This gem of a book is best described in the words of Peter Kwasniewski, who has written the Foreword for our newly reprinted edition:
“Quite simply, it’s the loveliest, most charming, and in many ways most clever introduction to the liturgical calendar I’ve ever come across. It is informed by a deep Catholic love for the seasons of the year, the feasting and fasting, the great holy days, the pageantry of the saints and their stories, the underlying rhythm that connects nature, culture, and sanctity.”
And that is precisely what Enid Chadwick manages to capture: not simply the feasts of the Church's year, but its rhythm and pattern. With remarkably little text, her captivating artwork leads children from Advent through Corpus Christi, while the saints fill the months in between. The result is a parade of Catholic life in which the mysteries of Our Lord, the seasons of the Church, and the lives of the saints all belong together.
Chadwick herself was a High Church Anglican, but the calendar she depicts corresponds remarkably closely to the traditional Catholic calendar. In his foreword, Kwasniewski explains the few differences for Catholic readers, while also drawing attention to the rich liturgical heritage the two traditions share.
Chadwick's illustrations are simple and immediately appealing to young children, yet packed with delightful details and surprisingly rich teaching for those who look more closely—making My Book of the Church's Year a book to pore over again and again.
See photos comparing our newly reprinted edition with the original book here on our blog!
6" x 9.5" Hardcover 52 pages
Customer Reviews
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Lovely little book
As a leader of RCIA, ‘living as Catholics’ is something many find difficult to adjust to, just as we find it difficult to make ‘alive.’ Little books like this are simple and allow a catechumen to see the year sanctified. Worth purchasing for as a small gift for each of them.
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Love the book
Love the book
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Good Resource
I'm a Confessional Lutheran. Our congregation follows the historic one-year lectionary. This book contains some wonderful gold nuggets of helpful teaching.
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Very good book to have.
Very good book to have. It helps one to live out the liturgical year.
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Fabulous Addition to our Library
This is a wonderful book for diving into the whys and whens of the church calendar. The illustrations are beautiful and majestic. My 9 year old grandson was very interested as we explored the pictures for Holy Week and I was able to use the illustrations as a jumping off point for greater spiritual truth. I was so impressed that I sent the book to my niece to share with her four children. I am also going to show it to our church bookstore as I know all the parents will want this marvelous book for their children and grandchildren. I am so happy to have this book that we will keep it out all the time to explore the church calendar with the saints all through the year.
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Lovely!
This charming book is attractive to all ages and is a wonderful summary of the liturgical calendar.
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To start, book is made
To start, book is made with the quality books should be made with. I truly appreciate the information taught within, along with the lovely illustrations.
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A wonderful book
My family attends a Western Rite Antiochian Orthodox Church, and this book is a wonderful way to teach the children about the Liturgical Cycle, even if we need to demote a few Saints in the process.
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I had long admired images
I had long admired images of this book online and it was great to get a copy for myself and the parish nursery.
