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This powerful film, unforgettable audiobook, and inspiring novel are among our all-time favorites. That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;ve decided to give them to you completely free!&nbsp;Please sign in or create your free account to access this content. You can enjoy this content for free through July 31, 2025.

Free Catholic Classics: June & July

This first full-length feature movie on Augustine uses a historic backdrop to tell the true story of one of the Church&rsquo;s most beloved and well-known Saints. Its message of sin, conversion, and redemption is as timely today as it was in the 5th century. It is the story of a gifted man who pursues fame and fortune without a moral compass&mdash;and the dramatic changes that occur in his soul when challenging events lead him to see the light of truth. It also chronicles the collapse of the Roman world and how Augustine laid the intellectual foundations of what became Europe. With Augustine, the stories of two other great saints&mdash;Monica and Ambrose&mdash;are also portrayed.

Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine

The final step of making A.I. requires giving the system certain questions we know the answer to and some questions we do not know the answer to and then checking their answers against reality. Fr. Fessio explains how A.I. ultimately depends entirely on humans and thereby cannot self-replicate.

109: Reinforcement Learning—The Final Step of Making A.I.

<DIV>The liturgy of the Catholic Church is the action by which Jesus Christ unites the members of the Church in glorifying God. It makes people holy through words, music, action and signs. The Eucharist is intended to be the most powerful means of union with our God, with the saints in heaven and with each other, and is to be a foretaste of the praise of God given in joy by the saints in heaven. As we move through the whole of the year, the Church is united with the mysteries of Christ's earthly life so as to come closer to her Lord and Saviour. Monsignor Peter Elliott provides scholarship and many years' experience and love of the liturgy. His previous work Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite has helped many people to celebrate our liturgy with attention and devotion. This present work is a guide to the most important moments of the Church year from Advent and Christmas to Holy Week, Corpus Christi and to the Solemnity of Christ the King. His book has been a long-awaited guide to those who wish to celebrate the events of the Church year with dignity, devotion, and deep faith. "Monsignor Elliot is one of the most insightful and reliable liturgists writing today. The rubrics of the Roman Rite are not self-explaining, but with Elliot's work safely in reach, a generation of liturgists raised without a rich training in tradition can confidently approach the Ritual and be more respectful of the faithful's fundamental right to sound worship." -Dr. Edward Peters Institute for Pastoral Theology, Ave Maria University </DIV>

Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year: According to the Modern Roman Rite

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Maximilian Schell stars as &ldquo;the flying friar,&rdquo; St. Joseph of Cupertino, in this heartwarming and amazing true story of the humble Franciscan friar who literally rose to sainthood. In the impoverished village of seventeenth century Cupertino, Italy, Joseph&rsquo;s peasant mother convinces the reluctant abbott (Ricardo Montalban) to accept her son into the monastery. With the support of the kindly local bishop who sees in him a great deal more than others do, and by a series of miraculous incidents, the simple but pious Joseph is ordained a priest. Yet some are convinced that it is the devil, not God, who is responsible for Joseph&rsquo;s miraculous powers&mdash;until a final miracle reveals to all his true sanctity. This movie is not rated but was created with an adult audience in mind. It may contain violence indicative of the life and times of the saint and characters portrayed. We would recommend parental guidance and that parents preview it before watching with children.

The Reluctant Saint: The Story of St. Joseph of Cupertino

In a world torn apart by persecution, war, and oppression, three children in Fatima, Portugal, were chosen by God to offer an urgent message of hope to the world. Based on the memoirs of the oldest seer, Lucia Santos, and many thousands of independent eye-witness accounts, The 13th Day dramatizes the true story of three young shepherds who experienced six apparitions of Our Lady between May and October 1917, which culminated in the final prophesied Miracle of the Sun on October 13. Abducted from their homes, thrown into prison, and interrogated under the threat of death in the government's attempt to silence them, the children remained true to their story about the crucial messages from Mary of prayer, repentance, and conversion for the world. Our Lady gave a secret to the children told in three parts, from a harrowing vision of hell, to prophetic warnings of future events including the advent and timing of the Second World War, the spread of Communism, and the attempted assassination of the Pope.
This movie is not rated, but was created with an adult audience in mind. It may contain violence indicative of the life and times of the saint or character portrayed. We would recommend Parental Guidance and that parents preview it before watching with children.

