Baltimore Catechism, No. 1

Baltimore Catechism #1

by Plenary Councils of Baltimore

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Christian, Theology, Classics, Nonfiction, Spirituality

106 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1885

About the author

The Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three national meetings of Catholic bishops in the United States in 1852, 1866 and 1884 in Baltimore, Maryland.

During the early history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States all of the dioceses were part of one ecclesiastical province under the Archbishop of Baltimore. This being the case, governance of the American church was carried out by provincial councils held in Baltimore. As the church grew and was divided into multiple provinces, it became necessary for a national (or plenary) council of the bishops of the United States to meet to foster common discipline.

The fathers of the Seventh Provincial Council of Baltimore requested the Holy See to sanction the holding of a plenary council. The petition was granted and the pope appointed Archbishop Francis Kenrick of Baltimore as Apostolic Delegate to convene and preside over the council.

Reviews

[Ilya Kozlov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Church abandoned her teaching function...i have to do it myself....first volume could be read in one night....other three volumes expand same ideas.....u will not touch cathecism of jp2 after this....simple, solid, orthodox

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read. A must read for any Catholics.

[Joshua Rodning McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in preparation (many years from now) for the catechesis of my daughter. While she is only three, my wife and I read this with her nightly.

The revised Baltimore Catechism is extremely good, especially since it removed certain things in the original version that, while not erroneous, were not Church Dogma.

Anyone with children or who want the rudiments of the Catholic Faith, I highly recommend this.

[Gene Arthur Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the catechism that I was brought up on prior to Vatican II, and the Protestantization of Catholic Church. Reading and studying this will show you a stark difference between The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of pre conciliar Catholicism, and the post conciliar Synodal Catholic/Protestant Hybrid Church of The Modernists.

If we are to approach God as a humble child, this is where we need to begin. The psychobabble claptrap of the JP II Catechism is too convoluted. This is the root of The Vine on which I want to be a branch.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Baltimore Catechism is the catechism of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, written for Catholic school children in the United States. This volume begins with the traditional prayers (Apostles Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, Glory Be, Acts of Contrition, Love, et cetera). The chapters are broken down in discussing The Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, sins, Laws of the Church, and the like. At the back of this volume are traditional hymns.

This volume is easy to understand, with questions and answers that relate to the particular subject matter in each chapter. This is the catechism to read to learn (or remind oneself) of the true tenants of the Church, not the New Church of Vatican II.

This volume is written for the younger Roman Catholic student; each successive volume (through number 4) is more in-depth and appropriate to the student’s grade level.

I highly recommend this series.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so basic, but then, it's for little kids. Book 2 builds on Book 1, and Book 3 on Book 2, etc., with Book 4 explaining it all in the end...

[JZ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, you know “If you can’t say something nice about something, don’t say anything at all”?

Well, I just can’t say ‘anything’ nice about this book, at all.

Was that ok, Mama?

[CJ]

This book is a solid read! Set in the time of Nazi Germany. The narrator named "Death" tells the story of Liesel, an orphan girl, who he nicknames "book thief". Since character Hans Hubermann, Liesel's foster father, teaches her to read, she falls in love with it. As a result, Liesel steals books to fulfill her love for reading, hence "Book Thief." Moreover the dynamic between Death and the main character Liesel, although sad, creates a very interesting and captivative relationship that even confuses the reader's emotions at some points. For example, in some scenes when Death is present, he appears to be compassionate. This contradicts the common initial feeling of fear towards dying and totally changes the readers thoughts towards death overall. Furthermore, although the book is sad and may even draw a tear, it does not reign true for the entire book. For instance, a young boy, Rudy and Liesel also have childish and fun adventures together that humorously always seem to end with Rudy asking her for a kiss. All in all, The Book Theif by Markus Zusak is an entertaining book that changes ones perspective on life and death.

[Eliza Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! So easy to read and filled with nuggets of wisdom elucidating basic tenets of Catholic faith. The illustrations/cartoons are delightful and actually really helpful in remembering and understanding Catholic dogma.

