Books published by publisher Parachute Press

“Jean Vanier is a living saint.” —James Martin, SJ In April 2008, Jean Vanier led a simple retreat in Nyahururu, Kenya, a place recently shattered by violence between people, and bloodshed. People there were shaken. With frequent reference to the Gospel of John, this book comprises the talks that Vanier gave: What Are You Looking For?The Cry of the PoorThe Feast Is ReadyTo Live in UnityBe OpenEncountering the OtherThe Washing of the Feet “I am a broken man like all human beings, but I also know that Jesus loves me and that he is calling me to grow. This is the experience of being loved in my brokenness and therein lies the incredible gentleness of our God. We all have to discover the point of our brokenness because that is precisely the place where we are the beloved. Sometimes we hide behind the idea that we are better than others. We have to discover that none of us is better, that we are all children of God… God has a desire to bring people together in love. There are two fundamental things that Jesus came to reveal to us. First, God is a lover. God loves. Second, this incredible, gentle, and tender God is in love with each one of us. Each person is precious to God and together we are to build a community where we love each other.” —from the book

Margaret — The Pope's Cat — is back! Illustrated in full color. Bang! Slam! Boom! Loud sounds in St. Peter's Square had been going on for nearly an hour already. Margaret was annoyed, because as you may know, cats like to sleep. A lot. The apartment where Margaret lives with the Pope, ever since he adopted her off the streets of Rome, looks out onto St. Peter’s Square. And the noises down there kept waking Margaret up. She rolled over, covering her ears with her paws. A few minutes later, the sounds began again, as more trucks arrived to unload even more chairs. Beep, beep, beep, beep went the trucks as they backed up to where men in yellow jackets were waiting to unload them. Then came Bang! Slam! Boom! all over again, as the men arranged the chairs in rows facing the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica. All of this was in preparation for a special event to take place the following day, Christmas. ____________ In this delightful new story from their lives, the Pope takes Margaret on a tour of St. Peter's. But when he's called away to work, Margaret gets lost in the world's largest church. She meets saints, children, tourists, and the artist Michelangelo's famous statue, The Pieta, before being reunited with the Pope as Midnight Mass is about to begin.

St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, is particularly remembered for his gentle and caring deeds towards his world and those who shared it with him. His vibrant faith inspired many others to follow his example of a life filled with consideration. Set in the medieval countryside surrounding Assisi, this book invites you to step into his world, beautifully recreated in words and pictures.

So you want to be a Dragon Slayer, do you? Well then, you have picked the right book.So begins Sir Wyvern Pugilist's new guide for preparing the young to engage the snarly and slimy monsters presently inhabiting our spiritual world. Lest you think, however, that this is a manual for anyone casually contemplating a match with a dragon, read on. Pugilist, an experienced Dragon Slayer, makes it clear that this is no small task, and he pulls no punches. He alternately yells and cajoles, pleads and flatters—whatever it takes to grow his students into bona fide Dragon Slayers. But be careful: This is only for those who are most serious about facing the malicious monsters (sin!) head-on! Sir Wyvern includes the essentials on armor and powerful prayers to ward off spiritual attacks from dragons."Would that all Dragon Slayers wrote like this! Wyvern Pugilist, where have you been all our lives?" The Boston Post and Intelligentsia "It was not until I read this guide that I discovered I have used all the wrong methods in fighting dragons." An Anonymous Dragon Slayer in California"There is no doubt that Sir Wyvern Pugilist's detailed guidebook will spring to the top of the bestseller lists in no time. I suggest you buy yours now, before the title sells out and you have to wait in line for more copies. Because wait-in-line you will!" Joanne de Arc, Director Emeritus, French Institute for the Slaying of the Dragons"Congratulations to Paraclete Press for successfully persuading Sir Wyvern to put pen to paper and for giving us this new manual on Dragon Slaying! It is long overdue! We enthusiastically recommend this guidebook for young and old alike, it's just that good." Slayers' Weekly

God has a special mission for each of us! With engaging prose and delightful illustrations, I'm a Saint in the Making reminds children of their unique call from God to live with mission and love. By recounting the highlights of the stories of both well-known and newer saints (including John Paul II, Mary MacKillop, Augustus Tolton, Teresa of Calcutta, Juan Diego and Chiara Badano) in relatable lessons, the book helps readers learn that there is no one single way to live a life of sanctity. I'm a Saint in the Making offers simple but impactful suggestions for ways children can offer acts of prayer, service, and love. Resources for parents, teachers, and caregivers at the end of book provide support for adults as they seek to encourage and accompany their young saints in the making.

It's Christmas Eve 722, and Kristoph, a young orphan boy, is accompanying the missionary priest Boniface through the German countryside. They are hurrying to reach the next village by nightfall when they come upon a group of people in the forest worshiping an oak tree and preparing to sacrifice the son of the village chieftain. To prove that the oak is powerless and that there is only One True God, Boniface miraculously fells the giant tree with a single ax stroke. In its place stands an evergreen. Calling it “the tree of the Christ Child,” he instructs the men to mend their lives and take the tree home where it will shelter “loving gifts and lights of kindness.” Now rescued, the son of the village chieftain invites Boniface and Kristoph to share Christmas with his family . . . around another evergreen that Kristoph cuts down for their own celebration.

What do you get when you cross a dog with a racehorse?A dog that chases cars and catches them.What do you get when you cross a dog with a skunk?Rid of the dog.But you can't get rid of the dog jokes we've unleashed until you get to the tail end of this Doggone Dog Joke Book. This collection of canine craziness includes oodles of doggie giggles to tickle your funnybone.After all, you know what they say... the more the terrier.

A book for little readers encountering loss and grief for the first time. Piggy and his heavenly friends, Fuzzbuzz and Bubbleberry, walk together through Piggy's first moments in heaven—eating grass, wondering if heavenly piggies have wings, and looking forward to being reunited with loved ones. With humor and understanding, Piggy in Heaven celebrates the reality that we bring our own endearing personalities into the life Christ grants us after death. This is a sad book and a funny book. Sometimes, you have to laugh and cry at the same time to heal.

Look! A Child’s Guide to Advent and Christmas presents Advent as special time for waiting and watching—paying attention—to the ways God comes to us. Told from the point of a view of a child, the story weaves together familiar Advent traditions like the Jesse tree and the Advent wreath, biblical stories and characters, and reflections on what these stories call us to do and be. This book reassures children of the presence of God in all times and places and invites them to become part of the holy work of making Christ present in the world.

"Before Margaret met the Pope, she lived on the streets of Rome. She was a small cat in one of the busiest, most crowded, cities in all Europe. Rome is the capital of Italy. Rome surrounds Vatican City, the world’s tiniest country, and home to the Pope, the Curia, and the Swiss Guard." So begins this 5th adventure in the lives of Margaret and the Pope. A prequel, this episode tells of the conclave that elected the Pope who would one day meet Margaret on the Via della Conciliazone. It turns out, Margaret was somehow there, watching, in the Sistine Chapel as the votes were cast. Children and adults alike will delight in this behind the scenes story about love and the Church, learning not only about what popes do, but this time, how popes are chosen.

Zeal and excitement are a part of every child. This picture book celebrates a young boy’s enthusiasm to put into practice the words of Christ: to feed and clothe the poor; help the needy; and love one’s neighbor. As Thomas shows his family the items he has packed into his suitcase after hearing a stirring homily at church, they marvel at his inventiveness and loving heart—he is traveling to the Kingdom of Heaven, and he knows what it takes to get there! Thomas and his family figure out a way, with his suitcase, to accomplish the goal that Thomas is so excited about: to arrive at the Kingdom.