Also Available in Print Format
The principal author of this book, Father Aladel, was a member of the Congregation of the Mission founded by Saint Vincent de Paul. More importantly, he was the spiritual director and confessor of Saint Catherine Laboure. The Miraculous Medal was designed by the Mother of God and communicated by her to Sister Catherine with the instruction that this devotion be spread throughout the Church. The inscription: O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee, anticipated the definition of the Immaculate Conception by nearly a quarter of a century. This book relates not only the heavenly visitations given to this humble saint, as well as her adventures and crosses endured for Our Lady’s cause, but also it gives the ensuing history of the medal itself with many accounts of miracles which accompanied its pious reception.
By Trent Beattie Paperback - 168 pages Are you deeply concerned about religion, not simply as a devout soul, but to the point of being frantic? Are little, inconsequential things the occasion of losing your peace of mind? Do you feel as though you need to repeat what has already been sufficiently done, such as a confession? If so, you’re likely suffering from scrupulosity. What is scrupulosity? In psychological terminology, it is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (O.C.D.) directed toward religious matters. To use religious terminology, it can be defined as an uneasy and persistent concern that things might be sinful when in fact they are not. Some of the greatest saints of the Church suffered at times from bouts of scrupulosity, saints such as Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Jane de Chantal (1572-1641), Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), and Katharine Drexel (1858-1955). Far from being taken as insurmountable obstacles, these saints emerged from their scruples into the clarity of God’s truth and merciful love in His Catholic Church. This book is meant to help scrupulous souls better understand and effectively battle their spiritual difficulties by uniting themselves with Our Lord, through the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church. This is done by presenting the clear and simple teachings of the Church on matters relevant to the scrupulous, with emphasis on the writings of great saints. No obstacle is too difficult to overcome for one who prayerfully trusts in God, and this includes the problem of scrupulosity. “Heaven is filled with converted sinners of all kinds and there is room for more.” Saint Joseph Cafasso"At the very moment when we imagine ourselves to be utterly lost and altogether bereft of His protection, then it is that God in His infinite goodness seeks us out in a special way and takes care of us.” Catechism of the Council of Trent“Let these souls so dear to God, and who are resolutely determined to belong entirely to Him, take comfort, although at the same time they see themselves deprived of every consolation. Their desolation is a sign of their being very acceptable to God, and that He has for them a place prepared in his heavenly Kingdom, which overflows with consolations as full as they are lasting. And let them hold for certain, that the more they are afflicted in this present life, so much the more they shall be consoled in eternity…” Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Fr. John Hugo - 422 Pages - EBOOK - PDF, Kindle, & EPUB
Fr. Onesimus Lacouture was a Jesuit who had the great gift of being a masterful director of souls. Being a Jesuit formed in the old mold of true Ignatian spirituality and deeply affected by the so-called “French School” of Cardinal Berulle, St. John Eudes, and St. Louis Marie de Montfort, his retreats, given to over 6000 American and Canadian priests, produced extraordinary results. His most well known disciple and good friend, Fr. Hugo, has produced for posterity, the Notes from those Ignatian retreats as given by Fr. Lacouture and subsequently by himself and many other priests.A Sign of Contradiction is Fr. Hugo’s apologia for the work of Fr. Lacouture and the “spiritual movement” that grew spontaneously from the ardent, enlightened, and effective preaching of the retreats. He describes the movement, its opponents and its supporters as well as the revelatory doctrines so convincingly presented by Fr. Lacouture. This book is spiritually motivating, historically informative, and powerfully illuminating in regard to the condition of the Church and the faithful in North America during the mid-twentieth century. The Gospel of Peace, and Applied Christianity (the retreat notes of Fr. Lacouture) by Fr. Hugo are also available from Loreto Publications.
By William Cobbett - 370 pages PB
William Cobbett stunned the Protestant world of 19th century England with his publication in 1824 of his groundbreaking work The History of the Protestant Reformation in England and Ireland.Not only was the book deeply researched and footnoted, but it presented a historical picture that was profoundly contrary to the “official history” that had been drummed into the minds of countless Englishmen for three hundred years. In addition, the fact that it was so well written, so sympathetic to the Catholic cause, AND written by a fellow Church of England Protestant made this book an overnight bestseller running into many editions and reprints over the next thirty years.Theological issues are not treated directly, but the illogic of the Protestant positions is clearly seen in the practical results of the break from Rome. For those who wish an objective history of this critical period of English and American history there is no better book available. The power of Cobbett’s prose and his convincing logic and sardonic wit make for a delightful reading experience as well.
