Catholic Books

Before being published as a small book, these "counsels of perfection" and spiritual notes by Blessed Edward Poppe (1890-1924), a Belgian priest whose cause for canonization is underway, had been transcribed a hundred times by hand by those who had tasted their flavor, vigor, and supernatural wisdom. Fresh and luminous, this little book has been a tremendous success in Dutch, French, Italian, and German; it now appears at last in English. Responding well to the needs of the faithful, it will ...

Venerable Louis of Granada was the favorite author of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John on the Cross, St. Francis de Sales and many others. Among the hundreds of eminent ascetical writers of Spain, Louis of Granada remains unsurpassed in the beauty and purity of his style, the solidity of his doctrine, and the popularity and influence of his writings. Besides ascetical theology, his published works treat of Scripture, dogma, ethics, biography, and history. He is best known, however, for his ascet...

The four books (Introduction to Theology, Revelation, The Channels of Revelation, The Church) conveniently gathered in this volume titled The Science of Sacred Theology, were written by the great but sorely neglected theologian, Fr. Emmanuel Doronzo, O.M.I. (1903-1976), as abbreviated texts of his Theologia Dogmatica, a two-volume work totaling over 2,000 pages. These four books were originally published by the Notre Dame Pontifical Catechetical Institute which was founded by Msgr. Eugene Kev...

The startling assertion that "the laity must be apostolic" requires unpacking as the Church becomes more and more confined in modern society. But, as Fr. Francis Wendell shows in this short book, there is a transformative "philosophy of presence that can be exercised only by lay people since they are present in and are of the world." In this short work, Fr. Wendell shows how: - the laity must avoid a purely external living of Christianity - how there is no one-size-fits-all program for the la...

This is a new edition of Fr. Paul de Jaegher's classic work on the interior life. In these few simple pages we aim at expounding a conception of the spiritual life, which, of its very nature, seems well adapted to help the soul in its progress through these two stages on the road to sanctity. Founded on a fundamental dogma of the spiritual life, the dogma of sanctifying grace and of the divine indwelling, it helps us singularly to esteem and practice this precious intimacy with Christ, which...

When After Virtue first appeared in 1981, it was recognized as a significant and potentially controversial critique of contemporary moral philosophy. Newsweek called it "a stunning new study of ethics by one of the foremost moral philosophers in the English-speaking world." Since that time, the book has been translated into more than fifteen foreign languages and has sold over one hundred thousand copies. Now, twenty-five years later, the University of Notre Dame Press is pleased to release t...

Catholic Christendom versus Revolutionary Disorder Volume 1 (The Collected Works of Dr. John Rao) If Christ came to "bring a sword" into history, it was a sword that was meant to fight on behalf of the personal and common good of individual human beings and the communities through which they work to perfect themselves. Everywhere that sword cut, it did so to fashion a true, good, and beautiful civilization in which men could live with a freedom and a dignity that surpasses all purely natural...

The Thomistic Response to the Nouvelle Théologie: Concerning the Truth of Dogma and the Nature of Theology retrieves the most important and largely forgotten exchanges in the mid-20th-century debate surrounding ressourcement thinkers. It makes available new translations of works by the leading Thomists in the exchange: Dominican Fathers Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Michel Labourdette, Marie-Joseph Nicolas, and Raymond Bruckberger. In addition to a lengthy historical and theological introductio...

Death Comes for the Archbishop is a 1927 novel by Willa Cather. It concerns the attempts of a Catholic bishop and a priest to establish a diocese in New Mexico territory. The novel portrays two well-meaning and devout French priests who will encounter a well-entrenched Spanish-Mexican clergy after the United States acquired New Mexico in the Mexican-American War. As a result of the U.S. victory, the dioceses of the new state were remapped by the Vatican to reflect the new national borders. Se...

