
by Rev. Alban Butler
This timeless classic is not merely a collection of lives of the saints. Rather, what is offered is the viewpoint that the saints lived their lives according to their state and position in a natural and usual manner, experiencing the same spiritual and physical difficulties and temptations that come to the ordinary man. But they nurtured in their hearts the love of God, which resulted in the cultivation of other virtues.The reason that the Church honours the saints is not just to give them glory, but to hold them up as exemplars for imitation. Many of the saints sanctified themselves by reading the lives of saints. The daily spiritual reflections will be found practical for young and old alike.
Hardcover, illustrated, size 8.5" x 5.5", 646 pages
by Rev P. Henry Matimore
The purpose of this beautiful book is to acquaint our children with biographies that will have some particular influence on the development of their characters. Each story has been planned as a real character training project, not merely as a reading lesson, to inspire admiration for faith and religious heroism.
"To accomplish this purpose, we have endeavored to stimulate interest in each saint by presenting him or her as a real human being who lived in a real world among real people and not as a super-being surrounded by miraculous wonders. We have tried to make the saints human, admirable, and lovable, and therefore imitate-able." (from the Foreword). Questions and Things to Do are found at the end of each story.
| St Cecilia | St Sebastian of Rome | St Agnes of Rome | St Monica | St Patrick |
| St Columba | St Boniface | St Thomas of Canterbury | St Francis of Assisi | St Hedwig |
| St Hyacinth | St Louis IX | St Gertrude | St John Nepomucene | St Joan of Arc |
| St Thomas More | St Franis Xavier | St Aloysius | St Vincent de Paul | St Issac Jogues |
| St Gerard Majella | The Cure of Ars | St Theophane Venard | St Damien of Molokai | St Therese of Lisieux |
Ages: 9 - 12
Paperback, size 8.2" x 5.8", 302 pages
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 7 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
- concluding prayer.
Saints included in this edition are:
| St. Blaise | St. Valentine | St. Margaret of Cortona | St. George |
| St. Zita | St. Peregrine | St. Lawrence of Brindisi | St. Bridget of Sweden |
| St. Jane Frances de Chantel | St. John Chrysostrom | St. Cosmas & Damian | St. Michael the Archangel |
| St. Martin de Porres | St. Gertrude the Great | St. Catherine of Alexandria |
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 32 pages
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 4 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
Saints included in this edition are:
| St. Sebastian of Rome | St. John of God | St. Angela Merici | St. Cyril and Methodius |
| St. Louise de Marillac | St. John Nepomucene | St. Rita of Cascia | St. Joachim |
| St. Boniface | St. Alphonsus Liguori | St. John Vianney | St. Dominic |
| St. Helen | St. Barbara | St. Nicholas of Myra |
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 32 pages
by Fr Lawrence G. Lovasik
St. Joseph Picture Book Series, Part 10 of 12 books on the "Super-Heroes of God"--commonly known as Saints--by beloved author Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D. introduces Catholic children to 15 of the most well-known Saints. Among the features of this book are:
- a full-color illustration of each Saint
- short, easy-to-understand lives of the Saints that offer a window on what made them so special in the eyes of God
- the feast day for each Saint in accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church
- concluding prayer.
Saints included in this edition are:
| St. Ermengild | St. John Ogilvie | St. Zozimus | St. George the Youger |
| St. Fructuosus of Braga | Bl. Helen of Udine | St. Eugene de Mazenod | St. Monegundis |
| St. Mildred | St. Justin de Jacobis | St. Moses the Black | St. Beatrice da Silva |
| St. Catherine of Genoa | St. Gerard Sagredo | St. Mary Soledad |
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 32 pages
by Hertha Pauli
Ever since that night nearly two thousand years ago when the Infant Savior of the World smiled up from a manger in a poor village in Judea, men’s hearts have gladdened at the angel’s good tidings and their eyes have turned toward Bethlehem for a glimpse of the Divine Child.