The 13th Day - Film

Fr. Fessio talks about gender and claims that there are three genders?! But listen closely . . . he’s not saying what you may think . . .

99: A Jesuit Speaks About Gender

<DIV>To the unstudied eye, Matthew's gospel can seem a terse narrative, almost a historical document and not the tremendously spiritual (and doctrinal) storehouse that it is. Erasmo Leiva here acts as our guide, showing Matthew's prose to be not terse so much as economical--astoundingly so given its depth. The lay reader can derive great profit from reading this. Each short meditation comments on a verse or two, pointing to some facet of the text not immediately apparent. Leiva's work is scholarly but eminently approachable by the non-technical reader. The tone is very much gustate et videte, quoniam suavis est Dominus [taste and see how good the Lord is]-as it is "friend, come up higher!". The goal of the book is to help the reader experience the heat of the divine heart/the light of the divine Word. Leiva points to Matthew's gospel as being deeply ecclesial because it is first Christological. He comments on the Greek text, demonstrating to the reader nuances in the text that defy translation into English without serious revision of the text. Leiva uses linguistic analysis to aid the non-Greek reader with the literal meaning of the text; numerous quotes from the Fathers and the liturgy of the church demonstrate the way the Tradition has lived and read the Word of God. His theological reflection vivifies doctrine by seeking its roots in the words and actions of Jesus. </DIV>

Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Meditations on the Gospel According to St. Matthew

<DIV>Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the English. Because of Mark Twain's antipathy to institutional religion, one might expect an anti-Catholic bias toward Joan or at least toward the bishops and theologians who condemned her. Instead one finds a remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers. The very fact that Mark Twain wrote this book and wrote it the way he did is a powerful testimony to the attractive power of the Catholic Church's saints. This is a book that really will inform and inspire. " I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing. The others needed no preparation and got none." - Mark Twain "Mark Twain comes furtively like Nicodemus at night with this tribute to one of God's saints. In doing so he tells a secret about himself. It is as though the man in a white suit and a cloud of cigar smoke thought there just might be a place where people in white robes stand in clouds of incense." - Fr. George Rutler, Author, The Cure d'Ars Today "Twain's understanding of history and Joan's place in it accounts for his regarding his book Joan of Arc as worth all of his other books together." - Edward Wagenknecht, The Man and His Work"Joan of Arc is the lone example that history affords of an actual, real embodiment of all the virtues demonstrated by Huck and Jim and of all that Twain felt to be noble in man, Joan is the ideal toward which mankind strives. Twain had to tell her story because she is the sole concrete argument against the pessimistic doctrines of his deterministic philosophy." - Robert Wiggins, Mark Twain: Jackleg NovelistRead more about Mark Twain's favorite novel, Joan of Arc, by . </DIV>

Joan of Arc

Opening credits

Introductory Message

Part I꞉ Chapter I꞉ How the Great Wind Came to Beacon House

Part I꞉ Chapter II꞉ The Luggage of an Optimist

Part I꞉ Chapter III꞉ The Banner of Beacon

Part I꞉ Chapter IV꞉ The Garden of God

Part I꞉ Chapter V꞉ The Allegorical Practical Joker

Part II꞉ Chapter I꞉ The Eye of Death; or, The Murder Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter II꞉ The Two Curates; or, The Burglary Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter III꞉ The Round Road; or, The Desertion Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter IV꞉ The Wild Weddings; or, The Polygamy Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter V꞉ How the Great Wind Went from Beacon House

