Saints' lives for children
by Br Ernest, CSC
Peter and his brother Andrew were humble fishermen when Jesus called them to become "Fishers of Men". Reading this story can encourage us to follow in the footsteps of Saint Peter, who professed his faith in Jesus and learned trust that the Lord would save him.
Level 1
Paperback, size 8" x 6", 30 pages
A Story of St Rose of Lima
by Brother Roberto, CSC
A baby named Isabel became known as Rose when before the eyes of her mother and her mother's friends her face seemed to become a beautiful white rose opening before their eyes. God gave Rose special graces to be able to bear pain and practice severe penances. She looked forward to suffering in union with Christ.
Rose devoted her life to making reparation for sins of others. Reading this story can encourage us to follow in the footsteps of Saint Rose of Lima, who by offering her sufferings for the sins of others showed how deep her love of God was.
Level 2
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 94 pages
by Brother Ernest, CSC
Benedict was born around the year 480 in Italy. He began his education at home and later attended a public school in Rome. he was shcoked by the immoral behavior of his fellow students and decided to get away and gointo the mountains. There he met a monk who taught him how to lead a life of prayer and penance. As time passed others joined Benedict and they learned to live a certain way which later became known as the Rule of St Benedict. Reading this story can encourage us to follow in the footsteps of St Benedict who helped others grow in virtue through a life of work and prayer.
Level 1
Paperback, size 8" x 6", 30 pages
by Br Ernest, CSC
Saint Anthony of Padua, born in 1195, is one of the most well-known of the Franciscan saints. Reading this story about Saint Anthony can help us see that happiness is not found by doing what we want to do, but by doing what God wants us to do!
Level 1
Paperback, size 8" x 6", 30 pages
A Story of Saint Thomas Aquinas
by Brother Edward Overstreet, CSC
On Decemeber 6th, 1273, the great philosopher and theologian, Thomas Aquinas, was humbly kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament. A witness reported that he saw Thomas rising up in the air in front of the large crucifix. He then heard the crucifix speak, "Thou hast written well of Me, Thomas. What reward do you ask?" Then Thomas replied, "Only Thyself, Lord." Reading this story can encourage us to follow in the footsteps of Saint Thomas Aquinas, who had a burning love and devotion to Christ in the Eucharist.
Level 3
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 144 pages
by Tomie dePaola
This beautiful new edition of dePaola's 1978 classic retelling of a French legend stars a little juggler whose unique talent leads him to what might be a Christmas miracle.
Little Giovanni is poor and homeless, but he can do something wonderful: he can juggle.
The people of Sorrento marvel at his talents, and before long, he becomes famous throughout Italy for his rainbow of colored balls that delight the nobility and townspeople alike. But as the years pass, Giovanni grows old, and his talents begin to fail him. No longer a celebrated performer, he is once again poor and homeless, begging for his food.
Until one Christmas Eve, when Giovanni picks up his rainbow of colored balls once more. And what happens next just might be a miracle…
Paperback, size 11.2" x 8.7", 48 pages
by Brother Ernest, C.S.C.
Tarcisius was born toward the end of the third century. He lived to help others. He secretly carried the Blessed Sacrament to Christians that had been arrested and thrown into prison. These Christians were being tortured by the order of a cruel emperor that wanted them to give up their faith. Tarcisius knew he could be caught and tortured as well and one day some pagan boys wanted to know why he wouldn't stop and play with them. He was martyred that day.
Reading this story can encourage us to follow in the footsteps of Saint Tarcisius by remembering Christ first, hold Him dear to your heart no matter what others are saying or doing.
Level 1
Paperback, size 8" x 6", 30 pages
by Brother Ernest, C.S.C.
St Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. As a carpenter he worked hard to support his family. His selfless devotion to Mary and Jesus makes him a model for all. Reading this story can encourage us to follow in the footsteps of St Joseph, who listened to the word of God, devoted himself to Mary and Jesus, and humbly worked to build up God's kingdom.
