E-Books

Book Four - Volume 7  Grace: Actual and Habitual - 452 pages - EBOOK - PDF,

Many Catholics living today can remember when priests were well trained in theology and could express the Faith properly in their sermons and in their writing. That is because they were given sound teaching at the seminary in Logic, Philosophy, and Dogmatic Theology from textbooks such as this 12 volume set. The famous Pohle-Preuss manual was used in many seminaries in America and other countries prior to the 1950's when seminary training began to go downhill.

This particular manual was used in the Jesuit seminary where Fr. Leonard Feeney, who was one called by his Jesuit superior "the greatest theologian we have in America...by far" was trained. This beautiful hardbound series is an exact reproduction of the edition originally published in 1911, and it was written by  Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Pohle an edited by Arthur Preuss.

Joseph Pohle was a Jesuit and one of the founding faculty members of the Catholic University of America as well as a frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia. He died in 1922 after having produced one of the clearest and most succinct and useful systematic studies of Catholic theology ever published. This series is invaluable for priests, seminarians, and anyone interested in a systematic study of dogmatic theology.

Book Five - Volume 8  The Sacraments Part 1  & Volume 9 The Sacraments Part 2- 752 pages - EBOOK - PDF

Many Catholics living today can remember when priests were well trained in theology and could express the Faith properly in their sermons and in their writing. That is because they were given sound teaching at the seminary in Logic, Philosophy, and Dogmatic Theology from textbooks such as this 12 volume set. The famous Pohle-Preuss manual was used in many seminaries in America and other countries prior to the 1950's when seminary training began to go downhill.

This particular manual was used in the Jesuit seminary where Fr. Leonard Feeney, who was one called by his Jesuit superior "the greatest theologian we have in America...by far" was trained. This beautiful hardbound series is an exact reproduction of the edition originally published in 1911, and it was written by  Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Pohle an edited by Arthur Preuss.

Joseph Pohle was a Jesuit and one of the founding faculty members of the Catholic University of America as well as a frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia. He died in 1922 after having produced one of the clearest and most succinct and useful systematic studies of Catholic theology ever published. This series is invaluable for priests, seminarians, and anyone interested in a systematic study of dogmatic theology.

The unabridged commentary of Cornelius aLapidé on the Catholic Epistles of Saints John and Jude

EBOOK as PDF, EPUB, or Kindle

This is the 6th book in our series of the Great Commentaries of Cornelius aLapide  S. J. The Four Gospels Commentary is listed elsewhere on this website and commentary on Galatians and Corinthians are also available. Those who have the Gospels Commentary already know what a treasure aLapide’s work is.
This volume perfectly matches the original four volume set and this is the first and only complete translation from Latin into English of these four Epistles. We are now working on a translation of more of aLapide's peerless commentary for future publication. Translation and publication in English of this 33 volume Latin magnum opus is continuing - first the rest of the New Testament and then the Old—God willing!
440 pages - $50. Hardcover $25.00 E-BOOK

 Read a book review HERE!

The complete and unabridged commentary of Cornelius aLapidé on the First and Second Epistles of Saint Paul to the Corinthians and his Epistle to the Galatians EBOOK - PDF, Kindle, & EPUB

This is the 5th book in our series of the Great Commentaries of Cornelius aLapide  S. J. The Four Gospels Commentary is listed elsewhere on this website. Those who have the Gospels Commentary already know what a treasure aLapide’s work is.
This volume perfectly matches the original four volume set and this is the first and only complete translation from Latin into English of these three Epistles of Saint Paul. We are now working on a translation of the Catholic Epistles for publication next year. Translation and publication in English of this 33 volume Latin magnum opus is continuing - first the rest of the New Testament and then the Old—God willing!
758 pages - $50. Hardcover

THE VULGATE IS THE OFFICIAL BIBLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH - EBOOK - PDF

NOW AVAILABLE AS A THREE VOLUME COMPLETE MATCHING SET

(Vol. 2 of the Old Testament will be available on December 15, 2021)

Option to order full set or Old Testament will be availble on Mon 12/12/21

In keeping with the wishes of the  Holy Father, Benedict XVI, Loreto Publications has published this truly unique edition of the Bible in Latin and English. Suitable either for students of theology and the Scriptures, for those studying Latin, or just for Catholics who wish to conduct themselves according to the mind of the Church, this edition brings together two classic versions of the Bible which have served Catholics well, down through the centuries.