This is the story of how those good tidings reached us, of how they passed from land to land and from saint to saint, of how Christmas customs sprang up from the hearts of people of every land. From the lands of the Magi back to the fourth-century Bethlehem of St. Helena, and on to the Emerald Isle of St. Brigid, to the thirteenth-century Italy of St. Francis, all the way to La Navidad in the New World - so the good tidings were carried. And with them came, one by one, the tree, the gifts, the crib - all the customs which bind our own time and place with the Bethlehem of long ago. In a beautiful blend of history and legend, Hertha Pauli weaves together the story of the world’s Christmas.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.2", 190 pages, Impr, 1956
A first book for little Catholic Girls
Saints for Girls is a beautiful treasure for little Catholic girls with saint stories they will love, remember, and admire. It contains illustrations on every page, with over half in full color. This title is suggested for pre-schoolers through second graders.
Saints included in this edition are: Genevieve, Elizabeth, Frances Cabrini, Helena, Brigid, Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and Bernadette.
Hardcover, size 7" x 5.75", 104 pages
A First Book for Little Catholic Boys
Saints for Boys is compiled especially for little Catholic boys preschool-age up through the second-grade level with over forty illustrations in full color—one on every page. These stories will be loved by little Catholics and will remain in their hearts and memories for years.
Saints included in this edition are: Aloysius Gonzaga, Vincent de Paul, Dominic Savio, Francis of Assisi, the Archangel Gabriel, Joseph, Patrick, Benedict, and Michael the Archangel. Also included are some special and important first prayers.
Originally published: Guild Press, 1961.
Hardcover, size 7" x 5.75, 104 pages
Rev. Alban Butler's ORIGINAL Lives of the Saints - Vol. 7
December plus Appendices etc. - Hardcover - Illustrated
Very few published works require such a lengthy explanation of exactly WHICH edition is being offered, in what format, and why, than Fr. Alban Butler’s Lives of the Saints. The reason is that there are so many very different books being printed under this author’s name and under this title due to it’s long history (the work is almost 300 years old) and its universal popularity. Few catholic books except the Bible, the Confessions, the Imitation, and the Summa, are as widely read. This book has also been extensively revised, altered, and updated since its original publication, with new editions, even 21st century revisions being made, that we feel the time is ripe for an original, unexpurgated, and unrevised print version to be made available.
This edition is widely considered to be the most complete and authoritative ever issued. It is the 1854 edition of D. J. Sadlier of New York, and in the Preface it gives its “pedigree.” The original was printed anonymously in London in 1759, after 30 years work on the project. The edition published by Sadlier is an exact replica of the Dublin and London edition of 1833. Being a scholarly work, but also a work deeply imbued with the piety and devotion of a priest’s lifetime effort, it is loaded with footnotes which comprise a significant proportion of the total text.
This edition also includes 365 beautiful 19th century engravings which are added to this original un-illustrated text. A great man once said that “History is the laboratory of Wisdom.” And where do we find the best history? It is found in the lives of the saints, for it is through their lives on earth, lived within the union of Christ’s mystical body, the Catholic Church, that we see the only history that truly matters for all eternity.
This spectacular history by Fr. Alban Butler, The Lives of the Saints, presents to the reader the life story of over 1600 saints and their times. In the original introduction we find this bold statement:
“It is on this account we have ventured to designate The Lives of the Saints an historical supplement to the Old and New Testaments. We think this work deserves to be so considered, on account of the close resemblance it bears to the historical portions of holy writ. Let the divine economy, in this respect, be for a moment the subject of
the reader’s consideration.”
Father Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was sent to be educated at the English College, Douay, in France. In 1735, Butler was ordained a priest. At Douay, he was appointed professor of philosophy, and later professor of theology. It was at Douay, he began his principal work The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. He also prepared material for Richard Challoner’s Memoirs of Missionary Priests, a work on the martyrs of the reign of Elizabeth. He labored for some time as a missionary priest in Staffordshire, and was finally appointed president of the English seminary at Saint Omer in France, where he remained till his death in 1773.
