Treasure and Tradition: The Ultimate Guide to the Latin Mass

"A book that conquers, with its calm exposition of the Beauty that saves..." (Libertà e Persona)  

Over 80,000 copies sold in six languages!  More people are discovering the beautiful traditions of our Church and sharing them with friends and loved ones!

Available in other languages: [Español — Tesoro y Tradición] · [Polski — Skarb Tradycji]

Looking to buy multiple copies for a parish or school, or for evangelization purposes? Check out our Evangelization Package!

Have you ever:

• Considered attending a Latin Mass, but found it too intimidating?
• Struggled to jump back and forth between the pages of a Latin-English Missal?
• Wondered what all those people are doing at the altar during High Mass?
• Wished for an effective way to help children to understand and follow along with the Mass?
• Wanted to know more about the history of the Mass and how it came to be the way it is?
• Been puzzled by things like Septuagesima, Rogation Days, and other unfamiliar terms, feasts and practices?

This Guide is just what you’ve been waiting for!

Whether you’ve been attending the Extraordinary Form of the Mass for years, or are merely curious about it, this guide is designed to open up the riches contained within the Mass to all. Inside, you will find a word-for-word English translation of the Latin text of the Mass, together with photos, diagrams, notes and explanations that will help you not only to follow along, but also to understand the history and significance of the ceremonies in which you are taking part. In addition, you will find sections explaining the main differences between the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, a discussion comparing the development of the Mass with that of its sister liturgy, the Divine Office, an exploration of the English translations of the Bible, a full glossary, and finally, recommended prayers intended to help you prepare when receiving the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist.

8.5" x 11" Hardcover     120 pages

Advance Praise for Treasure and Tradition:

"My heartfelt congratulations to you on the beautiful presentation, in images and words, of the reality of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!...the book is most informative and educational, and the content is presented in a most beautiful and attractive manner."

--His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

"I have perused through your book...and wish to congratulate you on such a beautifully and succinctly presented work.  I believe that it will be a blessing to those who received it to understand better the Liturgy and its roots."

--His Eminence Robert Cardinal Sarah

"Congratulations on this accomplishment.  The purpose of this book which you stated as a way to help your children understand about the Extraordinary Form of the Mass seems well met in this book.  In my view, I would say this is a very good book."

--The Most Reverend Fabian W. Bruskewitz, Bishop Emeritus of Lincoln

“I am pleased to report this little book fuels piety in a number of ways.  It reveals a literal understanding of the sacred Latin Language used in the prayers and rubrics at the Holy Mass, making it easy to mediate on the sublime orations being offered...[it] also provides many fascinating historical and catechetical lessons on each page that are accessible to all, not only in writing but in pictures and diagrams that direct the imagination always toward heavenly things.
It is clear to me that this guide to the Holy Mass is long overdue and should be welcomed by all not only as a way to deepen their love for the Traditional Latin Mass but also to foster and fuel their piety.”

--A Traditional Priest

"...[Treasure and Tradition] lives up to the highly praiseworthy reviews of leaders such as Raymond Cardinal Burke."

--Rorate Caeli

"Without exaggeration, I can say that this is one of the most stunningly beautiful and most informative introductions to the traditional Latin Mass that I have ever seen. For anyone who needs or wants a crash-course in the theology and spirituality of the classical Roman Rite, and a tour of just about everything connected with it, this is your book at last. If I could wave a magic wand, I'd have copies of Treasure and Tradition suddenly appear in every church, chapel, and Catholic family in the English-speaking world."

--Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, on the New Liturgical Movement website

Featured 5 star customer reviews:

Informative, enlightening, ceremonial, gorgeous.

This is an exceptional, long overdue book that offers an amazing presentation of the Traditional Latin Mass. I have been a volunteer and officer for my local Una Voce chapter since the release of Summorum Pontificum. For years, I have helped to organize Masses throughout a geographically large diocese. I have also helped to facilitate several conferences about the Traditional Latin Mass and Traditional Catholicism. I have trained servers to serve both Low Mass and High Mass. I have also trained priests to offer the Traditional Latin Mass. My family and I have attended SSPX, and FSSP, ICRSS, and diocesan Traditional Latin Masses throughout the country.

I purchased this book largely out of curiosity about its content. Any book that claims to be "The Ultimate Guide" begs suspicion. Needless to say, when I began to read through the book, I found myself pleasantly and unexpectedly impressed.

The first thing to note is that the dimensions of the book (approx. 8.75 x 11.25") are comparable to a coffee table book. This is a good thing, as it encourages the owner to perhaps keep it in a visible, if not prominent, place. This book is worth placing on a table in a living room in one's home or in a church narthex or lobby. Its cover design certainly will draw the attention of the eyes and can perhaps serve as a conversation piece that may prompt a discussion about the Traditional Latin Mass. On the other hand, the dimensions of the book might make it inappropriate or awkward for use during Mass, which does not necessarily amount to a negative quality.

While the book does not seem to have been intended as a hand missal (and certainly does not purport to be one), it does provide a unique layout of the Ordinary of the Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum. Beneath each line of the Latin text, an unobtrusive English translation is provided in smaller, italicized font. Even more interesting, however, is that the word-for-word translation is so literally word-for-word that it actually follows the Latin word order (e.g. orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum translates as to pray for me to Lord God our). This renders the italicized English translation somewhat awkward, but it subtly escorts the reader's attention back to the Latin, which, in my opinion, is a commendable, if accidental, feat. (Perhaps this layout could one day be mimicked in a hand missal.) It does not stop there, however. In the extra-wide margin alongside the Ordinary, a full second English translation--but in this case grammatically correct one--is provided.

When one first opens the book, the first thing to notice is that the front and back end papers are used to display a table listing the various parts of the Mass (Confiteor, Kyrie, Gloria, etc.). This first impression is a testament to the book's great design: almost every square inch of paper has been used to present information, diagrams, pictures, and artwork. The author and other contributors are thus to be commended for their obvious appreciation of not only content, but also beauty.

Some Catholics will be familiar with many of the illustrations, which are not exclusive to this book. Other Catholics who may not have been exposed to the missals and catechisms of yesteryear will surely benefit from the splendor these images can offer. The book is easy to navigate and, as other reviewers have noted, is packed full of details and information. Obviously, not every aspect of the Mass can fit into a book of this format. Nevertheless, a great deal of helpful information can be discovered here, and there is certainly enough content to benefit both the experienced and inexperienced.

The book’s greatest attribute, and what really makes it a contender for the title of "The Ultimate Guide," is its accessibility. It is extremely easy to read and understand. One can randomly flip to any page in the book and not feel lost. Moreover, the design, photos, and artwork really do serve two ends by both inspiring the senses and assisting the understanding of the reader.

There is so much to like here; the book can easily and equally appeal to the most extreme Traditional Catholic as well as a Novus Catholic who has even only a slender interest in the Traditional Latin Mass. It is the perfect answer to those folks who, after attending their first Traditional Latin Mass, wander out of the church with glazed eyes and ask themselves, "What just happened?"

I plan to order more of these books to give as gifts. I also intend to recommend this book whenever possible.

--Nicholas C. Hosford