• One Volume
• Clear Typeface
• Satin Ribbon Page Marker
• Burgundy bonded leather cover
• English column opposite Latin column

EBOOK - PDF, Kindle, & EPUB

The new bible is 6" x 9" and 1632 pages. That is more than the old one because the font is larger. It is exactly the same text, just more readable.

Even after all of the modern "revisions" of the bible that are now available to Catholics, many still think that the Douay-Rheims version, (the only English translation of the Catholic Vulgate bible in use for almost 400 years) is the very best ever produced. We at Loreto agree that what was good enough for thirty generations of English-speaking  Catholics and countless Saints and Matyrs is still good enough for us. The text is clear and easy to read and the two satin ribbons mark the pages where your daily reading is to begin. This Bible fills the need for a small (6" x 9" x 1.5") good quality hardbound Douay-Rheims bible. It is a perfect gift for Christmas, First Communions, Confirmations, weddings, birthdays, etc. and is also great for those who want a portable bible which is legible, durable, and handsome

• Douay-Challoner version
• Hardbound sewn binding
• Genuine bonded leather cover
• Gold embossed title and decoration on spine and cover
• Top quality bible paper
• Family Register pages
• Papal Encyclical Providentissimus Deus of Leo XIII at front
• Sharp, clear, and readable text
• Gold and red satin ribbon page markers
•  Illustrations
• Index

Book One - Volume 1 - God: His Knowability, Essence, and Attributes - 480 pages - EBOOK - PDF

Many Catholics living today can remember when priests were well trained in theology and could express the Faith properly in their sermons and in their writing. That is because they were given sound teaching at the seminary in Logic, Philosophy, and Dogmatic Theology from textbooks such as this 12 volume set. The famous Pohle-Preuss manual was used in many seminaries in America and other countries prior to the 1950's when seminary training began to go downhill.

This particular manual was used in the Jesuit seminary where Fr. Leonard Feeney, who was one called by his Jesuit superior "the greatest theologian we have in America...by far" was trained. This beautiful hardbound series is an exact reproduction of the edition originally published in 1911, and it was written by  Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Pohle an edited by Arthur Preuss.

Joseph Pohle was a Jesuit and one of the founding faculty members of the Catholic University of America as well as a frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia. He died in 1922 after having produced one of the clearest and most succinct and useful systematic studies of Catholic theology ever published. This series is invaluable for priests, seminarians, and anyone interested in a systematic study of dogmatic theology.

EBOOK - PDF

Book Two includes

Volume Volume 2 - The Divine Trinity
Volume 3 - God: The Author of Nature and the Supernatural - 686 pages 

Many Catholics living today can remember when priests were well trained in theology and could express the Faith properly in their sermons and in their writing. That is because they were given sound teaching at the seminary in Logic, Philosophy, and Dogmatic Theology from textbooks such as this 12 volume set. The famous Pohle-Preuss manual was used in many seminaries in America and other countries prior to the 1950's when seminary training began to go downhill.

This particular manual was used in the Jesuit seminary where Fr. Leonard Feeney, who was one called by his Jesuit superior "the greatest theologian we have in America...by far" was trained. This beautiful hardbound series is an exact reproduction of the edition originally published in 1911, and it was written by  Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Pohle an edited by Arthur Preuss.

Joseph Pohle was a Jesuit and one of the founding faculty members of the Catholic University of America as well as a frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia. He died in 1922 after having produced one of the clearest and most succinct and useful systematic studies of Catholic theology ever published. This series is invaluable for priests, seminarians, and anyone interested in a systematic study of dogmatic theology.