Level 1
Paperback, 30 pages
A Story of the Divine Infant Jesus of Prague
by Brother Gerard Hagemann, C.S.C.
Around 1628, during the Thirty Years’ War, a small statue of the Infant Jesus was given to a Carmelite monastery in Prague. The monastery was soon abandoned when an army invaded the city. In 1637, Father Cyril found the broken statue and heard the words, “The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you.” Today, many people visit Prague to see the statue, and replicas of the statue can be found in churches and homes around the world. Reading this story can encourage us to follow in the footsteps of those who have had a devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Like them, we can honor Jesus by our life, by our good example, and by our prayers.
Level 2
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 96 pages
Hermit, Abbot, and Miracle Worker
by Kevin McKenzie
In 6th century Ireland, the memory of the great missionary, Saint Patrick, was strong, but so was the influence of the old pagan religion. This new Vision Book, Saint Kevin of Glendalough, tells the story of one of the greatest saints of the Emerald Isle.
Saint Kevin founded a monastery in 6th century Ireland that was a beacon of light for the next 800 years. Saint Kevin worked miracles, communed with animals, and inspired thousands to leave everything to follow Christ. Saint Kevin’s example and ministry helped root the light of the Christian faith deep into the hearts of the Irish people. Anyone who visits Saint Kevin’s monastery today will feel his holy and peaceful influence.
Kevin McKenzie spent seven years researching the life of Saint Kevin, visiting places where he lived, and personally translated Saint Kevin’s thousand-year-old Latin life into English. He also set out to walk from Ireland to Rome to better understand Saint Kevin’s own pilgrimage to Rome.
Using his detailed research and the very witness of the places where he lived, McKenzie has woven together the first biography of Saint Kevin in a thousand years. In this book in the acclaimed Vision books series, he has produced a compelling and exciting narrative about Saint Kevin of Glendalough that will inspire and delight readers of all ages, especially youth 9-15 years old.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 200 pages
The Flower of Fatima
by Cardinal Humberto S. Medeiros
This book made Our Lady of Fatima known to the world! Written shortly after the apparitions, the account here relies on the living memory of eyewitnesses and on the words of Lucia herself, who had been specifically interviewed for this book. Truly, this is a moving firsthand account of the life of the youngest saint of Fatima--and one the newest saints of the Church--Jacinta Marto. Jacinta, newly canonized in March 2017, is unique among the seers of Fatima in her ready, childlike enthusiasm to fulfill Mary's request, that they love God and offer reparation for sin. From then, Jacinta's life was consumed by an atoning love which made sacrifices of the biggest and the smallest things she experienced. Despite much persecution and suffering at the hands of both strangers and family, this little girl overcame her fears and attachments and became a saint, offering her life completely for love of Jesus and Mary. Told delightfully against the charming backdrop of the peaceful, natural beauty of Fatima, this is the intimate story of how the young Jacinta overcame her childish selfishness to become one of the most selfless saints of our day. It is a testimony to the power of her intercession, for the voice of the littlest, most innocent, and most fiercely loving saints of God has swayed him, time and again, to heal bodily ills and touch the most hardened of sinners.
Hardcover, 218 pages
by F. A. Forbes
St. John Bosco was a priest of the diocese of Turin, Italy, and founder of the Society of St. Francis de Sales. Famous for his kindliness and gentleness, he is a patron of disadvantaged youth because of his caring for children on the streets and juvenile delinquents, whose welfare he made his life's work. Giving them shelter and care, teaching them skills for future employment, and even enticing them with his uncanny magic tricks and juggling skills, Don Bosco was famous as a helper of the poor and needy children created by the Industrial Revolution, as well as a beloved publisher of catechetical works.
