The Correct Thing

There are plenty of etiquette and manners books available, but how many are exclusively for Catholics? How many focus on the fact that manners are morally good inner character traits that are exhibited in an outward manner?

Our lives are full of moments when we are not sure how to handle a certain situation. These occasions of uncertainty and discomfort could be everyday activities or special events that only happen once a year.

This practical book is the perfect guide to help you learn to do the correct thing in any situation — at Catholic Sacramental functions, in public, or in the home.

In addition to basic behavior for Sacramental events, this little handbook offers a wide range of advice and addresses such topics as:

• What to say and do (and what not to say and do!) when visiting convents
• How to greet a bishop or religious, and addressing ecclesiastics
• Appropriate dress and grooming for various functions
• The correct thing regarding Faith in the workplace
• Responsibilities of a Catholic in respect to civic duty
• Cultivating engaging and appropriate conversational skills
• How to have a happier home life
• The physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of education
• Picking proper entertainment, as an index of character
• Obligation of Catholics when traveling.

Etiquette is not something that is turned on and off. Good manners, decorum,and charity benefit not only us personally, but the entire society. Good manners show an inner character that the ancients called virtues — those morally good inner character traits that are exhibited in an outward manner. That is why there really is no such thing as company manners.

Written over 130 years ago, nearly every tidbit of the author’s advice that was applicable in 1881 is still true today. It's only when you stumble across a few obvious exceptions (a man shot in a duel, or how to treat your servants) that you are jolted back to the present.

The Correct Thing is the perfect guide for parents — as well as religious — who want a practical guide to help mind your manners in any situation, and to foster morally good inner character traits that will be exhibited in an outward manner.