Books in Our Parish Library
Click one of these Library shelf links to read reviews of just a few of the many books in the Parish Library.
Apologetics | Biographies | Church History | Doctrine | Family and Parenting | Fiction | Papacy | Prayer/Spirituality | Liturgy/Sacraments | Scripture | Theology/Philosophy | Young Adult
Crossing the Tiber, Steven K. Ray. When a best friend, an Evangelical pastor, converted to Catholicism, Steve and his wife decided to investigate the claims of the Catholic Church, taking a thrilling journey back in time that would change their lives forever. In this book, Ray convincingly lays out the issues that carried them over the "uncrossable chasm" into the Catholic Church. Crossing the Tiber contains extensive commentary on the issues of Baptism and the Eucharist, as well as a thorough analysis of Sola Scriptura and Tradition.
How Can I Get to Heaven? Written by St. Louis parishioner Robert Sungenis, this book answers questions about issues that often divide Catholics and Protestants: Can I know for sure if I’m going to heaven? Can I be saved by faith alone? What about works? What did Jesus teach about getting into heaven? "If your mind and heart are open, this book is guaranteed to change your life, your conception of God, and the way you look at others and the world itself."
Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn. Scott Hahn, a former Presbyterian minister, and his wife Kimberly, share their spiritual journey from Protestant anti-Catholicism to the Catholic Church. You won’t be able to put this book down as you read about their painful separation from long-held beliefs, their alienation from family and friends, their struggle to the truth, and their joyful conversion to Catholicism. Read this inspirational book, and you’ll find yourself buying copies to share with family and friends, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.
The Snakebite Letters by Peter Kreeft. Taking his cue from the literary genre invented by C. S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters, Peter Kreeft has gathered together fifteen spicy letters from Satan’s agents that allow the reader to spy into Hell’s inter-office communication. Combining satire, humor, and devilish insights, these fifteen letters from Snakebite to his trainee, Braintwister, provide a complete strategy for corrupting American society, public and private morality, and the Church. Focusing especially on the critical areas of sex, media, liturgy, theology, and religious education, these letters reveal the inroads that Screwtape’s American counterparts of the 90s have made into subverting our modern culture.
Surprised by Truth, Patrick Madrid, Editor. Eleven converts to Catholicism give Biblical, theological, and historical reasons for becoming Catholic. Their personal conversion stories are unlike any you’ve ever read. Included in this book are the conversion stories of St. Louis parishioner Robert Sungenis and Father Staples’ brother Tim. Read how Evangelicals and Fundamentalists were surprised by the Catholic truth in these moving stories of searching and finding.
Elizabeth Ann Seton, A Self-Portrait by Sister Marie Celeste. This captivating account of the life of the first native-born American saint is based on six volumes of Elizabeth Ann Seton’s letters and private diaries. Quoting extensively from these documents, Sister Marie Celeste narrates Elizabeth Seton’s life–her days as a New York society belle, her loving marriage to businessman William Seton and the birth of their five children, her husband’s untimely death, and her deep love of God and growing interest in the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church. Her eventual conversion to Catholicism, which left her poor and friendless, necessitated her move from New York to Maryland, where she founded the Sisters of Charity. You’ll find Elizabeth Ann Seton’s love, courage, humor, and piety truly inspirational.
Modern Saints, Their Lives and Faces, Ann Ball. This two-volume set contains the life stores of saints, beati, and other holy people of the last 200 years, along with their pictures, most of which are actual photographs. Covering many American saints and saints from the 19th and 20th centuries, this book demonstrates the perpetual vitality of the Roman Catholic Church and strongly conveys the idea that there are surely people living today who will one day be canonized saints.
