Carrie Gress

Home. It is an elegant word, at once both simple and far-reaching. Home is a place to live in and feel comfortable, but it is much more than that.

Home is where we are nurtured, where we live, and where we love. The language of Home is universal. It is where we find the eternal in the everyday.

But the Home has been neglected. To millions of women today, there is nothing worse than being a “homemaker.” If only they knew the supreme value (and reward) of giving loved ones a place to call Home.   

Written by three wives and mothers, Theology of Home is a simple guide to help reorient all of us toward our true home, allowing us to think purposefully about how to make our own homes on earth better equipped to get all those living in them to the Father’s house. Featuring more than 100 beautiful (and inspiring) photographs from homes around the country, profound words from the saints and other literary figures, and in depth commentary on the theological and spiritual underpinnings of our love for Home, Theology of Home offers readers a tour of the both the Home and the human heart.

In the late ’60s, a small group of elite American women convinced an overwhelming majority of the country that destroying the most fundamental of relationships—that of mother and child—was necessary for women to have productive and happy lives.

From the spoiling of this relationship followed the decay of the entire family, and almost overnight, our once pro-life culture became pro-lifestyle, embracing everything that felt good. Sixty million abortions later, women aren’t showing signs of health, happiness, and fulfillment. Increased numbers of divorce, depression, anxiety, sexually transmitted disease, and drug abuse all point to the reality that women aren’t happier, just more medicated. 

Huge cultural shifts led to a rethinking of womanhood, but could there be more behind it than just culture, politics, and rhetoric?

Building off the scriptural foundations of the anti-Christ, Carrie Gress makes an in-depth investigation into the idea of an anti-Mary—as a spirit, not an individual—that has plagued the West since the ’60s. Misleading generations of women, this anti-Marian spirit has led to the toxic femininity that has destroyed the lives of countless men, women, and children. 

The antidote to the anti-Mary is, of course, Mary, the Mother of God, known widely as the most powerful woman in the world and the source of the belief that women ought to be treated with dignity. She is a beacon of all the virtues and qualities—purity, humility, kindness, beauty—that oppose this sinister force that has cast its spell upon so many women. Mary’s influence is unparalleled by any woman in history. She is the perfect model of Christian femininity, who desires to be a spiritual mother to us all, leading us to her Son, and to the fulfillment of our heart’s deepest desires.

At the turn of the 18th century, the French priest, St. Louis de Montfort, became a warrior for his queen. Few preached on the role of the Mother of God better and with more passion than him. St. Louis spread far and wide the practice of Marian consecration, a means by which we give our entire selves to Jesus through the hands of his mother.

In this enchanting book, Dr. Carrie Gress, author of The Marian Option, provides a fun and thrilling way for children to participate in this centuries-old practice. In just a matter of weeks, they will come to know Mary as they never have before. They will allow her to take their hand and lead them to Christ.

Gress weaves in tales of saints, kings, queens, knights, and princesses as a way to teach children about virtue, courage, and their spiritual mother who loves them. In addition, she draws valuable spiritual lessons from contemporary stories such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many other fables and fairy tales that have brought children’s imaginations to life for decades.

Divided into 34 days, Marian Consecration for Children includes a short meditation for each day and accompanying discussion questions. Discover the beauty and wonder that has enriched Marian spirituality for several centuries as you allow this holy mother to lead young hearts and minds to her Son!

Imagine receiving a makeover that not only promised to make you more beautiful, but softened the rough edges of your personality, helped you gain control of your emotions, better manage your relationships, and grow in wisdom. And what if it could actually make you happy?

Sounds too good to be true, right? Yet every woman can experience this makeover with the gift of motherhood. Along with your new bundle of joy, there are real rewards just waiting to be claimed.

Motherhood is difficult--there's no getting around it. And yet, the challenges a woman faces when she becomes a mother don't have to be in vain. Instead of a series of frustrating, exhausting, or exasperating experiences, author Carrie Gress (a mother of four young children) sees daily life as an opportunity to grow gracefully as a woman, mother, wife, and friend.

Foreword by Vicki Thorn, Founder of Project Rachel

In this beautifully illustrated spiritual travelogue, New York Times bestselling author George Weigel leads readers through the historic streets of Kraków, Poland, introducing one of the world’s great cities through the life of one of the most influential Catholic leaders of all time.

“To follow Karol Wojtyła through Kraków is to follow an itinerary of sanctity while learning the story of a city.” Weigel writes. “Thus, in what follows, the story of Karol Wojtyła, St. John Paul II, and the story of Kraków are interwoven in a chronological pilgrimage through the life of a saint that reveals, at the same time, the dramatic history and majestic culture of a city where a boy grew into a man, priest, a bishop—and an apostle to the world.”

With stunning photographs by Stephen Weigel and notes on the city’s remarkable fabric by Carrie Gress, City of Saints offers an in-depth look at a man and a city that made an indelible impression on the life and thought of the Catholic Church and the 21st century world.

We all know someone - a parent, sibling, aunt or uncle, coworker, grandparent, child, neighbor, or friend who has either left the Church or never discovered it. We want them to know the joy and peace we've discovered, but the last thing we want to do is to force our faith on them. So how can we bring our loved ones back to the Church?

Jesus was the first and greatest evangelizer. As his disciples, we're called to share in his mission to spread his message to others. But going outside your comfort zone to engage the disengaged in meaningful conversations about Catholicism can be overwhelming. Fortunately there are common patterns that are easy to follow once you recognize them.

In Nudging Conversions, Carrie Gress unveils those common patterns and offers a practical roadmap for reaching out to friends and family. You'll learn the art of asking questions, when to speak and when to keep quiet, basic tools for talking to others about Jesus, how to answer questions about the faith, and more.

Conversion doesn't happen overnight, sometimes all it takes is a little nudge.