WELCOME! On this page there is lots of information about the Catholic faith- don't be overwhelmed! Think of it like a launch pad, a place to begin your exploration of the Catholic Faith. First there are three points to get started (taken from catholicscomehome.com). Afterwards, there are recommended websites, youtube channels and books that will help you come to know what Catholics believe and why they believe it. If at any point you would be interested in having a chat with someone from the church or a priest, please click the link below. May God guide you in your search!
The word “Catholic” means universal, and that is really what the Catholic Church is—a universal body of believers, united in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Our Catholic family is made up of every race, age, and walk of life. For centuries, the Catholic Church has been the place to turn to for the source of Christian belief, an intimate encounter with Jesus Christ, a welcoming family, and a guiding light to get to heaven.
2. WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT CHURCH I BELONG TO? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT MAKES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DIFFERENT?
1. EXPERIENCE THE PEACE THAT ONLY COMES FROM GOD
IN THE CHURCH, OUR HOME.
The Catholic Church is not just one denomination among many. In fact, it can trace its founding roots back to Jesus Christ, who started our Church. For 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has guarded the truth that Jesus has taught, whether in or out of style. In the Church today, one can experience the most personal relationship with Christ through the Holy Eucharist, the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood to us. Since its founding, the Catholic Church has continued to be the largest body of Christians on earth. Though it’s not perfect, nor does it have perfect members, the Church still contains the fullness of truth, which Jesus promised would set us free.
3. YOUR PATHWAY TO JESUS CHRIST.
Recommendations (click underlined words to access sites)
Websites
Catholics Come Home - videos and articles to help Catholics return to the church
Word on Fire - movie reviews, reflections on scriptures, articles
Strange Notions - atheism, agnosticism, skepticism
Catholic Answers - detailed responses for those coming from Protestant traditions
NewAdvent - articles, writings of early Christians, Aquinas
News
Youtube Channels
Journey Home - stories and testimonials from people who have become Catholic
EWTN - reflections on scripture, tv shows on everything
Fr. Michael Schmitz - reflections geared towards young adults
Ali-Marie Ingram - - personal reflections on Catholic Teaching, young adult women
The Marian Catechist - clarity with charity, reflections of faith in todays world
Franciscan Friars - reflections on Scripture, explanations
Vericast Network - Podcasts
Chris Stephanic - inspiration and reflection
Sensus Fidelium - collection of talks
Franciscan University - Lectures and talks on everything
Books (from brandonvogt.com)
Theology and Basics of Catholicism
Adams, Karl – The Spirit of Catholicism
Bouyer, Louis – Spirit and Forms of Protestantism
Catholic Church – Catechism of the Catholic Church
Guardini, Romano – The End of the Modern World
Guardini, Romano – The Lord
Hahn, Scott – Rome Sweet Home
Kreeft, Peter – Christianity for Modern Pagans
Newman, John Henry – Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
Newman, John Henry – Parochial and Plain Sermons
Ott, Ludwig – Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma
Pieper, Josef – The Four Cardinal Virtues
History and Culture
Belloc, Hilaire – The Great Heresies
Belloc, Hilaire – How The Reformation Happened
Belloc, Hilaire – Survivals and New Arrivals
Carroll, Warren – Christendom I: Founding of Christendom
Carroll, Warren – Christendom II: The Building of Christendom
Carroll, Warren – Christendom III: The Glory of Christendom
