The Essential Catholic Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers Revised and Updated

by Redemptorists

This invaluable book for those who want a topical summary of "what it means to be Catholic," is now even more useful. The expanded edition includes an updated introduction, the current list of holy days of obligation observed in the United States, the Prayer for Vocations preferred by Pope John Paul II, a newly added section on how to prepare for a sick call, an index, and more. An important reference work for any interested Catholic, especially those involved in church ministry. Includes a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 304 pages; Paperback • 5-1/8 x 7-3/8

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Theology, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Christianity

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

About the author

The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Latin: Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris – C.Ss.R) is a Roman Catholic missionary congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy, for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples. Members of the Congregation, Catholic priests, and consecrated religious brothers, are known as Redemptorists, who are often associated with the image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and globally minister in more than 77 countries around the world.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an informative read, though the page count is a bit deceiving. Only, perhaps the first third of the book is text, while the remainder is a summary of important documents, a calendar of Saints, and a lengthy dictionary of Catholic terms. I recommend reading the dictionary though. It was just as informative as the actual text. This book was a bit dry. It read like a textbook, and I imagine it would be good in that capacity for an RCIA class. As I was reading it in anticipation of joining an RCIA class in September, I found it a good overview of the basics of Catholicism. I hope the actual RCIA class goes into more depth of the individual subjects. It was a relatively quick read, and nearly every paragraph is cross referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I enjoyed reading this book, and have pages of notes to reference after returning it to the library.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, concise overview of the Catholic denomination.