Book Three - Volume 4  Christology - Volume 5 Soteriology - Volume 6  Mariology - 684 pages - EBOOK - PDF

Many Catholics living today can remember when priests were well trained in theology and could express the Faith properly in their sermons and in their writing. That is because they were given sound teaching at the seminary in Logic, Philosophy, and Dogmatic Theology from textbooks such as this 12 volume set. The famous Pohle-Preuss manual was used in many seminaries in America and other countries prior to the 1950's when seminary training began to go downhill.

This particular manual was used in the Jesuit seminary where Fr. Leonard Feeney, who was one called by his Jesuit superior "the greatest theologian we have in America...by far" was trained. This beautiful hardbound series is an exact reproduction of the edition originally published in 1911, and it was written by  Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Pohle an edited by Arthur Preuss.

Joseph Pohle was a Jesuit and one of the founding faculty members of the Catholic University of America as well as a frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia. He died in 1922 after having produced one of the clearest and most succinct and useful systematic studies of Catholic theology ever published. This series is invaluable for priests, seminarians, and anyone interested in a systematic study of dogmatic theology.

Book Six - Volume 10  The Sacraments Part 3  & Volume 11 The Sacraments Part 4 & Volume 12 Eschatology - 704 pages - EBOOK - PDF

Many Catholics living today can remember when priests were well trained in theology and could express the Faith properly in their sermons and in their writing. That is because they were given sound teaching at the seminary in Logic, Philosophy, and Dogmatic Theology from textbooks such as this 12 volume set. The famous Pohle-Preuss manual was used in many seminaries in America and other countries prior to the 1950's when seminary training began to go downhill.

This particular manual was used in the Jesuit seminary where Fr. Leonard Feeney, who was one called by his Jesuit superior "the greatest theologian we have in America...by far" was trained. This beautiful hardbound series is an exact reproduction of the edition originally published in 1911, and it was written by  Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Pohle an edited by Arthur Preuss.

Joseph Pohle was a Jesuit and one of the founding faculty members of the Catholic University of America as well as a frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia. He died in 1922 after having produced one of the clearest and most succinct and useful systematic studies of Catholic theology ever published. This series is invaluable for priests, seminarians, and anyone interested in a systematic study of dogmatic theology.

Saint Robert Bellarmine - EBOOK - PDF

Available in Paperback

After being called to the Cardinalate by Pope Clement VIII, Robert Bellarmine, one of only two Jesuit Doctors of the Church, found need for a reprieve from what were often tiresome temporal duties. Therefore, to exhaust his intellectual and devotional energies in writing, he prepared for posterity his very own commentary on each of the Psalms. Most of the Psalms of David, he said, read like a compendium of the whole of the Old Testament, a summation in poetic capsule. Others (Ps. 2, 21, 44 & 60) speak so clearly of Christ that they seem rather to belong to the Gospels. Yet, it is not the royal prophet, rather, it is the Holy Ghost, the true Author, Who desires to pluck this ten-stringed instrument of beauty called the Psaltery and bring our hearts to tears or jubilation as we sing praise to the Most High. This is a huge book of nearly four hundred pages, a spiritual goldmine.

THE VULGATE IS THE OFFICIAL BIBLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Ebook (pdf) 

Vol. One includes the books from Genesis to Esther - 1080 pages

Vol. Two includes the books from Job to Machabees II -1040 pages

(Vol. 2 of the Old Testament will be available on December 15, 2021)

Option to order full set or Old Testament will be availble on Mon 12/12/21

In keeping with the wishes of the  Holy Father, Benedict XVI, Loreto Publications has published this truly unique edition of the Bible in Latin and English. Suitable either for students of theology and the Scriptures, for those studying Latin, or just for Catholics who wish to conduct themselves according to the mind of the Church, this edition brings together two classic versions of the Bible which have served Catholics well, down through the centuries.

• One Volume New Testament
• Two Volumes Old Testament
• Clear Typeface
• Burgundy bonded leather cover
• English column opposite Latin column

Download a free sample from this book.

THE VULGATE IS THE OFFICIAL BIBLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Ebook (pdf) 

Vol. One includes the books from Genesis to Esther - 1080 pages

Vol. Two includes the books from Job to Machabees II -1040 pages

 In keeping with the wishes of the  Holy Father, Benedict XVI, Loreto Publications has published this truly unique edition of the Bible in Latin and English. Suitable either for students of theology and the Scriptures, for those studying Latin, or just for Catholics who wish to conduct themselves according to the mind of the Church, this edition brings together two classic versions of the Bible which have served Catholics well, down through the centuries.

