Books of Father James Wathen
True Defender of the Catholic Mass

Father James Wathen was one of the greatest priests of the 20th and 21st centuries! From the very beginning, Father fought the changes in the Mass and in the faith. But because he was so staunch in his positions, even Traditional Catholics were afraid of his message, the message of truth. This site exists to help introduce you to the writings and spirit of Father James Wathen.

The Great Sacrilege

In 1971, amidst the chaos and confusion wrought by the Second Vatican Council and the advent of the Novus Ordo Missae, well-meaning Catholics craved clarity and direction. A voice of clarity was found in the late Father James Wathen and his book The Great Sacrilege. Father's love of the true, the good, the beautiful, and the holy shone forth from every page, and he minced no words in his criticism of his fellow clergy or in his analysis of what was at the heart of the New Mass.

In recent years, this great Catholic treatise of monumental significance has become nearly impossible to find, so the Fr. James F. Wathen Foundation is please to announce The Great Sacrilege is finally back in print, with an easier-to-read font and layout. Father's insights into the crisis in the Church and the evil which is at the heart of the New Mass are just as relevant today as they were in 1971. Order today and rediscover the wit and wisdom of Fr. Wathen.

Price $19.95
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The Words of Christ

This small book was written to encourage the Catholic layman to read Holy Scripture regularly. In Father's own words: "The Scriptures are an inexhaustible treasure-trove of revelation, mystery, and wisdom; and the people need the fruits of scholarly learning and research. But, mainly, the scholar’s work is on "fine points," facets and minutiae which few can begin to appreciate. Rather, this is to encourage everyone to resort to the Scriptures as the ideal book of devotion, instruction, and moral guidance which it was meant to be."

Price $4.95
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Thoughts on Mary: A Meditation on the Mother of God

This small book was written to encourage the Catholic layman to read Holy Scripture regularly. In Father's own words: "The Scriptures are an inexhaustible treasure-trove of revelation, mystery, and wisdom; and the people need the fruits of scholarly learning and research. But, mainly, the scholar’s work is on "fine points," facets and minutiae which few can begin to appreciate. Rather, this is to encourage everyone to resort to the Scriptures as the ideal book of devotion, instruction, and moral guidance which it was meant to be."

Price $5.95
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I Know Mine and Mine Know Me - Volume 1

During Father Wathen's final illness, he faithfully kept after his flock, writing sermons and transmitting them by E-mail, since he was unable to offer Mass and give sermons—right up until his death. We have reproduced these sermons in two volumes (along with his accompanying personal notes in Volume 2). All together, the set encompasses over 700 pages, and is a living testament of Father's fortitude. Readers will soon learn, as we have, that these particular sermons are some of Father's most valuable writings, and there are many topics addressed.

Out of Print

A Short History of Father's Life

A full biography of Father Wathen and his life is presently being put together, however, until this work is finished, we will offer this short description and history of Father's life.

Father Wathen was a well known Catholic writer and historian. Father was born in Reed, Kentucky in 1932, the fifth child (of ten) of Samuel Spalding Wathen and Margaret Richardson Wathen.

