Books published by Gracewing

Our Lord's miracles were not just exotic intervals in His 'real' ministry: His approach to the marginalized, the sick and the disabled was an intrinsic part of His mission - a sign of the Messiah, prophesied in Scripture, inseparable from the proclamation of the Good News. By studying His healing miracles from an often neglected perspective - that of the sufferer - we gain a glimpse of how God views His creation; by studying Our Lord's Passion, from His physical wounds and from His five 'invisible wounds' we draw comfort, strength and spiritual guidance. In Scripture we find inspiration; in the Sacraments and traditions of the Church, healing balm; in prayer and other useful resources, practical help.True to the ancient devotion to the Five Wounds of Christ, the contemplation of which helped ordinary Christians to see the suffering of others, to cope with their own suffering, and to find the strength to follow in His footsteps, The Five Wounds offers hope and help to those suffering the invisible spiritual wounds that accompany sickness and disability - the poor in body and the poor in spirit - as well as those who care for them. At a time when so many are swimming against the tide of 'assisted suicide' advocacy, struggling to resist the seductive voices of the Culture of Death, The Five Wounds offers the hope and help they need to carry on living the apostolate of suffering. Lifting the veil of Man's greatest mystery, it finds true love in apparently worthless suffering. In accepting God's plan, wherever it may lead, we find ourselves unexpectedly accepting His invitation to the joyful banquet of the Lamb.

The loss of the Anglican mind, behind which is the loss of the Christian mind, has led to the dysfunctionalism and loss of identity which we see in modern Anglicanism throughout the Anglican Communion. In his Crockford's Preface (1987-88), Gareth Bennett drew attention to a theology in retreat, pinpointing the crisis within Anglicanism as being fundamentally theological, and called for a return to our roots, our prescriptive sources, as the way out of the malaise of modern Anglicanism. Canon Middleton takes us back to these prescriptive sources, and shows us that Anglicanism has its own peculiar character, and one that still speaks to us today. Tracing that character in the Reformers, the Carolines, the Oxford Fathers and the Formularies, he shows that despite the discontinuities of their time these divines are aware of the continuity and wholeness of the Christian tradition in all its fullness, organic wholeness and unbroken unity. Continuity is for them a dynamic and living transmission of certain living qualities of faith and order, the Tradition the Church hands on. These prescriptive sources speak to us of an issue facing us that is far bigger than the saving of the Church of England; it is the saving of the Apostolic Faith and Order of the Church, for which Ignatius died. They point us in the way of the re-integration of the universal Church in east and west, to a western orthodoxy, that is free from the relativism of the present: such orthodox Christian faith comes in all its saving power to identify with the world, but refuses to be accommodated to it, because its authority lies in its bringing to bear on the world an insight more adequate than the world's own. Arthur Middleton spent ten years as Vicar of Pennywell in Sunderland and was Rector of Boldon from1979-2003. He is Emeritus Canon of Durham, was a Tutor at St. Chad's College Durham, has served on the College Council and was Acting Principal in 1996-97. He is an Honorary Fellow of St Chad's College, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Patron of the Society of King Charles the Martyr. He is a member of the Church Union Council, the Standing Committee, and the Publications Committee of Tufton Books. He was an editor of the Tufton Review, on the Editorial Board of On-Line for Lambeth and writes for the Church of England Newspaper. He is an experienced lecturer, retreat conductor and a prolific writer. His other books publisherd by Gracewing are Towards a Renewed Priesthood, Fathers and Anglicans: The Limits of Orthodoxy, and Prayer in the Workaday World. Married to Jennifer, they have two grown-up sons.