Butler's Original Lives of the Saints Vol. 4
June & July - Hardcover Illustrated - 806 pages
Very few published works require such a lengthy explanation of exactly WHICH edition is being offered, in what format, and why, than Fr. Alban Butler’s Lives of the Saints. The reason is that there are so many very different books being printed under this author’s name and under this title due to it’s long history (the work is almost 300 years old) and its universal popularity. Few catholic books except the Bible, the Confessions, the Imitation, and the Summa, are as widely read. This book has also been extensively revised, altered, and updated since its original publication, with new editions, even 21st century revisions being made, that we feel the time is ripe for an original, unexpurgated, and unrevised print version to be made available.
This edition is widely considered to be the most complete and authoritative ever issued. It is the 1854 edition of D. J. Sadlier of New York, and in the Preface it gives its “pedigree.” The original was printed anonymously in London in 1759, after 30 years work on the project. The edition published by Sadlier is an exact replica of the Dublin and London edition of 1833. Being a scholarly work, but also a work deeply imbued with the piety and devotion of a priest’s lifetime effort, it is loaded with footnotes which comprise a significant proportion of the total text.
This edition also includes 365 beautiful 19th century engravings which are added to this original un-illustrated text. A great man once said that “History is the laboratory of Wisdom.” And where do we find the best history? It is found in the lives of the saints, for it is through their lives on earth, lived within the union of Christ’s mystical body, the Catholic Church, that we see the only history that truly matters for all eternity.
This spectacular history by Fr. Alban Butler, The Lives of the Saints, presents to the reader the life story of over 1600 saints and their times. In the original introduction we find this bold statement:
“It is on this account we have ventured to designate The Lives of the Saints an historical supplement to the Old and New Testaments. We think this work deserves to be so considered, on account of the close resemblance it bears to the historical portions of holy writ. Let the divine economy, in this respect, be for a moment the subject of
the reader’s consideration.”
Father Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was sent to be educated at the English College, Douay, in France. In 1735, Butler was ordained a priest. At Douay, he was appointed professor of philosophy, and later professor of theology. It was at Douay, he began his principal work The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. He also prepared material for Richard Challoner’s Memoirs of Missionary Priests, a work on the martyrs of the reign of Elizabeth. He labored for some time as a missionary priest in Staffordshire, and was finally appointed president of the English seminary at Saint Omer in France, where he remained till his death in 1773.
Very few published works require such a lengthy explanation of exactly WHICH edition is being offered, in what format, and why, than Fr. Alban Butler’s Lives of the Saints. The reason is that there are so many very different books being printed under this author’s name and under this title due to it’s long history (the work is almost 300 years old) and its universal popularity. Few catholic books except the Bible, the Confessions, the Imitation, and the Summa, are as widely read. This book has also been extensively revised, altered, and updated since its original publication, with new editions, even 21st century revisions being made, that we feel the time is ripe for an original, unexpurgated, and unrevised print version to be made available.
This edition is widely considered to be the most complete and authoritative ever issued. It is the 1854 edition of D. J. Sadlier of New York, and in the Preface it gives its “pedigree.” The original was printed anonymously in London in 1759, after 30 years work on the project. The edition published by Sadlier is an exact replica of the Dublin and London edition of 1833. Being a scholarly work, but also a work deeply imbued with the piety and devotion of a priest’s lifetime effort, it is loaded with footnotes which comprise a significant proportion of the total text.
This edition also includes 365 beautiful 19th century engravings which are added to this original un-illustrated text. A great man once said that “History is the laboratory of Wisdom.” And where do we find the best history? It is found in the lives of the saints, for it is through their lives on earth, lived within the union of Christ’s mystical body, the Catholic Church, that we see the only history that truly matters for all eternity.