The resurgence of interest in the Charismata, or Charismatic graces, in the last 40 years has given rise to differences of theological outlook arising from Catholic and Protestant sources. This text addresses those various topics and differences and is divided into three parts. The first part is a translation of Fr. Hagen's authoritative text on the nature of the charismatic graces by Ryan Grant. The second part is the original Latin text of Fr. Hagen, which is provided here for the sake of s...

Following after brilliant authoritarian Pope Pius XII and good-humored Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI seemed hesitant, anxious, even tormented. Yet the impact of his fifteen-year-long papacy was colossal: not a single aspect of Church life was left untouched in the whirlwind of change unleashed by the Ecumenical Council he guided and sought to implement. Who was this man, Giovanni Battista Montini (1897-1978), who so altered the face, the voice, the bearing of Catholicism? Versatile historian ...

The Autobiography of a Latin Mass Exile Fr Bryan Houghton's life was fraught with momentous transitions. As a Protestant child educated in a Catholic school, he gradually awakened to the truth of the Faith and eventually converted. He responded to the call to priesthood, which he understood in its traditional sense as an office of offering sacrifice, reconciling sinners, feeding the spiritually hungry, and preaching divinely revealed truths. When the Second Vatican Council hit, and even more ...

A Brief History of Catholic Traditionalism in the United States, from Triumph to Traditionis Custodes In this compact and informative book, Stuart Chessman tells the tale of the traditionalist movement in the United States of America, from its birth in the era of Triumph (1965-1975) to the mounting tensions with "conservative Catholicism" (1975-1985), to the dawning of hope in the "Indult regime" (1985-2007), leading into the broad daylight of Summorum Pontificum (2007-2021), and then descend...

Nearly a century after it was first published in 1925, Medieval Cities remains one of the most provocative works of medieval history ever written. Here, Henri Pirenne argues that it was not the invasion of the Germanic tribes that destroyed the civilization of antiquity, but rather the closing of Mediterranean trade by Arab conquest in the seventh century. The consequent interruption of long-distance commerce accelerated the decline of the ancient cities of Europe. Pirenne challenges conventi...

"Ceremonial may be interpreted as a spiritual obeisance to the created beauty of the world." So writes Abbie Graham in the Foreword to her Ceremonials of Common Days. In this succinct yet surprisingly profound work, Graham demonstrates this same "obeisance to beauty" in her own artful writing on the special celebrations, festivities, and traditions accompanying the four seasons. Looking not with the modern eye (which views such things as little more than random, culturally produced rituals) b...

Mohammed and Charlemagne the last book penned by Belgian historian Henri Pirenne before his death in 1935, is in many ways the culmination of his lifelong study of medieval history. As Professor of History at the University of Ghent from 1886 until 1930 (with a brief hiatus during Germany's invasion of Belgium during World War I), Pirenne contributed many works to the study of medieval Europe. Not the least of these is the present volume, left unfinished at the time of his death but meticulou...

In this thought-provoking book, Roberto Spataro provides readers with a compelling argument for the relevance of the Tridentine Mass and Latin language to joyful evangelization. Drawing from Pope Francis’s call for renewed evangelical excitement, Spataro shows how the forms of the ancient Latin liturgy provide clarity in a chaotic world. He set out to prove that despite often being viewed as stodgy and passé, Latin still has the power to unite Catholicism into a cohesive whole that highlights...

The Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Roman Liturgy The Holy Mass, by Fr. Lucas, is a historical treatise on the Roman Rite which is meant for the average reader that does not have a lot of study on the subject. It was first published in 1914 in two volumes and is now republished containing both volumes in one book.Father Lucas says in his preface: "The attempt to write yet another book about the Mass while for English speaking Catholics Dr Fortescue's work on the Roman Liturgy holds the field ma...

The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by bishop Goodier, takes the subject of Christ's life from the coming of John the Baptist until his last day before Palm Sunday and the beginning of His passion. Goodier notes in his introduction: "Hence in a work of this kind it has not seemed necessary to introduce any discussion concerning the four Evangelists, or the authenticity of their work. These have been examined and proved by writers far more skilled and learned than the author and he is co...