When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in April 2005 much of hte media in the English-speaking world reacted with hostility. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he had for over twenty years been the Catholic Church's voice as upholder of orthodox doctrine. Media comment assumed that this meant he should be unpopular. But within just a few weeks perceptions had changed, and the real person had been discovered: this was clearly a popular pastor, reaching out with a worldwide message at his inaugural Mass, cheered to the echo by over a million young people at World Youth Day, drawing huge crowds in St Peter's Square, sitting with First Communicants at a children's rally to teach and answer their questions. The Holy Father has emerged as a person of warmth and gentleness, communicating the Christian message with clarity, and emphasising the hope and joy it can bring to the world.For Catholics and non-catholics alike, the person of the Pope is a fascinating one. In this book we meet the man who is St Peter's successor, read what he actually says and discover the way he thinks and acts. From a boyhood in a traditionally Catholic family in Bavaria, throught years as a professor, writer, and lecturer, to the years in Rome, his is a story worth discovering - and he is a teacher whose message is worth hearing.Joanna Bogle is a Catholic author, broadcaster and journalist. She writes for the Catholic press in Britain, America and Australia and broadcasts regularly with EWTN, the international Catholic television network. her many books include the best-selling A Book of Feasts and Seasons (celbrating the Church's year in home and family) and biographies of Fr Werenfried van Straaten (the founder of Aid to the Church in Need, Blessed Karl of Austria (A Heart for Europe) and Caroline Chisholm (The Emigrant's Friend).

The Mystery of Reason investigates the enterprise of human thought searching for God. People have always found stepping-stones to God's existence carved in the world and in the human condition. This book examines the classical proofs of God's existence, and affirms their continued validity. It shows that human thought can connect with God and with other aspects of religious experience. Moreover, it depicts how Christian faith is reasonable, and is neither blind nor naked. Without reason, belief would degenerate into fundamentalism; but without faith, human thought can remain stranded on the reef of its own self-sufficiency. This book proposes that the human mind must be in partnership with the human heart in any quest for God.Paul Haffner is lecturer in systematic and dogmatic theology in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Lateran University and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. In this series he has published The Mystery of Creation, The Mystery of Mary and The Sacramental Mystery.

When we consider the life of a celebrity, especially a Pope, who lived over four hundred years ago we must not make the mistake of looking at his life with our modern attitudes and prejudices. As a religious who assumed the papacy, Sixtus V brought with him the customs and attitudes of his vocation. Sixtus' spirit of poverty and obedience would present a challenge to the more worldly Roman court, and he had also come from a humble background. In addition, few Popes had been in obscurity-and even disgrace- for fourteen years prior to their election. Sixtus V has perhaps been overshadowed by the more famous Popes, Julius II and Pius V. We know of contemporary biographies, which appear to be official versions of his life. In this new biography, W. T. Selley shows how Sixtus V was outstanding in his creation of Renaissance Rome, only fifty years after it had been sacked. He was outstanding, from the point of view of good civic policy and he greatly facilitated the path of pilgrims visiting the churches of Rome. Sixtus was abstemious and devout, living quietly with his widowed sister and earning the nickname of the Hermit of Villa Montalto. He was also very intelligent in his diplomacy. Sixtus' contribution to papal administration survived virtually intact into our own time. One only needs to look at so many of the monuments of Rome, the obelisks and fountains, the frescoes and Church façades, to get an awareness of the measure of this great Pope.