This spectacular history by Fr. Alban Butler, The Lives of the Saints, presents to the reader the life story of over 1600 saints and their times. In the original introduction we find this bold statement:
“It is on this account we have ventured to designate The Lives of the Saints an historical supplement to the Old and New Testaments. We think this work deserves to be so considered, on account of the close resemblance it bears to the historical portions of holy writ. Let the divine economy, in this respect, be for a moment the subject of
the reader’s consideration.”
Father Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was sent to be educated at the English College, Douay, in France. In 1735, Butler was ordained a priest. At Douay, he was appointed professor of philosophy, and later professor of theology. It was at Douay, he began his principal work The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. He also prepared material for Richard Challoner’s Memoirs of Missionary Priests, a work on the martyrs of the reign of Elizabeth. He labored for some time as a missionary priest in Staffordshire, and was finally appointed president of the English seminary at Saint Omer in France, where he remained till his death in 1773.
Rev. Alban Butler's ORIGINAL Lives of the Saints Vol. 2
February & March - Hardcover - Illustrated -578 pages
Very few published works require such a lengthy explanation of exactly WHICH edition is being offered, in what format, and why, than Fr. Alban Butler’s Lives of the Saints. The reason is that there are so many very different books being printed under this author’s name and under this title due to it’s long history (the work is almost 300 years old) and its universal popularity. Few catholic books except the Bible, the Confessions, the Imitation, and the Summa, are as widely read. This book has also been extensively revised, altered, and updated since its original publication, with new editions, even 21st century revisions being made, that we feel the time is ripe for an original, unexpurgated, and unrevised print version to be made available.
This edition is widely considered to be the most complete and authoritative ever issued. It is the 1854 edition of D. J. Sadlier of New York, and in the Preface it gives its “pedigree.” The original was printed anonymously in London in 1759, after 30 years work on the project. The edition published by Sadlier is an exact replica of the Dublin and London edition of 1833. Being a scholarly work, but also a work deeply imbued with the piety and devotion of a priest’s lifetime effort, it is loaded with footnotes which comprise a significant proportion of the total text.
This edition also includes 365 beautiful 19th century engravings which are added to this original un-illustrated text. A great man once said that “History is the laboratory of Wisdom.” And where do we find the best history? It is found in the lives of the saints, for it is through their lives on earth, lived within the union of Christ’s mystical body, the Catholic Church, that we see the only history that truly matters for all eternity.
This spectacular history by Fr. Alban Butler, The Lives of the Saints, presents to the reader the life story of over 1600 saints and their times. In the original introduction we find this bold statement:
“It is on this account we have ventured to designate The Lives of the Saints an historical supplement to the Old and New Testaments. We think this work deserves to be so considered, on account of the close resemblance it bears to the historical portions of holy writ. Let the divine economy, in this respect, be for a moment the subject of
the reader’s consideration.”
Father Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was sent to be educated at the English College, Douay, in France. In 1735, Butler was ordained a priest. At Douay, he was appointed professor of philosophy, and later professor of theology. It was at Douay, he began his principal work The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. He also prepared material for Richard Challoner’s Memoirs of Missionary Priests, a work on the martyrs of the reign of Elizabeth. He labored for some time as a missionary priest in Staffordshire, and was finally appointed president of the English seminary at Saint Omer in France, where he remained till his death in 1773.
Rev. Alban Butler's ORIGINAL Lives of the Saints Vol. 1
Introduction, Prefaces, and January - Hardcover - Illustrated -520 pages
Very few published works require such a lengthy explanation of exactly WHICH edition is being offered, in what format, and why, than Fr. Alban Butler’s Lives of the Saints. The reason is that there are so many very different books being printed under this author’s name and under this title due to it’s long history (the work is almost 300 years old) and its universal popularity. Few catholic books except the Bible, the Confessions, the Imitation, and the Summa, are as widely read. This book has also been extensively revised, altered, and updated since its original publication, with new editions, even 21st century revisions being made, that we feel the time is ripe for an original, unexpurgated, and unrevised print version to be made available.
