Biography

Explore the life and spirituality of Blessed Conchita, a mystic, saintly wife, and mother of nine, through "Beautiful Holiness: A Spiritual Journey with Blessed Conchita to the Heart of Jesus" by Kathleen Beckman. Discover how Blessed Conchita's experiences and writings offer profound insights for priests, religious, and married people alike. Learn about her vision of the Cross, her spiritual marriage with Christ, and her numerous mystical encounters, all while living a domestic life. This bo...

The well-known and very popular Catholic couple, Scott and Kimberly Hahn, have been constantly travelling and speaking all over North America for the last few years about their conversion to the Catholic Church. Now these two outstanding Catholic apologists tell in their own words about the incredible spiritual journey that led them to embrace Catholicism. Scott Hahn was a Presbyterian minister, the top student in his seminary class, a brilliant Scripture scholar, and militantly anti-Catholic...

From Fire, by Water is an inspiring and captivating account of one man’s journey to the Catholic faith. This book offers a firsthand look at Sohrab Ahmari’s incredible transformation from an atheist teenager in Iran to a devout Roman Catholic, bridging ancient faith with modern-day life. Through his eyes, readers will gain a unique perspective on the intellectual and spiritual struggles he faced in his search for higher truths.A unique and detailed memoir filled with personal reflections, Fro...

In his raw and tender memoir, biographer Kevin Wells pulls readers into the unforgettable story of a parish priest turned hermit, Father Martin Flum, who orchestrated the slow resurrection of his wife, Krista, from the nightmare of her deep wounds and addiction. In gripping fashion, Kevin tells the story of his family's own long suffering, which culminated in the dark spring of 2020, as a strange fear pressed down upon the world and his wife spent most nights drinking away long-held shame. Wh...

Sister Mary Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, founded the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles in 1995 at the age of seventy. Four years after her death, in May 2023, the sisters were preparing for the reinternment of the remains of their beloved foundress after the completion of a St. Joseph Shrine. Upon seeing Sister Mary's remains, they discovered something incredible, something miraculous--her body appeared to be incorrupt!In The Life of Sister Mary Wilhelmina, you will become acquaint...

"Sister Marie describes in detail the life of a Carmelite Nun and shows us by what means and in what manner rich spiritual treasure is being gathered for the benefit of all of us."-- Thomas L. Noa, Bishop of Marquette, in the original foreword This gem of a book is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing the hidden details of life in Carmel -- "the powerhouse of prayer." Sr. Marie, a young novice, addressed this revealing series of letters to her parents and family about her life i...

Bankrupt and with his reputation in ruins, Oscar Wilde wrote the astonishing letter, "De Profundis" to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, while in prison. Editor Colm Toibin, the acclaimed author of The Blackwater Lightship, The Master, and Brooklyn, describes it as Wilde's "greatest piece of prose writing." Also included is "The Ballad of Reading Gaol," Wilde's most famous poem and one of the greatest ballads in the English language, as well as other letters Wilde wrote from prison that reveal ...

"BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE 20TH CENTURY." —Time Volume 3 of the gripping epic masterpiece, The Gulag Archipelago, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In Volume 3, Solzhenitsyn gives a moving account of resistance within the Soviet labor camps and his own release after eight years. Foreword by Anne Applebaum."The greatest and most powerful single indictment of a political regime ever leveled in modern times." —George F. Kennan, The New York Review of Books "It is impossible to name a book that had a ...

"BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE 20TH CENTURY." —Time Volume 2 of the gripping epic masterpiece, The Gulag Archipelago, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In Volume 2, Solzhenitsyn recounts his entrance into the Soviet prison camps, where he would remain for nearly a decade. Foreword by Anne Applebaum."The greatest and most powerful single indictment of a political regime ever leveled in modern times." —George F. Kennan, The New York Review of Books "It is impossible to name a book that had a greater eff...

"BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE 20TH CENTURY." —Time  Volume 1 of the gripping epic masterpiece, The Gulag Archipelago, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In Volume 1, Solzhenitsyn gives a chilling report of his arrest and interrogation, which exposed to the world the vast bureaucracy of secret police that haunted Soviet society. Foreword by Anne Applebaum."The greatest and most powerful single indictment of a political regime ever leveled in modern times." —George F. Kennan, The New York Review of Book...

Born in Connecticut in 1852, Michael McGivney grew up with a dream that would prove difficult to achieve. He wanted to become a priest and devote his life to God by serving others. After his ordination, Father McGivney's influence went far beyond his priestly ministry and parochial boundaries. His friends were in high society and on death row. A man of many talents, he directed plays and organized church fairs. Father McGivney shared his love of God by serving those around him. His concern fo...

