Chai Brady
The Irish Catholic Catechism for Adults came in No. 5 in the bestselling non-fiction paperback list in the first week of September with the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore saying it is “a tremendous resource”.
It was a strong week for religious books in the category with the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul coming in at number 7.
Reacting to the catechism book sales, Bishop Phonsie Cullinan told The Irish Catholic: “I’m thrilled to hear that the Irish Catechism for Adults is number 5 on the list of bestselling non-fiction paperbacks. I think there are efforts around the country to reawaken adult faith-formation, which is essential.
“In Ireland… we form children and we give the adults a blessing when they turn up and that’s it, whereas it should really be the other way around. Certainly, we do have to form children in school, but we cannot leave people with a sixth-class knowledge of their Faith for life, it is not adequate,” he said.
He added that there are people promoting study of the catechism around the country and “they are to be congratulated too”.
Looking at the sales of the book related to St Faustina, Bishop Cullinan described it as “wonderful news”, adding that “St John Paul II was instrumental in her story – in the story of her canonisation and in the story of spreading devotion to Divine Mercy – and of course he himself died on the eve of the feast of Divine Mercy Sunday.
“To link it with St Bernadette [whose relics visit the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore this week],” Bishop Cullinan said, “Our Lady asked her to pray, pray, pray, penance, penance, penance, for poor sinners, and that is very much in tune with the mission of imploring the Divine Mercy of God on us all.”
A peppering of religious interest…
The top-ten selling Paperback Non-Fiction list for the first week in September is peppered with religious interest. The Irish Catholic Catechism for Adults comes in at Number 5 published by Veritas, just beaten out of fourth place by Mad, Isn’t It? from Gill Books and beating Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour which comes sixth.
The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul published by Marian Press comes in at number 7.
The self-declared agnostic religious correspondent of The Irish Times came in at ninth with Well, Holy God: My Life as an Irish, Catholic, Agnostic Correspondent published by Merrion Press just beating Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous which to be fair, also came in 8th on the hard back list. Mr McGarry the agnostic may well feel he is Surrounded by Idiots, but Faith in Ireland is not dead yet! Mad isn’t it.