Closing credits

<DIV>This classic novel by Chesterton tells the rollicking tale of Innocent Smith, a man who may be crazy&#151;or he may be the most sane man of all. Arriving at a London boarding house accompanied by a windstorm, Innocent is soon accused of attempted murder, burglary, polygamy, and desertion of his wife. As the residents of Beacon House try to piece together what this madman is up to, a detective is called upon to unravel the accusations against Smith. Actor Kevin O&#x2019;Brien of the Theater of the Word gives a dramatic reading of the text. </DIV>

Manalive: A Novel by G.K. Chesterton

<DIV>Spiritual writer, theologian, and philosopher Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer tackles the topic of recognizing and overcoming spiritual evil. His focus is the human heart. His goal: our moral and spiritual transformation, which leads to true peace and genuine happiness. The book is divided into two main parts: the realities of God's goodness and of spiritual evil, and recognizing and overcoming diabolical tactics, which range from temptation and deception to the Deadly Sins.Father Spitzer shows readers how to experience God's peace even during times of suffering and persecution. He examines the basics of the spiritual life and Christian mysticism, including the contemplative dimension. He explains the purgative, illuminative, and unitive aspects of spirituality, as well as the Lord's consolation and the passive Dark Night of the Spirit.Father Spitzer provides the biblical and theological background of Jesus' victory over Satan. The author also explores the reality of the Devil, including extraordinary manifestations of diabolic activity such as possession. He recalls the true story of the famous possession case on which the novel and film The Exorcist were based.In the final sections of the book the author explains:<ul><li>how diabolical spiritual forces operate</li><li>how temptation works, and what to do to defeat it</li><li>the "deadly sins" and how to overcome them</li></ul></DIV>

Christ Versus. Satan in Our Daily Lives: The Cosmic Struggle Between Good and Evil

<DIV> to read more about the New Testament study bible and to download the study questions.The only Catholic Study Bible based on the Revised Standard Version 2nd Catholic Edition, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament brings together all of the books of the New Testament and the penetrating study tools developed by renowned Bible teachers Dr. Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch. This volume presents the written Word of God in a highly readable, accurate translation, excellent for personal and group study. Extensive study notes, topical essays and word studies provide fresh and faithful insights informed by time-tested, authentically Catholic interpretations from the Fathers of the Church and other scholars. Commentaries include the best insights of ancient, medieval and modern scholarship, and follow the Church?s guidelines for biblical interpretation. Plus, each New Testament book is outlined and introduced with an essay covering questions of authorship, date of composition, intended audience and general themes. The Ignatius Study Bible also includes handy reference materials such as a doctrinal index, a helpful cross-reference system, and various maps and charts. </DIV>

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament

<DIV>On August 9, 1945, an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, killing tens of thousands of people in the blink of an eye, while fatally injuring and poisoning thousands more. Among the survivors was Takashi Nagai, a pioneer in radiology research and a convert to the Catholic Faith. Living in the rubble of the ruined city and suffering from leukemia caused by over-exposure to radiation, Nagai lived out the remainder of his remarkable life by bringing physical and spiritual healing to his war-weary people. A Song for Nagasaki tells the moving story of this extraordinary man, beginning with his boyhood and the heroic tales and stoic virtues of his family's Shinto religion. It reveals the inspiring story of Nagai's remarkable spiritual journey from Shintoism to atheism to Catholicism. Mixed with interesting details about Japanese history and culture, the biography traces Nagai's spiritual quest as he studied medicine at Nagasaki University, served as a medic with the Japanese army during its occupation of Manchuria, and returned to Nagasaki to dedicate himself to the science of radiology. The historic Catholic district of the city, where Nagai became a Catholic and began a family, was ground zero for the atomic bomb.After the bomb disaster that killed thousands, including Nagai's beloved wife, Nagai, then Dean of Radiology at Nagasaki University, threw himself into service to the countless victims of the bomb explosion, even though it meant deadly exposure to the radiation which eventually would cause his own death. While dying, he also wrote powerful books that became best-sellers in Japan. These included The Bells of Nagasaki, which resonated deeply with the Japanese people in their great suffering as it explores the Christian message of love and forgiveness. Nagai became a highly revered man and is considered a saint by many Japanese people.</DIV>