My Spirit Rejoices by Elisabeth Leseur. This is the secret diary that changed her anti-religious husband . . . into a Catholic priest! When Elisabeth died prematurely in 1914, her husband Felix found the secret diary she had kept. Page after page revealed to him the beautiful life of Christian simplicity she had lived amidst the swirl of Parisian high society. Elisabeth had used her frequent illnesses and even Felix’s efforts to destroy her faith as means to grow in love for him and God. Felix’s eyes were opened by Elisabeth’s diary. He became a Christian and soon entered the seminary to become a Catholic priest. At the urging of friends, he published this diary, along with an introduction that tells of their life together and shows how Elisabeth’s virtues won him back to the Faith. Discover for yourself this path to holiness mapped–and then walked with quiet grace–by a good woman in circumstances like your own. Learn how to transform your own circumstances into occasions of grace for you and your loved ones.
The Story of a Family . . . The Home of St. Therese of Lisieux by Fr. Stephane-Joseph Piat. Meet Louis and Zelie Martin, who endured the deaths of four young children, the ravages of war, the struggles of establishing and maintaining a business, and more. Yet all five of Louis and Zelie’s daughters entered religious life, the youngest being St. Therese of Lisieux, declared the greatest Saint of modern times. How did they accomplish this? Fr. Piat chooses letters, primary sources, and anecdotes to bring to light the amazing love, holiness, and sacrifice of the Martin family. Their story is touching and inspiring.
The Story of a Soul, The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, translated by John Beevers. St. Therese wrote this account of her life at the behest of her prioress sister two and a half years before she died. Writing in her cold cell for a short spell each evening, she completed this manuscript just a few short weeks before she died. This is truly one of the greatest spiritual books ever written. Our Lord speaks through this Saint with such force and meaning that it shakes the soul of the reader.
A Short History of the Catholic Church, Jose Orlandis. In less than 150 pages, author Jose Orlandis presents a neatly compacted history of the Catholic Church up to the early years of the collapse of the Communist bloc. Profiling the main events and theological developments which molded the Church to its present form, this book is meant for readers who are looking for a simple but not superficial overview of the history of the Catholic Church.
Creed or Chaos by Dorothy Sayers. In seven powerful essays, Dorothy Sayers turns the full force of her keen intellect and piercing wit against those who water down the Faith. Sayers shows why all Christians must accept the Creed (chaos is the only alternative), why pious feelings are not enough (and why sharply defined doctrines are essential), and that the cry to “do away with doctrine and just preach the simple, uncomplicated religion that Jesus taught” actually betrays Christ and falsifies His teachings. Sayer’s humor makes her essays so easy to read, you’ll forget you’re reading a book about Christian doctrine!
Straight Answers by William P. Saunders, Ph.D. Pastor of Queen of Apostles Parish and columnist for the Arlington Catholic Herald, Father Saunders answers 100 commonly asked questions regarding the Catholic faith... Why do we offer Masses for the dead? Why do we genuflect and kneel? How did the Rosary originate? What is a novena? Why do priests use incense? Why and how do you go to confession? What are indulgences? What does the Church teach concerning ? Can Catholics be cremated? Why is Mary referred to as the "mediatrix"? This book is a must-read for Catholics who desire a better understanding of their faith and is also a great tool for reference and for those teaching religion.
100 Answers to Your Questions On Annulments by Edward N. Peters. Dr. Peters presents a balanced and helpful assessment of the annulment process. The information provided on the possible grounds for an annulment clarifies questions that many Catholics have concerning the annulment process, which combines the difficult task of upholding Our Lord’s strong teaching on marriage, yet extending his mercy to those people whose former marriages might have been sacramentally null.
Christian Fatherhood, Stephen Wood. This book, written by the founder of St. Joseph’s Covenant Keepers, identifies and addresses the unique needs of fathers. It gives men the practical truths to become faithful husbands and conscientious fathers. Christian Fatherhood presents a genuine Christian prescription for renewing the world by restoring the vocation of fatherhood.
Guiltless Catholic Parenting from A to Y, Bert Ghezzi. No–guiltless Catholic parenting is not an oxymoron! Catholic parents can raise kids in the faith without feeling guilty. They just have to do faithfully a few things that are important but easy to accomplish. In this book, Bert Ghezzi and 38 others offer down-home, tested advice for raising kids in the faith, without guilt. Covering such topics as talking to your kids about God, teaching them to pray and celebrate the Sacraments, disciplining without guilt, parenting alone, dealing with rebellious teens, children, and children who have left the Church, this book emphasizes that God doesn’t hold parents accountable for their kids’ decisions. All He expects is for parents to do their best job in pointing the way to faith.
