Catholic Girl's Guide

So, I was up at my parents' house looking for an old children's book (that I used to read), when I came across a few religious books of my mom's. 

One is called "The Catholic Girl's Guide" by Father Lasance, with a subtitle of "Counsels and Devotions for Girls in the Ordinary Walks of Life and in Particular for the Children of Mary". It's so neat! The first part is on "The Maiden's Wreath" about different flowers and what they represent (sunflower-faith, ivy-hope, etc.). The second part is "A Wreath of Lilies", and it's all about the lily and what it represents. The third part is about either the married state or the religious state or 'unmarried life in the world'. The fourth part is on "Family Life". The second 'book' is about Devotions (daily prayers, devotions for Mass, Confession, Communion, novenas, etc.). The second part of the second book is on "The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary", which is something I've been trying to find more about, and that my mom actually gave me a medal that said "Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary." My mom got this book in 1949 for her Confirmation, but this printing is from 1946. The original N.O. is from Remigius Lafort (Censor Librorum) and Imprimatur from John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, from 1905. The N.O. from 1945 is from Arthur J. Scanlan, STD (Censor Librorum) and Francis J. Spellman, D.D. (Archbishop of New York).

The other books that I found were in a box with a sticker of "The Library of Catholic Devotions", put out by The Catholic Press, copyright 1958. I'm going to have to try to take a picture of some of the illustrations in these books, because they are beautiful! 

The first book is 'The Prayer Book" is edited by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A. with Imprimatur from Samuel Cardinal Stritch, Archbishop of Chicago, 1954. It's really just different prayers (of the week, months of the year, various needs, to saints, the rosary, etc.) and about the sacraments. 

The second book is "The Life of Christ: Our Lord's Life with Lessons in HIs Own Words for Our Life Today", edited by the above, and Imprimatur as above, with Nihil Obstat by John A. McMahon. It is pretty straightforward, all about Christ's Life. 

The third book is "The Missal", containing all the Masses for Sundays and for holy days of obligation, edited by the above, and Imprimatur as above.  

Anyway, I thought I'd share, and hopefully I'll be able to post some snippets from these books. They really are a hidden treasure that I've found; just the illustrations and photos themselves tell a most beautiful story of our faith, not to mention the beautifully written prayers. Just as I was flipping through them in the short amount of time that I have, I mused to my husband that if Catholic books were still written and published like this on a wide scale, we would have much better educated Catholics today. 

Look for future posts from these books!