Books published by publisher Ignatius Pr

This Vision Book for youth 9-15 years old tells the exciting, inspirational story of the great French saint of charity, St. Vincent de Paul. From his days of youth as a shepherd boy to his slavery in North Africa, his escape to France, his priestly service to the poor and to abandoned children, his founding of both the Vincentian Order and the Daughters of Charity, clashes with the Jansenists and his political adventures at court, this dramatic story of Vincent de Paul is sure to inspire all readers. Illustrated.

This new title in the acclaimed Vision Books lives of the saints series for youth 9-15 yrs. brings to life the inspirational story of St. José Sánchez del Río, a 14 yr. old boy in Mexico who died a martyr for the Catholic faith during the Cristero War in the 1920s.Meet young José and his friend Trino as the war breaks out in their hometown of Sahuayo. Follow José through his own struggles as the violence escalates, up to his joining the Cristero army in 1927 to fight for freedom of religion. Captured by government forces, José refused to deny his faith in exchange for his freedom. Tortured and forced to march to his grave, he cried out, "Viva Cristo Rey!" (Long live Christ the King) José died as he had lived, a hero.Inspired by this young martyr to become a priest himself, Father McKenzie spent ten years researching and writing José's story. The result is a riveting tale of a young man's bravery and passion for God. Drawing on all existing sources, including never-before-seen documents from the Vatican and the Mexican Government, Saint José plunges the young reader into a country at war, not over territory, but over the right to worship God freely.Canonized in 2016 by Pope Francis, St. José is one of the newest and youngest saints of the Catholic Church, and an inspiration to people from all walks of life. He shows us that our faith is worth fighting and dying for. His example is a powerful catalyst for young people today, so many of whom are tempted to never commit themselves to any serious calling in life.

The Merchant of Venice is probably the most controversial of all Shakespeare's plays. It is also one of the least understood. Is it a comedy or a tragedy? What is the meaning behind the test of the caskets? Who is the real villain of the trial scene? Is Shylock simply vicious and venomous, or is he more sinned against than sinning? Can the play be described as anti-semitic? What exactly is the quality of mercy? Is Portia one of the great Christian heroines of western literature? And what of the comedy of the rings with which Shakespeare ends the play? These questions and many others are answered in this critical edition of one of the Bard's liveliest plays.

IllustratedThis Vision book for youth tells the beautiful story of American's recently canonized saint and servant of the oppressed, St. Katharine Drexel. Born in 1858 to Francis and Emma Drexel, Katharine grew up in a happy, devout, and wealthy Catholic family in Philadelphia. Her parents were greatly loved and admired by many for their kindness and generosity to the poor and needy.After the death of her parents the young Katharine decided to use all the fortune she had inherited to help the less fortunate in America, especially the Indians and African Americans. Acting upon the words she had heard come from a statue of Our Lady, "Freely you have received, freely give", and from the direct advice given her by Pope Leo XIII to become a missionary, Katharine Drexel became a religious sister and founded the order of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891. Mother Katharine and her sisters worked tirelessly to serve the material and spiritual needs of the downtrodden through numerous schools and institutions she established around the country. She died in 1955, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001.Cover art by Chris Pelicano

Marta is unhappy. For quietly aloof Gregory and his sister Janet, Marta, with her thick Ukrainian accent, her good cooking, and her stories, is the anchor of the house. Mother and Father, both busy architects, are gone all day and sometimes at night. Marta is always there; and the children, sensing her unhappiness, do not want her to go away. When they find out that Marta desires a “good place” in the kitchen, nine-year-old Gregory, with precocious young Janet in tow, sets out to find her a Ukrainian icon in busy, modern London. Master storyteller Rumer Godden deftly brings to life a portrait of a lonely boy discovering the creative power of love. Illustrated.