Letters to Gabriel by Karen Garver Santorum. Karen Santorum wrote this moving collection of letters to her unborn child, Gabriel Michael, in 1996, never expecting that they would be published. Serious difficulties that developed during her pregnancy and the loss of Gabriel Michael coincided with the legislative fight against partial birth abortions, lead by her husband Senator Rick Santorum. The story of Gabriel Michael’s short but meaningful life is a tribute to the sanctity of life, the deep faith of the Santorums, and family values. This moving book will leave an indelible mark on your heart.
The Time Before You Die by Lucy Beckett. This is a novel set in sixteenth century Tudor England, where the disintegration of medieval Christendom shattered the lives of many. Especially affected were the monks and nuns who were persecuted by the wholesale dissolution of the monasteries carried out under Henry VIII. The hero of this novel is Robert Fletcher, a Carthusian of the dismantled priory of Mount Grace in Yorkshire. Fletcher struggles with his allegiance to the Church and is eventually condemned as a heretic. He is befriended by Reginald Pole, Archbishop of Canterbury who, with his cousin Queen Mary Tudor, tried in too short a time to renew Catholic England. Readers will learn much from this novel of the anguished period that gave birth to Tridentine Catholicism as well as to the Anglican and other Protestant churches, and that martyred Carthusian monks as well as Thomas More and Thomas Cranmer.
Pope Fiction, Patrick Madrid. Just published, this latest book by Catholic apologist Patrick Madrid answers 30 myths and misconceptions about the papacy, refuting them charitably and completely. You’ve probably run across many of these fictions in the media, among non-Catholics and misguided Catholics, and in popular culture. Learn the facts about the matter that most divides Catholics and Protestants in this fascinating and readable book.
A Calendar of Care by Father James Schmitmeyer. We all seek order and harmony in our lives, as the many calendars in our briefcases and pocketbooks and on our walls and refrigerators attest to. Father Schmitmeyer reflects on the natural calendar–the phases of the moon, the turning of the seasons–that first brought harmony between the divine ordering of nature and the human ordering of time. His moving essays reveal the power and the beauty of God and of God’s creation in the ordinary times and the extraordinary seasons of the lives of those with whom he lives as farmer, neighbor, friend, and pastor.
Spiritual Passages by Benedict J. Groeschel. Integrating the areas of psychology and spirituality, Father Groeschel assists you in finding your place on your spiritual journey and identifying personal traits that might be obstacles on the road to greater knowledge of and service to God. Focusing on the three stages of spiritual life, the purgation, the illuminative way, and the unitive way, the author prepares you to take the next step on your journey.
The Art of Loving God, Saint Francis de Sales. There are as many paths to holiness as there are saints in Heaven... but you can’t follow them all. Yet there’s one thing every saint practices that you can imitate: the art of loving God, which St. Francis de Sales teaches in this book. Discover the secrets to growing holier through the simple things in life–work, play, and rest. Learn to avoid the distractions that trouble and weary your soul, and focus your energy simply on loving God.
This Tremendous Lover by Eugene Boylan. Looking for a good love story? This book is it–a love story of God and man. It shows how spiritual life is a partnership of love between God and man that can be summed up in one word: Christ. The author stresses the importance of interior life and how all Catholicity–individual, social, secular–must begin and end in our interior lives with Christ. This book "speaks directly to every man and woman who struggles to find room for God amid a hectic life and in a culture often at odds with God’s values."
Frequent Confession, Its Place in the Spiritual Life, by Benedict Baur. The practice of frequent confession was not a "fad" of the 50s that went out with Vatican II. The Church’s stand on the value of frequent confession as a means of spiritual progress has not changed and continues to be emphasized by John Paul II (who, by the way, goes to confession at least once a week). If you’re not receiving the grace of this Sacrament frequently because you "don’t have any mortal sins to confess" or "always confess the same sins," this book will help you look at confession in a new way. Benedict Bauer explains how a valid and fruitful confession, concentrating on a particular failing or weakness rather than providing a litany of venial sins, can help you strengthen your will, uproot bad habits, and develop your spiritual life.
The
Healing Power of the Eucharist, by
John H. Hampsch. Father Hampsch reflects upon the spiritual, emotional, and even
physical healing that is available to us through the transforming power of the
Eucharist. He recounts miraculous stories and explains the teaching of the
Church concerning the real presence of Christ, “body and blood, soul and
divinity,” contained in the consecrated host. You’ll want to receive Holy
Communion more frequently and more fervently after reading this book.
The Lamb’s Supper, by Scott Hahn. This book reveals a long-lost secret of the Church: the early Christians’ 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 of the Eucharist. This book will help you see the Mass with new eyes, pray the liturgy with a renewed heart, and enter into the Mass more fully, enthusiastically, intelligently, and powerfully than ever before.
The Life of Christ, Bishop Fulton Sheen. Hailed as the most eloquent of Fulton Sheen’s writings and filled with compassion and brilliant scholarship, this book recounts the birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. This is a passionate portrait of the God-Man, the teacher, the healer, and most of all the Savior whose promise has sustained humanity for two millennia.
The Navaree Bible. This Sacred Scripture series, prepared by members of the Faculty of Theology of Navaree University, consists of the New Vulgate, the Revised Standard Version, and commentaries. Great for research, this series also provides those interested in a deeper understanding of Scripture with a non-technical explanation and commentary. If you’re looking to better understand the scriptures, deepen your reverence for the Word of God, and help apply it to your daily life, this series is for you.
The Puzzling Gospels by Joseph Dahmus. Who are the brothers and sister of Jesus spoken of by Matthew and Mark? How do you explain Jesus’ harsh instruction to the young man to let the dead bury their dead? Did Jesus on the cross approach the threshold of despair? These are among the seventy “puzzling” passages in the Gospels selected for consideration and explanation in this extremely helpful and fascinating book. Reducing his own enormous research in biblical scholarship, Joseph Dahmus provides crisp, readable answers and possible explanations of “the puzzling gospels.”
The Everlasting Man, G. K. Chesterson. Considered by many to be Chesterton’s greatest work, this book is his whole view of world history as informed by the Incarnation. Beginning with the origin of man, Chesterton explores man’s early pursuit of truth through mythology and philosophy, and how the world changed because of what the shepherds (the mythologists) and the wise men (the philosophers) found in Bethlehem. He examines Christ’s unique claim to divinity, comparing him with other religious leaders such as Mohammed, Buddha, er, and Confucius, none of whom claimed equality with God or made assertions of divinity. Using the analogy of a key for the Creed, Chesterton proclaims that in spite of dissenters, heretics, reformers and protesters who have tried to reshape the key, only the key that has retained its shape unlocks the door to Truth.
Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?, Matthew Pinto. The 200 questions contained in this book came from Catholic teenagers throughout the United States. Although written for teenagers, Catholics of all ages will learn more about their faith, about topics ranging from artificial insemination and purgatory to women priests and Fundamentalism. If you have a teenager who’s wavering in the faith, challenge them to read this book.
Falling Off Cloud Nine and Other High Places by Lorraine Peterson. Tailored for teenagers’ daily needs and answering their most pressing questions, this book contains ninety-one short devotionals. Each chapter offers a short paragraph on a subject, a brief Bible passage, and a few searching questions to help teens understand how it all fits into their present life and circumstances.
Goal to Go, The Spiritual Lessons of Football by James Penrice. This book uses football as a wonderful source of Christian symbolism and allegory, reflecting many of the struggles we face in our spiritual lives: the need for constant conversions, the presence of opposing forces and the setbacks they cause, the need for a "play book," our dependence on our "Quarterback," to name just a few. Writing for young and old, especially for those who "love to watch the game but are afraid to actually play it," the author draws upon the imagery and metaphors of football to portray Christian spirituality in a unique and thought-provoking way.
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