A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai a Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb

Called &ldquo;the greatest saint of modern times&rdquo; by Pope St. Pius X, Th&eacute;r&egrave;se of Lisieux lived a hidden life in a Carmelite monastery and died at only twenty-four years old. Yet, her &ldquo;secret&rdquo; of sanctity has made her not only a great modern saint, but a Doctor of the Church. She promised to spend her Heaven helping those on earth. Her simple spirituality, humility, and complete trust in God revolutionized the twentieth century. Over 100 years after her death, she continues to inspire millions of people, help them in their lives, and draw them closer to God.
This film tells the story of her life and message, intertwined with the personal stories of twelve people from around the world who testify to the great impact Th&eacute;r&egrave;se has made on their lives. Featuring very rare footage of the inside of her monastery at Lisieux, we also meet a taxi driver in Rome, a famous radio priest in the Netherlands, a wedding dress designer in Paris, a teenager in Lebanon, a Protestant professor at Harvard Divinity School, a mother of twelve children in Nigeria, a stockbroker on Wall Street, and others, who share their moving personal stories of how Th&eacute;r&egrave;se, and her &ldquo;secret,&rdquo; has changed their lives. Her secret is so powerful that it confirms her mission to &ldquo;love Jesus and to make Him loved by others.&rdquo;

The Secret of Saint Thérèse

Saint John of the Cross is the Church&#39;s premier teacher on contemplative prayer. Catholic tradition even calls him the Mystical Doctor. The sixteenth-century Carmelite priest not only wrote four massive treatises on the spiritual life, along with some of the finest poetry in the Spanish language, but also worked alongside Teresa of &Aacute;vila in renewing the Carmelite order. Th&eacute;r&egrave;se of Lisieux claimed she found no other spiritual reading that could satisfy her soul like John of the Cross.Yet the volume and intensity of Saint John&#39;s work can make his teachings seem daunting, even to trained theologians. This book by Father Donald Haggerty, author of The Contemplative Hunger and Contemplative Enigmas, offers readers a unique step-by-step introduction to the way of contemplation as Saint John understood it and taught it&mdash;a burning, transformative intimacy with the God who made us. Furnished abundantly with quotations from across the Mystical Doctor&#39;s writings, this guidebook confronts the mysteries, difficulties, and joys of prayer, showing how silent contemplation prepares our hearts for an unspeakable love.For all his theological richness, Saint John gave practical, realistic advice on navigating the world of contemplation, and Father Haggerty&mdash;a spiritual director for decades&mdash;applies these principles to our lives today. Whether you are new to prayer or have been praying since childhood, you will find an illuminating and surprising companion in Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation.

Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation

<DIV>A completely new design and typeset edition of the popular Ignatius Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition Bible, with minor revisions to some of the archaic language used in the first edition. This revised version is a contemporary English translation without dumbing-down the text. This second edition of the RSV doesn't put the biblical text through a filter to make it acceptable to current tastes and prejudices, and it retains the beauty of the RSV language that has made it such a joy to read and reflect on the Word of God. Now the only Catholic Bible in standard English is even more beautiful in word and design!keywords: bibles, 2nd edition, second edition, Electronic Book Download</DIV>

Ignatius Bible

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40 Epilogue

<DIV>Jennifer Fulwiler told herself she was happy. Why wouldn't she be? She made good money as a programmer at a hot tech start-up, had just married a guy with a stack of Ivy League degrees, and lived in a twenty-first-floor condo where she could sip sauvignon blanc while watching the sun set behind the hills of Austin.Raised in a happy, atheist home, Jennifer had the freedom to think for herself and play by her own rules. Yet a creeping darkness followed her all of her life. Finally, one winter night, it drove her to the edge of her balcony, making her ask once and for all why anything mattered. At that moment everything she knew and believed was shattered.Asking the unflinching questions about life and death, good and evil, led Jennifer to Christianity, the religion she had reviled since she was an awkward, sceptical child growing up in the Bible Belt. Mortified by this turn of events, she hid her quest from everyone except her husband, concealing religious books in opaque bags as if they were porn and locking herself in public bathroom stalls to read the Bible.Just when Jennifer had a profound epiphany that gave her the courage to convert, she was diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition-and the only treatment was directly at odds with the doctrines of her new-found faith. Something other than God is a poignant, profound and often funny tale of one woman who set out to find the meaning of life and discovered that true happiness sometimes requires losing it all.</DIV>

