Church History

The Vatican, comprising the Apostolic Palace, St. Peter's Basilica, and various other buildings, serves as the headquarters of the Catholic Church. It has done so for nearly two millennium ever since the first Pope, St. Peter, made it his home.

Thousands of Catholics flock to the Vatican and its iconic basilica each year. But what do you really know about this great basilica and the city that houses it?

Here, Father Jeffrey Kirby takes you on a whirlwind tour of this little country (yes, Vatican City is its own country, Fact # 2) and uncovers the secrets and surprising facts about the city, and its famous church.

Discover what language degree you need to work a Vatican ATM, what archi tectural feature of St. Peter's is a map of the universe, and even what the pope's license plate number is. Along the way, you'll find the deep theological meaning woven into the design and architectural features of St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican.

Whether you've already been to Rome or are still planning your first trip, 101 Surprising Facts About the Vatican will transport you to Basilica and City at the heart of the Catholic Church and enable you to appreciate them like never before.

Sexual abuse is not the only mistreatment that can happen in the Church. There is also spiritual abuse. Fr. Dysmas de Lassus, superior general of the Carthusian Order, comes out of his silence to denounce the unacceptable behavior of some religious superiors and founders of communities. Rooted in the monastic tradition and the robust theology of religious life, Fr. Dysmas presents elements that will assist everyone in evaluating the dangers of certain spiritual practices and methods of government associated with community life.

Fr. Dysmas's wisdom and experience will help you attain the broad equilibrium that nourishes personal and community growth, through the respect of individuals, Catholic tradition, and a healthy spiritual life.Speaking out for the first time, he condemns an era of mental abuse in the Church and in the world. This free and liberating guide exposes some of the abuses within religious orders and includes testimonies of victims.

You will learn:

You will also gain a proper understanding of obedience and discover the three conditions, according to St. Francis de Sales, that highlight what blind obedience really means. Moreover, you will see the difference between the silence that is life-giving and the silence that kills. You will also find two criteria for healthy communication with the outside world and the way to achieve balance in living a life of sacrifice to foster genuine humility. Above all, you will see the necessary path to healing and how the truth sets us free.

Through times of trial, division, repression, and new growth, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has remained faithfully at the foot of the Cross.

The leader of this Eastern Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, grew up in Ukraine during a time when his Church was illegal, and his family had to carry out their religious practices in secret. Born in the western Ukrainian city of Stryi on May 5, 1970, he grew up hearing stories of his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who had to deal with the demands of shifting political situations and the conflicts of Eastern Europe. He studied for the priesthood in an underground seminary and learned from the witness of priests and bishops who were imprisoned for their faith -- including some who lost their lives on account of their fidelity to Christ and his Church.

Today, in the interviews contained in this book, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk offers deep insights about the direction in which the world is going, including the struggle the Church once again faces, thirty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

What we moderns have forgotten, the ancients knew well: true beauty heals the soul, draws us to God, and yields lasting happiness.

Rich with the wisdom of Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, and St. John Paul II, these pages unpack perennial truths about beauty and rivet them into your soul, opening the eyes of your understanding to the beauty all around us.

Offering an abundance of accessible examples, author John Mark Miravalle demonstrates that beauty is neither in the eye of the beholder, nor for the cultivated, the dreamer, or the "hopeless romantic" alone. On the contrary, the ability to understand, recognize, and delight in beauty readies all souls for heaven -- and makes it easier for us to get there.

From these pages, you'll learn:

With the help of these pages, you'll receive fresh eyes to marvel again (or for the first time) at the beauty of nature, music, art, architecture, and, most importantly, the beauty of God, the fountainhead and exemplar of all things on earth that are beautiful.

Throughout the modern era, Galileo Galilei has been presented as a victim of cruel torture of conscience, theological narrow-mindedness, and ecclesiastical harassment typical of a dark, closed-minded Church. Frequently portrayed as such in theaters due to prevailing political ideologies, the story of Galileo points to the long-held tension between "science and faith," "technology and ethics," and "progress and the Church."

The story of the real Galileo, however, which has not been told--until now--is sure to rock the established narrative.

Walter Cardinal Brandmüller, an eminent Church historian and expert in Galilean research, evaluates the scientific research of the recent past and exposes shocking historical errors. Uninterested in whitewashing the problematic pages of Church history, he offers a balanced view of the controversy, illuminating it through the lens of a deeper historical understanding.

Leaving no stone unturned, His Excellency separates the facts from the fiction to reveal:

You will discover the various aspects and philosophical views of the Galileo controversy, including how his personal polemics at times superseded his scientific research. Moreover, you will learn about significant scientists' and theologians' arguments regarding heliocentrism and other topics.

