(Website for Catholic Latin teachers here: https://catholiclatinteachersassociation.wordpress.com/)
All over this blog by now are many links: scans of good old Church Latin books, interesting websites, printables, recommended resources, and more. These links are tucked away in the dozens and dozen of posts on this blog. And since sometimes I update old posts months later with related new finds, even if you have read every post here from the beginning, you may find something you hadn’t seen in the below new list! (Golly, it’s about time somebody rounded up and corralled all this stuff!)
Background Knowledge
- Why It Is “Church Latin”
- Ecclesiastical Latin Pronunciation Guide
- What Latin Mastery Takes: Diligence and Patience
- Design a Self-Study Latin Course
- 3 Tips for Learning Latin
- Latin vs English
- Short History of the Latin Language
- Why It’s Bad To NOT Know Latin
- Important Latin Idioms to Know
Textbooks (Lessons)

- Latin by the Natural Method, Vol. 1–post linked to textbook at many sites. (Pattern Practice exercises here. Additional reading based on this textbook’s vocabulary here {added 6/27/21}.)
- Church Latin: An Aid to the Appreciation of Our Lady’s Little Office by Lloyd Manning (PDF at bottom of post!)
- The Mantrina, a Latin primer especially adapted to the Missal and Breviary by Cora Ilione Townsend
- An Introduction to Liturgical Latin by A.M. Scarre
- The New Missal Latin (1) by Edmund J. Baumeister
- Latin for Sisters: a Practical Guide to Breviary-Latin by Abbot Vincent Huber, OSB.
- Church Latin for Beginners: An Elementary Course of Exercises in Ecclesiastical Latin by J.E. Lowe (1923) (added 3/23/21)
- (!!! Why is Henle Latin reprinted but this is not?!?!?!?) Latin I: Beginning Reading by Fr. Paul F. Distler, S.J. (1962) Page 1 has sentence diagramming. The book is heavily and helpfully illustrated. The author was like Fr. Most, teaching Grammar for reading fluency. Oh my goodness, what a treasure! Sequel is Latin II: Progress in Reading. The author wrote a book about how to teach Latin too: Teach the Latin, I Pray You. !!! (added 4/18/21)
Textbooks Reviewed Here:
- Getting Started with Latin by William Linney
- A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin by John F. Collins
- Latin Grammar for the Reading of the Missal and Breviary by Cora and Charles Scanlon
- Latin by the Natural Method (Vol. 1) by Fr. William Most
A Few Lessons I Wrote:
- 8 Latin Lessons from Compline (and then–I found all the books linked in Textbooks for Learning the Divine Office)

Sacred Music
- Ave Maris Stella chant hymn
- O Virtus Sapientiae antiphon (by St. Hildegard von Bingen)
- Angelus ad Virginem carol
- Parce Domine chant hymn
- Attende Domine chant hymn
Traditional Latin Mass Things
Here Because of the Latin Mass? (post)
The Meanings and Derivations of Familiar Catholic Terms (post) (added 4/13/21)
Latin Pronounced for Altar Boys by Rev. Edward J. Murphy (1915) (added 5/2/21)
Latin Pronounced for Singing: High Mass by Rev. Edward J. Murphy (1915) Also: Hymns for Lent, Requiem Mass, and Complete Vespers for Feasts of the BVM (added 5/2/21)
Readers & Things to Read

