Attracted by the monastic life after having worked five years in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, he spent some years in the Benedictine order.[2] In 1936 he returned to the Archdiocese of Detroit and worked in Michigan in the cities of Marysville in which he was the first pastor of St. Christopher's Parish,[3]Melvindale, and Carleton. In 1950, as a result of his first signs of heart disease,[4] he was appointed chaplain of the Vista Maria school in Detroit. From then on he devoted himself mostly to research and writing.[5] In 1957 he obtained a PhD in Education at Wayne State University in Detroit.[1] He was followed in his path as a priest by one of his nephews, John A. Trese. Leo J. Trese died on June 23, 1970.[6]
Works
Trese wrote more than twenty books. Those aimed at priests were well received: Vessel of Clay (1950), A Man Approved (1953) and Tenders of the Flock (1955). Some of his other works written for the general public are Many Are One (1952), Wisdom Shall Enter (1954), More Than Many Sparrows (1958), The Faith Explained (1959), Sanctified in Truth (1961), Everyman's Road to Heaven (1961), Parent and Child (1962) and You Are Called to Greatness (1964). His works have been translated into Spanish, German, French, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Japanese and Portuguese.[7]
For several years he wrote a weekly column, "It Seems to Me", printed in The Michigan Catholic. He also published numerous articles in different magazines.
Books by year
Trese, Leo J. (1950). Vessel of Clay. New York: Sheed & Ward. Translations: Spanish: Vasija de barro. Palabra. December 1976. ISBN978-84-8239-529-6. (Currently 6 editions) Italian: Vaso di argilla. Morcelliana. 1955. French: La journée d'un curé. Salvator. 1953. Republished as: Comme un vase d'argile. Le Laurier. 1997. German: Auch ein Mensch. Aus dem Tagebuch eines Priesters. Verlag. 1952. Portuguese: Vaso de argila. Quadrante. Dutch: Broze vaten. Sheed & Ward. 1956.
Trese, Leo J. (1952). Many Are One. Chicago: Fides. Translations: Spanish: Muchos son uno. Síntesis de espiritualidad seglar. El pez. 1957. French: Nous sommes un. Salvator. 1957. German: Der Christ in der Kirche. Dass alle eins seien. Pattloch. 1954.
Trese, Leo J. (1953). A Man Approved. New York: Sheed & Ward. Translations: Spanish: El sacerdote al día. El pez. 1959. Italian Il sacerdote, oggi. Pensieri di un parroco americano. Morcelliana. 1955. German: Bewährt vor Gott. Paulus Verlag. 1954. French: Le prêtre d'aujourd'hui, vu par un curé américain. Salvator – Castermann. 1955. Dutch: Een probaat man. Brand. 1955. Korean: 인정받은 사람. 가톨릭출판사. 2007.
Trese, Leo J. (1954). Wisdom Shall Enter. Chicago: Fides. Translations: Spanish: La sabiduría del cristiano. Palabra. December 12, 2012. ISBN978-84-9840-805-8. (Currently 8 editions). German: Die Wahrheit gehort uns - Warum sind wir katholisch?. Pattloch. 1958. Portuguese: A Sabedoria do Cristão. Quadrante. 1992.
Trese, Leo J. (1955). Tenders of the Flock. New York: Sheed & Ward. Translations: Spanish: El Pastor de su rebaño. El pez. 1957. Dutch: Het talent in de kuil. Brand. 1957. Italian: Il sacerdote pastore del gregge. Morcelliana. 1960. German: Hüter der Herde. Paulus. 1956.
Trese, Leo J. (1955). The Holy Spirit and His work. Paterson: Confraternity. Translated into Spanish as El Espíritu Santo y su tarea. Rialp. June 26, 1998. ISBN978-84-321-3192-9. (Currently 4 editions)
Trese, Leo J. (1956). God, Man, and God-man. Paterson: Confraternity. Translated into Spanish as Dios, el hombre y el Hombre-Dios. Studium. 1961.
Trese, Leo J. (1956). Love in Action. Paterson: Confraternity.
Trese, Leo J. (1957). Our Christian Vocation. Paterson: Confraternity. Translated into Spanish as Nuestra vocación cristiana. Studium. 1961.
Trese, Leo J. (1957). God Gives His Help. Paterson: Confraternity. Translated into Spanish as Dios nos tiende su mano. Studium. 1961.
