Beginning with the earliest martyrs and ending with the twentieth century, The Resilient Church offers a fascinating look at the trials and triumphs of the Catholic Church over the past two thousand years. Fast-paced sketches of critical periods in church history give readers perspective on the challenges faced by the Church today. Short selections in each chapter highlight some of the great heroes who influenced the course of history.

Mike Aquilina does not shrink from the realities of the past, including badly behaved leaders and those who betrayed the Lord. Yet he also leaves readers with well-founded hope for the future: God remains faithful in every circumstance and fulfills his promise to remain with His Church always.

“Mike Aquilina’s The Resilient Church is a highly readable illustration of Pope Benedict XVI’s remark that the Lord ‘encounters us ever anew’ in the pages of Church history. Aquilina takes us on a fascinating ramble through the past two thousand years that ultimately delivers a powerful message: No matter how hard the going gets, God does not abandon His people. A work of insight and inspiration.” —Russell Shaw, writer and journalist

Mike Aquilina is vice-president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and the author of more than a dozen books on Catholic history, doctrine, and devotion. He maintains a website on the early Church Fathers at fathersofthechurch.com. He and his wife, Terri, live with their six children near Pittsburgh, PA.