Aidan Nichols has been contributing to theological literature since the early 1980s. Now in his seventy-fifth year, he looks back not only on his writings but on the long arc of life from which they arose. Though nominally Anglican in childhood, his earliest sense of the transcendent came through an encounter with God in nature. A pivotal experience in a Russian Orthodox church in Geneva led him to become a confessing Christian. Orphaned as a teenager, Nichols returned home and journeyed from...

During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, it was high treason—and therefore punishable by death—to be a Catholic priest in England. In this dangerous era, hiding places were essential whenever pursuivants arrived in search of clergy. Among the master craftsmen responsible for constructing these ingenious “priest-holes,” one name stands above the rest: St. Nicholas Owen. A small and later crippled man, Owen built the majority of England’s priest-holes, saving the lives of countless priests...

Among the early followers of St. Francis of Assisi were saints and masters of the spiritual life who shared both a natural and supernatural kinship with their founder. Through their lives and writings they deepened and articulated the spirituality St. Francis embodied—rooted in simplicity, love, and total conformity to Christ. Their witness brought clarity to the distinctive traits of Franciscan life and became a wellspring for generations of Christians seeking to follow the Seraphic Father. ...

Thomas Aquinas stands among the greatest thinkers of the Western tradition, a towering figure whose influence continues to shape theology, philosophy, and contemporary intellectual debate. This accessible and engaging introduction presents both the life and the thought of Aquinas, showing how his synthesis of faith and reason remains profoundly relevant for modern discussions about the future of Christianity. The book highlights Aquinas’s major contributions, the development of his ideas, and...

Maximus the Confessor (580–662), one of the towering figures of early Byzantine theology, occupies a place in the Greek patristic tradition comparable to that of Thomas Aquinas in the Latin West. His profound influence as a spiritual and theological master is evident in the vast space dedicated to him in the Philokalia. For Maximus, dogma and prayer were inseparable, and his unwavering defense of orthodox Christology—against the heresies of his time—was grounded in this deep unity of truth an...

Imagined in the first person and interwoven with excerpts from the letters of Saint John Neumann, this narrative follows the journey of a young, poor immigrant whose vocation draws him far beyond his Bohemian homeland. From childhood he sensed a calling to missionary work in North America, a conviction that shaped every step of his life. Within twenty years of arriving in the United States as a Redemptorist priest, he served the North American Province, became Bishop of Philadelphia, and laid...

How does a city boy who only lived to the age of fifteen "go viral" more than a decade after he died? Discover the story of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church. Born in 1991, the same year as the launch of the World Wide Web, Carlo has been hailed by the pope as an example of love and holiness in our complex digital age. This tech-savvy Italian teen has shown the world that computer coding and video games are no obstacle to sainthood. From a young...

Élisabeth and Félix Leseur began their life together in France as a carefree young couple with a bright future ahead of them. They were beautifully and compatibly matched, except for one major difference--Élisabeth was a devout Catholic, and Félix was a firmly decided atheist. As they faced the seasons of life together, their relationship was tested, and both were called to deep spiritual transformation.Out of love for her husband, Élisabeth spent her life offering her many sufferings for the...

This book is a memoir of an unlikely relationship between the author, Karen Hall -- a television writer and producer of hit shows like M*A*S*H, Hillstreet Blues, Moonlighting and The Good Wife -- and conservative Jesuit biblical scholar Fr. Paul Mankowski, SJ, who died in September 2020. It exposes the silencing of Fr. Mankowski by his religious order for airing its dirty laundry and for upholding the two-thousand-year magisterium of the Catholic Church. With the same page-turning prose that ...

Since he was beatified in 2020, Carlo Acutis has been the subject of widespread interest across the globe. This typical Italian teenager, who lived a life of extraordinary virtue, has captivated countless millions. And yet we're left wondering and wanting to learn more about this millennial saint. What was Carlo really like? How did he interact with those closest to him in daily life? What was it like to live in the same home with him?In My Son Carlo, Antonia Salzano Acutis shares, in vivid d...

This definitive biography of the heroic life of Servant of God Cardinal Thuan is told by his sister Élisabeth, with Father Stefaan Lecleir, in the context of his family life, priesthood, and prison life, and the very challenging times in which he lived. It focuses especially on his profound spiritual life, his great suffering during a thirteen-year imprisonment by the Communists, his strong capacity for friendship with his enemies, and his deep veneration for Christ in the Eucharist. Élisabet...

"I know I am not worthy of her help, yet she is to me in my darkness of sin what the bright and shining star is to the mariner, for her pardon gives me hope." -- Alessandro Serenelli Through vivid storytelling, this historical account reveals the disturbing influences and grim motives that possessed Alessandro Serenelli, St. Maria Goretti's murderer. Yet it is much more than a chilling tale; this true narrative is a testament of transformation and redemption -- God's mercy shining forth throu...

