Catechism
If you have questions about any of these resources click here. Please include the Reference Number listed.
1) Altemose, Charlene, MSC. What You Should Know About the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Ligouri, Missouri: Liguori Publications, 1994.
“The answers are here. This
booklet is an absolutely indispensable starting point for basic understanding,
intelligent reading, and practical use of the new Catechism of the Catholic
Church. Without getting bogged down in academics, popular author Sister
Charlene Altemose thoroughly explains the new Catechism.
This booklet gives you a useful historical background to the new
Catechism, explains it’s rational and purpose, and address the individual’s
response in faith to the Catechism.
You’ll benefit from discussion of practical use of the Catechism in
classroom study, personal study, Adult Initiation, group discussion, and
more!”
Reference Number: A-00003
2) Amodei, Michael. Questions of Faith. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 2000.
“Here is an ideal companion to any high-school religion course or adult
faith formation process. A workbook
consisting of 160 questions, Questions of Faith asks participants to
explore the main teachings of the Catholic Church.
Through research and writing, participants will come not only to be
better understanding of their faith written in their own words.
To help participants find answers to the questions in the workbook, it
has been organized into the four sections of the Catechism (creed,
liturgy and sacraments, morality, and prayer), and each question has been
referenced to paragraph numbers in the Catechism.
In addition to the 160 writing questions are personal thought questions,
intended to help participants make connections between the Church’s long,
living traditions and their own experiences.”
Reference Number: A-00004
3) Boys, Mary C. S.N.J.M., Buckley, Francis J., S.J., Cahill, Lisa Sowle, Cunningham, Lawrence S., Dulles, Avery, S.J., Fink, Peter E., S.J., Hellwig, Monika K., Hollenbach, David, S.J., Johnson, Elizabeth A., C.S.J., Lucker, Marthaler, Berard L., O.F.M. Conv., O’Malley, William J., S.J., Power, David N., O.M.I., Spohn, William C., S.J., Wright, John H., S.J. The Universal Catechism Reader Reflections & Responses. San Francisco, California: Harper Collins Publishers, 1990.
“The Universal Catechism Reader is a response to The Universal Catechism by fifteen American experts in theology and religious education. Each scholar explains, evaluates, and critiques the catechism from his of her field of expertise and makes recommendations that will be considered by the American bishops and the Vatican in suggesting revisions in the catechism. The views of the Reader’s authors have been widely cited in stories about the catechism in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Associated Press, Religious News Service, Catholic News Service, Time, America, Commonweal, The National Catholic Reporter, The National Catholic Register, and many other papers.”
Reference Number: B-00030
4) Brennan, Patrick J., Lucker, Raymond A., and Leach, Michael. The Peoples Catechism Catholic Faith for Adults. New York, New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1995.
Reference Number: B-00031
5) Chaput, Charles J., O.F.M Of Human Life.
“A pastoral letter to the people of God of northern Colorado on the truth and meaning of married love.”
Reference Number: C-00007
6) Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1994.
Reference Number: C-00005
7) Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1994.
Reference Number: C-00006
8) Dalmau, Bernabe. How to Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church Following the Liturgical Year. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publications, 1995.
“Now there is an “owner’s manual” for the new Catechism—a plan for reading it in small doses that will make it an easy-to-understand, valuable resource. This “how to” guide makes the most important religious book published in decades mush more accessible. A must for the first-time reader and a great companion for those who have already begun a study of their own, this addition to the Catechism transforms it from a compilation of Church doctrine into a fruitful document for personal faith renewal.”
Reference Number: D-00004
9) The Catechism of Modern Man. Boston, Massachusetts: Daughters of Saint Paul, 1968.
“Drawn from the sensational message that God through Vatican II directed to modern man, this incomparable volume is a presentation of the Catholic Faith that demonstrates how alive it is in itself and how it adheres to the spiritual and temporal realities of human experience. Contemporary in every way this catechism avoids the question and answer form. Using the striking but simple language of the Council, it can be considered a landmark in religious education.”
Reference Number: P-00030
10) DiNoia, J. Augustine, O.P., O'Donnell, Gabriel, O.P., Cessario, Romanus, O.P. & Cameron, Peter John, O.P. The Love that Never Ends a Key t othe Catechism of the Catholic Church. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1996.