This is one of the best books ever written on the EFFECTS in both the Church and in society of the English Reformation.
Distributist Perspectives is a collection of essays by leading thinkers of the school of English Distributists that in the 1920s and 1930s articulated a humane vision of social and economic life based upon the Social Doctrine of the Church. Subtitled "Essays on the Economics of Justice and Charity," and including essays by Hilaire Belloc, G. K. Chesterton, George Maxwell, Harold Robbins, Cdr. Herbert Shove, H. J. Massingham, and Eric Gill, this first collection of Distributist writings serves as an introduction to the depth and coherence of the Distributist position on such essential topics as the nature of work, the role of tradition, the dangers of industrialism, and the importance to the family and the State of the widespread distribution of ownership of productive property. Volume I of the series offers a rare glimpse through true, primary source material, of the seriousness and persuasiveness of the critique of modernity by some of the finest English Catholic minds of last century. This first volume of Distributist Perspectives also offers a newly edited edition of the Distributist Manifesto, written by Arthur J. Penty for the Distributist League in 1937.
Caryll Houselander is best known for the intensity of her vision of the suffering Christ and His immeasurable love for us, a theme that she frequently spoke of with breathtaking luminosity in her many books about Him. Few know, however, of the many remarkable stories she wrote for Catholic children – delightful tales that are simple but not shallow. Indeed, like her books for adults, they manifest a tender love of Christ and His little ones not commonly found among us these days. Here are twelve of Houselander’s best tales, charmingly illustrated with Renee George’s lively drawing of pirates and princess, castle’s and kings. Through the tale of Jack and Jim, even young children will grasp the meaning of Christ’s suffering; in Racla the Gypsy, they’ll discover the charity which is at the heart of the Eucharist; in the Cure’s Guest, they’ll see how Christ makes up for the sins of others. Other stories touch on other Catholic themes, but these tales are not really catechetical. Yes, they do take for granted that Catholicism plays a large role in the lives of these children, especially prayer and the Mass. But they do something more… and more important. Tale after tale introduces children to the tender love that Jesus has for each of them, and to the fire of love for Him that can burn in the heart of Catholics – even in the hearts of little ones like themselves.
Here are stories of princes and gypsies, bishops and bears, tales of Catholic boys and girls that remind us that especially in young souls the faith is quite strong, and evil is never a match for goodness. Among others , you'll meet: Bernard, the boy who walks three miles to school and meets Christ on his way; Nickie, the young prince who learns from a dancing bear a strong lesson in love; Tommy, who uses kindness and two minnows to heal a bishop and save a school; Osbert and Rupert, gypsy twins wo make a donkey of themselves to bring peace to the world; Joey, the stable boy whose coat is transformed when his donkey bears Jesus to Jerusalem; Kathleen, who goes withut candy and brings a shopkeeper back to the Faith and many more . . . Soviet cows, Marian icons, pet mice, Easter roosters, Noah and the ark, fish, donkeys, and even a dinosaur: they're all here in a dozen charming tales of children living their faith while having great Catholic fun!
The major works of compadres G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc have been widely circulated in the past few decades among an expanding circle of Catholics seeking a more universal knowledge of our Christian perspective, history and faith. At this time Loreto Publications cannot carry these treasures of wisdom, which are voluminous (Belloc wrote about 150 books), however a good supply can be obtained from other Catholic publishers. What we have chosen to do is periodically promote certain of their productions which we feel are particularly timely and potentially formative. Outline of Sanity and The Free Press preeminently qualify as fare for any soldier whose enlistment in the Church militant is more than perfunctory. The Free Press is a new release from IHS Press. It was written in 1917, the same year Our Lady came to Fatima. The media’s manipulation of thought among the masses, which Belloc warned about back then, by the financial power elite (motivated by capitalist interest rather than truth) has grown exponentially over these last four score industrial and technological decades. Yet this eighty page essay is not a wailing sheet of moral nor intellectual despair. The mighty author was too much of a Catholic, too much a man of hope, to see nothing but gloom and darkness on the literary horizon.