This book is the result of a life-long companionship with William Shakespeare. Annie-Paule de Prinsac has never been in doubt about his mannerism, whose many guises she reveals through close readings of selected plays. Such mannerism, however, in a kingdom torn by religious conflicts, violent oppression, and censorship raises questions. It seems out of step with the spirit of the Elizabethan Court, but also seems to belie the views of so many critics regarding his alleged social background an...

Learned and filled with holiness, he not only organized the constitutions, and established the Salve Regina after compline but was instrumental guiding the work of others to establish the Dominican Liturgy.Though master-general of the order, Bl. Jordan's humility prevented him from attributing himself as a director of any human authority. He was not and did not wish to be anything but a docile instrument of grace. As a director of conscience in his breadth and delicacy, Jordan had the Catholi...

The sixteenth century was a golden age for the Church in Spain, producing great thinkers such as Victoria and Suarez, and mystics such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Hidden among these towering figures is the venerable Father Louis de Ponte, SJ. Born at Valladolid in 1554, de Ponte lived a remarkably pure and innocent life, advancing steadily in both learning and holiness. Though he served as an administrator within the Jesuit order, ill health eventually led him to withdra...

After the devotions of May to His Blessed Mother Mary, we turn now to June, the month of His love. It is not a coincidence that western culture has chosen June for the month of weddings, nor that Our lord chose to elevate the month to turn the mind toward love, union, and the promises of the human heart and Divine Love. To increase this necessary fervor, The Month of the Sacred Heart, by the Abbé Berlioux, contains a valuable trove of practices and sentiments toward sanctifying the month of J...

The eighteenth century is often called an age of “Enlightenment,” a period marked by skepticism, worldliness, and a turning away from God in favor of constructing a purely human society. Yet long before this crisis emerged, God had already prepared an apostle to confront it: St. Alphonsus Liguori. Renouncing prestige, legal success, and worldly advantage, he placed Christ at the center of his heart and devoted his life to setting souls ablaze with love for the Redeemer. But the roots of St. A...

St. Leonard was born in 1676 at Port Maurice, near Genoa. He went to Rome to study, and there took on the Franciscan habit at the friary of St. Bonaventure. St. Leonard was zealous for souls, and wanted to be a missionary to foreign lands; instead he was called by God to give missions to the Christians of his own country.For twenty-four years, amid great hardships and dangers, he preached missions in every corner of Italy. The power of his words, which flowed from his strict life converted co...

The amazing life of Blessed Nicholas Factor tells of a miracle working saint from the 16th century. As a child of five, Nicholas already manifested signs of his future sanctity. He fasted three times a week and gave the food he did not touch to the poor. With cheerful words he comforted the sick, and on visiting the leper hospital, he would at times kiss the wounds of the afflicted persons. A Moorish maid in his home was so affected at the conduct of the holy child that she was attracted to t...

"In this book, Deacon James Keating provides an opportunity for one spiritual director to introduce his mind to the minds of other directors with the hope that his ideas may season their own already developed method of direction. The book does not attend to all the possible realities a director may encounter within his or her training or within the daily execution of this ministry. The author wishes to share his approach to directing seminarians by reflecting upon themes and experiences which...

"Let us all ask the Lord to call us into a time of Eucharistic renewal, a time of prayer and reflection, of acts of charity and sincere repentance. The Lord is with us in the Eucharistic Mystery celebrated in our parishes and missions, in our beautiful cathedrals and in our poorest chapels. He is present and he draws near to us, so that we can draw nearer to him." -- Catholic bishops of the United States, The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, no. 58

The saints in heaven are powerful intercessors, praying for our needs before the face of God. As part of the communion of saints, we on earth pray with power when we ask the saints to pray with and for us, especially on their feast days.Pray with Us invites us to connect with 365 saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God -- one for each day of the year. Each day's entry includes a brief biography of the saint and a prayer. This book provides a concise, approachable format for individu...

What characterizes, in a singular way, Jesus's teaching on prayer is the recourse to parables. Jesus did not invent a new system for praying. Jesus was not a hermit, a Buddhist monk, or a yogi. He instead chose the daily life of his people to teach prayer with parables. This book explores the parables in the Gospels explicitly related to prayer, with Jesus as your guide.In preparation for the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, the Exploring Prayer series delves into various dimensions of prayer in the...

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the revelation of God's love for man, made flesh. The heart is a symbol of our passions, desires, and will. Meditating upon Jesus' heart can transform our own hearts so we might be one with him.Make Our Hearts Like Yours is a comprehensive collection of meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, drawn from saints and scholars of every age of Church history. Arranged according to the liturgical calendar, this daily devotional highlights the centrality of the Incarna...