- The Life of St. Ambrose by Paulinus
- A Primer of Medieval Latin by Charles Beeson
- Mediaeval and Late Latin Selections by Clark and Game
- Ecclesiastical, Medieval, and Neo-Latin Sentences Designed to Accompany Wheelock’s Latin (reviewed)
- Ecclesia Latin Reader (Book I) by the Sisters of St. Joseph: First Year reading supplement, simple retellings of Old and New Testament passages (added 3/23/21)
- Latin Vulgate.Com : “Helping You Understand Difficult Verses”
- Madame Cecilia’s Catholic Scripture Manuals: St. Matthew * St. Mark * Acts of the Apostles
- (Neo-Vulgate) Latin New Testament Audio (links at that post)
- Once your Latin is superb, tackle the 30+ volumes of the Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum which contain the writings of the Latin Church Fathers
- De imitatione Christi (The Imitation of Christ) and Opera Omnia Vol. 3 by Thomas a Kempis (added 3/23/21)
- Hymni Latini Medii Aevi: Hymni ad B.V. Mariam (and it’s all in Latin, even the foreword! (added 3/28/21)
- Here is a list of books originally in English and now available in Latin translations (added 4/02/21)
- De civitate Dei: selections with notes and glossary by Fr. William Most (Selections from The City of God by St. Augustine) (added 4/13/21)
- Introduction to Ecclesiastical Latin by H. P. V. Nunn (1922) The last 1/3 of the book is “extracts from ecclesiastical authors” including Sts. Perpetua, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Bede, Thomas Aquinas, and more. (The first 2/3 of the book is a comprehensive description/explication of Church Latin grammar with examples–but no exercises or practice.) (added 4/13/21)
- Christian Inscriptions by H.P.V. Nunn (1920) 38 pages of Christian Latin from Classical times to the earliest part of the Age of Faith. (added 4/13/21)
- Vita quorundum Anglo-Saxonum. Original lives of Anglo-Saxons and others, who lived before the conquest. Ed. by J.A. Giles. (1854) (Added 4/13/21)
- Selections from the Latin Fathers (with Commentary and Notes) ed. Peter Herbert (1924) “This little book has no purpose other than the placing in the hands of college men a bit of text from the Latin Fathers….The selections offered have been made with the twofold purpose of presenting, primarily, typical specimens of important authors and the periods they represent, and of furnishing, incidentally, such subject-matter as may prove helpful in developing what we understand to be the American college man.” (added 5/2/21)
- The Latin Hymns of the Anglo-Saxon Church: with an interlinear Anglo-Saxon gloss (1851) (Added 5/16/21)
- An anthology of medieval Latin, chosen by Stephen Gaselee (1925) [added 1/24/22]
- The Distichs of Cato: a famous medieval textbook (1922) [added 1/24/22]
Books on Latin Grammar
- MY FAVORITE LATIN GRAMMAR: Allen and Greenough’s New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges, 1888 (1931)
- A grammar of the Vulgate, being an introduction to the study of the latinity of the Vulgate Bible, by W. E. Plater and H. J. White (1926). [Added 1/24/22]
Other Great Books
- English Poetry Translated into Latin: The Florilegium Latinum 1 & 2 (are linked at that post)
- Guide to Latin Conversation by Fr. Michel Lanusse, S.J., from 1892. (It’s an absolutely SUPERB resource!)
- How to Speak Latin by Stephen W. Wilby (1896) [added 1/30/22]
- Latin Songs: Classical, Medieval, and Modern (with Music), ed. Calvin S. Brown
- Good Dictionaries for Church Latinists (post with links)
- Latinitium – Online Latin Dictionaries (searchable website)(added 7/26/21)
- Latin Thesaurus: Döderlein’s hand-book of Latin synonymes by Ludwig von Doederlein (added 4/18/2021)
- The Correct Pronunciation of Latin according to Roman Usage by the Rev. Michael de Angelis (Subtitle: “with phonetic arrangements of the texts of the Ordinary of the Mass, Requiem Mass, responses at Mass, Benediction hymns and hymns in honor of the Blessesd Virgin Mary”) (added 3/23/2021)
- Martyrology Pronouncing Dictionary On title page: “It contains the proper pronunciation of over 5,000 names of Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, Emperors, Cities and Places occurring in the Roman Martyrology with a Daily Calendar and a List of the Patron Saints.” By the Rev. Anthony I. Russo-Alesi, S.J. (1939) (added 3/23/2021)
- A Lexicon of St. Thomas Aquinas based on the Summa Theologica and Selected Passages of His Other Works by Roy J. DeFerrari and Sister M. Inviolata Barry (added 3/23/21)
- Dictionary of the Vulgate New Testament by J. M. Harden (added 4/19/21)

More Late Latin Natural Method Books
A new Latin primer by Mima Maxey and Marjorie Fay (1930). Elementary grades, Natural Method, adorable illustrations!
Carolus et Maria by Marjorie Fay (1935). Reader, also elementary grades, Natural Method, same illustrator as title above
Latin primer : a first book of Latin for boys and girls (1870) by Joseph Henry Allen. Inductive reading practice with grammar explanations, based on retellings of the Old Testament, English nursery rhymes, and medieval hymns and history! (Added 3/30/21)
Palaestra; being the primer of the Tusculan system of learning, and of teaching Latin to speak; for class use and for self-instruction by “Arcadius Avellanus”, pseudonym of A. Mogyoróssy (1911). All I can say about this book and its author is, “Holy Mackerel!”
#1 A new, practical, and easy method of learning the Latin language : after the system of F. Ahn, First course by A. H. Monteith, Franz Ahn (And here is the Book 1 Answer Key) (added 4/18/21)
#2 A new, practical, and easy method of learning the Latin language: after the system of F. Ahn, Second course by A. H. Monteith, Franz Ahn (And here is the Book 2 Answer Key) (added 4/18/21)
Latin without Tears : or One Word a Day by Favell Lee Mortimer (1876) (added 7/1/21)
Natural Method & Grammar/Translation Method HYBRIDS; Readers
- Ora maritima, a Latin story for beginners, with grammar and exercises E. A. Sonnenschein (1919) Textbook teaches Latin through a narrative of the history of Roman Britain (added 4/18/21)
- (Sequel to previous:) Pro Patria: A Latin Story for Beginners by E. A. Sonnenschein (added 4/18/21)
- Camilla; a Latin reading book, written by Maud Reed … with an introduction by Louise K. Lammers (1926) [Added 1/24/22]
Grammar Info
Mnemonics & Memory Work
- “Poem” for remembering tiny Latin words
- “Idea Mapping” Latin Lessons
- Intro to “Method of Loci“
- 10 Best Church Latin Pieces to Memorize
Amusements
- Guess these “Best Picture” film winners’ titles in Latin
- SPQR: A Latin Crossword Puzzle Book by John Kingsbury Colby (1925) [added 1/30/22]
Free Printables
- Latin Study Habits Tracker
- Bossy Latin: Imperative Verbs booklet
- Easy Latin Memory Work
- Latin by the Natural Method flashcards (Lessons 1-10)
- Printable Paragraph-a-Day chart for Latin by the Natural Method
- Bookmarks! With Ecclesiastical Latin on them! (added 6/30/21)