[Joseph Raborg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Outline of the Faith

Volume one of the Baltimore Catechism covers all of the essentials of Catholic Faith and worship. I highly recommend it even to those who feel like they understand the Faith well. The Kindle edition is perfect.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

Easy to understand great for the curious and for those who have questions or want to prepare for OCIA. Nicely laid out for ease of reading and finding information. Bonus with pertinent prayers being included

[Kassie R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I think this version does its job of teaching things you need to know l, it isn't my favorite for teaching kids, especially if they struggle with understanding. Some of the questions/answers are great, but others harder to understand. I did, however, learn some things myself!

[Jill M Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Jackie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these little Catechism books.

[Father Faceless · Rating 5 out of 5]

A better education than my Cathecist gave me.

[Anastasia Rozance · Rating 4 out of 5]

We used this text for catechism at church. My kids found the text simple and straight forward. It covers the basics in an honest and forthright way. No frills or fluff.

[T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on the basic teachings of the Catholic church. The book however makes many depictions of the Holy Trinity. Depicting the Father, Son and Holy Spirit which goes against Acts 17:29.

[Rebecca M. Mountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meaningful

Easy to follow. Very useful. Recommend it. If you haven't already. Give it a try. Nice read. Yes. Quite insightful.

[Zach Teske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic way to help educate your family in the faith!

[Joseph Maria O.T.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incrível: Bem completo e bem expliado, além de ter um glossário, mistérios do rosário, via-sacra e um missal anexos no final; tudo com ilustrações clássicas e nostálgicas.

[Cindy Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read as this is meant for a younger audience. However, the lessons in it were extremely helpful as I go through RCIA.

[Brian Ipock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid and classic instruction in the Catholic faith.

[Nancy Yen · Rating 5 out of 5]

best update of the catechism

I have learned much from
The Baltimore catechism and bible in a year
My spiritual beliefs have been renewed in mind and spirit

[Don Heiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 1 which I read was officially revised and published by Catholic Book Publishing in 2012. This edition has explanations and study guides that are ideal for youth and beginning learners. The text is organized into 37 lessons, has discussion questions for each lesson, and uses drawn graphics for visual context. The revised edition is explained by Father Bennet C.P. (P)

[Vince Mattaliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tradititions

Just as I remember, from my childhood! The basics of Catholicism, in a concise form. Readable and well organized. An essential.

[Ven Detta · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you would like to get a foundational understanding of Catholicism, this series of books are for you. There are 4 volumes and each presents the teaching of the catholic Church in a question and answer format. Yes they were designed for educating children but I believe they will help anyone who want to understand the teaching of the Catholic church. Even if you are not a Catholic take some time and try to understand what the Catholic church actually teaches instead of listening to people tell you what they believe.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Catholic Catechism series printed.

I used this Catechism series growing up and I truly feel it is still the best. I taught Catechism for a few years, and the textbook we were given to use was so lacking that I often found myself supplementing with the Baltimore Series. There is so much information that is not available in many of these new Catechism series and often times they have errors in them or at best poorly explained teachings. The Baltimore Series is very to the point and easy for the youth to read and study.

[Atlantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Lessons begin with vocabulary and a list of questions and answers. These are intermingled with prayers, The stations of the cross and Hymns. I can’t remember what catechism I was given when I was young going to CCD but I wish that this was still used and I know my kids haven’t gotten this one. Sharing this with my younger sons to help better explain their path to Faith.

August 2021- re-read and bought a different edition that is illustrated. I wish they would use this at our Parish for the kids. I’m thankful I found it for my kids.

[Mary Rubega · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can recall studying the Baltimore Catechism years ago. This is a collection of basic fundamental beliefs of the catholic church presented in a question and answer format designed for first through fourth graders. I gained a deeper understanding of sin and what I'm suppose to be doing to live my faith.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent breakdown of the beginnings of the Catholic belief system. I don't like the way it limits the vocab sections to what it will be talking about in the lesson, because it does seem to leave out the proper definitions of the words. On the whole it is a well written and thought out exigesis on the interpretations of mortal and venial sins as well as the 10 Commandments.