Reviewed by Matthew Vander Vennet Mike Aquilina, vice president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology in Steubenville, Ohio, and a specialist on early Church history and the Church Fathers, has recently written a book about St. Joseph detailing his world, his responsibilities, and roles as a first century Jew and Davidic heir. The […]
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Katherine Bogner holds the cover art for her new book to be released in mid-February by Emmaus Road Publishing. A popular blogger, she is director of religious education at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lacon and junior high faith formation teacher at St. Philomena School, Peoria. (Provided photo)
Reviewed by Nancy Piccione I wanted to write that Katherine Bogner’s new book is a “back to basics” approach to living out the Catholic faith, using liturgical seasons and weekly Gospel readings as framework. But that would underestimate the rich and multilayered resource that Bogner, a local teacher with a global reach online, has created […]
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The striking hardcover is embellished with gold and is a substantial 10-by-7 inches.
Reviewed by Katie Bogner “On earth as it is in Heaven.” These are words that many of us say daily. During Mass, in our rosaries, together as a family, and in the quiet of our hearts, this petition in the Our Father reminds us that the will of God transcends time and place. The saints […]
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Books on war — its strategies, personalities, horrors, etc. — are plentiful. But as Veterans Day 2020 approaches, there are a host of reasons to spotlight “Beyond All Odds,” a personal reflection on World War II’s Battle of the Bulge penned by the late Donald F. “Bud” Vonachen. It would be enough that the story […]
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Reviewed by Katie Faley I have always felt a bit intimidated by Mother Teresa. She radically gave up everything for Jesus, living out His call to “take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece” in a very literal sense. She […]
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Reviewed by Nancy Piccione The members of my family, God bless them, have to put up with me sharing so many personal development tips, tricks, and hacks. I really, truly enjoy books, articles, and podcasts about ways to improve one’s time management, relationships, energy levels, and much more. If you’re a person like me, you […]
Continue readingReviewed by Sister Mary Core, OSB As I read “One Long River of Song,” a collection of Brian Doyle’s many essays, I wished I had personally known this man who had a “love affair” with words. In this one book alone, Doyle spews out every emotion imaginable, while writing in a style uniquely his own. […]
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Reviewed by Matthew Vander Vennet When my Grandpa Vander Vennet uttered his final breath, it was the first time I had been present as a soul was leaving its body. It was the final note in the song of a life well lived. We had known the end was approaching and had made sure that […]
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We are halfway through summer vacation, and the post-Independence Day lull has arrived. It’s a great time to introduce a few books to kids to get them thinking. Some of our recent favorites have been: “Stories of the Saints,” written by Carey Wallace and illustrated by Nick Thornborrow. This large, hardback book has more than […]
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Reviewed by Katie Bogner Agriculture teaches a unique perspective on the value of sacrifice, seasons of change, and the importance of community. In 2015, farmer Carl Bates of Galva was told that he only had months to live. With countless other concerns to focus on during their remaining time together, one major problem for the […]
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