Spiritual Life
The Gospel of Peace
by Fr John J. Hugo
Fr. John Hugo (1911 1985) was a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburg who spent much of his life giving retreats based upon those that he had participated in while still a young priest in the 1930s. Those retreats were given by Fr. Onesimus Lacouture S. J. and Fr. Hugo was one of over 6000 priests to whom the retreat was given over a course of several years. The Retreat, as it was affectionately called by its devoteés was an electrifying and life-changing experience for many of them. It was nothing more nor less than the Spiritual Excercises of Saint Ignatius. But these retreats given by Fr. Lacouture were, as the saying goes the real deal. They were given as St. Ignatius intended, for the proper length of time and according to the true Ignatian spirit. They got to the real roots of Christian living. They were, in short, radical.
Fr. Hugo became a disciple of Fr. Lacouture in the sense that he experienced the fruits and saw the necessity of the retreat for Catholic Americans. He determined to continue that work as part of his priestly vocation. Fr. Hugo became the spiritual advisor of Dorothy Day (and the Catholic Worker Movement) who took the retreat more than twenty times during her life. This book, The Gospel of Peace, is one fruit of that work, and it was very controversial at the time of its publication in 1943. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is always controversial because it is out of step with the world.
Fr. Hugo's other works include Applied Christianity and A Sign of Contradiction.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 176 pages
The Christian Life in the Works of
Dom Prosper Gueranger
Abbess Cecile Bruyere
Dom Paul Delatte
selected and edited by Sr Mary David Totan, O.S.B.
The French Abbey of Solesmes was one of the centers of monastic life and culture, famed for its Gregorian chant and its contributions to liturgical renewal. Here is a generous sampling of the writings of its three most important figures on major aspects of spirituality.
This book contains a selection from the writings, sermons and personal correspondence of Dom Gueranger, his successor, Dom Paul Delatte, and Abbess Cecile Bruyere who founded the Abbey of St. Cecelia near the monastery at Solesmes. Most of the writings appear in English for the first time.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 266 pages
The Collected Letters of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume 1
by St Teresa of Avila
Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD
This book contains Letters from 1546 to 1577.
Includes Introductions, Endnotes, Biographical Sketches and Index.
St. Teresa of Avila wrote candidly the story of both her life and her work as foundress in two books: the Life and the Foundations. Despite her openness in them, she wrote with the knowledge they would be read by her censors. Her letters, then, exhibit even more striking candor, offering many details that were not meant for the public. In these letters we walk with Teresa year by year, day by day -- even hour by hour sometimes. Her worries, her troubles and triumphs, her expressions of sadness and joy pervade these pages. Without question we have before us a rich collection, showing a heart magnanimously open to others, communicating with them on many levels, pouring itself out to family members and religious, to friends, theologians, advisors, and to the nobility and business people.
Difficult as writing a book was for Teresa, she preferred it to letter-writing, a drudgery that cost her more than all the pitiful roads and sorry weather experienced on her journey through Spain. What proved painful for her has proved a treasure for us, a collection of letters that scholars consider unparalleled in Spanish literature.
Letters in the years of 1578-1582 are in the second volume.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 702 pages
by St Teresa of Avila
This second and final volume of St. Teresa's correspondence begins with the year 1578, a most troubling time for Teresa. A keen observer of the reality around her as well as within, Teresa in these letters focuses light on many of the struggles in both the Carmelite order and the church of sixteenth-century Spain. She introduces us to major personalities who have left their mark on history.
Through her letters historians gain a better knowledge of the chronology of events in Teresa's life and how she related to the diverse people she had dealings with. A number of everyday particulars that compilers and editors of those times considered unimportant are today prized. Her worries, her troubles and triumphs, her expressions of sadness and joy, are all present here. With a compelling spontaneity, these letters disclose a Teresa in a complex variety of circumstances. The extraordinary gifts of grace bestowed by God on this Spanish Madre fortified her for a demanding ministry of service which entailed heavy responsibilities and that drew her contemplative soul into a whirl of activities. Because of the limited means of travel and communication in the sixteenth century, the organization of a reform like hers, with its unavoidable business matters, had to be dealt with chiefly through correspondence, a chafing duty that became one of Teresa's greatest trials. She often repeated that letter-writing was her biggest burden, a wearisome task that cost her more than all the miserable roads and bad weather experienced on her journeys through Spain.