Latin & Children
- When Kids Should Start with Latin
- Teaching Catholic Kids Latin
- What I Tell Kids about Latin
- How to Use Latin Translations of Children’s Books
- Fr. Most’s Thoughts on Teaching Latin
- Great Method Debate: “Natural Method” vs. “Grammar/Translation Method”
- (Bossy Latin and Easy Memory Work printables above, too!)

My Miscellany
- List for Catholic Latin Basics
- By Way of Encouragement
- Veterum Sapientia Action Plan
- No Excuses: Learn Latin
- Love Church Latin: Six Quotes
- Handlettering with Latin: Give a Little Latin
Other Websites
- Getting Started with Latin author William Linney’s website
- Latin Sentence Diagramming at German-Latin-English.com by Eugene Moutoux
- Divinum Officium.com: The Traditional Divine Office, texts generated for each day
- Tutor.bestlatin.net Lots of reading practice here: Bestiaria Latina: Animal Stories; Biblia Vulgata: Bible Stories for Latin Students; Legenda Aurea: Stories of the Saints in Latin (added 4/8/2021)
I will keep updating this list as time goes on. Do send me recommendations when you find good stuff! I will be very glad to make this an ever-more-complete resource. Ad discendam Latinam!
Thank you for all you are sharing. I have a question. I have Latin by The Natural Method. I have Lingua Latina. I just downloaded The Tusculum System. That’s not all. Do I continue using all these resources at the same time or focus on just one? Which course would you recommend? I’m on lesson 10 of The Natural Method and doing well. Thank you! ________________________________
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Hi! Yes, keep on with Latin by the Natural Method, with steady regular practice each week, and stay super-committed to that. It is 1) a complete program, and 2) it is Church Latin/Late Latin. “Lingua Latina” is a complete course with both books, but for Classical Latin, not Church Latin, and the Palaestra book, while Church Latin, is not complete (see the typed note by the author at the very back of that book scan for why!).
So I recommend that everyone complete LNM, but–if you want to use those others alongside, see them as extra, for fun–and make sure you keep on going with LNM most days!
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Actually, Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata has some excerpts of the Clementine Vulgate, specifically the Gospels.
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Wow, is it in Book 2? I only have Book 1 so I had no idea. That is excellent!
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Actually, it’s in Chap. 28 of Book 1, Familia Romana, Pericula Maris.
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I am so glad! Thank you for telling us!
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LT:
Grammaticus Magistrae Stella salutem plurimam dicit,
Gratias tibi ad hos libros idoneos nobis distribuendos. Rogandum mihi est. Scisne ubi totum librum modo “.pdf” a Patre Paulo Distler depromam? Non possum in nexu “Hathi Trust”, sed tantum depromam vellicatim (aut “paginatim” si audeam vocabulum novum comminisci).
Gratias iterum et Deus te benedicat!
—Thomas
AN:
Hi Magistra,
Thanks for sharing these great resources! I had a question. Do you know where I could download the entire book by Fr. Paul Distler? I am not able to on the “Hathi Trust” website/link, but I can only download it piecemeal…
Thanks again and God Bless
—Tom
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Eheu! Hathitrust is the only place I have ever found Fr. Distler’s textbooks, and it requires a membership for access to downloads. Print copies of the textbooks apparently are unobtainable also nowadays. I did buy a reprint of “Teach the Latin, I Pray You” a couple months ago and it is worth its weight in gold.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
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Also, one last quick thing in English. The Doderlein Thesaurus you link to also has an online version at https://www.latinitium.com/latin-dictionaries. It’s an immensely helpful resource as you can select English to Latin and see the entire entry, as well as just search synonyms or all of the above!
I also didn’t see logeion.uchicago.edu in your dictionaries post. I like it because it will search multiple dictionaries at once (like Latinitium above!), and include quotes from authors showing usage through Late Antiquity (I’ve seen Boethius and Augustine in there).
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Thank you! I am very glad to know about those sites (and your site as well). Deus te amet!
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Here’s the second part of Avellanus’ method, the Arena Palaestrarum, after Palaestra: https://archive.org/details/avellanvs-arcadius-arena-palaestrarum/page/n1/mode/2up
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Thanks so much! I really appreciate that link!
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