Something other than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It

<DIV>On August 9, 1945, an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, killing tens of thousands of people in the blink of an eye, while fatally injuring and poisoning thousands more. Among the survivors was Takashi Nagai, a pioneer in radiology research and a convert to the Catholic Faith. Living in the rubble of the ruined city and suffering from leukemia caused by over-exposure to radiation, Nagai lived out the remainder of his remarkable life by bringing physical and spiritual healing to his war-weary people. A Song for Nagasaki tells the moving story of this extraordinary man, beginning with his boyhood and the heroic tales and stoic virtues of his family's Shinto religion. It reveals the inspiring story of Nagai's remarkable spiritual journey from Shintoism to atheism to Catholicism. Mixed with interesting details about Japanese history and culture, the biography traces Nagai's spiritual quest as he studied medicine at Nagasaki University, served as a medic with the Japanese army during its occupation of Manchuria, and returned to Nagasaki to dedicate himself to the science of radiology. The historic Catholic district of the city, where Nagai became a Catholic and began a family, was ground zero for the atomic bomb. After the bomb disaster that killed thousands, including Nagai's beloved wife, Nagai, then Dean of Radiology at Nagasaki University, threw himself into service to the countless victims of the bomb explosion, even though it meant deadly exposure to the radiation which eventually would cause his own death. While dying, he also wrote powerful books that became best-sellers in Japan. These included The Bells of Nagasaki, which resonated deeply with the Japanese people in their great suffering as it explores the Christian message of love and forgiveness. Nagai became a highly revered man and is considered a saint by many Japanese people. Illustrated&#34;Christians and non-Christians alike were deeply moved by Nagai's faith in Christ that made him like Job of the Scriptures: in the midst of the nuclear wilderness he kept his heart in tranquility and peace, neither bearing resentment against any man nor cursing God.&#34; -Shusaku Endo, from the Foreword </DIV>

<DIV>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 ... until he reluctantly began to discover that his "enemy" had all the right answers. Kimberly, also a top-notch theology student in the seminary, is the daughter of a well-known Protestant minister, and went through a tremendous "dark night of the soul" after Scott converted to Catholicism. Their conversion story and love for the Church has captured the hearts and minds of thousands of lukewarm Catholics and brought them back into an active participation in the Church. They have also influenced countless conversions to Catholicism among their friends and others who have heard their powerful testimony. Written with simplicity, charity, grace and wit, the Hahns' deep love and knowledge of Christ and of Scripture is evident and contagious throughout their story. Their love of truth and of neighbor is equally evident, and their theological focus on the great importance of the family, both biological and spiritual, will be a source of inspiration for all readers. </DIV>

Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism

Dedication

Chapter 1꞉ Protestant and Evangelical꞉ Understanding Ourselves

Chapter 2꞉ Spirit and Flesh꞉ Sundered Forever or Reunited?

Chapter 3꞉ Christian Worship꞉ Act or Experience?

Chapter 4꞉ Prayer꞉ Random or Disciplined?

Chapter 5꞉ Hail, Blessed Virgin Mary꞉ What Did the Angel Mean?

Chapter 6꞉ Ritual and Ceremony꞉ A Dead Hand or the Liberty of the Spirit?