"The four Dominican scholar-authors of this book have taken this single truth as the key to unlock the riches of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They show how "the love that never ends" is the central mystery of the Catholic Faith, the truth that provides the underlying unity of Catechism's exposition of the creed, liturgy, sacraments, commandments, and prayer. The Love that Never Ends prompts the reader to look beneath the divisions of the Catechism's presentation of the Faith in order to grasp the vision of the three-Personed love that call us to new life."
Reference Number: D-00005
11) Catecismo De La Iglesia Catolica. New York: Doubleday Publishing Group, Inc., 1992.
Reference Number: D-00003
12) Children’s Catholic Catechism. Dubuque, Iowa: BrownRow Publishing Media, 1991.
“…presents the principal elements of the Christian message as outlined by the National Catechetical Directory…helps young Catholics understand the basics of the Catholic faith…explains the Church’s most important teaching in language children can understand.”
Reference Number: M-00017
13) The Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. A Compendium of Texts Referred to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. San Francisco, California: Ignatius Press, 1994.
Reference Number: P-00031
14) Handbook for Today’s Catholic. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publications, 1978.
“The basic purpose of this handbook is to provide information on the essentials of Catholicism. It strives to help all who wish to live out the teachings of Vatican II, which Pope Paul VI has called “the great catechism of our times.”
Reference Number: P-00034
15) Hater, Robert J. New Visions, New Directions (Implementing the Catechism of the Catholic Church). Allen, Texas: ThomasMore a Division of Tabor Publishing,1994.
“New Vision, New Directions was commissioned by the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership as part of its ongoing effort to assist with the implementation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In order to get a clearer picture of the current catechetical climate, New Vision, New Directions gives a historical review of religious education in the Catholic Church from the middle of the twentieth century to today. Recognizing the pre-Vatican II church as a relatively closed society, it examines the religious instruction method of the Baltimore Catechism and then looks at the dynamics released at Vatican II as the Church sifts to a more open society.”
Reference Number: 00029
16) Hill, Brennan and Madges, William. The Catechism Highlights & Commentary. Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-third Publications, 1994.
“Here is a clear, concise, and use-friendly guide to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It focuses on the key teachings of the Catechism, draws out its important points, and offers practical, straightforward analysis.”
Reference Number: H-00006
17) Hogan, Richard M. and LeVoir, John M. Faith for Today. Second ed. Boston, Massachusetts: Pauline St. Paul Books & Media, 1995.
“Do Catholics have a right to “faithful dissent” from the teaching of the Church? What does Christ reveal to us about ourselves in each sacrament? What are the elements of a moral decision? Why must Catholics confess their sins to a priest? These are not idle questions. They focus on real concerns which today’s Catholic continues to grapple. Faith for Today, an insightful interpretation of Pope John Paul II’s catechetical teachings, can be a helpful guide to the study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Fathers Hogan and LeVoir have included extensive material from the Pope’s addresses, encyclicals and exhortations, together with in-depth commentary. The reflective study questions at the end of each chapter bring alive the tenets Catholics profess to live by.”
Reference Number: H-00008
18) Implementing the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington, D.C.: The National Conference of Catechetical Leadership, 1993.
Reference Number: N-00001
19) Laughery, Rev. Kevin Michael, J.C.L. Faith Alive a Study Companion to the Catechism. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publishing, 1995.
“Written and illustrated in a lively, up-to-date style, Faith Alive: A Study Companion to the Catechism will appeal to students as the tool they need to get into the workings of their faith. Structured around the fourfold division of the Catechism (the Creed, Worship, Morality, and Prayer) every chapter of Faith Alive includes paraphrased text indexed to the Catechism, along with Bible verses, teachings of the Second Vatican Council, and other sources.”
Reference Number: L-00004
20) Lawler, Ronald, O.F.M., Wuerl, Donald W., Lawler, Thomas Comerford. The Teaching of Christ A Catholic Catechism for Adults. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 1976.
Reference Number: L-00005
21) Lawler, Ronald, O.F.M., Wuerl, Donald W., Lawler, Thomas Comerford. The Teaching of Christ A Catholic Catechism for Adults. 2nd ed. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 1976.
