The Chimes

New Norcia’s Fr Robert Nixon has had a number of new translations released recently through TAN Books, a major US Catholic publisher.

The Glories of Heaven is a transcription of a series of talks given by St Anselm of Canterbury describing the celestial wonders and bliss which await each Christian soul in the afterlife. The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary is a compilation of late medieval writings by various saints which touchingly depict the sufferings of Christ through the perspective of His Mother. A Tale of Death and Glory: The Acts of St Sebastian and His Companions is an exciting and dramatic recounting of the horrors of numerous martyrdoms under the persecution of Christians by Diocletian. Attributed to St Ambrose of Milan, this is the oldest and most detailed narration of the famous story of St Sebastian. Each of these works are now available in English for the first time.

Trivent Publishing (Hungary) has also released Fr Robert’s translation of The Mirror of Cruelty. This work, originally published in 1608 by Arnold Havens, a Carthusian monk and historian, compiles vivid, frightening and authentic descriptions of atrocities committed against Catholic during the 16^th century. All of these titles are available through the New Norcia gift shop, major online retailers, and the webshops of the publishers.

Other Books Translated by Fr Robert Nixon

The Nightingale

A free adaptation from Latin into English verse of the long, mystic poem, The Nightingale, is attributed to the great 13th century Franciscan theologian and philosopher, St Bonaventure. The Nightingale is arguably one of the most interesting and beautiful works amongst the Bonaventuran school, and is now offered in English for the first time. It uses the legend of the dying day of
this mysterious songbird to relate in allegorical form the life and death of Christ, as well as the journey of the soul towards eternity. Copies are available through the New Norcia Gift Shop, as well as through Amazon and the Book Depository.

Pope Urban VIII & Pope Alexander VII

Urban VIII and Alexander VII each occupied the papal throne during the 17th century, and were munificent and discriminating patrons of the arts, as well as men of conspicuous erudition and
imagination. They were also sensitive, inspired, and highly accomplished poets. The cultural milieu from which they sprang was a halcyon era in which literature and the arts flourished with all
the apollonian refulgence of a splendid, and sometimes extravagant, opulence. The present work of adaptation by New Norcia’s Fr Robert Nixon, employing strictly the medium of English heroic
verse, comprises a choice cornucopia of the lyrical musings of these two baroque pontiffs.

Four Egyptian Martyrs

This offers ancient versions of the lives of four Egyptian martyrs, who died during the time of the emperor Diocletian. These fascinating stories include many astonishing miracles, as well as strange
acts of cruelty and torture, and the martyrs’ heroic courage in the face of these.

The Fable of Joseph and Aseneth

This is a translation of an apocryphal narrative of the life of Joseph, the son of the patriarch Jacob, who was sold into slavery by his brothers and then rose to prominence in the service of the pharaoh
and married an Egyptian woman. This story, which seems to date from around the 6th century, exists in Syriac, Greek and Latin forms, and uses the narrative as a metaphor for the soul’s search for
God and finding redemption through the encounter with Christ.

St Benedict’s Bones: A Medieval Monastic Mystery

This new book documents the complex saga of the mortal remains of St Benedict and St Scholastica. Shortly after Benedict’s death, his monastery at Monte Cassino was destroyed by Lombard invaders. It was at that point that one of the greatest mysteries of medieval monasticism arose - the true location of the mortal remains of this revered saint and his sister. This volume presents the first English translations of the key medieval texts relating to this famous and fascinating mystery. A translation of a 13th-century version of the life of Benedict is also included in the volume.

Meditations on the Holy Angels

This is the only major work written by the popular saint, Aloysius Gonzaga, presented now in English for the first time. This 16th-century Jesuit saint died at a very young age, but his sanctity and innocence won for him widespread devotion and veneration. This inspired treatise, written shortly before the saint’s death in his early twenties, offers insights into the wondrous role of the angels (including Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and the guardian angel) in the lives of all Christians.

Other Books

Fr Robert’s translations of The Crown of the Virgin by St Ildephonsus of Toledo, and Humility and the Elevation of the Mind to God by Thomas á Kempis have also been released as audiobooks,
available through Amazon and other outlets.