This reader introduces the key theological themes of Catholic Religious Education today, providing an appropriate core text for those who are being educated to become Catholic teachers and preparing to work in Catholic schools. An ideal aid for managers and classroom teachers, it will also be useful for catechists and parents. A Companion to Catholic Education is a resource for Catholic educators designed for use in conjunction with other dedicated textbooks and good curricular material. It is not a stand-alone reference guide for educators but will orientate those new to the study of theology and Religious Education towards the key theological themes they will encounter in their teaching and act as a catalyst for further and deeper study of the range of themes covered. Teachers and student teachers can use this text to chart their way through the many curricular packages with which they are faced today. The book is divided into two sections. The first explores key areas of Catholic thought that are relevant for Catholic educators - God and Philosophy, Scripture, Christology, Ecclesiology, Liturgy, Sacraments, Catholic Moral Teaching and Catholic Social Teaching. The second focuses on pedagogical matters pertaining to Religious Education and the broader Catholic life and identity of the Catholic school. Catholic educators are encouraged to develop their knowledge of theological issues so as to understand better their vocation as both educator (in the secular sense) and faith-former (unique to Catholic education and other forms of faith education). Contributors include: Fr John Bollan, Roisin Coll, John Deighan, Leonardo Franchi, Fr John Keenan, Fr Tom Kilbride, Mary Lappin, Stephen McKinney, Catherine O'Hare, Leon Robinson, Bishop Philip Tartaglia, Karen Wenell, Victoria Harrison"Our schools and colleges have to be different from others, and the key to this is in the word 'Catholic'. It identifies them, and marks them as sharing in the evangelising mission of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church ... This timely publication, which explores key areas of Catholic thought that are relevant for Catholic teachers before looking in closer detail at matters pertaining to religious education and the broader Catholic life and identity of our schools, will enable all who read it to grow in this understanding."Rt Rev. Malcolm McMahon OP, Bishop of Nottingham, Chairman of the Catholic Education Service in England & Wales"A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. A Catholic school, over and above this, should help students to become saints."His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Address of the Holy Father to Pupils, 17 September 2010Leonardo Franchi teaches Religious Education in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. He has a particular interest in St Augustine of Hippo's contribution to Catholic educational thought. He is the editor of An Anthology of Catholic Teaching on Education. Stephen McKinney is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Glasgow (a former Head of Department of Religious Education). His research interests include faith schools and Catholic schools and he has published widely on these topics in journals and books, including his own edited collection from 2008: Faith Schools in the 21st Century.

What is the Christian calendar? Would you know how to make an Advent wreath? When is Candlemas? Who was the original St Nicholas? Why do we eat Hot Cross Buns? These and many other questions are all answered in A Year Book of Seasons and Celebrations - a guidebook to the traditional Christian year, which is also a cookery book, a mine of interesting information, and a source of amusement, inspiration, and faith. Living the calendar, celebrating its feasts, enjoying the ways in which they mesh with the natural seasons of the year, gives a new appreciation of the gift of life itself and our relationship both with the natural world and with the customs and culture that we have inherited. At a time when many old and valued traditions are in danger of being neglected, and when families are seeking ways of giving real meaning to celebrations such as Christmas and Easter, this is a practical handbook which provides both the background and the practical information for enjoying the seasons of the year. Written to celebrate our Christian heritage, it can be enjoyed by everyone.Joanna Bogle is a Catholic writer, broadcaster, and journalist. She is the author of several historical biographies, and also, under her pen-name 'Julia Blythe', a children's book. Her earlier Book of Feasts and Seasons, published in 1986, became a popular classic - this new book, with fresh ideas and further information, is sure to follow. She has made both a television and a radio series showing ways of celebrating the Christian year with things to make, do, eat and sing. Joanna Bogle is married to barrister Jamie Bogle, who is also an author, and they live in London.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a comprehensive, authoritative statement of the Church's teachings. In A Tour of the Catechism, Fr Flader unpacks the essentials and explains them in a way that everyone can understand. The book is a must for all those who want to know what the Church teaches, both for their own benefit and for the benefit of others: teachers, catechists, parents, converts and students of all kinds.

This study of the work of Catholic school governors in England and Wales places their work in the context of contemporary school governance, and the extensive (but largely unknown to both scholars and students) literature of the Catholic Church pertaining to education. It identifies issues where the expectations of the Church might be in conflict with those of the state, and examines how the governors seek to resolve them. In doing so, it shows that in some significant areas the way that governors govern their school appears to be at variance with the views of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education and the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.Although there are many studies of school governance in general, this is the first that relates specifically to Catholic schools. It is therefore wholly innovative as to its content, and fills a substantial gap in current knowledge: it deals with both primary and secondary schools in varied social contexts, and looks extensively at the position of diocesan directors of education, a group hitherto entirely ignored by academic commentators. The book is significant, not only because of the number of pupils being educated in Catholic schools, but also because of their popularity with parents, their success in measuring up to the state's yardsticks, and because of the contemporary controversy surrounding the whole issue relating to what are described as 'faith schools'. Essential reading for anyone involved in Catholic education, this book will be invaluable for Catholic school governors and those in dioceses and Local Authorities involved in Catholic education and in governor training, as well as for all students undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate teacher training courses in England and Wales. It provides the historical context to the tension between the state and the Catholic Church, and treats fully the key contemporary issues confronting the Catholic ethos of schools. Christopher Storr is a Research Associate at the Centre for Research and Development in Catholic Education at the University of London. He has spent the whole of his working life in education, and was for almost 20 years Director of Education for the Archdiocese of Southwark, having previously served as a senior officer in the Essex, Kent and Inner London Education Authorities.