• One Volume New Testament
• Two Volumes Old Testament
• Clear Typeface
• Burgundy bonded leather cover
• English column opposite Latin column

Download a free sample from this book.

Acts of the Apostles - Chapter 27:11-40

    11    But the centurion believed the pilot and the master of the ship, more than those things which were said by Paul.
    12    And whereas it was not a commodious haven to winter in, the greatest part gave counsel to sail thence, if by any means they might reach Phenice to winter there, which is a haven of Crete, looking towards the southwest and northwest.
They weather a great storm
    13    And the south wind gently blowing, thinking that they had obtained their purpose, when they had loosed from Asson, they sailed close by Crete.
    14    But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroaquilo.
    15    And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up against the wind, giving up the ship to the winds, we were driven.
    16    And running under a certain island, that is called Cauda, we had much work to come by the boat.
    17    Which being taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, they let down the sail yard, and so were driven.
    18    And we being mightily tossed with the tempest, the next day they lightened the ship.
    19    And the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship.
    20    And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm lay on us, all hope of our being saved was now taken away.
Paul declares that all are to be saved
    21    And after they had fasted a long time, Paul standing forth in the midst of them, said: You should indeed, O ye men, have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and have gained this harm and loss.
    22    And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but only of the ship.
    23    For an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, stood by me this night,
    24    Saying: Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar; and behold, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
    25    Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God that it shall so be, as it hath been told me.
    26    And we must come unto a certain island.
He exhorts them to take some food
    27    But after the fourteenth night was come, as we were sailing in Adria, about midnight, the shipmen deemed that they discovered some country.
    28    Who also sounding, found twenty fathoms; and going on a little further, they found fifteen fathoms.

    29    Then fearing lest we should fall upon rough places, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
    30    But as the shipmen sought to fly out of the ship, having let down the boat into the sea, under color, as though they would have cast anchors out of the forepart of the ship,
    31    Paul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers: Except these stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.
    32    Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
    33    And when it began to be light, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying: This day is the fourteenth day that you have waited, and continued fasting, taking nothing.
    34    Wherefore I pray you to take some meat for your health’s sake; for there shall not an hair of the head of any of you perish.
    35    And when he had said these things, taking bread, he gave thanks to God in the sight of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
    36    Then were they all of better cheer, and they also took some meat.
    37    And we were in all in the ship, two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
    38    And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, casting the wheat into the sea.
The all escape unharmed
    39    And when it was day, they knew not the land; but they discovered a certain creek that had a shore, into which they minded, if they could, to thrust in the ship.
    40    And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea, loosing withal the rudder bands;

