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 facades, to get an awareness of the measure of this great Pope.

The new Catechism of the Catholic Church has focused attention upon the need for Catholics to renew their understanding of the key doctrines of their faith. In this concise catechism, Fr James Tolhurst offers a clear summary of the teaching of the Catholic Church on Jesus Christ, God, the Church, the Sacraments and Moral Law, cross-referenced to the full Catechism, to the relevant biblical passages and to the Second Vatican Council. Supplementing the catechism are a rich selection of prayers and a helpful subject index. An essential book for all Catholics who wish to incorporate in their lives the teaching contained in the new Catechism, this bestseller has established itself as indispensable for schools and parishes. Invaluable for all those seeking instruction in the faith. Fr James Tohurst DD is the author of many books on the faith and teaching of the Catholic Church.

For the first time, the majority of John Henry Cardinal Newman’s contributions to the ground-breaking series Tracts for the Times have been collected in one volume, with an introduction and notes supplied by James Tolhurst. The Tracts for the Times will always be connected with the Oxford Movement. John Henry Newman and other leaders of the movement sought a renewal of “catholic,” or Roman Catholic, thought and practice within the Church of England. They published their ideas on the theological, pastoral, and devotional problems that they perceived within the church in ninety "Tracts for the Times" (1833-1841). Newman, who edited the series, either wrote or compiled a third of the tracts. Increasingly, the tracts were expanded into treatises—especially after Tract 36—and were often composed of quotations from patristic writers and the English Divines. Tracts 83 and 85 are included in Discussions and Arguments on Various Subjects, volume VII of the Birmingham Oratory Millennium Edition of his works. Tracts 74, 76, and 88 have been omitted here. In Tract 75, the introductory explanation of the breviary has been included.

Edith Stein admitted that there was time when she 'consciously and deliberately lost the habit of praying'. She tells us this because she re-discovered it during the journey which brought her to Carmel. We all need to make our own spiritual way through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, with guides who help us to see the pitfalls and inspire us to persevere. The journey of prayer is one of the great adventures which we should all undertake because it leads us to the mountain which is God himself.In this book we find a sure companion for this journey, showing us how to begin to pray, exploring the many sources of prayer that we may encounter, and sharing the experience of the saints and other spiritual writers from both Eastern and Western Christianity. The great variety of prayer, meditation and mystical experience in the Christian tradition is expertly treated, as well as the many stumbling blocks and obstacles that may come our way. Christian prayer needs to be discovered, or in many cases, rediscovered - it is that mountain waiting to be climbed.It is essential for us today to realize that life is more than the frenzied bustle of activity in which all sometimes find ourselves. We must begin with the interior life ... This is a fine book, drawing from many rich sources in the lives of great spiritual leaders. I commend it to those who are undertaking a serious prayer life for the first time and to those who are looking for a fresh beginning in their own lives of prayer. John J. Myers, Archbishop of Newark

"Father Tolhurst does a fine job of leading the faithful in reflecting upon Sacred Scripture. He draws on many excellent, diverse and rich resources from our Catholic heritage. The reflections are wonderful starting points to a deeper understanding of the Faith. They are supported by the teaching of the Church, as well as from the writings of the many holy men and women down through the ages. These reflections are yet another fine way of growing in a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. What better way than through a daily commitment to the Scriptures. I recommend this great work to the faithful who wish to increase their faith and use well the seasons of the church year to grow in holiness." + Most Reverend John J. Myers Archbishop of Newark Here are timeless reflections for each day of Advent to help us prepare in mind and heart for the Coming of Our Lord Jesus. We need this special time to pause in our hectic rush and realize that we are waiting for him who is First and Last, our Beginning and our End. The Gospel is given for each day (in the case of Sundays, a choice has been made from the A, B and C cycles of readings), while short commentaries chosen from the writings of one of the Saints or Fathers connect us in our reflection directly to the Early Church, further aided by biographical notes on each writer and by concluding prayers, also from the Saints and Fathers to focus our thoughts more deeply. Pope Benedict XVI, when he writes about Advent, says that there are two main figures which dominate this liturgical time: John the Baptist and Mary. In a very special way this book helps us join with them in awaiting the coming of the Messiah. Dr James Tolhurst is the Series Editor of the Newman Millennium Edition, and his many books include A Concise Catechism for Catholics, as well studies on John Henry Newman and selections from his writings, all also published by Gracewing.