Twelve Types is a collection of short biographical essays, by one of 20th-century England's greatest essayists. In keeping with the spirit of IHS Press, that there is a Catholic way to look at everything, this book evaluates the place of such figures as Tolstoy, St. Francis, Savonarola, William Morris, and others, in the history of the West and from an unabashedly Catholic perspective. With typical wit and flair, Chesterton accomplishes what modern biography most often fails to do: discuss the important and central elements of the characters it presumes to examine, while omitting tedious discussion on matters of little import. Chesterton looks at the souls, the characters, and the lives of some of the West's most important figures, providing modern readers with a sane and Catholic orientation to their approach to these great individuals. Originally published: London, 1905.
IHS Press is pleased to present a new Preface to this edition by Dr. Malcolm Brennan. Malcolm Brennan is Professor Emeritus of English Literature at the Citadel, South Carolina, and is the author of numerous works, including a collection of essays on the history of the English martyrs. The social doctrine isn't just about economics. Make this slim volume part of your Catholic cultural library today!
The Gauntlet, subtitled "A Challenge to the Myth of Progress," includes selections from Old Worlds for New (1917), Post-Industrialism (1922), Towards a Christian Sociology (1923), and Means and Ends(1932). This first-ever anthology of Penty’s works presents a compelling vision both of what’s wrong with the world and of what kind of socio-economic order would help to make it right. The writings in this volume provide a sampling of Penty’s thorough and persuasive critique of the myths that dominate modern economic and social thought. They also outline his intellectual and practical program for the restoration of such essentials in economic life as the dignity of labor, justice in pricing, equity in property distribution, quality in craftsmanship, preservation of rural culture, and, above all, the recognition of spiritual Truth as the foundation of all real economic order
IHS Press is pleased to present an Introduction to this anthology by Dr. Peter Chojnowski.
Dr. Chojnowski has degrees in Political Science and Philosophy from Christendom College, and a Masters degree and Doctorate in Philosophy from Fordham University. He specializes in the philosophy of St. Thomas and Catholic Social Thought. He currently teaches at Immaculate Conception Academy in Post Falls, Idaho, where he lives with his wife and five children.
Also Available as Ebook
Msgr. Francis J. Weber - PB 84 pages
Recently retired from over fifty years of service to God and to the people of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Monsignor Weber has allowed us to publish some of the delightful, insightful, and very succinct homilies he has given on real and literary characters found in the holy gospels. The four gospels tell us the story of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, the Savior of the world. In the course of those gospels, Jesus Christ tells us many stories that reveal God the Father’s loving plan for our salvation. Through the homilies collected here Monsignor Francis Weber does what a good preacher always does, that is, he points out the spiritual truth the gospels reveal, and then connects that truth with our own faith and daily experiences as disciples of Jesus Christ.By “real characters” Monsignor Weber indicates the real life men and women whom Jesus met and engaged during his life and ministry, such as Peter and Paul and Pontius Pilate. “Literary characters” are the imaginary figures in Christ’s parables, such as the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan.
Saint Benedict, father of western monasticism, is rather more known for his life and Rule than for a medal cast in his honor. The history of the image and the exorcism engraved on the medal, as well as the power of that Cross which the holy patriarch bears in his right hand, can be traced back to the eleventh century. Before he became Pope Saint Leo IX, one Bruno of Toul was cured of a mortal sickness after Saint Benedict appeared to him in the very guise we see depicted today on this sacramental. The Sisters of Charity under Saint Vincent de Paul also wore the blessed medal on their rosary. Abbot Gueranger, spiritual son of Saint Benedict, wrote this book to promote this very powerful devotion.
Father Karl Stehlin, F. S. S. P. X.
Father Stehlin quotes extensively from Saint John Eudes, Cornelius a'Lapidé, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and Lucia of Fatima. This treatise is one of the most succinct and clear explanations of the complete economy of salvation ever penned. The full role of the Immaculata is explored and refined, and its relevance to the world in our time is detailed in an easy to read and understand format. This is militant Catholic theology made simple for this Marian age.
