The Sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church

The better we understand our religion the more intelligently and fruitfully we can practise it; yet it is a fact, of which we have no reason to be proud, that Catholics generally know far too little about their religion. Account for it as we may, the fact cannot be denied that even educated and well-read Catholics very often know far less of the doctrines and practices of the Church than they do of almost any other branch of knowledge; and the information they possess is commonly of a general and indeftnite character, and not of that precise nature which the clearly-defined teaching of the Church would enable them to acquire, and which is rendered necessary on account of the circumstancea in which most of them are placed. The consequence is that many of them find little attraction in the devotions they practise or assist at and perform them rather as a task than as an intelligent act of loving worship; and they are neither prepared to explain the many beautiful practices of our holy religion to those who seek information nor to defend t.hem agairuat even the threadbare objections which they constantly hear. But besides being useful to the Catholic laity this work will alao be of service to the teacher and the more advanced pupils and students of our schools, academies, and colleges. It is also believed that it will be equally acceptable to the reverend clergy, both for their own reading and in the preparation of instructions on the subjects treated- in its pages. Originally published in 1892