The book includes an extensive bibliography of Galileo's works and a timeline of his life, as well as a declaration from twelve Nobel Prize-winning scientists on the necessity of dialogue between science and religion and the need for the Church's guidance.

The History Of The Diocese Of Green Bay Wisconsin Peerenboom Hardcover Book

"What we priests were forced to endure under the Nazi regime, especially in Dachau concentration camp, is no more than a cup filled from the vast sea of human suffering in the world today," wrote Fr. John Lenz. "It is not this suffering as such that is important. The important thing is to show those who have crosses of their own to bear in life just what the grace of God can do for those who follow faithfully in the footsteps of Christ the Crucified. It is no less important to reveal the wickedness of Hell."

The Nazi hellhole Dachau concentration camp held the largest number of Catholic priests -- more than 2,400 -- in the Nazi camp system. They came from two dozen countries, from every background -- parish priests and prelates, monks and friars, teachers and missionaries. More than one-third were killed.

Among the survivors was Fr. Lenz, who was asked by his superiors to write an account of what he saw -- and experienced -- so that it would not be forgotten. This book, filled with gripping real-life stories and eighty photos, was the stunning result and became an immediate sensation.

This work is unique among those written on the Holocaust; it reveals how, by tireless sacrifice amid barbaric suffering, the Church was victorious in one of the darkest times in human history. When the Nazis entered several European countries, many people were afraid to speak up. Numerous priests, however, continued to preach the gospel and the truth about the dignity of life and freedom. Through their courageous witness you will learn about:

"Only when we are forced to endure the most profound suffering and hardship do we learn how to catch hold of God's hand in our misery," Fr. Lenz reflected. "We learn to pray."

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (first place, best new religious book series).

Suspense, politics, sin, death, sex, and redemption: Not the plot of the latest crime novel, but elements of the true history of the Catholic Church.

Larger-than-life figures such as Athanasius of Alexandria, Augustine, and Constantine played an important part in the history of the Christianity. In The Church and the Roman Empire (AD 301-490): Constantine, Councils, and the Fall of Rome, popular Catholic author Mike Aquilina gives readers a vivid and engaging account of how Christianity developed and expanded as the Roman Empire declined.

Aquilina explores the dramatic backstory of the Council of Nicaea and why Christian unity and belief are still expressed by the Nicene Creed. He also sets the record straight about commonly held misconceptions about the Catholic Church.

In this book, you will learn:

Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.

In the bloody Civil War that split our nation, American bishops worked for the success of the Union . . . and of the Confederacy! As Catholics slaughtered Catholics, pious priests on both sides prayed God to give success in battle. . . to their own side. Men in blue and men in gray flinched at the Consecration as cannonballs (fired by Catholic opponents) rained down on them during battlefield Masses.

Many are the moving - and often surprising - stories in these pages of brave Catholics on both sides of the conflict - stories told by Fr. Charles Connor, one of our country's foremost experts on Catholic American history.

Through searing anecdotes and learned analysis, Fr. Connor here shows how the tumult, tragedy, and bravery of the War forged a new American identity, even as it created a new American Catholic identity, as Catholics--often new immigrants--found themselves on both sides of the conflict.

Fr. Connor's account shows that in the nineteenth century and on both sides of the conflict, the Church in America was a combination of visionary leadership and moral blindness - much as is the Church in America today. From consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, Catholics today will discover ways to bridge the gulf that today divides so many in our Church - and in our nation.

Volume 1

A source-book of theological and historical passages from the Christian writings of the Pre-Nicene and Nicene eras. Volume 1 ends circa 382.

Volume 1: the Pre-Nicene and Nicene eras

Volume 2: the Post-Nicene era through St. Jerome;

Volume 3: St. Augustine to the end of the patristic period.

The passages selected are keyed to the numerical order established in M. J. Rouët de Journel's Enchiridion Patristicum. In no sense, however, are these volumes a translation of that standard work. The author has made his own investigation of theological textbooks in common use and has selected the patristic passages most frequently cited, including much that is in Rouët and much that is not. All passages have been freshly and accurately translated from the best critical editions.

Preceding each selection is a brief introduction treating the authorship, date and place of composition, and the purpose of the work from which the selection is taken. The author's scholarship and sprightly sense of humor are evident in these prefatory remarks.

Of immense value to the reader is the Doctrinal Index provided for each volume. Here one can find the texts pertinent to particular doctrinal points, a method especially useful to homilists. In addition, each volume is enhanced by comprehensive Scriptural and General Indices.

Volume 3
A source-book of theological and historical passages from the writings of St. Augustine to the end of the patristic age. Volume 3 ends with St. John of Damascene (d. 749).