Carroll, Warren – Christendom IV: The Cleaving of Christendom
Crocker III, H.W. – Triumph
Dawson, Christopher – Christianity and European Culture
Knox, Ronald – Enthusiasm
Leclercq, Jean – Love of Learning and the Desire for God
Walsh, William – Our Lady of Fatima
Holy Men and Women
Chesterton, G.K. – St. Francis of Assisi
Chesterton, G.K. – St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox
Day, Dorothy – The Long Loneliness
John XXIII, Pope John – Journal of a Soul
Merton, Thomas – The Seven Storey Mountain
Muggeridge, Malcolm – Something Beautiful for God
Newman, John Henry – Apologia Pro Vita Sua
Suarez, Federico – Mary of Nazareth
Trochu, F. – The Cure of Ars
Wegemer, Gerard – Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage
Weigel, George – Witness to Hope
Literary Classics
Alighieri, Dante – The Divine Comedy
Benson, Robert Hugh – Lord of the World
Bernanos, George – The Diary of a Country Priest
de Cervantes, Miguel – Don Quixote
Eliot, T.S. – Christianity and Culture
Endo, Shusaku – Silence
Hopkins, Gerard Manley – Poems and Prose
Newman, John Henry – The Idea of a University
O’Conner, Flannery – The Complete Stories
Percy, Walker – Lost in the Cosmos
Percy, Walker – Love in the Ruins
Sienkiewicz, Henryk – Quo Vadis
Tolkien, J.R.R. – The Lord of the Rings
Undset, Sigrid – Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Bridal Wreath
Undset, Sigrid – Kristin Lavransdatter II : The Wife
Undset, Sigrid – Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross
Waugh, Evelyn – Brideshead Revisited
Spiritual Classics
Aquinas, St. Thomas – My Way of Life/Summa Theologica
Augustine, St. – The City of God
Augustine, St. – Confessions
Catherine of Siena, St. – Little Talks with God
Chesterton, G.K. – The Everlasting Man
Chesterton, G.K. – Orthodoxy
John of the Cross, St. – Dark Night of the Soul
Lewis, C.S. – Mere Christianity
Lewis, C.S. – The Problem of Pain
Lewis, C.S. – The Screwtape Letters
Oursler, Fulton – The Greatest Story Ever Told
Teresa, Bl. Mother – Meditations from a Simple Path
Teresa of Avila, St. – Interior Castle
Teresa of Avila, St. – The Way of Perfection
Therese of Lisieux, St. – Story of a Soul
Spiritual Reading
A’Kempis, Thomas – The Imitation of Christ
Aumann, Jordan – Spiritual Theology
Baur, Benedict – Frequent Confession
Baur, Benedict – In Silence with God
Boylan, Eugene – Difficulties in Mental Prayer
Boylan, Eugene – This Tremendous Lover
Burke, Cormac – Covenanted Happiness
Chautard, Jean-Baptiste – The Soul of the Apostolate
de Caussade, Jean-Pierre – Abandonment to Divine Providence
de Montfort, Louis-Marie – True Devotion to Mary
de Sales, St. Francis – An Introduction to the Devout Life
de Sales, St. Francis – Treatise on the Love of God
Escriva, Jose Maria – Christ is Passing By
Escriva, Jose Maria – Friends of God
Escriva, Jose Maria – The Way, Furrow, The Forge
Escriva, Jose Maria – The Way of the Cross
Faber, Frederick – All for Jesus
Garrigou-Lagrange, Fr. Reginald – Three Ages of Interior Life
Liguori, Alphonso – The Great Means of Salvation and Perfection
Liguori, Alphonso – Uniformity with God’s Will
Louis of Grenada, Venerable – The Sinner’s Guide
Lovasik, Lawrence – The Hidden Power of Kindness
Manzoni, Alessandro – The Betrothed
Martinez, Luis – True Devotion to the Holy Spirit
More, St. Thomas – The Sadness of Christ
Perquin, Bonaventure – Abba Father
Rohrbach, Peter – Conversation with Christ
Scupoli, Lorenzo – Spiritual Combat
Sheed, Frank – Theology and Sanity
Sheed, Frank – Theology for Beginners
Sheed, Frank – To Know Christ Jesus
Sheen, Fulton – Life of Christ
Sheen, Fulton – Three to Get Married
Tanqueray, Adolphe – The Spiritual Life
von Hildebrand, Dietrich – Transformation in Christ
Miscellaneous
John Paul II, Bl. Pope – Crossing the Threshold of Hope
Masson, Georgina – The Companion Guide to Rome
Monti, James – The King’s Good Servant but God’s First
Rice, Charles – 50 Questions on the Natural Law
Sertillanges, A.G. – The Intellectual Life
Stein, Edith – Essays on Woman