He was called to the priesthood at an early age and, through struggle and hard work, obtained the education necessary to be ordained. His life work was among the poor and needy, both young men and women (through the congregations he founded especially). He wrote volumes, including over 220 works, in addition to all the other efforts he made, which included pioneering a method of education that was based on love rather than punishment and guiding the Salesians to become one of the largest religious orders in the world. All of his students grew to love him, and he was ever seen teaching and guiding many youths to greater charity. He died in 1888; his funeral was attended by thousands.
But there was yet far more inside this powerhouse saint than meets the eye. Recorded in his memoirs, St. John Bosco's mystical dreams—provided in this short biography as well—reveal a side of the gentle saint that is scarcely recognizable, taking him squarely from the image of the saint of social welfare to one as a mystical pastor of souls. The dreams—really allegorical visions, and terrible ones—saw him tossing on the waves of the high seas of modernism that roiled and rocked the Barque of the Church, or facing a horrifying, massive snake that was strangled in the rope of the Rosary, or permeating by divine guidance straight to the depths of Hell and back again. Yes, Don Bosco was also a mystic—and an extraordinary one at that. Most of all, Don Bosco's life of service to others, especially the youth, and bringing them to Christ, show this: that the interior life is always the source of exterior action. Here is the life of an underrated and extremely important saint for our times.
Paperback, size 7" x 4.25, 209 pages
The Conversion of St. Camillus de Lellis
by Susan Peek
There are very few stories written about the life of St. Camillus, but his life story is one that both the young and old would do well to hear. In a style very captivating, Mrs. Peek imparts the fascinating story of this great saint who - at an early and rebellious age - went off to become a 16th century soldier-of-fortune. A belligerent and often brash young soldier, this self-seeking Camillus de Lellis frequently gives in to his passion for gambling and drinking, leaving him, for the most part, in dire straits. And though he sometimes cooperates with grace, he always seems to find himself back in trouble. Ultimately pushed to the brink of utter despair and humiliation, this stray and obstinate soul finally surrenders to the King of Kings, and the soldier of fortune becomes a soldier of Christ. An inspiring story of perseverance and the eventual surrender to the Divine Will.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 228 pages
Apostle of Scotland
by F. A. Forbes
St. Fintan, one of the Saint's first companions in Iona, was asked once towards the end of Columba's life to describe him to one who had heard much of his holiness, but who did not know him. "He is a king amongst kings," answered Fintan, "a sage amongst wise men, a monk amongst monks. He is poor with God's poor; a mourner with those who weep, and joyful with those who rejoice. Yet amidst all the gifts of nature and of grace that have been so liberally showered on him by God, the true humility of Christ is as royally rooted in his heart as if it were its natural home." (Chapter IX)
“Columbcille was a man of great heart and of determined will; what he set himself to do was sure to be done” (Chapter IX)
“To be quick to take offence and slow to forgive an injury is a characteristic of the Celtic race all the world over, and Columba was no exception to the rule. Long and sharp was to be the struggle before that quick and imperious nature was wholly conquered by the grace of God, but great was to be the victory at last.” (Chapter I)
“It was Columba’s love of the Church that won for him among his companions the name by which he became famous in after-days– “Columb-cille” or “the dove of the Church.” He would slip away from their games whenever he could, but they always knew where to find him. “He nestles beside the altar like a dove in its nest,” they would say.” (Chapter I)
“But God shows His love for His Saints in ways which are not the ways of men, and the chastening fires of sorrow and of suffering were to purify that ardent and impulsive nature.” (Chapter III)
Originally published in 1919.
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 110 pages
Catholic Stories For Boys & Girls III
by Catholic Nuns in America
Continue your family’s reading adventures with Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls, Volume III! In the penultimate volume of this four-part series read:
- “Begga’s Bracelet”—The Irish Princess Begga’s promise to live for God alone - St Begga
- “In the Tower of London”—The story of St. Edmund Campion, with the disguises he used and dangers he faced as a priest to keep the Catholic Faith alive in England
- “Joseph”—A fictional account of the life of Saint Joseph from boyhood to his holy, happy death
- “Louise”— The story of how Louise’s generosity and kindness from childhood led her to sainthood - St Louise de Marillac
Written to be read aloud for the entire family’s entertainment, Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls offers four volumes each holding a handful of happy and courageous stories, compiled and written by Catholic nuns in the 1930's. Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls appeals to the whole family by using simple vocabulary to engage children but also providing well-developed plots to captivate adults’ interest.