Actus Apostolurum - Chapter 27:11-40

    11    Centurio autem gubernatori et nauclero magis credebat, quam his quæ a Paulo dicebantur.
    12    Et cum aptus portus non esset ad hiemandum, plurimi statuerunt consilium navigare inde, si quomodo possent, devenientes Phœnicen hiemare, portum Cretæ respicientem ad Africum et ad Corum. Patiuntur magnam tempestatem
    13    Aspirante autem austro, æstimantes propositum se tenere, cum sustulissent de Asson, legebant Cretam.
    14    Non post multum autem misit se contra ipsam ventus typhonicus, qui vocatur Euroaquilo.
    15    Cumque arrepta esset navis, et non posset conari in ventum, data nave flatibus, ferebamur.
    16    In insulam autem quamdam decurrentes, quæ vocatur Cauda, potuimus vix obtinere scapham.
    17    Qua sublata, adjutoriis utebantur, accingentes navem, timentes ne in Syrtim inciderent, summisso vase sic ferebantur.
    18    Valida autem nobis tempestate jactatis, sequenti die jactum fecerunt:
    19    et tertia die suis manibus armamenta navis projecerunt.
    20    Neque autem sole, neque sideribus apparentibus per plures dies, et tempestate non exigua imminente, jam ablata erat spes omnis salutis nostræ. Affirmat Paulus omnes salvandos esse
    21    Et cum multa jejunatio fuisset, tunc stans Paulus in medio eorum, dixit: Oportebat quidem, o viri, audito me, non tollere a Creta, lucrique facere injuriam hanc et jacturam.
    22    Et nunc suadeo vobis bono animo esse: amissio enim nullius animæ erit ex vobis, præterquam navis.
    23    Astitit enim mihi hac nocte angelus Dei, cujus sum ego, et cui deservio,
    24    dicens: Ne timeas, Paule: Cæsari te oportet assistere: et ecce donavit tibi Deus omnes qui navigant tecum.
    25    Propter quod bono animo estote, viri: credo enim Deo quia sic erit, quemadmodum dictum est mihi.
    26    In insulam autem quamdam oportet nos devenire.
Hortatur eos ad cibum sumendum
    27    Sed posteaquam quartadecima nox supervenit, navigantibus nobis in Adria circa mediam noctem, suspicabantur nautæ apparere sibi aliquam regionem.
    28    Qui et summittentes bolidem, invenerunt passus viginti: et pusillum inde separati, invenerunt passus quindecim.
    29    Timentes autem ne in aspera loca incideremus, de puppi mittentes anchoras quatuor, optabant diem fieri.
    30    Nautis vero quærentibus fugere de navi, cum misissent scapham in mare, sub obtentu quasi inciperent a prora anchoras extendere,
    31    dixit Paulus centurioni et militibus: Nisi hi in navi manserint, vos salvi fieri non potestis.
    32    Tunc absciderunt milites funes scaphæ, et passi sunt eam excidere.
    33    Et cum lux inciperet fieri, rogabat Paulus omnes sumere cibum, dicens: Quartadecima die hodie exspectantes jejuni permanetis, nihil accipientes.
   34    Propter quod rogo vos accipere cibum pro salute vestra: quia nullius vestrum capillus de capite peribit.
    35    Et cum hæc dixisset, sumens panem, gratias egit Deo in conspectu omnium: et cum fregisset, cœpit manducare.
    36    Animæquiores autem facti omnes, et ipsi sumpserunt cibum.
    37    Eramus vero universæ animæ in navi ducentæ septuaginta sex.
    38    Et satiati cibo alleviabant navem, jactantes triticum in mare.
Omnes evadunt incolumes
    39    Cum autem dies factus esset, terram non agnoscebant: sinum vero quemdam considerabant habentem littus, in quem cogitabant si possent ejicere navem.
    40    Et cum anchoras sustulissent, committebant se mari, simul laxantes juncturas gubernaculorum: et levato

