Servants of the Lord & the Virgin of Matará
CATHOLIC CULTURE
Summer Reading
Rest is an important necessity for all people. Physically, mentally, and spiritually we have limitations and should have time and ways to recharge, relax, and unwind. The “need for celebration is inherent in our humanity”(Bl. John Paul II, Dies Domini 1998, 4) and with classes out and longer days ahead, you may find yourself with some extra time on your hands. This summer is the perfect opportunity to read a good book or enjoy a summer movie with friends and family. Below are a few recommendations.
“He is not only idle who does nothing, but he is idle who might be better employed. “
— Socrates
Books about the life of Jesus Christ
The Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen
The Sacred Passion by Luis de la Palma
The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton
INRI by Fr. Miguel Fuentes (Spanish only)
Mysteries of Christ by Bl. Columba Marmion
Books about Mary
The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsis Ligouri
Daughter Zion by Pope Benedict XVI (as Cardinal Ratzinger)
Mary and the Fathers of the Church by Luigi Gambero
Mary in the Middle Ages by Luigi Gambero
Saint Biographies & Stories
The Family that Overtook Christ by M. Raymond, OCSO | The story of St. Bernard and his family written as a novel.
St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Oxby G.K. Chesterton | A good introduction to the great saint of Scholastic philosophy.
St. Francis by G.K. Chesterton
St. Francis by Julian Green
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt | A play about St Thomas Moore: a lawyer, statesman, writer, and matyr during the tumuluous years of the reign of King Henry VIII.
The Passion of St. Therese of Lisieux by GuyGaucher
Jesuit Saints & Martyrs by Joseph N. Tylenda
The Intimate Life of Padre Pro by Fr. Antonio Dragón, S.J. | Bl. Miguel Pro was a priest who was martyred in 1927 during the persecution of Catholics in Mexico
Autobiographies
Treasures in Clay by Fulton Sheen
With God in Russia by Walter Ciszek, S.J. | Fr. Ciszek recounts the over twenty years he spent in a Russian prison during Communist rule.
He Leadeth Meby Walter Ciszek, S.J. | A more spiritual reflection about Fr. Ciszek’s experience in prison.
Memoires of a Yukon Priest by Segundo Llorente, S.J. | The personal account of a missionary’s adventure serving the Inuit people in Alaska.
The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux
Getting to Know Your Faith
The Catechism for Youth by Fr. Carlos Buela, IVE
Youth in the Third Millenium by Fr. Carlos Buela, IVE
Calvary and the Mass by Fulton Sheen
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
Redeptoris Hominis by Bl. John Paul II (Spanish)
Encyclical written by the Pope in 1978, focuses on Christ as the Redeemer of Mankind
Mulieris Dignitatem by Bl. John Paul II (Spanish)
Encyclical written in 1988 on the Dignity of Women
Catholic Culture
How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Thomas E. Wood
Life is Worth Living by Fulton Sheen
Peace of Soul by Fulton Sheen
A Brief Reader to the Virtues of the Human Heart by Josef Pieper
Hope and History by Josef Pieper
A profound refutation of the temporal promises of Communism.
Mystery and Manners by Flannery O’Connor
A collection of essays and prose work of a great 20th century Catholic Southern writer.
Pigrim’s Guide to America: US Catholic Shrines and Centers of Devotion by J. Anthony Moran
Fiction with a Point
The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor (The three short stories she wrote while she was dying have a special place among her works: “Revelation”, “Parker’s Back”, “Judgement Day.” These stories are not to be missed!)
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather | A 19th Century frontier novel about the founding of Santa Fe.
Light on the Mountains by Franz X. Weiser
Books for Parents and Teachers
He Made Them Male and Female by Fr. Miguel Fuentes, IVE
Parents and Children by Fulton Sheen
Character Building: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by David Isaacs
Movies
Karol: The Man who Became Pope
Karol: The Pope Who Remained a Man
Bella
A Man for All Seasons
The Misson
Of Gods and Men
Les Miserables (1998)
St. Teresa of Avila
Family Movies
Don Bosco
John XXIII
Maria Gorretti
Marcellino Pan de Vino
Documentaries
Into Great Silence | The story of Carthusian monks.
Interrupted Lives | USCCB documentary of Byzantine Catholic religious sisters during Communism
Blood Money | In-depth look at the abortion industry in America.
