Patron Saint of the Day- October 27

October 27th

St. Frumentius

Patron saint of Ethiopia. 

Frumentius was a Phonecian from Tyre. When he was a boy, he and his brother were captured off of a ship on its way to Abyssinia. The crew was massacred and Frumentius and his brother given as slaves to the king of Axum. After the king's death, the men were freed, but the queen asked Frumentius to stay and teach the young prince until he was old enough to rule. Frumentius stayed until the prince was of age.

Frumentius convinced St. Athanasius to send priests to Abyssinia and worked extensively to convert the natives to Christianity. He encouraged public worship of Christians in open meeting places, and build several churches. He was consecrated bishop of Abyssinia in 328 A.D. The people called him "our father" and Abyssinian tradition credits Frumentius with the first translation of the New Testament into Ethiopian.

Links of Interest: 

Overview of Abyssinia and Christianity from the Catholic Encyclopedia

Ethiopian recipes 

History of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia

Image credit: www.christopherklitou.com

Patron Saint of the Day- October 26

October 26th
St. Rusticus


St. Rusticus was a bishop of Narbonne, France. He was a correspondent with St. Jerome and Pope Leo I. While not much is known of him, we do know that he attended the First Council at Ephesus and was a champion against the Arian heresy, a belief that Jesus was not God, and a point of debate during the Council of Nicaea.

One of the most interesting and inspiring aspects of St. Rusticus was his humanity and struggle against hopelessness. While he worked to put a stop to the spreading Arian beliefs in Gaul, he could not. An Arian bishop was even installed in Narbonne. Eventually Rusticus' disillusionment over the fighting between Catholics led to Rusticus wishing to step down from being a bishop. Pope Leo I convinced him to remain. Even though he was discouraged, St. Rusticus spent the rest of his life trying to consolidate the Catholics in Gaul.

Links of Interest:
An explanation of Arianism at wikipedia.
Information on the Nicene Creed 
Gospel reading: Lk 13:18-21

Patron Saint of the Day- October 25

As All Saint's Day approaches, we are beginning a new blog feature, the patron saint of the day.

October 25th
Sts. Crispin & Crispinian

These brother saints were Roman missionaries to the Celts of Gaul. They are most renowned for being shoemakers and leather workers at night to earn money to live on and help the poor, while preaching the gospel during the day.

They are the patron saints of shoemakers, leather workers, saddlers, and tanners.

Links of Interest:
Shakespeare's "St. Crispin's Day Speech" from Henry V
Other saints with this feast day: Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria

Image credit: http://www.catholicculture.org

Sacramentary Sale!

For a limited time, while supplies last, Reilly's has all of our sacramentaries on sale. Take advantage of this rare liturgical book deal!

Call 1-800-635-5190 today to purchase your copy before they're gone. 





Large size Sacramentary in red leather. 5 ribbon markers.
Regular Price: $119.00
Sale Price: $89.25








Large size Sacramentary in red cloth. Cover image may be different than shown. 5 ribbon markers.
Regular price: $93.00
Sale Price: $69.75

Small size (7 x 9) Sacramentary in red cloth.
Regular price: $57.00
Sale Price: $42.75

October New Releases

Come in and see the October new releases. It's a good time to start thinking about Christmas presents for the bibliophiles in your life.

Seven Lies About Catholic History
Diane Moczar


Diane Moczar tackles the most infamous and prevalent myths about the Church and reveals the truth about them. She reveals the origin of each myth and explains its persistence while giving the reader the facts and arguments necessary to set the record straight. 

You Shall Worship One God
The Mystery of Loving Sacrifice in Salvation History
Fr. Marie Dominique Philippe O.P.


Focusing on the first commandment, Fr. Philippe explains that only by recognizing the importance of worship, of making ourselves an offering of love before God, can we hope to fulfill the other commandments and develop a deep, lasting spiritual life.

Death of a Liturgist
Lorraine V. Murray


Francesca Bibbo, the irrepressible heroine of Death in the Choir is back. Join her and the rest of St. Rita's eccentric crew as they try to solve the mystery and make St. Rita's safe for tradition again.

Death Panels
Michelle Buckman


Death Panels is an exciting and disturbing look at the not-too-distant future in which our battles for life and freedom have reached an explosive crossroads. A clarion call to Christians and lovers of liberty.

   
The Patron Saints' Handbook
Mitch Finley


Bestselling Catholic writer Mitch Finley takes a look at the occupations, groups, and causes 100 saints are associated with. Each short selection in this delightful book describes the life of a saint and why he or she has been selected as a patron.

The Practice of Healing Prayer
Francis Macnutt


Many Catholics did not grow up learning how to pray with others for healing      , nor expect their prayers to be powerful and transformative. Francis Macnutt, an early leader in the Catholic charismatic renewal, and head of Christian Healing Ministries, encourages Catholics to do both.

                    
Hidden Graces
Poems for Crisis, Struggle, and Renewal


The 30 British and American poets featured in this book teach us that it is possible to recover from loss with a deeper awareness of how life emerges from death, and with a gratitude for what we have learned-- hidden graces. 

Defiant Daughters
Christian Women of Conscience
Marcy Heidish


This informative, challenging, and entertaining book spotlights the lives of more than 20 spiritual trailblazers and their responses to crises of conscience.   

The Heart of Newman

Erich Przywara S.J.

This new edition to the classic anthology of the writings and sermons of John Henry Newman is a rare treasure house of his thought and inspiration. The collection shows the timeless wisdom of Newman and the  appeal of his writings for modern Christians.