Reference Number: L-00006
22) Lawler, Ronald, O.F.M., Wuerl, Donald W., Lawler, Thomas Comerford. The Teaching of Christ A Catholic Catechism for Adults. 3rd ed. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 1976.
Reference Number: L-00007
23) Lovasik, Lawrence G. Rev., S.V.D. The Apostolate’s Family Catechism (Abridged One-Volume Edition). Bloomingdale, Ohio: The Family Apostolate, 1993.
Reference Number: 2-00001
24) Lovasik, Lawrence G. Rev., S.V.D. The Apostolate’s Family Catechism (Two-Volume Abridged Edition Vol. 1 Questions 1-193). Bloomingdale, Ohio: The Family Apostolate, 1993.
Reference Number: L-00008
25) Lovasik, Lawrence G. Rev., S.V.D. The Apostolate’s Family Catechism (Two-Volume Abridged Edition Vol. 2 Questions 194-300). Bloomingdale, Ohio: The Family Apostolate, 1993.
Reference Number: L-00009
26) Lukefahr, Oscar, C.M. The Catechism Handbook. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publications, 1996.
“Father Oscar Lukefahr, a leading expert on Catholic teaching, has created this “user friendly” guide to the Catechism. Not only does it provide a summary of the Catechism’s content, but it also explains difficult issues and draws attention to areas of special importance—all in Father Lukefahr’s popular, easy-to-read style!”
Reference Number: L-00010
27) Lukefahr, Oscar, C.M. “We Believe…” A Survey of the Catholic Faith. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publishing, 1990.
“This best selling guide to the Catholic fait has been revised and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and to follow the four main divisions of the Catechism (Belief, Worship, Christian Life, and Prayer). Father Lukefahr, and expert on Catholic theology, provides an overview of the Catholic faith in an easy-to-understand format that touches on the important elements of belief and practice.”
Reference Number: L-00011
28) Marthaler, Berard L. Introducing the Catechism of the Catholic Church Traditional Themes and Contemporary Issues. New York, New York: Paulist Press, 1994.
“To introduce the catechism to the English-speaking world, The Catholic University of America invited nearly a dozen scholars to reflect on the process that brought the catechism into being and assess its likely impact on the church in the years to come.”
Reference Number: M-00023
29) McBride, Rev. Alfred, O. Praem. Family Catechism. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2000.
"Following the structure of the official Catechism, this new look at timeless teachings is intended to help families apply the wisdom of the Catechism in their everyday lives. Each section begins with reference numbers to the Catechism itself and an entertaining yet thought-provoking opening story, followed by a Catechism reflection, an application of the teaching to Catholic family life, a family prayer, and finally a glossary of terms."
Reference Number: M-00154
30) McBride, Rev. Alfred, O. Praem. College Catechism. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2000.
"Written
especially for college and university students. Created to meet the unique needs of a questioning, searching,
idealistic audience, Father McBride's College Catechism addresses misconceptions
and objections about the Faith head-on, while gently and persuasively answering
those arguments with sound teaching rooted in the authentic teachings of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church."
Reference Number: M-00153
31) McBride, Rev. Alfred, O. Praem. Essentials of the Faith a Guide to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1996.
“The Catholic Church has
just issued its first official Catechism since the Council of Trent in 1546.
Now you can discover for yourself the wealth of information contained in
this monumental new work with Essentials of the Faith: A Guide to the
Catechism of the Catholic Church.”
Reference Number: M-00018
32) McBride, Rev. Alfred, O. Praem. Father McBride’s Teen Catechism. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1995.
Reference Number: 00031
33) McBride, Rev. Alfred, O. Praem. Father McBride’s Teen Catechism Teacher Guide. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1996.
Reference Number: M-00020
34) McBride, Rev. Alfred, O. Praem. Invitation the Search for God, Self and Church (Revised Edition). Washington, D.C.: Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association, 1994.
“Insightful and informative answers to common questions people have about the Catholic faith and the Catholic Church! Special features include: The easy-to-use question and answer format, which lends itself to group or individual study, Instructive excerpts from the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, a helpful section titled “How to Use Invitation”, the most important Catholic prayers, and a detailed index for finding information quickly and easily.”
