History is a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes or a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events. In this category you will find our history books - general surveys of history and books related to specific periods of history in the Church such as the Patristic Era or the Middle Ages.

"History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illuminates reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life, and brings us tidings of antiquity." Cicero

Louis de Wohl In this magnificent and stirring novel, Louis de Wohl turns his famed narrative skill to the story of the soldier and merchant's son who might have been right-hand man to a king … and who became instead the most beloved of all saints. Set against the tempestuous background of 13th Century Italy and Egypt, here is the magnificent and inspiring story of Francis Bernardone, …

Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson Finally back in print! This is one of Robert Hugh Benson’s greatest achievements on the list of great books written by him during his short life. He incorporates Church history, world history, romance, intrigue, vocations, martyrdom, war, and family into a breathtaking historical novel. The setting is in 16th-century England. The story revolves around the gradual …

Edited by Bro. Francis Mary, F.I. The most in-depth book yet on the life and work of the great modern martyr of charity and Marian Saint, Maximilian Kolbe, whom Pope John Paul II called "The Saint of our difficult century". Over ten authors, including foremost Mariologists Fr. Peter Fehlner, Fr. James McCurry, Fr. Jerzy Domanski, and Mark Miravalle have contributed insightful and inspiring …

Translated by Edmund Colledge and James Walsh     'My thoughts on the spiritual exercises proper to cloistered monks'; the ninth prior of La Grande Chartreuse, Guigo II,  (†1180) articulates the monastic contemplative tradition in distinctively western terms. '...reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. These make a ladder for monks by which they are lifted up from …

The Lamb's Supper reveals a long-lost secret of the Church: the early Christian's key to understanding the mysteries of the Mass was the New Testament's Book of Revelation. With its bizarre imagery, its mystic visions of Heaven, and its end-of-time prophecies, Revelation mirrors the sacrifice and celebration of the Eucharist. Beautifully written in clear, direct language, this new book by …

First published by Benziger Bros. in the 1950's. These beautiful reproductions of The Land of Our Lady Series of American History present a balanced Catholic view of this history. The five volumes, grades 4-5-6-7-8, cover the time from before Columbus landing in America to the mid-1950's—when these great books were originally published. Each book contains a concise yet interesting record of a …

"Crusade" means a war for the sake of the Cross, a war to protect Christian people from persecution and death on account of their faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone has heard of the crusades of the Middle Ages. But few know of the crusade in our own time, which living men still remember, fought for this same purpose only sixty years ago in Spain. In just six months of the year 1936, …

Louis de Wohl Continuing his popular series of novels about saints of the Church, de Wohl devotes his considerable talents to an interpretation of one of the most unusual women of all time, Saint Catherine of Siena. The daughter of a prosperous dyer in fourteenth-century Siena, Catherine never forgot the mystical experience of her extreme youth; at that time she devoted herself to Christ. It …

John Henry Cardinal Newman This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other …

John Henry Cardinal Newman This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other …

lmmaculée Ilibagiza Steve Erwin "I am humbled by the extraordinary spirituality that shines throughout lmmaculée Ilibagiza story of terror, endurance, healing, and forgiveness. As a Rwandan, I am proud that we can look beyond the misconceived differences that resulted in the murder of so many of our children, men, and women in 1994. lmmaculée's account of genocide survival is truly …

JOHN PAUL II Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) Photos by Giancarlo Giuliani This is a glorious volume from the new Pope Benedict XVI, who pays tribute to his predecessor, mentor and close friend, Pope John Paul II. As Cardinal Ratzinger he was the closest Vatican prelate to John Paul II, working together with him for almost 25 years in the Vatican. When John Paul died, the world saw …

Legacy:  The 10 Greatest Achievements of Pope John Paul II (DVD) Experience the Profound Impact this Pope had on our Church, our Lives, our World. No previous pope has affected humanity like John Paul II, and no other commentator has as complete a grasp of this great pope’s achievements as renowned Catholic scholar and author George Weigel. In this remarkable talk given in …

Legacy:  The 10 Greatest Achievements of Pope John Paul II (CD) Experience the Profound Impact this Pope had on our Church, our Lives, our World. No previous pope has affected humanity like John Paul II, and no other commentator has as complete a grasp of this great pope’s achievements as renowned Catholic scholar and author George Weigel. In this remarkable talk given in Lafayette, …

About this book - Modern interpreters have variously cast the Middle Ages as a benighted past from which the West had to evolve and, more recently, as the model for a potential future of intercultural dialogue and tolerance. The Legend of the Middle Ages cuts through such oversimplifications to reconstruct a complicated and philosophically rich period that remains deeply relevant to the …

