Learning Resources

Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.” Pope John Paul II

"Science takes things apart to see how they work, religion brings things together to see what they mean."   Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Visit "The Coming Home Network". Be inspired and challenged by the stories of men and women. of all ages, race, educational backgrounds, careers, denominations or religious backgrounds,  who have converted to the Roman Catholic faith. Read or listen to their personal stories to understand why so many are "coming home" to the Church, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, instituted almost 2,000 years ago!

St. Francis of the Tejas Catholic Church has classroom oriented learning opportunities. The sources listed below are meant to provide additional sources of information to help those considering becoming Roman Catholics, as well as, Catholics desiring learning opportunities outside the classroom.

St. Francis of the Tejas is pleased to offer its parish members a free subscription to "FORMED" - a web-based depository providing access to thousands of books, audio talks, movies, documentaries, and studies... there is something for every member of the family to help them grow closer to Christ and His Church. Click here to setup your free subscription...

Downloads for cell phones

Downloading these apps on your cell phone enables access to many Catholic resources for learning and prayer. You will find these particularly helpful when sitting for long periods of time in a waiting room, relaxing on the beach, or traveling (when you are not driving, please), – use that time wisely!

Laudate: On Laudate, you'll find a list of numerous options including prayers, Stations of the Cross, rosary and chaplet prompts, order of the mass, and much more. You can scroll through these and find anything you need with the tap of a finger, set bookmarks in any of the files (accessible from a separate bookmark menu), or read through the different versions of the Bible and Vatican documents. There are downloads available for both Android and iPhones.
On Android, check the “Google Play Store” to find and download the app;
On iPhone, check the “App Store, to find and download the app.

Mary App– by Marians of the Immaculate Conception: offers a complete resource for information on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, in an easy to navigate format, including an audio to help you learn to pray the Rosary.
On Android, check the “Google Play Store” to find and download the app;
On iPhone, check the “App Store, to find and download the app.

Novenas: A novena is made up of nine days of prayer and meditation usually to ask God for special prayer requests or petitions. Novenas are an ancient tradition that goes back to the days of the Apostles. Various apps for novenas are available for cell phones, for example, go to the “Google Play Store” and type in the word “Novenas”, several options for apps will be listed - a popular one is the “Pray Catholic Novena Prayers” app. Download the selected app to your phone and enjoy access to numerous novenas throughout the year.

Videos

Barron, Bishop Robert. Who is Jesus? Youtube, Bishop Robert Barron, July 10, 2009.

Madrid, Patrick. Why Be Catholic. Youtube.com. Christendom Tube, July 1r, 2015.

Braun, Fr. Justin. The Way of Christ: Sacraments and Liturgy. Youtube, St. Philip Institute. March, 19.2019

Pitre, Brant. The Origen of the Bible Preview, Part 1 & 2. Youtube, Catholic Productions, October 2, 2007

Pitre, Brant. Confirmation in the Bible. Youtube, Catholic Productions, July 12, 2019.

Pitre, Brant. Purgatory in the Bible. Youtube, Catholic Productions. August 5, 2019.

Pitre, Brant. The Brothers of Jesus: A Fresh Look at Evidence. Youtube, Catholic Productions. March 1, 2016.

Pitre, Brant. The Jewish Roots of the Papacy. Youtube.com. The Coming Home Network International, July 5, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl3pD4l0K5U

Barron, Bishop Robert. Conscience and Morality. YouTube, Word on Fire, August 15, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=HYvbgOTGm7g

Catholicism Series. WordonFire. Can’t say enough good things about this wonderful series!

The Thomistic Institute - Aquinas 101 - a series of free video courses from the Thomistic Institute that help you to engage life’s most urgent philosophical and theological questions with the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas.

You Have the Living Water: Watch as Dr. Allen Hunt explains "Living Water".

Books:

Although the hyperlinks below are associated with “Amazon”, there are other online booksellers through which you may find these recommended books, such as Barnes & Noble, or other commercial, online booksellers. Many of these books are available as eBooks which can be a real cost savings!

Holy Bible, Catholic Edition, Anglicized Text, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Harper Catholic Bibles, 2007.

Little Rock Catholic Study Bible. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 2011.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2019. (available free here)

Madrid, Patrick. Why Be Catholic? Ten Answers to a Very Important Question. New York, Image, 2014.

Dubruiel, Mike. The How-To Book of the Mass – Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You. Huntington, Indiana, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. 2007.

Sri, Edward. A Biblical Walk Through the Mass. Ascension Press, West Chester, PA, 2011.

Trese, Leo. The Faith Explained, Third Edition. New York, Scepter Publishers 1965.

Hahn, Scott & Kimberly. Rome Sweet Home – Our Journey to Catholicism. San Francisco,
Ignatius Press. 1993. Available on FORMED.

Hahn, Scott. Reasons to Believe - How to Understand, Explain and Defend the Catholic Faith. London, Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd. 2007.

Storey, William G. A Beginner’s Book of Prayer. Chicago, Loyola Press, 2009.

Storey, William G. A Prayer Book for Eucharistic Adoration. Chicago, Loyola Press, 2010.

Pitre, Brant. The Case for Jesus – The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ. New York, Image, 2016.

Pitre, Brant. Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary - Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah. New York, Image. 2018.

Augustine, Saint. The Confessions. Hyde Park, New York, New City Press, 2019. Available on FORMED.

Merton, Thomas. The Seven Storey Mountain – An Autobiography of Faith. Boston & New York, Mariner Books, 1998.

Sri, Edward. Praying The Rosary Like Never Before – Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth. Cincinnati, Ohio, Franciscan Media, 2017.

Bennett, Rod. Four Witnesses – The Early Church in Her Own Words. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2002. Available on FORMED.

Bennett, Rod. The Apostasy That Wasn’t – The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church. Catholic Answers, Inc., El Cajon, California, 2015.

Sheen, Fulton. Your Life Is Worth Living- 50 Lessons to Deepen Your Faith. Crown Publishing Group, New York, 2019.

Strickland, Bishop Joseph E. Light and Leaven - The Challenge of the Laity in the Twenty-First Century. Ascension Answers, Inc., El Cajon California, 2020.

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. HarperCollins, New York, 1952.

Simmons, Geoffrey M. D. What Darwin Didn't Know. Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 2004.

Stark, Rodney. Bearing False Witness - Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History. Templeton Press, West Conshohocken, PA, 2016.

Flew, Antony. There is a GOD - How the world's most notorious atheist changed his mind. HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 2007.

Other Resources: