A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac is the first book to offer gardeners spiritual resources and creative projects that connect a love of gardening with their Catholic faith. Margaret Realy, master gardener, retreat leader, and writer, presents this spiritual companion that follows the natural and liturgical seasons and offers gardening tips and easy-to-do projects for each month of the year. A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac explores the riches of the Catholic spiritual tradition in conjunction with all things gardening. Realy offers meditations and scripture passages on a spiritual theme for each month, reflections on the liturgical seasons and feasts, and delightful stories of saints who have special relevance to gardening. Readers also will discover the connection between the conversion of St. Paul and the canna seed, how the flight into Egypt was saved by a miraculous growth of seed, and the many miracles that made St. Brigid patroness of farmers. Additionally, there are creative ideas for garden design, practical tips and techniques, suggestions on unique plants, and a table of biblical plants. Gardeners at any level of proficiency and dedication will be enchanted by what they find in this extraordinary book.

A catechism is a way of teaching the Faith that strengthens the bonds of unity in our Church and, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “enlivens the faith of the People of God.” In the same spirit, Master Gardener and certified greenhouse grower Margaret Realy’s A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them will help you create a garden that is more than just a landscape. Filled with an array of plants for all seasons and climates, this beautiful book shows you how to create a faith-based garden that symbolically expresses the teachings of our faith and leads you into prayer. Presenting accurate plant culture that is easy to understand, aesthetically pleasing, and grounded in Catholic history and tradition, A Garden Catechism is perfect for beginning and experienced gardeners alike. Entries for each plant include: Vintage-style color botanical drawing Symbolism from Christian literature, art, and folklore Horticultural information including each plant’s unique characteristics, habitat needs, and attributes (such as fragrance, seasonal color, and butterfly/pollinator attractant) Expert tips for successful growth and care Plus, you’ll find a wealth of useful information about gardening basics, how to craft a prayer garden, and selecting the right plants for your vision and space. This unique, comprehensive resource combines the heritage of our Faith and the joy of gardening in a way that is accessible to anyone. Let’s get growing!

What do Buffalo Bill, John F. Kennedy, Ponce de Leon, Dorothy Day, Andy Warhol, and Al Capone have in common? They're all Catholics who have shaped America. In this page-a-day history, 365 entries offer inspiring stories celebrating the Catholic American experience. From famous figures to ordinary people, The American Catholic Almanac tells the facinating, funny, uplifting, and unlikely tales of Catholics' influence on American culture and politics. Spanning the scope of the Revolutionary War to Tom and Jerry cartoons to Notre Dame football, this unique devotional will appeal to anyone curious about how the Catholic faith has intersected with public life over the last three hundred years in America.

Gardens are places of growth, not only for plants but for our souls as well. Creating an outdoor spiritual sanctuary, no matter how small, is now within every gardener's reach. A GARDEN OF VISIBLE PRAYER shows you how to develop a contemplative outdoor space in a creative and systematic manner. Whether you are a new gardener or an old hand, wanting to create a public or a private retreat area, this book will guide you in a step-by-step approach to discern what leads you, personally, to a deeper sense of spirituality and then how to take that information to create your own outdoor space for prayer. Set up in a systematic approach, this book breaks into three easily understandable units to create an outdoor retreat: discern, design, and development. In the discerning process you will establish what elements in a garden lead you to become quiet and introspective, fostering spiritual growth. The next section guides you in designing your prayer space; where to locate it, where to place the features you have chosen and how to select plants. There is also a section on Catholic traditions in the garden at the end of the book. The final chapters on development tell you how to install your garden based on your design. A GARDEN OF VISIBLE PRAYER helps you feed both hungers for natural beauty and spiritual insight.

"With a full report of the various dioceses in the United States and British North America, and a list of archbishops, bishops, and priests in Ireland.