Volume 1: the Pre-Nicene and Nicene eras
Volume 2: the Post-Nicene era through St. Jerome;
Volume 3: St. Augustine to the end of the patristic period.

The passages selected are keyed to the numerical order established in M. J. Rouët de Journel's Enchiridion Patristicum. In no sense, however, are these volumes a translation of that standard work. The author has made his own investigation of theological textbooks in common use and has selected the patristic passages most frequently cited, including much that is in Rouët and much that is not. All passages have been freshly and accurately translated from the best critical editions.

Preceding each selection is a brief introduction treating the authorship, date and place of composition, and the purpose of the work from which the selection is taken. The author's scholarship and sprightly sense of humor are evident in these prefatory remarks.

Of immense value to the reader is the Doctrinal Index provided for each volume. Here one can find the texts pertinent to particular doctrinal points, a method especially useful to homilists. In addition, each volume is enhanced by comprehensive Scriptural and General Indices.

At the beginning of the famous encounter between St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, as Diego ascends Tepeyac Hill, he is suddenly surrounded by beautiful music and wondrous sights, whereupon he asks himself, "Where am I? Could this be the place that our ancestors spoke of -- the Flower World Paradise in the land of heaven?"

With these words, St. Juan Diego ties his encounter to an ancient indigenous belief system -- a spiritual floral domain named "Flower World." This startling history was recently uncovered by anthropologists and archaeologists. In referencing this flowery paradise, Juan Diego opens up a fascinating link dating back to the very cradle of American civilization.

Flower World permeated Pan-Mesoamerican culture from its inception, accentuating ancient American man's yearning for a paradisiacal afterlife saturated with music and beauty. This is expressively reflected in flower song poems of the era, whose primary metaphor is that of a singer calling down flowers from heaven to gather in his tilma so he might share them with lords and princes.

This exciting new interpretation of American prehistory lays the groundwork for a prophetical reinterpretation of the Guadalupe narrative. Joseph and Monique Gonzalez shed new light on the astounding events of Our Lady's appearance at Tepeyac in December 1531. They present a fresh explanation of the roughly ten million indigenous conversions that occurred after the Blessed Mother's appearance -- considered the single largest Christian conversion event in history.

Painstakingly tracing the latest archaeological interpretations of Flower World along with the philosophical ramifications behind the flower songs, the Gonzalezes make a compelling case for the Guadalupe apparition's being the culmination of thousands of years of evangelical preparation of the people of the Americas. In these enthralling pages, you will discover:

This hero's journey through the centuries is a love letter to the modern world that unveils in a stunning way the reality of God's salvific plan for the Americas, then and now.

In this unique, rich, and eye-catching book, popular Catholic author and EWTN host Mike Aquilina tells the Christian story through the examination of 100 objects and places. Some, like Michelangelo's Pietà, are priceless works of art. Others, like a union membership pen, don't hold much monetary value. But through each of them, Aquilina offers a memorable and rewarding look at the history of the Church.

When Catholics tell their story, they don't just write it in books. They preserve it in memorials, monuments, artifacts, and museums. They build grand basilicas to house tiny relics.

In this stunning book, Aquilina, together with his writer-daughter Grace, show how the history of the Church didn't take place shrouded in the mists of time. It actually happened and continues to happen through things that we can see and sometimes hold in our hand.

The Christian answer to Neil MacGregor's New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, Aquilina's A History of the Church in 100 Objects introduces you to:

God makes himself known and accessible through material things, always accommodating himself to our condition. It is, after all, the condition he created for us--spiritual and material--and the form he assumed for our salvation.

Ancient Rome's brutal culture exploited the weak and considered human life expendable. Women were used as property; unwanted children were left on the streets to die.

Four centuries later, even ordinary men and women prospered in what had become a vigorous new Christian society - a society that served the vulnerable, exalted women, treasured virtue, and loved peace.

Faith had triumphed. Truth was proclaimed. And on this rock-solid foundation, Christian society flourished in the West for the next 1500 years.

These eye-opening pages document the many ways in which Christians penetrated and civilized that debased Roman empire, introducing then-radical notions such as the equal dignity of women, respect for life, protection of the weak and vulnerable, and the obligation of rulers to serve those they rule and maximize their freedom.

Here you'll learn about the seven specific areas where any paganism, ancient or modern, is particularly vulnerable. They provide a roadmap for modern Christians to reclaim for the Faith our own neo-pagan modern culture.

Facing an overwhelmingly dark and hostile culture, Rome's early Christians took the steps necessary to transform it. Their struggles and the hard lessons they learned - documented here - afford us hope that, by imitating their example, we may do the same for our culture today.