Father's ancestors, the Spaldings, Lancasters and Wathens, were among the Catholic families who established the colony of Maryland in 1634. Their descendants migrated to Kentucky in the 1700's and settled mainly in what later became Nelson, Marion, and Larue Counties, which among themselves they ever afterward referred to as "the little Holy Land." These people produced large families, and gave many children to the Church as priests, brothers, and sisters, who, in their turn, made a very significant contribution to the development of the Church throughout the Midwest and western United States. Archbishop Martin John Spalding was the second bishop of Louisville before becoming Archbishop of Baltimore (1864-1872.) First educated in a log school, he entered St. Mary's College at the age of eleven and became its professor of mathematics at the age of fourteen. Subsequently educated in Rome, and president of St. Joseph's College at the age of twenty-eight, he was a zealous priest, outstanding administrator, theologian and scholar, whose amazing accomplishments would fill a book. He helped establish the American College at Louvain, and was a leading proponent for a North American College in Rome and for an American Catholic University. He presided over the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866, and participated in the First Vatican Council in 1870, where he strongly supported the definition of papal infallibility. His dissertations, both written and spoken, were outstanding, for example his explanation and justification of the famous Syllabus of Errors of Pope Pius IX. Archbishop John Lancaster Spalding was the first bishop of Peoria (1876-1908). In only 7 years he constructed 84 churches, 49 schools, 5 hospitals and an orphanage; while encouraging and sponsoring Catholic colonization elsewhere across the developing West. In addition, he labored assiduously for the establishment of Catholic University of America, with the result that the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore adopted his plans for this institution in 1884.
From such heritage came the author. His grade school education was obtained at St. Francis Academy where he was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky. Sensing his vocation at an early age, he entered the Minor Seminary at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland where he was taught by the Sulpician Fathers from 1946 to 1952. He then progressed to the Major Seminary at St. Mary's University in Baltimore, the oldest and most prestigious Catholic Seminary in America. There he studied under the Sulpicians from 1952-1954, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy. He completed his priestly education under the Benedictines from 1954-1958 at St. Maur's Priory and Seminary in his home diocese in Kentucky. Father Wathen was ordained on May 3, 1958 by Bishop Francis R. Cotton of Owensboro.

Father Wathen's diocesan appointments included that of assistant pastor and high school teacher, 1958-1965; Pastor of Rosary Chapel, Paducah, Kentucky and St. Mary's Church, La Center, Kentucky, 1965-1967; Pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Central City, Kentucky, and St. Charles' Mission, Livermore, Kentucky, 1967-1970.

In 1970, at his own request, Father was granted a leave of absence by Bishop Henry Soennecker. His mission was to serve as the spiritual director for a soon to be founded religious community devoted to perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. When this effort was aborted by the diocese of Corpus Christi Texas, Father Wathen proceeded to work as chaplain for the Sovereign Order of St. John, which he had joined in 1969, before he left the Owensboro diocese.
Father Wathen prides himself on two things only: his effort to adhere strictly to the traditional Catholic Faith, and his never having said the Novus Ordo Missae, the so-called "New Mass" of the Roman Rite. His work as a "Traditionalist" priest has resulted in being the author of 4 books.

In 1972, he authored one of the first critiques of the Novus Ordo Missae (the New Order of the Mass), which was introduced in 1969 in the wake of Vatican Council II. The new liturgy had been established to try to supplant the historic, valid, orthodox, Latin Mass. The book, which he is best known for, titled "The Great Sacrilege" is an analysis of the New Mass in terms of its morality. More than 40,000 copies have been sold. While many books and hundreds of theses have since been published on this subject, Father Wathen's book remains the classic work.

In 1970 he wrote "The Words of Christ". This book was written to encourage everyone to resort to the Scriptures as the ideal book of devotion, instruction, and moral guidance.

In 1972, he wrote an historical work entitled: Is The Order of St. John Masonic? This was an excellent historical work on the origin, nature and continuity of the Sovereign Order Of Saint John of Jerusalem, the greatest of all ancient orders of chivalry, the thoroughly Catholic, Religious, Military Hospitaller Order which defended the Church and saved Christendom on numerous occasions over several centuries. Father Wathen convincingly defends this noble Order of Knighthood and Sovereign Republic against all detractors and their rumors and calumny.

In 1994, he completed his monumental work called: "Who Shall Ascend?" This magnificent 689 page scholarly work sets forth in unique clarity the doctrine of the Catholic Church, in particular, the Doctrine of Exclusive Salvation, i.e, what men must do to be saved and gain everlasting life. In addition, the book is a treatise on the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the "Conciliar" or "New Age" Church to which it gave birth. Every Catholic should read this book!

This was to be Father's last work due to contracting Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, which ironically he had also suffered from cancer at a very early age, but miraculously surviving, which we feel was because God had a great work in store for Father to defend the true faith and the True Mass. His whole life was a sort of battle on many fronts, not least his poor health. He succumbed to the cancer after a heroic battle at the age of 74. On this website there is a link titled: "Father's Updates." These are not only a touching record of what Father endured through his battle with cancer but on most of the entries, you will find extremely valuable mini-sermons where Father's strong faith shines through despite his sufferings. May he Rest In Peace and may his and all the souls of the faithful departed, Rest in Peace, Amen.