With its endnotes, biographical sketches, and above all, fresh translation, this second volume, like the first volume of Teresa's Collected Letters opens again another door into the fascinating world of this saint, one of the greatest women history has known.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 661 pages
The Maxims of St Philip Neri
by Fr Faber
St Philip Neri (1515-1595) is known as the Apostle of Rome and the founder of the Congregation of the Oratory. This translation of his maxims and sayings is the work of Fr Faber, first published in 1847. His Maxims emphasise the constant teaching of the masters of the spiritual life, going back to the Desert Fathers (themselves always the favourite reading of St Philip). Full of good sense, they present us with an essential spirituality, presented as easily accessible reflections for each month of the year.
Paperback, size 7.5" x 4.25", 80 Pages
by St Thomas More
Awaiting execution in 1535 for refusing to betray his faith, Thomas More opens the door on his own interior life by creating a fictional dialogue. It takes place in 16th century Hungary between a young man, Vincent, and his dying but wise old unle, Anthony.
Vincent is paralyzed by fear of an impending Turkish invasion which could force hime to betray his faith or die a martyr. As he pours out his fears, Anthony responds as only the calm and clear-headed St Thomas More could do: on the comfort of God in difficulties, the benefits of suffering, atonement for evil acts, faintheartedness and the temptations to suicide, and scrupulosity.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 318 pages
by Bishop Francois Le Courtier
Practical, honest discourses for women by the Bishop of Montpellier.
Chapters include:
- The Love of God;
- The Flight of the Love of the World;
- The Pleasures of the World;
- Duties of the Rich;
- Portrait of the Christian Woman;
- Woman's Sunday;
- The Useful Life;
- Woman's Conversation;
- The Life of Union With God;
- The Exercise of Prayer and Meditation;
- The Life of Self-Denial;
- The Christian Mission of Women.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 240 pages
by Fr Charles Arminjon
It's one of those books that come out of nowhere - almost literally - just when the world needs it most.
Is it all correct - what it reveals about the future, both for the world and the soul? From the vantage point of earth, who can say? It is written by a human.
But a great saint - Thérèse of Lisieux - was so taken by this book that it spurred her entry into the convent. "Reading this book was one of the greatest graces of my life," she says in her autobiography. "The impression I received from it is too sweet to express. All the great truths of religion and the mysteries of eternity plunged into my soul a happiness not of this earth."
Completed in 1881 by an aged French priest, this remarkable book surfaced long enough to draw Thérèse into the convent and then, for more than a century, plunged back into obscurity.
Now we offer you the very first English translation of this hope-filled, chilling work.
In it, Fr. Arminjon gets right to the point: "The end of the world, Christ says, will come when the human race, sunk in the depths of indifference, is far from thinking about punishment and justice. It will be as in the days of Noah, when men lived without a care, built luxurious homes, and mocked Noah as he built his ark."
"Civilization will be at its zenith, markets overflowing with money, and stocks will never have been higher. Mankind, wallowing in unprecedented material prosperity, will have ceased to hope for heaven. Crudely attached to pleasures, man will say 'My soul, you have goods to last for many years. Eat, drink and be merry.' "
Doesn't that sound eerily like America just a year or so ago?
Fr. Arminjon insists that we "steer clear of every perilous opinion and make no assertion that is not justified by Tradition and the doctrine of the Fathers." Yet it's precisely his sober reliance on Scripture and Tradition that makes this book so convincing . . . and so chilling!
But Fr. Arminjon doesn't merely sketch the darkness ahead; he also shows how Jesus will fill that darkness with light; and he details the rich bounty Christ has in store for all who stay faithful.
That's what caught Thérèse up in such fervent love of God, nourished her impatience for Heaven, and confirmed her decision to choose a life wholly consecrated to Divine Love.
The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life: let it show you how to read the signs of the times and prepare you to bear yourself as a Christian (as it did Thérèse) . . . no matter what the future holds!