This edition is widely considered to be the most complete and authoritative ever issued. It is the 1854 edition of D. J. Sadlier of New York, and in the Preface it gives its “pedigree.” The original was printed anonymously in London in 1759, after 30 years work on the project. The edition published by Sadlier is an exact replica of the Dublin and London edition of 1833. Being a scholarly work, but also a work deeply imbued with the piety and devotion of a priest’s lifetime effort, it is loaded with footnotes which comprise a significant proportion of the total text.
This edition also includes 365 beautiful 19th century engravings which are added to this original un-illustrated text. A great man once said that “History is the laboratory of Wisdom.” And where do we find the best history? It is found in the lives of the saints, for it is through their lives on earth, lived within the union of Christ’s mystical body, the Catholic Church, that we see the only history that truly matters for all eternity.
This spectacular history by Fr. Alban Butler, The Lives of the Saints, presents to the reader the life story of over 1600 saints and their times. In the original introduction we find this bold statement:
“It is on this account we have ventured to designate The Lives of the Saints an historical supplement to the Old and New Testaments. We think this work deserves to be so considered, on account of the close resemblance it bears to the historical portions of holy writ. Let the divine economy, in this respect, be for a moment the subject of
the reader’s consideration.”
Father Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was sent to be educated at the English College, Douay, in France. In 1735, Butler was ordained a priest. At Douay, he was appointed professor of philosophy, and later professor of theology. It was at Douay, he began his principal work The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. He also prepared material for Richard Challoner’s Memoirs of Missionary Priests, a work on the martyrs of the reign of Elizabeth. He labored for some time as a missionary priest in Staffordshire, and was finally appointed president of the English seminary at Saint Omer in France, where he remained till his death in 1773.
Very few published works require such a lengthy explanation of exactly WHICH edition is being offered, in what format, and why, than Fr. Alban Butler’s Lives of the Saints. The reason is that there are so many very different books being printed under this author’s name and under this title due to it’s long history (the work is almost 300 years old) and its universal popularity. Few catholic books except the Bible, the Confessions, the Imitation, and the Summa, are as widely read. This book has also been extensively revised, altered, and updated since its original publication, with new editions, even 21st century revisions being made, that we feel the time is ripe for an original, unexpurgated, and unrevised print version to be made available.
This edition is widely considered to be the most complete and authoritative ever issued. It is the 1854 edition of D. J. Sadlier of New York, and in the Preface it gives its “pedigree.” The original was printed anonymously in London in 1759, after 30 years work on the project. The edition published by Sadlier is an exact replica of the Dublin and London edition of 1833. Being a scholarly work, but also a work deeply imbued with the piety and devotion of a priest’s lifetime effort, it is loaded with footnotes which comprise a significant proportion of the total text.
This edition also includes 365 beautiful 19th century engravings which are added to this original un-illustrated text. A great man once said that “History is the laboratory of Wisdom.” And where do we find the best history? It is found in the lives of the saints, for it is through their lives on earth, lived within the union of Christ’s mystical body, the Catholic Church, that we see the only history that truly matters for all eternity.
This spectacular history by Fr. Alban Butler, The Lives of the Saints, presents to the reader the life story of over 1600 saints and their times. In the original introduction we find this bold statement:
“It is on this account we have ventured to designate The Lives of the Saints an historical supplement to the Old and New Testaments. We think this work deserves to be so considered, on account of the close resemblance it bears to the historical portions of holy writ. Let the divine economy, in this respect, be for a moment the subject of
the reader’s consideration.”
Father Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. Orphaned at the age of eight, he was sent to be educated at the English College, Douay, in France. In 1735, Butler was ordained a priest. At Douay, he was appointed professor of philosophy, and later professor of theology. It was at Douay, he began his principal work The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. He also prepared material for Richard Challoner’s Memoirs of Missionary Priests, a work on the martyrs of the reign of Elizabeth. He labored for some time as a missionary priest in Staffordshire, and was finally appointed president of the English seminary at Saint Omer in France, where he remained till his death in 1773.