25 Essays by Robert D. Hickson - 640 pages - EBOOK - PDF, Kindle, & EPUB

Archbishop Vigano's Preface

Memory is a fundamental element of a people’s identity, civilization and
culture: a society without memory, whose patrimony consists solely of a
present without a past, is condemned to have no future. It is alarming that
this loss of collective memory affects not only Christian nations, but also
seriously afflicts the Catholic Church herself and, consequently, Catholics.
This amnesia affects all social classes and is not the result of chance, but of
systematic work on the part of those who, as enemies of the True, Good
and Beautiful, must erase any ray of these divine attributes from even the
most marginal aspects of social life, from our idioms, from memories of
our childhood and from the stories of our grandparents. The Orwellian
action of artificially remodeling the past has become commonplace in the
contemporary world, to the point that a class of high school students
are unable to recognize an altarpiece depicting a scene from the life of
Christ or a bas-relief with one of the most revered saints of the past. Dr.
Robert Hickson calls this inability “deficiency of dogmatic understanding”,
“Catholic illiteracy of pestilential proportions”.
Tabula rasa: millions of souls who only twenty or thirty years ago would
have immediately identified the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan or
Saint Jerome or Saint Mary Magdalene are capable of seeing only two men
along a river, an old man with a lion and a woman with a vase. Reading
the pages of Dante, Manzoni or one of the great Christian writers of the
past, many Catholics can no longer grasp the moral and transcendent
sense of a culture that is no longer their common heritage, a jealously
guarded legacy, the deep root of a robust plant full of fruit.
In its place we have a bundle of the confused rubbish of the myths of the
Revolution, the dusty Masonic ideological repertoire, and the iconography
of a supposed freedom won by the guillotine, along with the persecution
of the Church, the martyrdom of Catholics in Mexico and Spain, the
end of the tyranny of Kings and Popes and the triumph of bankers and
viii Gratitude, Contemplation, and the Worth of Catholic Literature
usurers. A lineage of kings, saints, and heroes is ignored by its heirs, who
stoop to boasting about their ancestors who were criminals, usurpers,
and seditious traitors: never has falsification reached the point of such
incomprehensible perversion, and it is evident that the desire to artificially
create such ancestry is the necessary premise for the barbarization of the
offspring, which is now practically accomplished.
We must also recognize that this removal has found significant
encouragement also among those who, within the Catholic Church,
have erased two thousand years of the inestimable patrimony of faith,
spirituality and art, beginning with a wretched sense of inferiority instilled
in the faithful even by the Hierarchy since Vatican II. The ancient apostolic
liturgy, on which centuries of poetic compositions, mosaics, frescoes,
paintings, sculptures, chiseled vases, illuminated chorales, embroidered
vestments, plainchants and polyphony have been shaped, has been
proscribed. In its place we now have a squalid rite without roots, born
from the pen of conspirators dipped in the inkwell of Protestantism; music
that is no longer sacred but profane; tasteless liturgical vestments and
sacred vessels made of common material. And as a grey counterpoint to
the hymns of St. Ambrose and St. Thomas, we now have poor paraphrases
without metrics and without soul, grotesque paintings and disturbing
sculptures. The removal of the admirable writings of the Fathers of the
Church, the works of the mystics, the erudite dissertations of theologians
and philosophers and, in the final analysis, of Sacred Scripture itself –
whose divine inspiration is sometimes denied, sacrilegiously affirming
that it is merely of human origin – have all constituted necessary steps
of being able to boast of the credit of worldly novelties, which before
those monuments of human ingenuity enlightened by Grace appear as
miserable forgeries.
This absence of beauty is the necessary counterpart to an absence of
holiness, for where the Lord of all things is forgotten and banished, not
even the appearance of Beauty survives. It is not only Beauty that has
been banished: Catholic Truth has been banished along with it, in all its
crystalline splendor, in all its dazzling consistency, in all its irrepressible
capacity to permeate every sphere of civilized living. Because the Truth
is eternal, immutable and divisive: it existed yesterday, it exists today
and it will exist tomorrow, as eternal and immutable and divisive as the
Word of God.
Certainly, behind this induced amnesia, there is a Trinitarian heresy. And
where the Deceiver lurks, the eternal Truth of God must be obscured in
order to make room for the lie, the betrayal of reality, the denial of the past.
In a forgery that is truly criminal forgery, even the very custodians of the
depositum fidei ask forgiveness from the world for sins never committed by
our fathers – in the name of God, Religion or the Fatherland – supporting
the widest and most articulated historical forgery carried out by the
enemies of God. And this betrays not only the ignorance of History which
is already culpable, but also culpable bad faith and the malicious will to
deceive the simple ones.
Rediscovering memory, even in literature, is a meritorious and necessary
work for the restoration of Christianity, a restoration that is needed
today more than ever if we want to entrust to our children a legacy to be
preserved and handed down as a tangible sign of God’s intervention in
the history of the human race: how much Providence has accomplished
over the centuries – and that art has immortalized by depicting miracles,
the victories of the Christians over the Turk, sovereigns kneeling at the
feet of the Virgin, patron saints of famous universities and prosperous
corporations – can be renewed today and especially tomorrow, only if we
can rediscover our past and understand it in the light of the mystery of
the Redemption.
This book proposes the noble purpose of restoring Catholic memory,
bringing it back to its ancient splendor, that is, the substance of a
harmonious and organic past that has grown and still lives today, just as
the hereditary traits of a child are found developed in the adult man, or
as the vital principle of the seed is found in the sap of the tree and in the
pulp of the fruit. Robert Hickson rightly shows us, in the restoration of
memory, the way to rediscover the shared faith that shapes the traits of a
shared Catholic culture.
In this sense it is significant – I would say extremely appropriate, even if
only by analogy – to have also included Christian literature among the
Sacramentals, applying to it the same action as that of blessed water, the
glow of the candles, the ringing of bells, the liturgical chant: the invocation
of the Virgin in the thirty-third canto of Dante’s Paradiso, the dialogue
of Cardinal Borromeo with the Innominato, and a passage by Chesterton
all make Catholic truths present in our minds and, in some way, they
realize what they mean and can influence the spiritual life, expanding
and completing it. Because of this mystery of God’s unfathomable mercy
we are touched in our souls, moved to tears, inspired by Good, spurred
to conversion. But this is also what happens when we contemplate an
altarpiece or listen to a composition of sacred music, in which a ray of
divine perfection bursts into the greyness of everyday life and shows us the
splendor of the Kingdom that awaits us.
The author writes: “We are called to the commitment to recover the life and
full memory of the Body of Christ, even if in our eyes we cannot do much to
rebuild that Body”. But the Lord does not ask us to perform miracles: He
invites us to make them possible, to create the conditions in our souls and
in our social bodies so that the wonders of divine omnipotence may be
manifested. To open ourselves to the past, to the memory of God’s great
actions in history, is an essential condition for making it possible for us to
become aware of our identity and our destiny today so that we may restore
the Kingdom of Christ tomorrow.
+ Carlo Maria Viganò
Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana
Apostolic Nuncio
28 August 2020
Saint Augustine
Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church