Discussions and Arguments on Various Subjects, volume VII in the Birmingham Oratory Millenium Edition, is a collection of six articles, which were written between 1835, after the publication of The Arians of the Fourth Century, and 1866, when, as a Roman Catholic, Newman contributed a review to the Jesuit periodical The Month. Two of these articles appeared as Tracts for the Times; two are a series of letters to a newspaper. The letters discuss the nature of scientific knowledge as a quasi-substitute for faith, and the nature of the balance between executive power and democratic constraints. The opening essay, in the imaginary setting of the Roman forum, is a discussion between three friends of the nature of the via media, its shortcomings, and how it can be made to work. This book has been unavailable for many years and contains some of Newman's best and most amusing writing, scattered throughout with historical and literary references, which have been extensively researched for the modern reader in this edition.

John Henry Newman, aged 48, now a Catholic priest, arrives in Birmingham in 1849 as the head of a religious community. Discourses Addressed to Mixed Congregations, "more rhetorical than my former sermons," examines Catholicism from the inside and deals with the popular prejudices which contemporaries entertained of it. We can see the same touch which he displayed in the pulpit of St. Mary's now used to explain the truths of the faith which he had embraced. But he allows his humor and irony to enable him to reach those "who do not narrow their belief to their experience." This edition reveals the context of the Discourses and contains a wealth of references.

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.

Pope Benedict XVI has announced a special "Year of Faith," dedicated to rousing a "new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ." The Year of Faith will begin on October 11, 2012: a date that marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II. Pope Benedict notes that the date is also the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which he describes as "a precious and indispensable tool" for the task of evangelization. The Year of Faith will have to see a concerted effort to rediscover and study the fundamental content of the faith that receives its systematic and organic synthesis in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Here, in fact, we see the wealth of teaching that the Church has received, safeguarded and proposed in her two thousand years of history. From Sacred Scripture to the Fathers of the Church, from theological masters to the saints across the centuries, the Catechism provides a permanent record of the many ways in which the Church has meditated on the faith and made progress in doctrine so as to offer certitude to believers in their lives of faith ... In this Year, then, the Catechism of the Catholic Church will serve as a tool providing real support for the faith, especially for those concerned with the formation of Christians, so crucial in our cultural context. Pope Benedict XVI Porta Fidei The Year of Faith offers a special opportunity for all believers to deepen their study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In this useful book Fr James Tolhurst provides a paragraph by paragraph exposition of this key text, supplemented by a wealth of information and an extensive prayer section which is intended to aid reflection on the teaching of the Catechism itself. Also included is a thematic preface which lays out the major concepts contained in the work, a full index, and extensive cross references to other Church documents. Drawing out its doctrinal richness, this is an ideal tool for catechists, groups of faithful, schools and families, for educators in centres of theological studies, seminaries and Catholic universities, for those concerned with the continuing education of the clergy and for priests studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a resource for the pastoral care of their parishes - catechesis, preaching, Sacramental preparation. Dr James Tolhurst studied at Fribourg and Salamanca Universities. He has served as Theology Tutor at the English College, Valladolid, and as Dean of Studies for the Permanent Diaconate of the Southern English Dioceses. He is Series Editor of the Newman Millennium Edition, and his many books include the bestselling A Concise Catechism for Catholics.

In November 1851, John Henry Newman was appointed President of the new Catholic University of Ireland, with a vague brief as to structure and personnel. He commented, "I mean to be Chancellor, Rector, Provost, Professor, Tutor all at once, and no one else anything." He had to wait until June 1854 for the bishops to approve the university's statutes before he was installed as Rector. The first eight sermons collected in this volume were preached during Mass in the University Church on St Stephen's Green between May 4, 1856, and February 22, 1857. By the time the first edition of Sermons Preached on Various Occasions was published, Newman had already written to the Irish bishops that he intended to resign in November 1857-he was finally convinced that his seven-year commitment to Ireland was sufficient. He was to leave behind not only the nascent new Catholic University, but also the University Church, designed by his friend John Hungerford Pollen, and which he had paid for himself. The remaining sermons were written for the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales, the Risorgimento in Italy and its repercussions on the papacy, and the death of two friends, Dr. Weedall and James Hope Scott. The sermons on the situation of the church in England and Wales, and then of the papacy itself in Italy, reflect a redefinition of the role of Catholicism in the development of the modern world.