faithAlivebooks Blog

Letters From Rome

Letters From Rome During Vatican II: The personal letters of a Vatican II bishop to his parishioners

Bishop Aloysius Wycislo
246 pages
Paisa Publishing, 2005
$13.95

"Aloysius J. Wycislo was born in Chicago on June 17, 1908 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1934. After serving with the Catholic Charities for the Chicago Archdiocese, he was appointed to what later would become Catholic Relief Services.

In 1962, Bishop Wycislo attended the opening session of the Second Vatican Council and would attend all four sessions of the Council from 1962 to 1965. Letters from Rome During Vatican II are the letters Bishop Wycislo wrote from Rome during Vatican II Council to his parishoners at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Chicago.

In 1968 Pope Paul VI appointed him bishop of the Green Bay, Wisconsin diocese where he served until his retirement in 1983. A close personal friend of Pope John Paul II, he was active in many ecumenical and liturgical affairs.

Following retirement as bishop of the Green Bay diocese, Bishop Wycislo began his writing career that would include Vatican II Revisited; A Talk with the Pastor; Those Who Knew Jesus; Saint Peter and his fifth and final book Letters from Rome During Vatican II that was completed just one week before his death on October 11, 2005."

--from the Publisher

To Order, contact:

St. Catherine Bookshop
342 S. Jefferson
Green Bay, WI 54301
920.432.0078
www.stcatherinebookshop.com

Book Talk for Moms

On February 8, 2006 I will be giving a book talk to a group of mothers of young children at St. Robert's Parish, Ada, Michigan. During the presentation, I will highlight the following titles for both children and parents. I would love to hear from you! I invite you to share your thoughts about these books in the comments section at the end of this post.

Books for Kids

Totally Lent!
3 Titles: primary grades, grades 4-6, grades 7 and up
Pflaum Publishing, 2006
$5.95 each

These Are Friends of Jesus
Shirley Neitzel
Illustrated by Benrei Huang
32 pages
Augsburg Books, 2005
$9.99

J is for Jesus: An Easter Alphabet and Activity Book
Debbie Trafton O'Neal
Jan Bryan-Hunt
32 pages
Augsburg Books, 2005
$10.99

Kids Explore America's Catholic Heritage
Young Writers Workshop
184 pages
Pauline Books, 2002
$9.95

The Loyola Book of Saints
Amy Welborn
Illustrated by Ansgar Holmberg, C.S.J.
304 pages
Loyola Press, 2001
$15.95

Every Day Bible Stories: A Bible Story for Every Day of the Year
Jane Chapman, editor
Illustrated by Anna C. Leplar
384 pages
Our Sunday Visitor, 2002
$19.95

The Faith Activities for Catholic Kids series
Grades 1-6
32 pages each
Pflaum Publishing, 2006
$6.95 each

Catholic Book of Bible Stories
Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton
Illustrated by Doris Ettlinger
224 pages
Zonderkidz, 2003
$16.99

Does God Know How to Tie Shoes?
Nancy White Carlstrom
Illustrated by Lori McElrath-Eslick
32 pages
Eerdmans, 1993
$8.00

Clare and Francis
Guido Visconti
Illustrated by Bimba Landmann
40 pages
Eerdmans, 2004
$20.00

St. Francis
Brian Wildsmith
39 pages
Eerdmans, 1996
$20.00

Saints: Lives and Illuminations
Ruth Sanderson
40 pages
Eerdmans, 2003
$20.00

Catholic Encyclopedia for Children
Ann Ball with Julianne M. Will
Illustrated by Kevin Davidson
176 pages
Our Sunday Visitor, 2003
$21.95

A Child's Bedtime Companion
Sandy Henry
Illustrated by Vera Pavlova
28 pages
Ambassador Books, 2005
$12.95

Books for Parents

Spirituality in the Mother Zone: Staying Centered, Finding God
Trudelle Thomas
256 pages
Paulist Press, 2005
$16.95

Good Parents, Tough Times: How Your Catholic Faith Provides Hope and Guidance in Times of Crisis
Charlene C. Giannetti and Margaret Sagarese
231 pages
Loyola Press, 2005
$14.95

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
Anne Lamott
320 pages
Penguin, 2005
$24.95

A Year with C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works
Patricia S. Klein, editor
410 pages
HarperCollins, 2003
$19.95

Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2006
Ireland Jesuit Communication Centre
377 pages
Ave Maria Press, 2005
$12.95

Bless My Child: A Catholic Mother's Prayer Book
Julie Cragon
156 pages
Ave Maria Press, 2005
$9.95

The Family Cloister
David Robinson
191 pages
Crossroad Publishing, 2000
$14.95

The Flowering of the Soul
Lucinda Vardey, editor
447 pages
Beacon Press, 1999
$16.00

The Saints' Guide to Happiness
Robert Ellsberg
221 pages
North Point Press
$23.00

Raising Faith-Filled Kids: Ordinary Opportunities to Nurture Spirituality at Home
Tom McGrath
274 pages
Loyola Press, 2000
$12.95

Catholic Mom 24/7: Daily Meditations for Busy Mothers
Tammy Bundy
300 pages
St. Anthony Messenger, 2004
$13.95

Phyllis Tickle on "The People of the Books"

In the December 2004 issue of Sojourner's Magazine, author and religious-book-publishing guru Phyllis Tickle cites a 50.8 percent growth in book publishing in the last decade. Tickle states that religious publications have dominated the trade in the United States, displaced merely once or twice by children's publishing. Why the sudden jump? Tickle explores the issue in her article, "The People of the Books." Her main premise? Beginning as early as the 1960s and continuing on into the 90's, "Americans’ inquiries about spiritual matters began to take place less and less frequently in pastors’ studies and more and more often in the quiet back corners where most bookstores shelved their religion titles in those days." She writes that such trends have continued to the present day, as with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which, as she states, "testifies to the lusty good health of religion fiction." For Tickle's full article, please visit the Sojourner's Magazine website, at sojo.net.