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 310 pages
A guide for those who follow the single vocation in the World
by Fr Dominic J Unger, O.F.M., Cap
Few realize that a person can pursue a truly supernatural vocation by consecrating himself or herself to perpetual celibacy while yet living in the world. Here Fr. Unger describes the main guidelines for such a religious vocation, showing the nature and the manner of dedicating oneself to it. The author gives the history in the Church of consecrated celibate living, plus some basic helps in safeguarding purity in such a life. Based on the Pope Pius XII encyclical On Holy Virginity, this book shows that the consecrated life in the world is just one more example of the rich Tradition of the Church in providing for the needs of all her children.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 200 pages
by Fr. Nicholas A. Norman
Tells better and in less space the principal reasons and motives for consecrating ourselves to Mary, using St. Louis De Montfort's True Devotion to Mary method. Also, summarizes the Fatima message, relating it to True Devotion. Beautiful!
Paperback, size 6" x 3.75", 68 pages
by The Benedictine Convent of Clyde, Missouri
Why do so few of us have a devotion to the Precious Blood that was shed for us and saved us?
This small but powerful booklet will give you a new appreciation for, devotion to, and love of the Precious Blood of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and it will help you to see the important role it has as God’s chosen instrument of mercy. It will help you gain the many spiritual benefits and graces that come from venerating the Precious Blood, whether in Mass or by meditation, such as:
- Atonement for sins
- Assistance of the souls in Purgatory
- Procurement of graces and blessings for yourself and loved ones
- Imitation of the saints
- Union with God
Included in this booklet are many traditional prayers, examples of some of the greatest saints and their devotion to the Precious Blood, and an explanation of the traditional practice of devotion to the Precious Blood.
Booklet, size 6" x 3.75", 68 pages
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
by St John Eudes
Saint John Eudes was born at Ri, a country parish near Caen, Normandy, in 1601. Endowed with extraordinary talents and filled with burning zeal for the salvation of souls, he devoted 50 years of life, until his death in 1680, to the preaching of missions and to the organization of ecclesiastical seminaries. He founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, generally known as the Eudist Fathers, for missionary and seminary work; the Order of Our Lady of Charity with its two observances of the Refuge and of the Good Shepherd; the Society of the Most Admirable Heart for lay persons aspiring to perfection in the world; and lastly, Confraternities of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary for the propagation among the faithful of the devotion, of which he was the first apostle. He wrote the first Mass and Office for the special feast in honor of the Sacred Heart and of the Holy Heart of Mary, which he established thirty years before the revelations of the Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary.
For those who relish a rich interior life, Loreto Publications is delighted to provide you with the seraphic insights of Saint John Eudes, one of the greatest spiritual writers of all time. Known as the apostle of devotion to the Sacred and Admirable Hearts of Jesus and Mary, John Eudes is very much needed in this apathetic age. An atrophic, and chilling frigidity of soul seems to be threatening the very lifeblood of Catholic altruism. Although the sacramental lifeblood of grace, with all of its divine efficacy, is inexhaustible in its source, even still, the maternal hands of the Lord s holy mother, who longs to dispense the higher gifts of God with such largesse, can be tied on account of our lukewarmness.
Behold this Heart which has loved man so much, Jesus said to Saint Margaret Mary as He unveiled that pulsing reality to her enraptured eye. This is the Heart of Our Savior that was pierced by a lance. This is the Heart Saint John Eudes presents to us in the unforgettable exposé.
Like Saint John the Apostle, Father Eudes had the privilege of what could be nothing less than direct intimate access to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. One can only conclude after reading this book that here was a man driven by the Holy Spirit to cast fire upon the earth with the pen of a scrivener lost in divine abandon. God is wonderful in His saints, and with holy gusto Loreto seconds the accolade given to Saint John Eudes by a grateful generation: the wonder of his age.
Paperback, 214 pages
The Medal or Cross of St Benedict
by Rev. Martin Veth, O.S.B.
This publication explains how the Medal of St. Benedict was first known “several hundred years before the year 1647!” There are two types: the Ordinary Medal and the Jubilee Medal; both are highly indulgenced, but more so for the Jubilee Medal. “Of the salutary effects produced through the pious use of the Medal, facts are narrated which might fill a large volume.” For this reason, the Church has raised the Medal of St. Benedict to the dignity of a sacramental and it is the only medal in existence which is honored with a blessing of its own in the Roman Ritual! The generous indulgences are fully explained, along with the history and much more.
