Lent in the 17th century was observed more strictly than it is today. Learning about these ancient practices and how Catholics lived out their faith, despite living under the threat of persecution for being “papists,” inspires modern readers to appreciate the faith we share and the sacrifices made over the centuries to hand the faith down to us from our ancestors.

In a recent conversation with some of my children, we talked about how often Christianity is portrayed as Catholicism (as opposed to...