Trese, Leo J. (1958). More Than Many Sparrows. Chicago: Fides. Translations: Spanish: Más que a las aves del cielo. Palabra. 2002. ISBN847118138X. Portuguese: Não vos preocupeis. Quadrante. ISBN9788574653228. Italian: Più di molti passeri. Guida pratica alla vita cristiana. Borla. 1966.
Trese, Leo J. (1959). The Faith Explained. Chicago: Fides.; 2nd edition. Notre Dame: Fides. 1965.; 3rd edition. Manila: Sinag-tala. 1965. Translations: Spanish: La fe explicada. Rialp. ISBN978-84-321-1805-0. (Currently 30 editions) Portuguese: A fé explicada. Quadrante. 2014. ISBN978-8574650128. (Currently 10 editions) French: La foi expliquée. Le Laurier. 1996. ISBN2864951681. Polish: W co wierzymy: podstawy wiary i życia chrześcijańskiego. Wydawnictwo. 2007. ISBN9788389368867. Japanese: ジェー・テレセ・レオ (2000). キリストの教え : 百合から薔薇は咲かない。. ISBN4877311173.
Trese, Leo J. (1961). Sanctified in Truth. New York: Sheed & Ward. Translations: Portuguese: Santificados na verdade - Diálogos sobre o Sacerdócio. Cultor de livros. ISBN978855638146-0. (Currently 8 editions) French: Dialogue sur le sacerdoce. Éditions Salvator. 1964. Dutch: Geheiligd in waarheid. De Vroente. 1964. Italian: Santificati nella verità. Morcelliana. 1963.
Trese, Leo J. (1961). Everyman's Road to Heaven. Chicago: Fides. Recently republished as Seventeen Steps to Heaven: A Catholic Guide to Salvation. Manchester, New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press. 2001. ISBN1928832261. Translations: Spanish: Dios necesita de ti. Palabra. June 23, 2022. ISBN978-84-9840-897-3. (Currently 16 editions) Portuguese: A caminho do céu. Quadrante. 2017. ISBN9788574652764. Italian: In cammino verso il cielo. Borla. 1967. Polish: Jak dostac sie do nieba?: Katolicki przewodnik po drodze do zbawienia. Wydawnictwo AA. 2013. ISBN978-83-7864-172-8. Dutch: De hemel is in goeden doen. Gooi & Sticht. 1959.
Trese, Leo J. (1961). Book for Boys. Chicago: Fides.
Trese, Leo J. (1961). God's Crowning Gift – The Holy Eucharist and the Mass. Dublin – London: Clonmore and Reynolds Ltd – Burns Oates and Washbourne.
Trese, Leo J. (1962). Parent and Child. New York: Sheed & Ward. Translations: Spanish: Padres e hijos. Propaganda Popular Católica. 1966. Italian: Genitori e figli. Borla. 1964. French: Parents et enfants. Éditions Salvator. 1964. Portuguese: Pais e filhos. Paulistas. 1967.
Trese, Leo J. (1962). 101 Delinquent Girls. Chicago: Fides.
Trese, Leo J. (1962). Living a Christian Life. London: Geoffrey Chapman.
Trese, Leo J. (1965). Human but Holy. Chicago: Fides.
Trese, Leo J. (1967). One Step Enough. Chicago: Fides. Translated into Spanish as Un paso me basta. Sal Terrae. 1968.
Trese, Leo J. (1967). Book for Boys and Girls. Chicago: Fides.
Anthologies, arrangements and partial reprints
Trese, Leo J. (1984). A Trilogy. More Than Many Sparrows, Wisdom Shall Enter, Many Are One. Manila: Sinag-Tala. ISBN971117023X. The book is an anthology of three works from Leo J. Trese.
Trese, Leo J. (1963). Guide to Christian Living. Chicago: Fides. The book is an arrangement of Many are One, More than Many Sparrows and Everyman's Road to Heaven.
Trese, Leo J. (1963). The Creed—Summary of the Faith. Chicago: Fides. The book is an edition of the first part of The Faith Explained.
Trese, Leo J. (1963). The Sacraments and Prayer. Chicago: Fides. The book is an edition of the third part of The Faith Explained.
Forewords
Foreword to Laplace, Jean (1967). The direction of conscience. London: Geofrey Chapman.