St. John Fisher was a standout figure in the 16th century, going against the reigning king to remain true to his faith. Fisher was a brave defender of traditional Catholic priesthood and liturgy, and his renowned work Defense of the Priesthood attacks Luther's dissenting arguments head-on. This work stands as an important piece of theological literature, both for its critique of Martin Luther’s theology and for its defense of sacraments which were traditionally accepted in Catholicism at the ...

Mediatrix Press is pleased to put back into print: The Life of Pope Leo XIII written by the learned American Fr. Bernard O'Reilly, while that Pope was alive, and based on a memoir furnished to him by the Holy See. Thus, this work is nearly autobiographical, being based on the Pope's life as he wished it to be written. Fr. O'Reilly, making copious use of the Pope's Italian memoir, presents to us Gioacchomo Pecci, the future Leo XIII, in the midst of the dramatic and revolutionary changes affec...

St. Robert Bellarmine was one of the best known of the Counter-Reformation theologians by both friend and foe. His apologetic writings were the most widely read treatises on theological subjects during the 17th century, and they also brought numerous conversions to the Catholic faith. Now for the first time, St. Robert's amazing treatises are available to you in English! In this treatise on the Sacrifice of the Mass, St. Robert divides his work into two topics: That the Mass is a Sacrifice, a...

A powerful cabal has fallen.A princess has chosen duty over love.An ancient threat waits amid the shadows.Wes Cervos has recovered a new portion of the Codex Veritatis, but his increased knowledge of the High One comes at a terrible price. Whitespire has been destroyed, and the realm of the dragons has fallen into chaos.Wes and his friends have once again sought refuge in the city of Auranth, but this time, they are no longer willing to hide. Across Kaveryth, confidence in King Ursa has begun...

A Catholic Vision of Angelic Reality The Other World We Live In is more than just a book. It is an exercise in broadening your perspective and understanding the angelic realm with which we share our world. In its pages, readers will better understand how the cosmic, human, and angelic aspects of life truly interact. Saint Thomas Aquinas said that our place as human beings within this system is one of a ‘marvelous connection’ connecting the material and spiritual worlds. With The Other World ...

Explore the vibrant and complex first thousand years of Christian culture with Popes, Emperors, and Elephants: The First Thousand Years of Christian Cult. This carefully researched book is written in an accessible style that adults and children alike can enjoy. Roy Peachey takes you on a journey from Athens to China, from Rome to Ethiopa and through ancient lands like Jerusalem and Iraq. You’ll learn about saints, popes, emperors, sailors —and yes, even the occasional elephant! It’s an eye-op...

Christians and the New Age is a book that confronts the challenges of our changing world, offering a refreshing perspective on humanity, our relationship with God and how it can be embraced in society. Written by Christopher Dawson in 1931, the book analyzes humanism as a dangerous institution and offers an alternative to the Western culture in hope of restoring Medieval beliefs such as The Economy of Grace and The Great Chain of Being. This text provides insight that is essential for readers...

Tired of the withered fruits of a devastated vineyard, an increasing number of "postconciliar exiles" are making their way, in a pilgrimage of irrepressible curiosity and improbable delight, to the haven of Catholic Tradition--laboring to recover it piece by piece, word by word, rite by rite, chant by chant, devotion by devotion. Tradition and Sanity brings together a round-table discussion, interviews, and imaginary dialogues exploring the depths and shallows of Catholic liturgy, the lyricis...

Is man an isolated, voluntaristic, autonomous individual, as modernity would have him? Or is he subject to natural, social, and transcendent orders? Much has been written since Rerum Novarum in 1891 on the general outlines of Catholic social, economic, and political thought, but what Catholics need today is a sure guide to how to live out these principles in their daily lives. To this end, Brian McCall’s To Build the City of God responds with chapters on marriage and the family, dress, educat...

Alive to the role of material beauty in strengthening our perception of the invisible, Dom Perrin assists us in our understanding of Mary’s role in the divine plan. Those who already rejoice in fervent devotion to Mary will find their love for her here nourished and refreshed. For those who have not yet turned to Mary, these pages may prove truly liberating, inviting entry into a prayer life that is deeper, more confident, and more effective. A contemplative gaze at Mary Immaculate has the po...

To the medieval thinker, man was the center of creation, and all of nature existed purely for his benefit. The shift from the philosophy of the Middle Ages to the modern view of humanity's less central place in the universe ranks as the greatest revolution in the history of Western thought, and this classic in the philosophy of science describes and analyzes how that profound change occurred. A fascinating analysis of the works of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Hobbes, Gilbert, Boyle...

J. R. R. Tolkien was a profoundly metaphysical thinker, and one of the most formative influences on his imagination, according to this new study of his works, was the great thirteenth-century theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas. Structured around Tolkien’s Middle-earth creation myth, the Ainulindale, The Flame Imperishable follows the thought of Aquinas as a guide in laying bare the deeper foundations of many of the more familiar themes from Tolkien’s legendarium, including such notions as sub-cre...

St. Maximus the Confessor (c. 580–662), saint and martyr, might well be called the Saint of Synthesis. His thought, no less than his geographical wanderings, place him between Rome and Byzantium, between the theologies of East and West, and between the early Middle Ages and the ancient Church, whose representatives and traditions (which during his day had suffered much at the hands of imperial and ecclesial censure) he salvaged and brought back to the attention of his contemporaries. In this,...

“I have come to bring fire to the earth,” said Jesus Christ, and his words have come true in the lives of Catholic saints through the ages—men, women, and children on fire with love of Jesus, and with the desire to spread his word. The intention of this book of inspirational stories from the lives of saints is to fill the reader with this same fire. Whereas saints were once the popular heroes of our culture, populating our art and folklore, lending their names to our towns and streets and ins...

In No Strange Land illuminates the richness of mysticism--in the life of Philip Neri--as an "experience of the activity of God." The life of the Apostle of Rome demonstrates that it is primarily people, not arguments, that reveal the mysteries of God. Philip's experience of God, his mysticism, was given him for the sake of others. Furthermore, that experience itself was embodied; that is to say awakened, nourished, and brought to fruition within the religious tradition into which he was born,...

In a world that is ever-changing and increasingly full of challenges, it is more important than ever to have a strong foundation on which to build our lives. For centuries, the Rule of Saint Benedict has been a source of wisdom and guidance for those seeking to live a joy-filled and meaningful life.André Gushurst-Moore's book, Glory in All Things: St Benedict & Catholic Education Today, shows us how even in the 21st century, the ancient wisdom of Saint Benedict can be applied to our lives...

Preliminaries to a Spirituality of Work In what way can human beings attain that Harmony whereby they become mediators between Heaven and Earth? In the mysterious language of symbols we can rediscover the sense of vocation that reflects Divine Activity. For God is, in reality, the sole Artisan. All the traditional crafts strive to imitate within their limitations the work of God, Who unceasingly creates and maintains the world. And in the end it is this that constitutes the sole foundation of...

Aquinas and Modern Science: A New Synthesis of Faith and Reason is a revolutionary guide that bridges the gap between faith and reason, thoughtful speculation and rigorous scientific inquiry. It invites readers to discover the richness of Thomas's philosophy as it confronts questions about our rapidly changing world.Aquinas and Modern Science outlines a path inspiring readers to seek answers both from within our own tradition as well as from modern science in effort to construct a faithful re...

These meditations and devotions by St. John Henry Newman, spanning poetry from his Anglican period (including his most famous and well-beloved poem, "Pillar of Cloud"/"Lead, Kindly Light"), to reflections on God’s Divine Providence from his later period as a Catholic and founder of the Oratory in England, expresses a profoundly confident but deeply human faith that resonates with the very real experiences of modern Christians from all walks of life. These poems intimately show a personal side...