Lepanto is not only one of G.K. Chesterton's finest poems, it is one of the finest poems in the English language. It is an intricate tapestry of images, an evocative telling of history, and a masterpiece of rhyme and rhythm and alliteration. The battle of Lepanto was fought on Sunday, October 7, 1571, just south of the town of Lepanto (now Naupaktos), Greece, in the Gulf of Lepanto …

This new book explores the spiritual vision of Pope Benedict XVI. Though he was a familiar Church leader for many years before becoming pope, there has been little awareness of the spiritual side of Benedict XVI. Now for the first time readers are given a brilliant overview of the Pope’s most inspirational teachings in Let God’s Light Shine Forth . Editor Robert Moynihan offers an …

Two monastic elders — the "Great Old Man" Barsanuphius, and the "Other Old Man" John — flourished in the southern region around Gaza in the early part of the sixth century. Maintaining strict seclusion within their cells, they spoke to others only through letters by way of Abba Seridos, the abbot of the monastic community in Gaza, where these two holy men lived …

Translated by Charles Christopher Mierow No other source gives such an intimate portrait of this brilliant and strong minded individual, one of the four great Doctors of the West and generally regarded as the most learned of the Latin Fathers.

What a story! Fr. Pierre De Smet (1801-1873) is mentioned in U.S. history books almost as a footnote, but there was in the mid-19th century America no single person the American Indians trusted as they did this Jesuit Priest. He was "more powerful than an army" at a huge treaty conference of U.S. officials and the Western Indian nations near Laramie in 1851, and he was the chief …

Available Spring 2009 The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation, and the Renaissance popes conjure in the imagination a corrupt Roman Catholic clergy hungry for wealth and power. In this insightful, well researched work, the Vatican’s chief historian, Fr. Walter Brandmuller, takes a thoughtful and understanding look at these and other important chapters in Church history. …

For more than thirty years the Church has been torn by a conflict that revolves around the question of the Liturgy. In this instructive and practical work, Denis Crouan has two purposes in mind. On the one hand, he analyzes the weight and validity of the arguments of the different liturgical factions in the Church. On the other hand, he makes accessible to everyone the instructions and …

Translated by Norman Russell, Introduction by Sister Benedicta Ward SLG Eyewitness accounts of the lives and teachings of the fourth-century Desert Fathers from the Historia monachorum in Aegypto. This book is a Cistercian publication. ". . . may make a good source for the historian; it may give some information and pleasure for the casual reader. But the spiritual man will never forget the …

Following up his best selling books Degenerate Moderns and Dionysos Rising, E. Michael Jones completes the trilogy as he reveals in this book how modern architecture arose out of disordered lives of its creators. Beginning with the simultaneous collapse of both his marriage and the Austro-Hungarian empire, Walter Gropius began to formulate an architectural rhetoric that he felt would speak to …

Scott Hahn Mike Aquilina There are no "self-made" success stories in the spiritual life. No do-it-yourself kits for aspiring saints. That's why Living the Mysteries is ideal for a family member, friend, or fellow parishioner who recently received the sacraments of initiation - baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist. That's why it's perfect for a lifelong Catholic, too. The early …

Drawing from his own pastoral experience as a priest and bishop before he became PopeJohn Paul II, Karol Wojtyla has produced a remarkably eloquent and resourceful defense of Catholic tradition in the sphere of family life and sexual morality. He writes in the conviction that science - biology, psychology, sociology - can provide valuable information on particular aspects of relations between …

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Elena Maria Vidal An historical novel on the French Revolutionary Age. This intriging story deals in particular with the daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, and the search for her little, lost brother. All of the major characters were real people, and the situations are based on fact. Madame Royale was written as a response to readers of Trianon, who wanted to know “What happened to …

About this book - In this seminal work, described by the "Times Literary Supplement" as "impressive alike by the authority of its learning and the originality of its argument," Christopher Dawson concludes that the period of the fourth to the eleventh centuries commonly known as the Dark Ages is not a barren prelude to the creative energy of the medieval world. Instead, he …

By Pope Jo hn Paul II Translated and introduced by Michael M. Waldstein In this new critical translation of Pope John Paul II’s magnum opus, internationally renowned biblical scholar Michael Waldstein presents John Paul II’s magnificent vision of the human person with meticulous scholarship and profound insight. This is the classic compilation of texts which outline the Thoelogy of …