Reference Number: 00030
35) McBrien, Philip J. Lectionary Index for the Catechism of the Catholic Church. San Jose, California: Resource Publications, 1994.
Reference Number: M-00021
36) The New Catechism Catholic Faith for Adults. New York, New York: The Seabury Press, 1965.
“This brilliant one-volume summery of Catholic belief is a key contribution to the new era in religious education. Theologically, it attempts to work from the experience of Christian People to the formulation of Christian doctrine. Educationally, it represents a decisive step toward the adult world as the primary concern of catechetics. The significance of these two developments for the future of the Church can hardly be exaggerated.”
Reference Number:
S-00020
37) Pennock, Michael Francis. The Seeker’s Catechism. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1994.
“The Seeker’s
Catechism is a readable, concise, and accessible introduction to the riches
of the Catholic faith...
i. for those seeking to begin their journey;
ii. for those returning to it with little prior formation;
iii. and for those of the generation of seekers who
iv. thought church of little import, but who have paused
v. for a new look as they experience the ferment of the spiritual journey.
Well suited for use in evangelization, RCIA, adult education, and personal reading, The Seeker’s Catechism is both engaging and practical, gently leading the reader to a deeper knowledge of Catholicism and toward a loving encounter with Christ.”
Reference
Number: P-00039
38) Pennock, Michael Francis. This is Our Faith. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1989.
“The Catholic Church will soon inter its third millennium propelled by the effects of the Second Vatican Council, yet firmly rooted in its magnificent traditions. This is Our Faith… is a remarkable achievement in which author Michael Pennock blends this rich tradition with the teachings of Vatican II to produce a book of faith that speaks to the contemporary world. In a refreshingly pastoral tone, This is Our Faith…treats the major articles of the Nicene Creed, discusses each sacrament in detail, takes up the moral life, and describes key Catholic practices.”
Reference Number: P-00035
39) Pennock, Michael Francis. This is Our Faith Revised Edition. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1998.
“…Michael Pennock has updated and reorganized this helpful text to correspond with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, following the direction of Pope John Paul that the Catechism “is meant to encourage and assist in the writing of new local catechisms, which take into account various situations and cultures, while carefully preserving the unity of faith and fidelity to Catholic doctrine.”
Reference Number: P-00036
40) Pilarczyk, Archbishop Daniel E. “We Believe”. Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1990.
“This is a most helpful and enlightening book for those seeking an understanding of the essentials of Catholicism today. Archbishop Daniel E Pilarczyk, the president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, provides a framework in which we can locate the central mysteries of the Catholic faith and how they relate to everyday life. “We Believe” is a step-by-step guide to the basic story of God’s plan for humankind through creation, redemption and salvation.”
Reference Number: P-00040
42) Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal, Schonborn, Christoph. Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. San Francisco, California: Ignatius Press, 1994.
Reference Number: R-00007
43) Socias, James P. Reflections on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Chicago, Illinois: Midwest Theological Forum, 1993.
Reference Number: S-00021
44) Thomas, David M. PhD., Calnan, Mary Joyce. The Catechism of the Catholic Church: Familystyle. Allen, Texas: ThomasMore a Division of Tabor Publishing, 1993.
A Four book series.
Volume 1: We Believe
Volume 2: We Celebrate
Volume 3: We Love
Volume 4: We Pray
Reference Number: T-00002
45) Walsh, Rev. Msgr. Vincent M. Catechism of the Catholic Church Simplified Version. Waynnewood, Pennsylvania: Key of David Publications.
“The Catechism is a treasure house of the Church's teachings containing the best theology expressed as succinctly as possible. The original monumental work is now expressed in 103,000 words in an easy to read format.”
Reference Number: W-00099
46) Wuerl, Donald W., Lawler, Rev. Ronald, O.F.M. Cap., Lawler, Thomas Comerford & Stubna, Kris D. The Teaching of Christ: A Catholic Catechism for Adults. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2005.
“Translated into 13 languages and used worldwide, The Teaching of Christ had been widely used and profoundly influential throughout the universal Church since it was published 25 years ago. The fifth edition updates this perennial bestseller with the latest Church documents. Now, as always, faithful to official Catholic teaching, this is the complete catechism for adults that is presented in and easy-to-understand style.”
Reference Number: W-00125