ebook - PDF only

680 pages

Loreto Publications is pleased to present almost 100 essays from one of the most fascinating Catholic American essayists of our post Vatican era. Robert Hickson's broad experience and deep personal knowledge of politics, military affairs, literature, and religion in late 20th century America give him a unique perspective and judgement that is thoroughly Catholic and poingnantly expressive. His curriculuum vitae is impressive and his experience as a soldier, college professor, public speaker, husband, father, and traditional Catholic warror are evident in these profound and penetrating writings.

FOREWORD

It is part of the vocation of a small Catholic publisher like Loreto Publications to give voice not only to the accumulated wisdom of past ages, but also to make known the effects of grace in the souls of the men and women whose lives run concurrent with our own, when those effects are worth noting and preserving for future generations. If the effects of supernatural grace manifest themselves in the remarkable written expression of a Catholic warrior, it can be a great benefit for others to read and contemplate the procession of thought produced by
those effects in a man of substantial educational attainments and wide experience. This is why we have chosen to make available this selection of almost 100 essays by our good friend Dr. Robert Hickson.
One of the requirements for the acquisition and growth of virtue that nature and grace impose upon a man is that he make a serious attempt to impose order in this world of disorder. First he must order his own thoughts and passions, and then he may seek to promote order in his own sphere of influence in the world. This is the work of a Christian educator. The artfully composed and clearly enunciated order of Dr. Hickson’s thinking is strikingly evident in the writings of his mature years as presented in these two volumes. Not only does he beautifully expound upon a topic, but he gently coaxes the reader to make further considerations of his own on the topic presented. In other words, he stimulates the thinking process in his audience and he arouses the desire of the intellect for deeper and more fruitful contemplation. Surely, the achievement of that objective is one of the many goals of sound education.
These essays are not the work of a superficial man. They are challenging, and were meant to be so. In his essay “The Contribution of Catholic Letters to the Conversion of Our Country” you will find the following paragraph:
G. K. Chesterton, who was himself a Catholic Man of Letters, memorably said, moreover, that “the test of all happiness is gratitude” and “your world would be a lot larger, if you were smaller in it.” And, with the help of such Catholic Letters and Literature, we may also help to
make that world larger for others, unto their more abundant life, both here and in Beatitude.
That paragraph could easily serve as the Introit to all of Dr. Hickson’s literary efforts. And so it is with a constantly enlarging sense of gratitude that we offer to our loyal followers these two volumes in hope that you too will appreciate this twentieth century Catholic American soldier’s literary legacy.