Oct 23, 2024 | Library
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, called during a vision of the Suffering Christ, on August 1, 1925 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and took the name Sister Mary Faustina. She lived in the Congregation for thirteen years and lived in several religious houses. She spent time in Kraków, Poland and Vilnius, where she worked as a cook, gardener, and porter. Externally nothing revealed her rich mystical interior life. She zealously performed her tasks and faithfully observed the rule of religious life. She was recollected and at the same time very natural, serene, and full of kindness and disinterested love for her neighbor. She hid within herself an extraordinary union with God. At the specific request of and following the example of the Lord Jesus, she made a sacrifice of her own life for this very goal. In her spiritual life, she also distinguished herself with a love of the Eucharist and a deep devotion to the Mother of Mercy.
Francis of Assisi was an Italian mystic, poet, and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty, he became a beggar and itinerant preacher. He is commonly portrayed wearing a brown habit with a rope tied around his waist, featuring three knots symbolizing the three Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. According to Christian tradition, in 1224 Francis received the stigmata during the apparition of a Seraphic angel in a religious ecstasy. Francis is associated with patronage of animals and the environment. It became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of the fourth of October, which became World Animal Day. He was noted for his devotion to the Eucharist.
Bibliography for Saint Maria Kowalska Faustina and Saint Francis of Assisi
SAINT FAUSTINA:
- Faustina, Saint Maria Kowalska. Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press 2004.
- Kosicki, George W. Herald of Divine Mercy Meet Saint Faustina. Cincinnati, OH: Charis Books 2021.
- O’Boyle, Donna-Marie. 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina A Year of Grace & Mercy. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press 2018.
- Sosnowski, Leszek. The Gospel of Lagiewniki: The Life and Work of Saint Sister Faustina. Cracow, Poland: Bialykruk 2002.
- Tarnawaska, Maria. Sister Faustina Kowalska. London, UK: Veritas Foundation Publication Centre 1989.
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI:
- Cunningham, Lawrence. San Franciso, CA: Harper & Rowe Publishers 1981.
- De la Bedoyere, Michael. Francis of Assisi. Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press 1999.
- Deacon, Fr. Angelo (translator). Francis of Assisi. Freiburg, Germany: Herder KG Publishers 1975.
- North, Wyatt. Saint Francis of Assisi: A Life Inspired. Boston, MA: Wyatt North Publishing 2014.
- Schatzlein, Joan and Sulmasy, Daniel. Francis the Leper. Phoenix, AZ: Tau Publishing 2014.
- Simsic, Wayne. Living the Wisdom of St. Francis. New York, NY: Paulist Press 2001.
- Van Doonik, Fr. N.G. Francis of Assisi: A Prophet for Our Time. Chicago, IL: Franciscan Herald Press 1979.
- Velar, Editrice. Francis of Assisi: Innovator for a New Society. Waterford, WI: Franciscan Missions, Inc. 1994
Aug 16, 2024 | Library
This August, our library is excited to showcase a special display dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a powerful symbol of devotion and faith. Each month, we will focus on a different theme, curating a collection of resources that highlight its significance. This month, we turn our attention to Mary’s profound interior life, marked by both joy and sorrow, yet always steadfast in her faith.
On August 15th, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, when she was taken up into heaven in both body and soul. To honor this feast day, our display includes a diverse selection of books, art books, encyclicals, and several theses and professional papers from our alumni. These resources reflect the depth of Mary’s devotion and her role as a model of holiness.
Mary’s feast reminds us that we are created for the glory of God, and we must respect the dignity of every human life.
Featured Resources:
- Alberione, Rev. James. Mary Hope of the World. Indianapolis: St. Paul edition 1962.
- Allegra, Gabriel. Mary’s Immaculate Way to God. Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1985.
- Eudes, Saint John. The Admirable Heart of Mary. New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, 1948.
- Fox, Rev. Robert J. Immaculate Heart of Mary True Devotion. Indianapolis: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 1986.
- Heinrich, Sister Grace Marie. “Queen of Heaven and Earth: Scriptural Foundation of the Queenship of Mary.” M.A. Thesis, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, 2015.
- The Immaculate Conception in the Life of the Church: Essays from the International Mariological Symposium in Honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, ed, Calloway, Donald H. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press 2004
- Life of the Madonna in Art, 1985 Boston: Daughters of St. Paul.
- Magnificat 5, no. 6 (August 2024).
- Mater Misericordiae An Annual Journal of Mariology 4 (2019).
- The Marian Movement of Priests, To the Priests Our Lady’s Beloved Sons 12th edition. St. Francis, ME: Marian Movement of Priests, 1989.
- Mongelos, Amanada Cristina. “Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood in the Church.” M.A. Thesis, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, 2018.
- Murphy, John F. Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1951
- Nguyez, Sister Thuan, “The Blessed Virgin Mary: Model of Consecration in the Consecrated Life.” M.A. Professional Paper, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, 2021.
- Ngyen, Sister Thuy, “Mary as Mother.” M.A. Thesis, Holy Apostles College &Seminary, 2016
- Pope Pius IX, Apostolic Constitution on Defining the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, issued December 8, 1854. Boston, MA: Saint Paul’s Books & Media.
- Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Mother of the Redeemer on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church, March 25, 1987.
- Pope John Paul II, Holy Thursday Letter to Priests, Holy Thursday 1988. Boston: Saint Paul’s Books & Media.
- Swirzon, Peter, J. “Mary Mediatrix of Sacramental Grace.” M.A. Thesis, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, 2016.
- The Virgin Mary and the Theology of the Body, ed. Calloway, Donald H. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press 2005Vu, Sister Thom. “Mary as a Model of Obedience.” M.A. Thesis, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, 2016
- Wheeler, Marion M. Mary Images of the Virgin in Art. New York: BCL Press/Book Creation LLC.
We invite you to visit the Library and explore these materials. Join us in celebrating the virtues exemplified by the Immaculate Heart of Mary and reflecting on the glory of God that each of us is called to embrace.