Each story highlights a different virtue, and, to reinforce the virtue, every chapter closes with a two-line rhyming verse that provides both a chapter summary and a pithy message, all underlining the books’ main theme—the Church gives life to the soul through grace. Excellent when read by children, and even better when read to children by parents and older siblings, these timeless stories show the reward of virtue by the wondrous events that occur when one is generous with God.
As taken from the front cover of the book, the stories herein are republished in the hope that in a small way the Faith, Culture, and Tradition of the Holy Catholic Church may be preserved for our most prized possession, our children.
Our prayer for these books is the same as Baltimore’s first Archbishop, the Most Reverend Michael J. Curley, prayed when these books were first published:
“May our Divine Lord bless each boy and girl who reads these stories, as well as every one who helps to place them in their hands.”
Hardcover, size 7" x 4.75", 141 pages, Illustrated
by Br Ernest, CSC
In 1194, Saint Clare was born into a wealthy family in Assisi, Italy. Her father wanted her to marry a wealthy man, but Clare believed that God did not want her to marry. After hearing St Francis preach she asked him for his advice. through his help she realized God was calling her to a life of prayer and poverty, With St Francis' help they founded a cloistered Order for women, which is known as the Poor Clares.
Level 1
Paperback, size 8" x 6", 30 pages
by Br Ernest, CSC
This story of Saint Cecilia is set during the papacy of Urban I, which began in the year 222. Reding this story about Saint Cecilia can help us to see how the sacrament of Baptism can strengthen our faith in God and help us view the world in a new light!
Level 1
Paperback, size 8" x 6", 30 pages
Saints and Festivals
A Cycle of the Year for Young People
by Mother Mary Salome
Mother Mary Salome wrote a volume of meditations called The Feasts of Mother Church in 1904, covering many of the most important feasts of the Liturgical Year. In 1913, she followed up with Saints and Festivals, adapting portions of her earlier work for a younger audience.
In addition to Christmas, Easter and the stories of well-beloved saints, children will also discover the stories of lesser-known heroes of the Church such as St. Chad, St. Serapion, St. John the Dwarf and St. Hilda of Whitby. Even St. John Cantius finds a home in these pages. Peppered throughout with the imaginative illustrations of Gabriel Pippet, this volume makes a wonderful resource for children to take part in the yearly cycle of the Church.
Age range: 9 - 15
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 264 pages
by Various
Men need the elevating example of Catholic heroes. Learning from the saints what it is to live and die for the faith is an essential element of a boy's Catholic character development. Start by giving them this easy-to-read compilation of short stories and inspire the boys of today to be the saints that inspire others tomorrow.
Lives of Saints include:
| St Andrew, the Apostle | St Charles Borromeo | St Edward, King of England | St Francis of Assisi |
| St George, Martyr | St Henry II, Emperor | St James, the Apostle | St Joseph |
| St Louis, King of France | St Maurice and his companions | St Patrick | St Stephen, King of Hungary |
| St Thomas Aquinas | St William, Abp, Confessor |
Paperback, size 6" x 4", 248 pages
A Book in the Series of Amazing Saints
by Anna Kuck, illustrated by Sisters of the Congegation of the Mother of God
A true illustrated story of the Seven Holy Sleepers, which inspired Irving's "Rip Van Winkle". These Seven Holy Sleepers are early Christian martyrs that sleep for 184 years and wake up in a new era.
Age range froim 5-9
Paperback, size 8.5" x 8.5", 36 pages