St. Anthony Messenger Press announces the release of The Story of the Church: Revised and Expanded by Father Alfred McBride, O. Praem. In the Introduction to the book, Fr. Al writes, ”For two thousand years, the Catholic Church has housed an unruly family of saints, sinners and ordinary folks. Its history is a record of a boisterous lot of people—inspiring, infuriating, sometimes frustratingly dull and often engagingly charming.”

With rich storytelling and a reader-friendly style, Father Al McBride spans twenty-one centuries of church history, highlighting peak moments from a human perspective that responds to a question increasingly on the Catholic mind: How did we get here from there—and where are we heading next?

Updated and reformatted with new chapters, sidebars, bibliography and index, The Story of the Church is ideal for classroom use, small groups or individual study.

St. Anthony Messenger Press announces the release of  Thank God Ahead of Time: The Life and Spirituality of Solanus Casey by Michael H. Crosby, O.F.M. Cap. This new edition reveals the life of a man recently venerated by the church, and who is now on the road to sanctification. Appointed by the Vatican as the "External Collaborator to the Relator" for the cause of canonization of Capuchin Father Solanus Casey, Michael Crosby gives us an inspiring and insightful story of one person's unswerving faith in God's abiding presence throughout the universe. 

The author writes, "In researching his life and writing [Casey's] biography, I have been challenged to find my own 'ways and means close at hand,' whereby, as I reflect on his life and spirituality, I might move toward my own kind of 'astonishing familiarity' with God. For this I always will be most grateful....Whatever happens officially will not change my deep gratitude for being touched by his life and message." 

On May 1, Beth Knobbe, author of the forthcoming Finding My Voice: A Young Woman's Perspective in the Called to Holiness; Spirituality for Catholic Women series, received the Founder’s Award from the Amate House, a young adult volunteer program that collaborates with the Archdiocese of Chicago. This award is given to an outstanding alumnus who continues to live out the Amate House mission of “love in action.” Knobbe spent the 1995-96 school year teaching at Josephinum High School and living at St. William Parish with a group of volunteers from the Amate House.

Dominic Monti, author of  Francis & His Brothers: A Popular History of the Franciscan Friars, is keeping busy with multiple speaking engagements this spring. On March 14 he addressed the Carmelite Institute’s annual assembly at Washington Theological Union (WTU) about “The Franciscan Tradition and Carmel.” Dominic spoke at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University, in April at a symposium given by the Franciscan Institute in celebration of the Order’s 800th anniversary. On April 25th, he was a featured speaker at the Holy Name Province Franciscan Family Study Day at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City. Dominic returned to WTU May 1 to address WTU graduates. Further information about Dominic’s speaking engagements can be found on the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Name Province website here.

The Miracle of Lourdes by John Lochran

“…links the perennial message of Lourdes to the daily life of Christians throughout the world.”—The Catholic Register

The Denver Catholic Post reflects on Mary gardens and the ability they have to bring tranquility, reflection and peace to any landscape. A Mary garden is an area, of any size, filled with flowers, plants or herbs either named for Mary or that carry a legend related to her. The article quotes Vincenzina Krymow, author of Mary's Flowers, from St. Anthony Messenger Press, "Sitting in a Mary garden leads me to think about Mary, and remember the stories of Jesus--both the glory and the struggles. She is the mother of all of us. I feel comforted by her presence." Reading this article or Krymow's book might inspire you to create your own Mary garden. Read the complete article here.