This outstanding collection of essays sets out to explore the possibilities for a renewed catholic social conscience in the aftermath of three related-but contrasting-crises namely the demise of european communism, the recent and ongoing international economic collapse and the devastating blow to catholic credibility in the public sphere represented by the widespread and senior coverup of clergy child sex-abuse. Interdisciplinary in nature, the essays seek to reground theological thinking in a fresh way, to draw out traditions that have been lost in the midst of political and cultural struggle and to focus on specific instances of social need. In doing this they tease out emerging tensions between ecclesiastical rhetoric and the Church's institutional capacity, and skills to match words to deeds; the essays also reflect on specific instances of public engagement and theology which have both helped and hindered advocacy for a common good. Hopeful in tone, the collection is mission-centred comprising contributions from those who are leading figures in all of their fields. Catholic Social Conscience will be of particular interest to all Christians who have believed that the Catholic Social Teaching tradition, up to now, had something to offer the Christian community as a whole by way of resources to navigate the call to civic and social action. It will appeal to Catholic parish council members, charity workers, activists, catechists, religious, seminarians, and academics. Indeed, it should inspire those seeking to reflect on the future of Catholic social thought and action in an era when the traction of the social encyclical tradition in the face of economic crisis, and the legitimacy of the Church's frontline figures in the aftermath of the abuse crisis, has never been more important, contested nor more under pressure.

Father Alexander Men (1935-1990), a priest assassinated after the fall of communism, is a highly regarded figure in Russian Orthodoxy. He was brought up during the War and marked by the Stalinist era. Following the completion of his theological studies in Moscow, he was appointed to various parishes around the capital, in particular Alabino and Novaïa Dérévnia. But his personality and influence soon brought him into conflict with the authorities and he was persistently hounded by the police and subjected to interrogations and searches of his home. Father Men was not an agitator but the embodiment of an ideal of spiritual resistance to communism effected through prayer, the liturgical and sacramental life, and the valuing of the human person

A prominent and inescapable feature of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate is the importance which has been given to the sacred liturgy, in its actual celebration, as well as in the pope's Magisterium and theological writings. Not only have we witnessed the reappearance of many elements used in older, but recently-abandoned papal liturgies, but also what amounts to be the virtual liberation of the 'Old Latin Mass'. This has come as a great surprise to many people in the Church, some of whom almost regard it, and the pope's liturgical theology, as a betrayal of recent liturgical reforms. On the other hand, others have viewed these liturgical changes, and the emphasis which Pope Benedict places upon the liturgy in the life of the Church, as positive developments, leading to a more correct understanding of the Second Vatican Council within 'the hermeneutic of continuity' and reform, and the notion of 'organic development'. But, in the midst of conflicting interpretations, how are we to understand these developments and Pope Benedict XVI's re-affirmation of what we now call the usus antiquior? In this book Dr Anselm J. Gribbin explores these and other related questions by examining the liturgical theology of Pope Benedict XVI in his magisterial teachings and writings, particularly in the post-synodal exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, and The Spirit of the Liturgy. Gribbin, in an extensive, and detailed analysis, indicates that the liturgical theology of Pope Benedict XVI/Joseph Ratzinger points the way forward for the Church in the field of liturgy. He also addresses the fundamentally important question of the relationship between the liturgical writings of Pope Benedict XVI as a theologian, and his Magisterium as the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, and that the latter is best understood with recourse to the former.

