The OCIA Shelf

A one-volume handbook of doctrine. Dense, but precise, with each teaching’s degree of certainty.

An 1876 book by Cardinal Gibbons that explains Catholic teaching to Protestant neighbours.

Bishop Barron’s documentary tour of the faith, filmed across the world.

Commentaries on faith, culture and film, and sermons.

A complete, traditional course of instruction, long given to converts.

Tracts, articles and a searchable Q&A. Recommended as “the best website to ask questions about Catholicism.”

Plain-spoken and illustrated: the Catechism in questions and answers, easy to hand out on the first night.

Unexplained mysteries, approached by a Catholic apologist with good sense.

St. Thomas’s philosophy made accessible.

Arguments for God, the soul, the Resurrection and more, set out clearly.

Papal documents, Council texts and the Catechism, straight from the source.

Long-form discussion of theology and current debates in the Church.

A Catholic streaming library of courses, films, audio and e-books.

A short tract on the basics of Catholicism that you can read in one sitting.

Essays that are academically sound and still readable for the general reader.

Guided prayer, the Rosary and Scripture meditations for building a daily habit.

The essential passages of the Summa Theologiae, with notes.

Thorough, well-sourced apologetics.

About 150 readable pages: an invitation to faith from a theologian and deacon.

Daily readings, the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours and a Confession guide in one free app.

The Church’s own summary of what she believes. Every other book on this shelf points back to it.

Calm, biblical answers to fundamentalist charges, from the founder of Catholic Answers.

Courses and community for lay Catholics who want to go deeper.

A short, honest push to actually start praying.

The whole Catechism in about 600 short questions and answers, good for a weekly session.

Short clips answering specific questions from the call-in show.

The whole Catechism in 365 short episodes. Pairs naturally with the OCIA year.

The soul’s journey inward to God, by a Doctor of the Church.

The future Benedict XVI on the Apostles’ Creed, line by line.

Careful, charitable answers to critics of the faith.

A full year of parish RCIA lectures, recorded. Recommended on Reddit as “very good lectures.”

A warm, practical invitation for Catholics coming back to the practice of the faith.

Covers the basics with no assumed knowledge. Dip in wherever you like.

A pope’s meditation on the Gospels and the person of Jesus.

The companion book to Bishop Barron’s film series, full of art and the saints.

Catholic talk radio, including The Patrick Madrid Show.

Lectures from Dominican scholars given at universities.

A young Franciscan friar on faith, religious life and the Church.

Jeff Cavins’ colour-coded method for learning the Bible’s storyline.

Eleven converts explain the biblical and historical reasons they became Catholic.

Universities, science, law and charity: the Church’s part in all of them.

A free self-paced course meant to supplement, not replace, your parish program.

Augustine’s life told as a prayer: “Our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

The Bible’s storyline from beginning to end, tied to The Great Adventure.

A Presbyterian minister and his wife tell how they became Catholic. A natural first read for Protestant inquirers.

Four early Church Fathers introduced through their own writings.

A text-only RCIA course, recommended on Reddit for reading at your own pace.

The Liturgy of the Hours and daily Mass readings.

Salvation history in simple stick-figure drawings. Simple pictures built to stick.

A Catholic reference guide to Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and other bodies in the United States.

The old Catholic Encyclopedia, the Church Fathers and the Summa, all free online.

Sheed’s fuller follow-up: why knowing God with the mind changes how we see everything.

The retreat method behind Jesuit spirituality.

Sheen’s dramatic retelling of the Gospel, centred on the Cross.

A call-in show: real questions from real callers, answered on air.

A lively one-volume history of the Church.

A filmed course covering the whole faith, built for group viewing.

Fifteenth-century wisdom on humility and the love of Jesus, in short chapters for daily reading.

The full RSV-2CE Bible, color-coded by the Bible Timeline periods, with charts, maps and key-event notes.

Not a Catholic book, but a clear case for the core of Christian belief, first given as wartime radio talks.

Priests talking about saints, history and doctrine with good humour.

Online courses from a Catholic university for catechists and lifelong learners.

Short and practical, and still read by monks and laypeople after fifteen centuries.

The story of salvation told through God’s covenants, from Adam to Christ.

Answers to common Protestant objections, chapter by chapter.

The Arian crisis told as a story. Answers the claim that the Church fell away early.

A recent, elegant introduction to the faith that skeptics will respect.

Grounds Marian doctrine in the Old Testament, for inquirers who find Mary a hurdle.

A senior devil’s letters to his nephew. A sharp, funny look at temptation.

A Trappist abbot’s practical manual of meditation and contemplation.

Weekly homilies and conversations from Bishop Robert Barron.

Short chapters giving the reasons behind the faith, written for skeptics and seekers.

Church news explained by two canon lawyers.

Dominican friars explaining the faith.

A saint for every day of the year, each speaking in their own words.

Shows how the Last Supper fulfils the Passover.

Three priests and a layman on faith and current questions.

The Liturgy of the Hours and the Missal, in several languages.

The Bible in 365 episodes with commentary, reflection and prayer.

Interviews that take one topic and go deeper.

Short portraits of the early Church Fathers, with their own words, a timeline and an index.

Each chapter opens with the story of an American saint or witness, then teaches the doctrine.

The Little Way of a young Carmelite, a Doctor of the Church.

Marriage preparation and enrichment: videos, a couple’s guide and a free online inventory.

An introduction to St. John Paul II’s teaching on love, sexuality and marriage.

A spiritual director’s guide to holiness for people with jobs and families.

Bible studies and lectures from Dr. Brant Pitre.

Chesterton’s exuberant account of how he came to believe.

Human history read in the light of Christ. C. S. Lewis credited it in his own journey to faith.

Two parish priests on theology, liturgy and parish life.

Clear teaching talks, especially on Divine Mercy and the Last Things.

Opens up the Mass through the Book of Revelation. A fresh way to see what happens at every Mass.

Faith, virtue and fatherhood for Catholic men.

Pray the Hours along with a recorded community.

Today’s Mass readings, so you can prepare for Sunday.

Conversations about philosophy and faith in the spirit of St. Thomas.

Early Christian writings in order, with an index by doctrine.

A short, clear walk through the Trinity, creation, grace and redemption. Written by a street-corner preacher who had to be clear.

A do-it-yourself retreat of Marian consecration, often done in parish groups.

Why Catholic worship looks the way it does.

Short videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz and others that answer common questions in a few minutes.

Three women talk about prayer and the spiritual life.

The complete RSV-2CE Bible in one volume, with Catholic notes, maps and Catechism cross-references.