Chapter 7꞉ Table and Altar꞉ Supper and Sacrament

Chapter 8꞉ The Eucharistic Liturgy꞉ Diagram and Drama

Chapter 9꞉ The Liturgical Year꞉ Redeeming the Time

Chapter 10꞉ Envoi

Postscript

For Further Reading

<DIV>In this deeply moving narrative, Thomas Howard describes his pilgrimage from Evangelicalism (which he loves and reveres as the religion of his youth) to liturgical Christianity. He soon afterward became a Roman Catholic. He describes Evangelicalism with great sympathy and then examines more formal, liturgical worship with the freshness of someone discovering for the first time what his soul had always hungered for. This is a book of apologetics without polemics. Non-Catholics will gain an appreciation of the formal and liturgical side of Catholicism. Catholics will see with fresh eyes the beauty of their tradition. Worship, prayer, the Blessed Virgin, the Mass, and the liturgical year are taken one after the other, and what may have seemed routine and repetitive suddenly comes to life under the enchanting wand of Howard's beautiful prose. Howard unfolds for us just what occurs in the vision and imagination of a Christian who, nurtured in the earnestness of Protestant Evangelicalism, finds himself yearning for &#34;whatever-it-is&#34; that has been there in the Church for 2000 years. It traces Howard's soul-searching and shows why he believes the practices of the liturgical Church are an invaluable aid for any Christian's spiritual life. Reminiscent of the style and scope of Newman, Lewis and Knox, this book is destined to be a classic. &#34;The question, What is the Church? becomes, finally, intractable; and one finds oneself unable to offer any very telling reasons why the phrase 'one, holy, catholic, and apostolic', is to be understood in any other than the way in which it was understood for 1500 years.&#34; -- Thomas Howard </DIV>

Evangelical Is Not Enough: Worship of God in Liturgy and Sacrament

This book shows from within the damage that the sexual revolution has caused to our bodies, our souls, and our sense of joy. Quoting extensively from testimonies and reports written by the revolution&rsquo;s most outspoken advocates, Nathanael Blake proves that even beyond the question of right and wrong, Christian sexual ethics simply provide a better way to love and live. The sexual revolution offered happiness and great sex&mdash;but Americans are increasingly lonely and unhappy, and they even report having less, and less satisfying, sex. Rather than providing fulfilling pleasure, sexual liberation has created a relational wasteland in which men and women are alienated from each other. The promised liberation has made people slaves to desire and has led to pain. This is exemplified by the dependence on the violence of abortion, which turns the relationships of mother, father, and child into a lethal battleground of competing selfishness. Victims of the Revolution is a tour de force, passing first through the self-destruction of hypersexuality and then through the beauty of the Church&rsquo;s profound teaching on sexuality. Christian sexual morals are not a capricious killjoy but are rooted in human nature and direct us toward our good and the good of others. They remain the best way to protect and promote human well-being; there can be no true social justice without the pursuit of sexual righteousness.

Victims of the Revolution: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All

This epic film follows Karol Wojtyla&rsquo;s journey from his youth in Poland through his late days on the Chair of St. Peter. It explores his life behind the scenes: how he touched millions of people, changed the face of the Church and the world, and how he defended the dignity of mankind. Jon Voight&rsquo;s powerful, Emmy-nominated performance as John Paul II was widely praised, as was Cary Elwes as the young Karol.
Shot on location in Rome and Poland in close connection with the Vatican, this is the definitive epic film on the life of Pope John Paul II. Stars Jon Voight, Cary Elwes, Ben Gazzara, James Cromwell, and Christopher Lee. This movie is not rated, but was created with an adult audience in mind. It may contain violence indicative of the life and times of the saint or character portrayed. We would recommend Parental Guidance and that parents preview it before watching with children.

Pope John Paul II

<DIV>Since the 17th century the history of deaconesses in the Church has been the subject of numerous monographs. What is most evident about the history of deaconesses, however, is how complex the whole subject is. In this exhaustive and thoroughly researched work, Martimort presents a very readable analysis that has become the standard study of the role of women deaconesses in the early Church. He presents in as complete and objective fashion as possible the history, who and what these deaconesses were and what their functions were.</DIV>

Deaconesses: An Historical Study

“What mothers do is the most foundational aspect to what the character of the next generation will be” (Hope Schneir). In this episode, Rose Trabbic talks to Hope Schneir the co-author of Soul Garden: A Catholic Mother’s Collective to talk about the joys and challenges of motherhood. They discuss dealing with burn out, management of technology in the home, and even some new recipes to share with their families.
Drawing from the contributors published in Soul Garden, Hope provides thoughtful tips and insights for all mothers. She hopes that this episode and her book will help her follow sisters in Christ as they nourish their family and grow closer to God.
Get your copy of the “Soul Garden” here: <a href='https://ignatius.com/soul-garden-sgp/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA88a5BhDPARIsAFj595jNYrKAu0_6r6KuYSbtrUDDw8ZjvBJwywDUNUV9Fx_E_sd8_5aUskMaAsVbEALw_wcB'>https://ignatius.com/soul-garden-sgp/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA88a5BhDPARIsAFj595jNYrKAu0_6r6KuYSbtrUDDw8ZjvBJwywDUNUV9Fx_E_sd8_5aUskMaAsVbEALw_wcB</a>

Hope Schneir: Nourishing Catholic Moms in the 21st Century

<DIV>In honor of its fortieth anniversary (1978&ndash;2018), Ignatius Press presents a special Commemorative Edition of one of the most important works written by Joseph Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy.This edition includes the earlier classic work with the same title by Servant of God Romano Guardini, a book that helped Ratzinger to "rediscover the liturgy in all its beauty, hidden wealth and time-transcending grandeur, to see it as the animating center of the Church, the very center of Christian life".Considered by Ratzinger devotees as one of his greatest works, this profound and beautifully written treatment of the liturgy will help readers to deepen their understanding of the"great prayer of the Church". The cardinal discusses fundamental misunderstandings of the Second Vatican Council's intentions for liturgical renewal, especially about the priest's orientation of prayer to the Father, the placement of the tabernacle in churches, and the posture of kneeling.Other important topics are the essence of worship, the Jewish roots of Christian prayer, the relationship of the liturgy to time and space, sacred art and music, and the active participation of the faithful in the Mass.</DIV>

The Spirit of the Liturgy -- Commemorative Edition

Introduction

Chapter 1꞉ "The Very Worst Scandal of Our Times"

Chapter 2꞉ "Monstrous Doctrines and Prodigious Errors"

Chapter 3꞉ Media Matters

Chapter 4꞉ All in the Family?