It was the day before Christmas in a small Russian village. Alexi's babushka was telling him what Christmas was like when she was a girl - before the soldiers came. "Our church was as crowded as a pod full of peas. Candles made the church as bright as the sunniest day. Watching over us was the blessed icon of St. Nicholas." Alexi had many questions, including, "Why can't we celebrate Christmas tomorrow in St. Nicholas?" Babushka sadly replied that it would take a miracle after sixty years. Well, Alexi had heard enough. If there truly was such a thing as a miracle, why couldn't one happen here? And so unfolds a story which poignantly reveals how, though quiet and hidden, faith and hope can not be suppressed - by soldiers or by time. Beautifully illustrated with original four-color paintings on every page. A perfect Christmas present.

The noonday devil is the demon of acedia, the vice also known as sloth. The word “sloth”, however, can be misleading, for acedia is not laziness; in fact it can manifest as busyness or activism. Rather, acedia is a gloomy combination of weariness, sadness, and a lack of purposefulness. It robs a person of his capacity for joy and leaves him feeling empty, or void of meaningAbbot Nault says that acedia is the most oppressive of demons. Although its name harkens back to antiquity and the Middle Ages, and seems to have been largely forgotten, acedia is experienced by countless modern people who describe their condition as depression, melancholy, burn-out, or even mid-life crisis.He begins his study of acedia by tracing the wisdom of the Church on the subject from the Desert Fathers to Saint Thomas Aquinas. He shows how acedia afflicts persons in all states of life— priests, religious, and married or single laymen. He details not only the symptoms and effects of acedia, but also remedies for it.

The Fathers of the Church were great, holy men of history who lived in the early centuries of Christianity and made a significant impact on the Church and society by their lives and their teachings & writings. There are various groups of such men considered to be Fathers of the Church, and this work focuses on the lives, adventures and central teachings of the great Greek Fathers, whose names are well-known in the history of the Church.The author covers seven Greek Fathers who lived between the years 293 to 754, most of them living in the 200-400's. These are St. Athanasius (293-373), St. Basil (330-379), St. Gregory Nazianzos (330-390), St. John Chrysostom (344-407), St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386), St. Cyril of Alexandria (+444) and St. John of Damascus (+754).This work gives popular sketches of these great saints, focusing more on their lives than on their theology, and is meant for the inspiration and illumination of the layman. These men are important, great figures of history to know about, men who were mighty patriarchs or famous bishops, who lead councils, resisted Caesar and suffered persecution for Christ. Their lives and dramatic witness stand out as a bright beacon of light for us all.

The good, the true and the beautiful―it is for these that our souls long. Though they reside in unity and perfection in God alone, the written word is one place we can discover glimmers of divine light. The writings of great souls can turn our gaze toward God as he is revealed in Jesus Christ. Even authors who do not know Christ or who reject Christ can still point to him, for anyone who seeks the truth finds it; and any one who turns his back on the truth turns away from a someone whose presence can often be more keenly felt in his absence. In this volume, Lucy Beckett illuminates some of the finest writings in the Western tradition and trains our eye to discover in them the Christian vision of God. She masterfully guides us through Sophocles, Plato, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky and many others, deftly demonstrating each author's worth as a bearer of truth.

In 1975, Mother Elizabeth Seton was canonized as America's first native-born Roman Catholic saint. This Vision Book tells the inspiring true story of the life of Elizabeth Bayley Seton from her childhood in a distinguished New York family to her becoming a sister and foundress of an order of nuns.Born in 1774, Elizabeth Bayley grew up in a well-to-do Protestant family and seemed destined for a tranquil life. At age 19 she married William Seton and together they had five children. Tragedy struck when William died of tuberculosis in 1803. Elizabeth learned that her family fortune was lost as well. She converted to Catholicism at a time when Catholics were the object of persecutions in the United States. Her family was shocked by this decision. Elizabeth met Bishop Carroll of Maryland, and he gave her the inspiration to found the American Sisters of Charity and the first American parochial Catholic school. In time her order of sisters flourished, and they established more schools, orphanages and hospitals across the United States. At her early death (46 years old) Mother Seton's congregation numbered twenty-one communities throughout the country. Illustrated