The remarkable life of Blessed Pier Frassati for young adults. A beguiling and moving biography of Pier Giorgio Frassati, a handsome, athletic and fun-loving young man from a rich, aristocratic Italian family in the 1920's who was recently beatified by Pope John Paul II. Pier Giorgio turned from a life of privilege to one devoted to working with the poor, and was a courageous witness of …

Marcus: A Novel Depicting the Lives of the Early Christians in Rome By Fr. Michael Giesler In second-century Rome, Marcus tries to resume his life as a student of philosophy at the Athenaeum.  His sister, Juania, had been executed in the Ampitheater for the crime of becoming a Christian.  A few weeks after her death, Marcus himself is saved from being run over by a reckless …

THE MARTYRS OF THE COLISEUM is a history of that famous arena in Rome, where thousands of early Christians met a cruel and bloody end, but much more than that, it is also the story of many well-known saints and heroes of Christ who went willingly to their deaths in testimony of the truth of the Catholic faith. In fact, it reads like a veritable lives of the early saints and martyrs. For here …

Father Luigi Gambero, internationally-known expert on early Christianity, presents an intriguing and comprehensive survey of the development of Marian doctrine and devotion during the first eight Christian centuries.  Focusing on the lives and works of over thirty of the most famous Church Fathers and early Christian writers, Fr. Gambero has produced a clear and readable summary of the …

Mary in the Middle Ages by Luigi Gambero In his book Mary and the Fathers of the Church, Fr. Luigi Gambero presented a comprehensive survey of Marian doctrine and devotion during the first eight Christian centuries. Mary in the Middle Ages continues this journey up to the end of the fifteenth century, surveying the growth of Marian doctrine and devotion during one of the most important eras of …

Mass Facing the People Michael Davies This booklet makes clear that Mass facing the people has never been demanded by the Church and that it was not so much as mentioned in a single document of the Second Vatican Council. In addition, there is no mandatory legislation from the Holy See requiring that Mass be said facing the people. The booklet notes the great pastoral insensitivity and …

In this remarkable book author Mike Aquilina reveals the Church's most ancient Eucharistic beliefs and practices. Using the words of the early Christians themselves - from many documents and inscriptions - Aquilina traces the Mass's history from Jesus' lifetime through the fourth century. The Mass stood at the center of the Church's life, evident in the Scriptures as well as the …

Elaine Stone "A story of the ordinary becoming the extraordinary, ... a story of faith in God's love, strength, and purpose." -A. E. P. Wall , journalist and former president International Federation of Catholic Journalists Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who founded the Militia of the Immaculate and two monasteries and who wrote and published periodicals and newspapers, became a political …

This work has been translated and annotated by Polycarp Sherwood, OSB The Ascetic Life is a dialogue between a young novice and an old monk on how to achieve the Christian life. The Four Centuries is a collection of aphorisms. Maximus the Confessor (also known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople) (c. 580 – 13 August 662) was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar. …

This volume includes a translation of four spiritual treatises of Maximus the Confessor (c. 580-662), plus an account of his trial. Included are The Four Hundred Chapters of Love, Commentary on the Lord's Prayer, Chapters on Knowledge, The Church's Mystagogy, and Trial of Maximus.  

This first English translation of Quaestiones et Dubia by the 7th century monk Maximus the Confessor presents 239 interrogations and responses addressing theological, philosophical, ascetical, spiritual, and liturgical concerns. An introduction by the translator provides a historical and contextual background.

This spirited story of how young George Washington was drawn into the country's struggle for independence gives readers a vivid perspective on a crucial era in American history.

Meet John XXIII -Joyful Pope and Father to All   By Patricia Treece   "My life must be filled with the love of Jesus, and also with a great outpouring of goodness and sacrifice for individuals and for the whole world." —from Chapter Seven The world loved Pope John XXIII—who could resist his cheerful, affectionate nature?—and he admitted that he was …

When Thomas Jefferson was young, Virginia was still a colony of England. Jefferson thought that many English laws and taxes were unfair, so he studied hard to become a lawyer and help make better laws. Soon he and others came to believe that the colonies should become a new country, and Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence. As the third president of the United States, …

Mary Alice Dennis M ost renditions of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at La Salette, France in 1846 deal primarily with the Apparition itself. This book tells the remarkable story of the Apparition and its message, but it addresses the whole subject of La Salette from the viewpoint of the life of Melanie Calvat, the young girl seer, showing her to have been extraor-dinarily graced …

