First published in 1880 by Benziger Brothers under the title *The Christian Mother*, this book was written by the Right Rev. W. Cramer, D.D., Coadjutor Bishop of Münster, and translated from the German by a Father of the Society of Jesus. We have retitled it *The Catholic Mother* for this edition, since that is plainly who the good bishop was writing for, and readers looking for the original will know they have found it. The text itself is unchanged. Archbishop James Gibbons of Baltimore wrote the introduction himself, reminding mothers that God has charged them with a two-fold mission: to nourish both the bodies and the souls of their children. The first half of the book is instruction. Bishop Cramer walks a mother through her vocation from the very beginning, starting with her first visit to church after childbirth, and then takes up the virtues she must possess herself before she can hand them on: the fear of God, piety, and a true supernatural love for her children. He is practical about the daily work as well. How to introduce a small child to the truths of the Faith. How to correct faults without crushing the child. How to guard innocence and modesty in the home. There is a chapter for the mother of a priest, and a chapter on her own life of prayer.

The second half is a complete prayer book for her use. Here are prayers for the anniversary of her marriage, for morning and evening, and for a mother's own devotions through Holy Mass. There are prayers for herself, that she may obtain wisdom, fortitude, mildness, and the grace to give good example, and prayers for each of her children: for their protection, their chastity, their love of truth, and their preparation for First Confession and First Communion. There is a Way of the Cross to be made by mothers for the benefit of their children, a Rosary for the Christian Mother, a litany, a prayer for her husband, and prayers for a mother expecting a child. Glorious Heritage Books has reset this edition in clean, readable type, with the 1880 translation kept as it was written. Our Catholic grandmothers kept books like this on the shelf, and somewhere along the way they were allowed to slip out of memory. This one is worth having back.