This book explores the transformative power of divine partnership, showing how God works through human imperfections to achieve extraordinary results. Drawing from scripture, personal anecdotes, and life lessons, the book demonstrates that collaboration with God is not limited to saints or the gifted-it is accessible to everyone. The central theme is that faith and trust in God allow ordinary individuals to participate in extraordinary accomplishments while finding fulfillment and simplicity....

In a world that often equates fulfillment with marriage and family, Going Solo: Encouraging Single Catholics offers a refreshing and faith-centered perspective on the joys, challenges, and spiritual purpose of living as a dedicated single Catholic.Drawing from her personal journey, Anne Stokes shares heartfelt reflections, scriptural insights, and practical wisdom to uplift those navigating life outside the traditional expectations of marriage. With warmth and honesty, she explores themes of ...

Eventually, the Pendulum Will Swing is Bob Sizemore's deeply personal and faith-filled memoir chronicling his Franciscan journey through life's triumphs, trials, and transformations. From a turbulent childhood to academic and spiritual pursuits, and a profound reconciliation with his past, Sizemore reflects with honesty, wisdom, and humor. This inspiring narrative, rooted in perseverance, family, and divine providence, offers readers a moving portrait of how faith and resilience shape a meani...

It is the story of Dr. Francisco Marquez, a devout Catholic, Cuban-American principal who leaves a lucrative job in the Florida Keys to take a job on the edge of the Mississippi Delta, in backwoods, rural America. His natural charm, people skills and ability to compromise and compartmentalize turn his foundering school into a success. A success, that is, until the Catholic Far-Right headed by the uncompromising Mrs. Thelma Pruitt, decide to rid the community of the "liberal foreigner."

Besides the graces of the Sacraments, God has another way for us to grow in faith from a mustard seed into a giant tree. And that way is a life of virtue. A virtue is a habit, something that must be practiced daily if it is to increase. At our Baptism, we received the virtues of faith, hope, and love. In this children's book, authors Patrick O'Hearn and Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, with beautiful illustrations by Adalee Hude, describe 15 of the most important virtues for boys and girls. We begin...

Lives Of The Saints 978-0-89942-870-3The Lives of the Saints contains for each day of the year, a short biography of a Saint or Blessed along with a prayer. This volume of Saints' lives is in accord with the 2004 Roman Martyrology and the United States liturgical calendar, while the second familiarizes the reader with the extraordinary and sometimes surprising lives of lesser-known Saints and 'Blesseds.'This companion to the classic Lives of the Saints, with over 60 beautiful illustrations an...

St. Felix of Cantalice was a Capuchin Franciscan in the 16th century. Placed among great personages such as St. Philip Neri, St. Charles Borromeo, and others, St. Felix lived a life of poverty and fidelity to the rule of St. Francis. Born in 1515, he lived as a farm worker until he was 28, when he became a Capuchin. He not only begged alms, but gladly distributed them to the poor. It was said that his alms sack was as bottomless as his heart. He walked bare-foot through the streets of Rome, a...

The chequered life of Ludolph the Carthusian (c. 1295-1378) found its spiritual contentment in the writing of his colossal work on the Vita Jesu Christi in Latin. The book on the Life of Christ occupied some forty years of Ludolph's life in a charterhouse in Mainz. It has been styled as a summa evangelica and as it contains a series of meditations, spiritual instructions and prayers, it has also served to many a medieval scholar as a collation of dogmatic and moral dissertations. These are st...

Domine Exaudi is the fifth of six volumes of Denis the Carthusian’s monumental Commentary on the Davidic Psalms. Denis (1402–1471), known as the “ecstatic Doctor,” devoted himself to expounding all 150 Psalms according to the traditional fourfold sense of Scripture: literal, allegorical, tropological, and anagogical. This volume continues the effort to make his rich spiritual and theological insights available in English for the first time. Denis understood the Psalter to be the heart of Chri...

The figure of Girolamo Savonarola looms large over Italian secular and ecclesiastical history, but remains obscure to the English-speaking world. Now, as part of a larger project dedicated to the translation and study of the life and works of Savonarola, this highly accessible biography of the Friar of San Marco has been republished in the hopes of introducing faithful Catholics to a man that Pius XII called "an apostle who has a lively sense of things divine and eternal, who takes a stand ag...

For too many of us, life is harder than it needs to be. We have forgotten the ancient system of "super habits" -- a specific set of habits for making decisions, managing our emotions, and dealing with other people that fosters lives of greater ease, happiness, and power.Ancient civilizations relied on these habits to produce some of the greatest achievements in human history. Now, contemporary researchers in psychology, education, and management are rediscovering these habits and empirically ...