Mexican Martyrdom . By Fr. Wilfred Parsons S.J. True stories of the persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico from 1924-1928, when some 2,000 Catholics and 50 priests were put to death under Calles, including Fr. Miguel Pro. In a country 97% Catholic, an anti-Catholic government rules -- even today! An inspiring witness to Catholic fortitude. Proves that hatred for the Catholic Church …

Lawrence W. Wieczorek The Miraculous Life of Father Houle is the true story of a man who was born to experience God’s love through his life and his ministry as a Catholic priest. His own birth was the first of many miracles to reveal that he was especially chosen to lead and bring faith to people’s lives. After entering the Jesuit order, Father John A. Houle, S.J. was assigned to missionary …

More Catholic Than The Pope - An Inside Look At Extreme Traditionalism Patrick Madrid Peter Vere Faithful remnant, or fanatic schismatics? It can be difficult to distinguish defenders from defectors. Many traditionalist schisms that have sprung up since the Second Vatican Council are filled with devotion to the Blessed Mother; they remain extremely conservative with regard to most moral issues …

The history of salvation revealed! From that eternal moment when He created time, through each prayer, confession, and consecration in the Church today, the Lord of the Universe has been working toward one principal goal: the salvation of our souls. Indeed, so great is the dignity of mankind, and so relentless is God’s love for us, that everything He makes and does leads us into eternal …

In Rabbi David G. Dalin's controversial new book, he explodes the newly resurrected, widely accepted, yet utterly bankrupt smearing of Pope Pius XII, whom Jewish survivors of the Holocaust considered a righteous gentile.

A wave of missionary fervor swept through 17th century France, powered by the desire to bring the Gospel to those who had never heard it.  Traders, adventuruers and explorers saw the New World asd territory to exploit, while the Jesuits saw it as a land ripe for the Gospel message.  They were ready to give up everything to proclaim the God they loved. These men faced incredibly …

This book will ship in August 2004. Order now to the get the book at the pre-order price. The riveting tale of the clash of two powerful institutions - Notre Dame and the Ku Klux Klan-that changed both institutions - and America - forever. In 1924, students of the University of Notre Dame and members of the Ku Klux Klan faced off in a violent confrontation in South Bend, Indiana. This shocking …

"Recommended for all theological collections." - Catholic Library World " Oasis of Wisdom is a serious and engaging spiritual journey." - Catholic Library World

This work by Hans Urs Von Balthasar, translated from the German, addresses the Papacy and the Church on the topics of: The Phenomenon The Refusal Forms of Abstract Unity The Real Christ in His Constellation The All-Embracing Motherhood of the Church The Historical Peter in His Successors Love as Self-Transcendence The Crucial Test

Sister Mary Celeste (History Professor at St. Xavier College, Chicago, in the 1930s-40s). Starting with the time of primitive man up through the history of the New World in America (and everything in between)—this is a great history book. With an honest Catholic perspective, this is interesting and necessary information for everyone and a book that students will look forward to reading. This …

Isaac of Nineveh was a native of Bet Qatraye near present-day Bahrain on the Persian Gulf. A teacher and monk, he was consecrated bishop (ca. 660-680), but preferred to live out his live as an anchorite. A Scriptural scholar, he studies Scripture so much that he became blind and had to dictate his writings. He died at an advance age and was buried in Rabban Shabur, where he spent most of his …

Gregory of Nazianzus, "The Theologian," was recognized among the Cappadocian Fathers as a peculiarly vivid and quotable exponent of the doctrine of God in Trinity. A brilliant orator and accomplished poet, he placed before the Church his interpretation of the sublime mystery of the God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These five sermons, probably delivered as a series at the …

St Gregory is one of the most open and self-revealing of the Fathers of the Church, and his poetry is remarkable for its personal character. In these poems, he speaks of the joys and frustrations of his own life; he reveals his inner questioning about the purpose and values of life in the face of sin and mortality, and his ultimate faith in Christ as redeeming and reconciling all things. St …

By St. John Chrisostom Compiled by Robert Van De Weyer These excerpts from the sermons of Saint John Chrysostom bring fourth-century wisdom to 20th century issues. Each serves as a brief introduction to a major spiritual thinker and as a meditation book for daily use.

Christian tradition often seems to give only grudging approval to the married life, particularly its sexual aspect. In these sermons of St John Chrysostom we find an important corrective to this view. Although himself a monk, Chrysostom had a profound understanding of the needs of his congregation. Inspired by the epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians, he discusses their reasons God …