Chapter 5꞉ A Case for Openness

Chapter 6꞉ The Church with Nothing to Hide

<DIV>Shaw, widely known Catholic writer, speaker and former communications director for the U S Bishops, discusses the abuse of secrecy in the Church, the scandals it has caused and the serious problem of mistrust that exists in the credibility of the Church. Not concerned with the legitimate secrecy that is necessary to protect confidentiality and people&#x2019;s reputations, Shaw is rather concerned here with the stifling, deadening misuse of secrecy that has done immense harm to communion and community in the Church in America. Shaw shows the secrecy issue is a theological as well as practical problem that raises such questions as: What kind of Church do we want our Church to be, open or closed? What kind of Church should it be? And how much secrecy is compatible with having such a Church? As Pope Benedict XVI has stated, &#x201C;The consequence is clear: we cannot communicate with the Lord if we do not communicate with one another.&#x201D; The Church is a communion, not a political democracy, and thus openness and accountability are even more crucial for the life of the Church than they are in a democracy. In a talk he gave many years before he became the current Pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had this to say about the reality of ecclesial communion: &#x201C;Fellowship in the Body of Christ and receiving the Body of Christ means fellowship with one another. This of its very nature includes mutual acceptance, giving and receiving on both sides, and readiness to share one&#x2019;s goods . . . In this sense, the social question is given quite a central place in the theological heart of the concept of communion.&#x201D; This is a beautiful vision of the Church. Shaw&#x2019;s aim in his book is to make a contribution to realizing this vision in the concrete circumstances of the present day, by helping to end the culture of secrecy, especially within American Catholicism, and replacing the destructive culture with an open, accountable community of faith. &#34;Throughout his career, Russell Shaw has served admirably Mother Church through his balanced, reasonable, informed, accessible, and forthright writings. Understanding that there are legitimate applications for the use of secrecy in both everyday religious life and secular society, he now addresses the unfortunate and long standing consequences of unnecessary secrecy and the lack of open and effective communication within the Catholic Church. Inhibiting the promotion of truth, knowledge, and accountability and increasing the chances of corruption, the author notes how unnecessary secrecy in the Church also weakens community/&#34;communio;&#34; maintains a second class status for the laity, furthers its &#34;clericalization&#34; and lessens its influence in worldly affairs; creates suspicion both internally and in the outside world; and impedes the speedy and effective just resolution of any number of crises affecting the religious institution today, most conspicuously, the recent sexual scandal. Let's hope the Bishops and other Church insiders recognize this important message of reform on the part of someone so committed to the Catholic faith. - Joseph A. Varacalli, author, The Catholic Experience in AmericaRussell Shaw has long been a unique -- and uniquely valuable -- voice in American Catholicism. He was for many years the US Bishops' official spokesman, and he has the perspective and insights of an &#34;insider&#34;. But Shaw is not an apologist for the hierarchy. He is at once a devout and loyal (and orthodox) member of the faithful, and a sharp critic of the cult of secrecy which so many bishops have cultivated. In this sobering but much-needed book, Shaw shows how some shepherds abused secrecy, and in doing so compounded the sex misconduct crisis with a broader crisis of trust in clerical leadership. But this is not a book about sex-abuse. I</DIV>

Nothing to Hide: Secrecy, Communication and Communion in the Catholic Church

Set in France at the beginning of World War II, this inspiring film narrates the heroic work of Sister Helene Studler, the Daughter of Charity who saved the lives of thousands of French refugees by preventing them from becoming prisoners of the Nazi forces, or freeing those who were captured. Among those she saved were many illustrious characters including the future Prime Minister of France, Fran&ccedil;ois de Mitterrand. Sister Helene was dedicated to the care of orphans, the homeless and the abandoned in France when WWII broke out, and she witnessed the horror and the barbarism of the Nazis, who built a concentration camp close to her center.
Putting her life in constant danger, she organized an amazing underground network of freedom to save over 2,000 people from death by the Nazis. This film release commemorates the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Daughters of Charity by St. Vicent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac in 1617. In Spanish with English subtitles. The movie is directed by Pablo Moreno (St. Pedro Poveda and St. Maria Soledad), and stars Assumpta Serna, Luisa Gavasa, and Javier B&oacute;dalo.

Network of Freedom

Five-minute Catholic wisdom—or in Latin, “disjecta membra”—from Ignatius Press’ founder, editor, and priest, Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., Ph.D., a student of Joseph Ratzinger and Henri de Lubac, a winemaker, a baker, and, at times, ”the most powerful man in the American Church.”

Father Fessio in Five (by Ignatius Press)

Audiobooks

Father Christopher Hart, a young New York priest and classic film buff, is unwittingly drafted by the mob to hear the confession of a man slated for execution. This was not one of the duties he expected when he became a first-time pastor. Learning how to balance the books and safely navigate parish politics, yes; but playing a key role in the White Death&mdash;a mafia ritual in which a person condemned to death is allowed to confess his sins before he&#39;s killed&mdash;was not included on the Parish Leadership 101 curriculum. Should he just do his job and collaborate with the mob for the sake of souls or find a way to stop the violence? Unrelentingly comparing his life to his favorite classic movies, Father Hart wishes he could just play the role of Father O&#39;Malley from Going My Way, but he ends up playing a character more akin to Philip Marlowe from The Big Sleep. This riveting page-turner will entertain, but it will also drive the reader to grapple with important themes such as identity, purpose, justice, sin, and, ultimately, redemption.