Booklet, 48 pages
by Father James Sullivan
With My Meditations on Saint Paul, follow in the missionary footsteps of Saint Paul from Damascus to Rome. Father James Sullivan begins each daily devotional with a scene from Acts of the Apostles or the Epistles of Saint Paul. Filled with rich historical and personal details describing the thoughts and feelings that a disciple must have experienced, Sullivan places you in the midst of the early Christians who heard the words of Saint Paul.
This pocket-sized devotional gives you everything you need to walk with and learn at the feet of the Saint Paul, including:
- Intimate, personal reflections on the words and acts of Saint Paul
- Heartfelt prayers, echoing the same prayers and petitions of the great convert and evangelizer
- Detailed maps chronicling Saint Paul's extensive missionary journeys (p. 557-560)
- A timeline of St. Paul's life both before and after his dramatic conversion (p. 563-564)
- And much more...
Now, you can travel with Saint Paul on his missionary tours, learn at his feet, and discover how to bring the teachings of Christ to your world.
Leatherette, pocket size, 567 pages
By Anne Catherine Emmerich
In parts one and two of Spiritual Works and Journeys, the visionary speaks of “action in vision” in the “nuptial house” and “vineyard,” whereby she labors for souls.
Parts three and four continue this theme in a wider framework, such as the “two churches,” “planetary influences,” St. Michael and spiritual warfare, and the Church Militant.
Part five recounts fascinating spiritual journeys on behalf of the well-being of the souls of others.
Paperback, 244 pages
Also available in hardcover on request (additional cost)
1890-1897
by St Therese of Lisieux
Letters to and from St. Therese of Lisieux from September 1890 (Novitiate period as a Carmelite Nun) to September 1897 (death). Translated from the critical edition by John Clarke, OCD. Includes 4 pages of facsimiles of Therese's letters, plus general and biblical index to both volumes.
This sequel to volume 1 contains all of Therese's letters from the end of September 1890 (during her novitiate) until her death in 1897, as well as many letters written to or about her. Here the mature Saint Therese shows the path of her growth as a religious and as a deep spiritual writer. The reader learns much about all of her correspondents, including her two "missionary brothers," and gains familiarity with the development of her thought and message.
Fifty pages of complementary documents give us useful tools for studying the texts.
Paperback, 677 pages
by St Therese of Lisieux
"Letter writing at the turn of the (19th) century was an important activity for the people of France. Those who received letters from family and friends alike usually kept the hand-written texts sent to them as precious gifts. That is why this collection of letters by and to one of the greatest saints of modern times is so interesting to us today. ..." [from back cover]
Paperback, 688 pages
Key to the Interior Life
from the German of Rev. Cassian Karg, O.M. Cap.
This little booklet has been prepared to acquaint all classes of people with “The Little Secret.” It is written for all, but is especially destined to serve teachers and their pupils, lay-apostles and their charges. It casts its net extremely confident that it will make a big haul of souls. The chapter “Among the Little Ones” will bring joy to the children, the chapter “The Secret Explained” unrelenting zeal to the adults, the chapter “Self-sacrifice” consolation to the sick and other suffers. May many use it to gain souls for the Lord – to the honor and praise of Jesus Christ. Imprimatur 1925.
Booklet, 44 pages
Paperback
This classic work from Thomas à Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ, is now available in English for the first time.
It is a simple truth that, without the virtue of humility, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It simply cannot be done. Just as pride is the root and source of all sin, so is humility the foundational virtue in which all other virtues must be grounded if they are to bear fruit.
Ever since Lucifer’s pride prompted his rebellion from God and Heaven, it has been continuously forgotten that only humility can lead us back to Heaven and union with God. Pride, as we know, is the broad and easy road to Hell. Unfortunately, our world has lost the sense of sin because it has lost the sense of God and virtue, especially humility.
Humility is the heartbeat of the saints and the foundation of all virtues. It is the virtue that conforms us most closely to Christ. In this short but deeply rich book, the great spiritual master, Thomas à Kempis, will teach you the following:
- The necessity of humility
- How to cultivate humility
- The manifestations of pride
- How to elevate your mind to God
- How to pray with humility and reverence
This timeless work also includes some of the most beautiful prayers ever written to God, the Blessed Mother, and the saints that will help you advance in virtue and pray with fervor.
Hardback, 128 pages