By itself, Mother Mary Loyola's first book, "First Communion, " stands as a monumental achievement in catechesis, in that it teaches children the crucial truths of our faith in a way that is equally understandable and appealing, despite the fact that more than a century has passed since it was written.
This book of questions, written by Mother Loyola as a supplement to "First Communion, " takes this achievement one step further, by facilitating classroom discussion of the material found in each chapter. Each lesson provides discussion questions, tied to page references in the source material, as well as additional stories designed to reinforce the concepts learned. Both catechists and parents alike will find this volume helpful in preparing children to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

James Cardinal Gibbons was Archbishop of Baltimore when he asked Mother Loyola to write this story of the Life of our Lord. As a revered author himself, and considering the number of such stories available even then, we can only imagine the admiration he must have held for Mother Loyola's rare talent for narrative. She does not disappoint in this story, for as always, she brings to life the most vivid images of our Lord, such that the children who read it will feel almost as if they were following the dusty paths our Saviour trod.
Now enhanced with an abundance of contemporary engravings and lithographs, this newly typeset edition is an invaluable means of impressing upon the minds of young children the reality of our God become Man.

Forty Hours.
One Guide.
In these meditations before the Blessed Sacrament, Mother Mary Loyola's distinctive style skillfully guides the reader toward prayerfulness without supplying any preformulated prayers.
From "Catholic World," May 1901: "There is nothing exaggerated, artificial, or impossible in the pages before us; they contain merely a collection of musings and devotional monologues written with a directness and spontaneity that will appeal strongly to many who can get little profit out of less natural and more fervent writing."
From "The Irish Ecclesiastical Record," January 1902: ..".Mother M. Loyola is as much at home when depicting the trials, the aspirations, and the consolations of adults as in leading little children along the road of true penance. Each visit seizes, generally with thrilling vivacity, one idea; the subject is weighed in the presence of our Lord, the conclusions are always practical." -

The stories of saints and sinners alike populate the pages of this unique book for children. Under the author's loving touch, these enchanting tales come alive with scenes of old Italy, from the poor but generous Saint Zita in her native Lucca to the captive Turkish Princess Stellante and her beloved Bartolo in prosperous Venice. Each of these widely varied characters must face their own struggle against the selfish desires of this world in order to achieve true happiness, both here and in the hereafter. The watercolors by Katharine Cameron add infinite charm, and new illustrations enhance the captivating history of these legends and stories.

The members of the Little Flowers Girls Clubs are sure to recognize the Maiden's Wreath of Virtues in this classic, on which their flower badges were based. Father Lasance explores in depth the virtues of the Catholic Girl, as personified by various flowers, with particular attention to that most precious possession: the lily of purity.
However, this book goes far beyond simple lessons in virtue; it is truly a manual for the Catholic young lady from the middle years up to-and including-married life.
Like its companion volume, "The Young Man's Guide," the original book contained hundreds of pages of prayers, devotions, litanies and even a Latin Missal. Select prayers from this section have been placed at the end of each chapter and the rest have been omitted in order to make this valuable book available in a more portable and affordable format for today's Catholic girl. Due to this fact, this volume is considered abridged; however, all material contained in this edition is unchanged based on the original 1906 edition by Benziger Brothers.
Beautifully illustrated with 17th century botanical engravings and Victorian art, this book is sure to be a cherished keepsake.

Father Lasance's "Catholic Girl's Guide," published in 1906, found immediate success among Catholic readers, and the natural demand for a companion volume gave rise to "The Young Man's Guide" in 1910. Both have a similar format and similar material, though each is geared specifically for its particular audience.
In "The Young Man's Guide" we see life as warfare; thus those who would conquer must be prepared, as were the knights of old. The implements of battle are the young man's virtues, and the fight will determine not only the character of the man he will become, but the crown he may win in the hereafter.
The original "Guide" doubled as a prayerbook, including numerous devotions, litanies, and even a Latin Missal; however, this edition omits most of these prayers, retaining only a selection of the most important, as well as the original section on preparation for Confession. Because of these omissions, this volume is considered abridged; however, "all of the material contained in this edition remains unchanged and unabridged" based on the original 1910 edition printed by Benziger Brothers.
Brand-new illustrations by Julie Streeter bring to life this classic text, which served as an inspiration for the Blue Knights boys clubs.

The unassuming title "Home for Good" and the original motivation Mother Loyola had in writing this book-that is, to help young ladies who were finishing boarding school to make the right choices in life-both utterly belie the groundbreaking significance of its content. While Mother Loyola's King of the Golden City is charming and entertaining; while her catechesis books are both informative and inspiring; and while her devotional works are unparalleled in their ability to reach the hearts of their readers, Home for Good is a rock on which an unshakable faith can be built amidst the storms and calms of everyday life.
Having spent most of her adult life in educating young ladies, Mother Loyola was intimately familiar with the character of youth as well as the challenges young people face when confronted with the temptations of worldliness. Though this book was written with her young charges in mind, it is no less relevant to young men, who endure the same enticements-and in our own culture, perhaps even greater ones. It is a clarion call to young Catholics to hold fast to their faith and morals in a world that seeks to destroy that faith at every opportunity. Readers of all ages, both male and female, have equally to gain by reading from this book regularly.

The greatest challenge in preparing young children for the sacrament of Penance is in making confession a habit to which they will be voluntarily attracted. We can require their presence at catechism class, and compel them to go to confession, but without this crucial ingredient, we cannot hope to dispel the all-too-common view that it is an onerous task to be studiously avoided.
It is precisely this difficulty that Mother Mary Loyola addresses with this book. She knew children's minds so well-that they crave being treated like adults-and thus she avoids all that is oversimplified or saccharine, a quality which gives all of her work such broad appeal, even to adults. Her vivid storytelling brings to life an irresistible feeling of the comfort and joy the child will find in the forgiveness of their loving father. Who, then, would dream of ever avoiding such sweet medicine?

By the early years of the twentieth century, Mother Mary Loyola had cemented her reputation as one of the best Catholic writers of her generation, but the First World War prompted her to write a book of consolation for the innumerable mothers, wives and others who had lost loved ones to its ravages. Her intimate knowledge of the subject matter gave her unique insight, for she had lost so many in the course of her long life, beginning with both of her parents and two siblings when she was just nine years old, and recently including several of her own beloved students who were fighting in the trenches of the Great War. She knew only too well the need for a strong faith in these times of intense suffering and loss, and this she amply illustrates in Blessed are they that Mourn.

The Children's Charter was Mother Mary Loyola's response to Pope Pius X's 1910 decree Quam Singulari, which lowered the age for reception of First Communion to seven. Addressed directly to the parents and teachers of children, this is a rare peek into the classroom as Mother Loyola would have it. Here the author of The King of the Golden City gives sage advice for how best to capture and maintain the interest of little ones in preparing them for Confession and Communion. Despite the century that has passed since this book was first published, Mother Loyola's advice remains just as relevant, a testament to how well she knew how to reach the hearts and minds of children.