How Christianity Saved Civilization was previously published as Seven Revolutions: How Christianity Changed the World and Can Change It Again. This new edition has been brought into print to offer hope that Christianity may once again transform our dark and hostile culture.

Rediscover how the Catholic faith has inspired the greatest achievements in history!

24 entertaining and eye-opening essays by Prof. Esolen originally published in Magnificat (2018-2019) that will give you a new appreciation for the Church and her mission in the world.

Meet...

• A sainted woman who inspired three of her brothers to become saints...
• A navigator who spread the Gospel during his voyages...
• A rich man who embraced poverty to win pagans for Christ...

Professor Esolen's captivating style is as entertaining as it is eye-opening.

Let these stories inspire you to turn your faith into action!

The story of the early Jesuit missionaries who arrived in North America between 1632 and 1637 is a remarkable by all accounts. For twenty long years, they toiled alone and unaided in the vast, wild regions of eastern Canada, bearing the hardships of a harsh climate, scarcity of food and inadequate lodging, as well as the constant menace of those inhabitants they had come to evangelize. Nevertheless, they worked and prayed unceasingly and bore all these hardships for the love of Christ and the salvation of souls, being filled with joy at the opportunity to suffer and bear fruit for our Lord.
--Excerpt from the Foreword

"In the pages that follow Father Frantois Roustang has given us excerpts from the writings of four of these men and to these he has added four more selections written by their companion missionaries, who were spared the grace of red martyrdom. In doing so he has broadened the seven-year timeframe into which the martyrs are generally placed, and he has expanded the field of what is certainly one of the most heroic chapters in religious history. [These writings] serve to give the experiences of each man the animation and life of a modern novel. Roustang has also done us a great favor in giving, by way of an introduction, a snapshot of his eight subjects, allowing us to study each man's background, his sanctity, idiosyncrasies, defects and talents and the circumstances of his narrative. The result is that we can learn much, not only about eight Jesuits of heroic virtue and about the times in which they lived, but also about human nature itself."
-- Cornelius Michael Buckley, S.J.

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitre answers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus' purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, most important of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, "This is my body... This is my blood"?

To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the Passover of the Messiah, the miraculous Manna from heaven, and the mysterious Bread of the Presence. As he shows, these three keys--the Passover, the Manna, and the Bread of the Presence--have the power to unlock the original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus. Along the way, Pitre also explains how Jesus united the Last Supper to his death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Inspiring and informative, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist is a groundbreaking work that is sure to illuminate one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: the mystery of Jesus' presence in "the breaking of the bread."

Based on Pope Benedict XVI's weekly teaching on the relationship between Christ and the Church, this book tells the drama of Jesus' first disciples -- his Apostles and their associates -- and how they spread Jesus' message throughout the ancient world. Far from distorting the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, insists Pope Benedict, the early disciples remained faithful to it, even at the cost of their lives.

Beginning with the Twelve as the foundation of Jesus' re-establishment of the Holy People of God, Pope Benedict examines the story of the early followers of Christ. He draws on Scripture and early tradition to consider such important figures as Peter, Andrew, James and John, and even Judas Iscariot. Benedict moves beyond the original Twelve to discuss Paul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christianity who became one of Jesus' greatest disciples. Also considered are Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, the wife and husband "team" of Priscilla and Aquila, and such key women figures as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Phoebe.

Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church is a fascinating journey back to the origins of Christianity. It reveals how Jesus' earliest disciples faithfully conveyed the truth about the "Jesus of history" and how they laid the foundations for the Church, through whom people today can know the same Jesus.

“The Liturgy in Stained Glass” is a book of thanksgiving, with its publication in 2025 marking the 100th anniversary of “abbey status” for the Canonry of St. Norbert Abbey. This insightful hardcover book – produced over multiple years under the direction of Fr. Stephen Rossey, O. Praem. – reveals the beauty of our abbey’s impactful, artistic stained-glass windows as they bring Norbertines and friends of the abbey closer to God. The windows let light shine through, revealing beauty, color and the elements of the liturgy. In the light of faith, one can experience a deepening of the spiritual life. “The Liturgy in Stained Glass” is 133 pages and measures 13 1/4″ tall by 9 1/4″ wide. We hope you enjoy immersing yourself in the beauty of St. Norbert Abbey’s stained-glass windows.

The Mass Explained from Catholic Book Publishing explores the theological meaning of the Mass; examines the role to which baptized Catholics are called in its celebration; and helps readers to discover the meaning of its words, songs, gestures, and ritual actions. Written by Msgr. James P. Moroney, this book features clear, straightforward illustrations and a useful glossary of terms. This handy, informative Mass guide is bound in a flexible full-color cover.