Introducing The Enchanted Sonata, a delightful and captivating retelling of the classic ballet story with a magical twist. Written for the enjoyment of readers of all ages, this charming novel takes you on a journey to an enchanted empire where handsome princes and beautiful palaces await. Our protagonist is Clara Stahlbaum, whose life is an intricately planned path towards her dream of marrying the talented pianist, Johann Kahler. That all changes when she receives an unexpected gift – an en...

G. K. Chesterton’s patriotism and growing sympathy for the poor had always vied with his appreciation of Jewish family values and his gratitude to the Jewish people for bringing God to the world. Then, with the rise of Nazism, Chesterton once again became their champion. Chesterton and the Jews peels away post-Holocaust assumptions to reveal his complex feelings for “the Jews” — admiration, fascination, and fear — uncovering neglected layers of meaning in stories hitherto seen as anti-Semitic...

A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven Storey Mountain is one of the most influential religious works of the twentieth century. This edition contains an introduction by Merton's editor, Robert Giroux, and a note to the reader by biographer William H. Shannon. It tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace and faith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders--the Trappist mo...

Christians are the world’s most widely persecuted religious group, according to studies by the Pew Research Center, Newsweek, and the Economist, among others. A woman is caught with a Bible and publicly shot to death. An elderly priest is abducted and never seen again. Three buses full of students and teachers are struck by roadside bombs. These are not casualties of a war. These are Christian believers being persecuted for their faith in the twenty-first century. Many Americans do not unders...

Book 4 in the West Brothers contemporary Christian young adult fiction series. When the path is not clear... When temptation is near... When God speaks in a whisper you can barely hear... Ever since that life-changing night in the canyon, Jarret has felt the presence of the Lord in his soul. Now that presence is fading. Is it his fault? How will he remain faithful without it when he still struggles against the same temptations? Questioning whether he has a true calling, Keefe reads everything...

After three heartbreaking miscarriages, Tom and Jenny Callahan are happily anticipating the birth of their sixth child. Their neighbor, however, is secretly hatching a sinister plot which will find Jenny and her unborn baby fighting for their lives.

A probing meditation on the nature, value, and beauty of purity, In Defense of Purity is not a book of sexual ethics, nor a "how-to" guide to purity--but for readers with open minds and hearts, the book promises to be transformative. When Dietrich von Hildebrand converted to Catholicism in 1914, he was surprised to find that, despite an abundance of books on the dangers of impurity, there were practically none on the positive values of purity. "So," writes Alice von Hildebrand, widow of Dietr...

Many of us are intimidated or overwhelmed by the complexity of the Bible. But with You Can Understand the Bible, you'll be well equiped to explore God's Word with greater clarity and appreciation. Written by popular author and Boston University professor Peter Kreeft, this best-selling guide is designed to provide readers with a clear roadmap of the Bible. A must-have for any spiritual journeyman, this book takes an intelligent, yet lighthearted approach to understanding scripture. Filled wit...

Love is worth fighting for in this captivating retold fairy tale from Regina Doman. Waking Rose: A Fairy Tale Retold is the third book in the Snow White and Rose Red Trilogy and it finally tells the story of Rose's long-lasting love for Fish. Rose has been madly in love with Fish for years, but he always seems to keep his distance. Unbeknownst to her, Fish has been struggling with problems that make him want to stay away from her. But when they are thrown together by circumstance, Fish starts...

The Song of Bernadette is a remarkable literary masterpiece by Austrian-Jewish author Franz Werfel, offering a powerful testament to the transcending power of faith. It follows the true story of Bernadette Soubirous and her miraculous visions at Lourdes in 1858, depicting how the simple peasant girl’s faith changed a town - and indeed history - forever. Inspired by his experience hiding from the Nazis in Lourdes much later, Werfel crafted this passionate masterwork to show the deep spiritual ...