Elizabeth Prout stands at both the heart and the crossroads of nineteenth-century history. From her birth in 1820 as the daughter of a cooper in a brewery, beside a cotton mill and an ironworks in the suburbs of Shrewsbury, to her death of tuberculosis, beside the glass and chemical works of St Helens, in 1864, she experienced the industrial, educational, social, economic and religious changes that transformed English society at that time. It was, however, her close friendships with those two giants of the spiritual life, the Passionists Blessed Dominic Barberi and Father Ignatius Spencer, that transformed her own life, enabling her, in turn, to transform her own environment.Slight in build, fragile in health, she spent her life in the service of the poor:the mill girls of Manchester, the refugees from the Irish Potato Famine, the needy of Sutton, St Helens, and the unemployed of Ashton-under-Lyne in the Lancashire Cotton Famine. At the same time she implemented educational changes that raised up the Catholic population. She provided Homes for the motherly care of Catholic working girls. Most important of all, in partnership with Father Gaudentius Rossi CP and Father Robert Croskell of the Diocese of Salford, she founded a religious order for the poor, enabling others, too, to educate, to nourish family life in parish visitation and the instruction of converts and to enrich the drabness of people's lives with the beautiful vestments they made for their churches.Without endowments or wealthy patrons, these Sisters of the Cross and Passion- mainly themselves from working-class backgrounds - worked tirelessly both tosupport themselves and to help the slum dwellers amongst whom they lived; andstill they found time to sanctify their lives and their work with almost incessant prayer.The Cause for the Canonisation of Elizabeth Prout (Mother Mary Joseph of Jesus)was opened by Archbishop Derek Worlock of Liverpool in the Church of St Anneand Blessed Dominic Barberi, Sutton, St Helens, where her remains are interred,like those of Father Ignatius Spencer CP, in the shrine of Blessed Dominic. In 2008 Archbishop Patrick Kelly completed the Liverpool Archdiocesan Process andforwarded Elizabeth Prout's Cause to Rome.Edna Hamer (Sister Dominic Savio CP) was educated by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion at both primary and secondary levels before entering their novitiate. With a BA (Hons) and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Manchester and an M.Litt. from Glasgow, she taught in St Michael's Academy, Ayrshire, for twenty-eight years. Appointed by the Congregation to research into the life of the Foundress, she was awarded her doctorate for her thesis onElizabeth Prout in the context of the social and economic history of Manchester and the North West. This biography of Elizabeth Prout was first published in 1994, the same year that the Cause for the Canonisation of Elizabeth Prout was opened. Appointed to the Historical Commission, Sister Dominic prepared the documentation for the Cause of Elizabeth Prout required by the Holy See. She is the author of With Christ in His Passion, a short life of Elizabeth Prout, also published by Gracewing

The unpublished Oratory Papers of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman edited with an Introductory Study on the Continuity between his Anglican and his Catholic Ministry.These are Newman's Chapter Addresses and other writings on the purpose and characteristics of Oratorian life. As Superior, Newman wanted his community to consist of responsible persons bound together by tact and discretion, obeying an unwritten law of love. He exercised endless patience in his desire to preserve this 'weaponless state' of the Oratory in spite of tensions, dissensions, opposition and even separation.Each paper has been transcribed from the original manuscripts in the Birmingham Oratory Archives, and has been provided with a succinct introduction and notes.The editor has, moreover, furnished a full-length introductory study on Newman's spirituality as a priest against the background of the Anglican Ministry (1824-45), since it is true to say that Newman learned to live as a priest while still an Anglican. Four major areas of his Anglican ministry - the Care of Souls, Preaching, the Eucharistic Ministry and Prayer - have been closely examined both in themselves and in their renewed appearance in Newman's life as a Catholic priest.The editor, Fr Placid Murray, is a Benedictine monk of Glenstal Abbey, Ireland.

The Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past, like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia. Instead, the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime. Without a doubt, this is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother, Mary. Pope Benedict XVIThe Prayer of the Rosary has been central to the spiritual life of the Church for centuries, and remains as popular and cherished a form of devotion as ever, even further developing in the twenty-first century with the proclamation of the Mysteries of Light by Pope John Paul II.Anne Vail's fascinating book tells how the Rosary evolved over the years into the form we know today.Beginning with the adoption of the rose as the symbol for Our Lady, The Story of the Rosary traces the growth in popularity of collections of prayers or 'roses' in her honour. These eventually came to be counted by beads.When particular prayers began to be associated with the Rosary based on the 'Mysteries' of the New Testament, it was to become a powerful tool for evangelization. While from Lepanto to the gates of Vienna, from Fatima to the shipyards of Gdansk, Our Lady of the Rosary has continued to play a crucial role in the Church's witness to the world.The Holy Rosary remains an inspiration for millions, through it we may relive the important and meaningful moments of salvation history, putting Christ at the centre of our lives through the contemplation and meditation of His Holy Mysteries of Joy, Light, Sorrow and Glory.Anne Vail was born in Dorset into a naval family. She spent her childhood in various countries, finishing her education at the Sorbonne in Paris. She studied Fine Art at Southampton Art College and now lives in Hampshire. As a wife, mother and grandmother she has found Our Lady a constant companion and inspiration in daily life. Her popular guide The Shrines of Our Lady in England is also published by Gracewing..

Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman is recognized as one of the greatest spiritual writers of the last two hundred years. Here are his words of consolation for all who are bereaved.Cardinal Manning spoke of John Henry Newman as a 'preacher of justice, of piety and of compassion'. Nowhere can this be seen more clearly than in his letters to those who were mourning the death of a loved one. This selection links his correspondence with words of comfort from his sermons and other writings. In his lifetime, many found strength and consolation from Newman's sympathy. These words can be used in times of personal grief as well as to bring consolation to others.

Drawing on Pope John Paul's extensive theological and ethical writings this important book explores the status of people with profound intellectual disabilities who some regard simply as 'non-acting'. This book demonstrates that all human beings, whatever their situations or capacities, are acting persons made in the image of God and that all principles whether from Catholic Social Teaching or from Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body apply to every human being as much as to any other. The book also considers liberation theologies of disability and the Pope's reflections on suffering as well as the controversial area of the provision of hydration and nutrition for one most profoundly disabled person, the person in persistent vegetative state. In addition it reflects on spirituality in the life of the profoundly disabled based on Karol Wojty¿a's thesis on St John of the Cross. As the title of the book explains, the profoundly disabled are only apparently non-acting: no one can discount the possibility of an inner spiritual life and alongside all human beings the profoundly disabled have spiritual needs, are called to a life of holiness and are asked to cooperate in that calling as far as they are able. Moreover, all have a part to play in God's plan of salvation for all are 'workers in God's vineyard'.

The thrust for a so-called new evangelization has been one of the most important actions of the Pontificate of Benedict XVI. This expression is rooted in the Second Vatican Council and was used for the first time by John Paul II in 1979, to signify the desire to announce the Christian message with greater impact and freshness. In this era of ideological and cultural crisis within Western society, the Church has the delicate task of guiding man and society towards salvation, towards a life closer to the word of Christ. To this end, Benedict XVI has created a new Vatican department, dedicated specifically to the evangelization of the Western world, under the guidance of Archbishop Fisichella. In this important book, which is a cultural and religious manifesto for the Year of Faith, Archbishop Fisichella explains what constitutes the great task in which he, and the Church, are called upon to propose the centrality of the family, promoting the ethics of finance, redeveloping the presence of Catholics in politics and especially urging people not to get trapped in isolation and indifference.The fact that you call it "new" is not intended to qualify the content of evangelization, but the condition and the way in which it is made. Benedict XVI's Apostolic Letter Ubicumque et semper rightly emphasizes that it is considered appropriate "to provide adequate answers because the whole Church is present in the contemporary world and with a missionary zeal can promote a new evangelization."