Products

Q & A for parents by Michaela I. Tudela

Parents play an essential role in the faith journey of their children who are preparing to enter the Catholic Church through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. Parents nurture their children's faith, create a prayer-filled home environment, and guide the family's engagement in parish life. Along the way, however, parents often have questions about the process of initiation that is outlined in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and the way it applies to their children. This booklet answers those questions and encourages parents to support their children in the life of faith. Initiation coordinators and catechists can also use this book to begin a conversation with parents and guardians about the sacramental journey for their children as it is outlined in the OCIA.

978-1-61671-682-0 | Saddlestitched | 5 3/8 x 8 3/8 | 16 pages | Language: English

Available in Spanish!

The process of initiating new adult Catholics or helping baptized adult Catholics complete their initiation can be complex and confusing! This helpful chart outlines the process of initiation according to baptismal status for those seeking initiation in your parish. It identifies the important components of the Church's vision for initiation according to the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Parenthetical references to paragraphs in the OCIA are provided. By using this chart, you will have at your hands a simple guide to the OCIA, a clear vision of who participates in the process, what rites take place and when, and how those seeking initiation are formed.

Single Sheet

ISBN 9781616718282

The preparation of new priests for ministry currently faces closer scrutiny than at any time since the Reformation, and the importance of effective priestly formation has perhaps never been clearer in the entire history of the church. In Models of Priestly Formation, some of the world's leading experts on the topic consider priestly formation since Vatican II, explore current best practices internationally, and imagine what the future of such formation might look like. The book promises to become an essential reference for every person involved in priestly formation and for anyone interested in understanding better how it is carried out and how those who do it think about their task. The eBook edition includes four additional essays.

Edited by Salvador Ryan, Declan Marmion, and Michael Mullaney

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814664124
Details: 216 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 paperback
Publication Date: 08/15/2019

The publication of the second edition of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony provides new liturgical and pastoral opportunities for presiders and parishes. In One Love, Fr. Paul Turner--one of the most reliable experts in Catholic liturgy today--provides sound guidance and instruction on the rite. Among the many important and practical topics he covers are:

• uses for the expanded introduction
• the engagement ceremony
• the location for the wedding
• the revised words for the questions, consent, and reception of consent
• the customs of the arras, the lazo, and the veil
• other wedding customs
• and more

One Love promises to be the go-to liturgical resource on Catholic weddings for years to come.

Author: Paul Turner

Details: 88 pgs , 6 x 9 

Publication Date: 08/09/2016

Available April 2025.

Para comprender los sacramentos de iniciación explains the rites of the three sacraments of Christian initiation, Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Using the mystagogical method presented by Pope Benedict XVI in Sacramentum caritatis, the author explores each of the rites’ Old Testament foundations, liturgical history, and sacramental theology as well as the connection between the sacraments of initiation and daily Christian life.

9781616717247 | 6 x 9 | 256 Pages

This is the first book in English on priesthood in religious life to be published in twenty years. Its fourteen contributors search for new ways forward in the understanding of the distinct identity and ministry of religious mencommitted to community, the prophetic lifestyle of vows or promises, and the particular charisms of their congregationswho have also answered the call to priesthood. Essays in this collection include reflections from a bishop, from the perspective of a lay theologian, from an expert in the social sciences, and on Pope Francis's teachings on priesthood. Included as well are essays that are rooted in particular cultural traditions, in spirituality, and in canon law.

Subtitle: Searching for New Ways Forward
Author: Edited by Stephen Bevans and Robin Ryan

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814684542
Details: 232 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 11/15/2018

Q & A on the RCIA: A Guide to Understanding Christian Initiation by Paul Turner

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is an essential element in the life of every parish; when implemented well, the process transforms a parish community while forming new disciples.

Q&A on the RCIA: A Guide to Understanding Christian Initiation is an easy-to-use resource that will assist RCIA teams, catechists, liturgists, priests, and deacons as they navigate the initiation process. Pastorally and succinctly, this resource answers many frequently asked questions about the process of Christian initiation and its rites.

This book:

• provides a quick reference for any member of the RCIA team and parish staff
• is divided by the four periods of the catechumenate process for easy reference
• contains over 100 of the most frequently asked questions
• gives practical guidance and wisdom to help direct initiation ministers

978-1-61671-447-5 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 128 pages | Language: English

Que no se turben sus corazones Concepto catolico sobre muerte y vida eterna by Victoria M. Tufano

The death of a loved one is a difficult experience for those who grieve. However, we are comforted by our Christian faith in Christ, who conquered death and leads the way to eternal life. This booklet explores the Catholic understanding of eternal life, provides an overview of the primary funeral rites (the Vigil, Funeral Liturgy, and Committal), and offers practical ways we can remember those who have died. The questions at the end of each short chapter will help readers find hope in the promise of resurrection.

978-1-61671-429-1 | Saddlestitched | 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 | Language: Spanish

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is too often presented as an abstract ideal, detached from the actual parish settings in which it is implemented. This study takes the opposite approach. Based on data from participant observation and interviews, the authors tell real stories of the initiation process in five U.S. parishes. In doing so, they offer a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the RCIA process in each of the parishes. From these stories collectively they draw lessons for the RCIA as well as lessons from the RCIA for the church as a whole. Pastors, lay ministers, catechists, and directors of religious education, as well as those in seminaries and dioceses responsible for training them, will find this book helpful in realizing the full potential of the RCIA in general and in particular parish settings.

Subtitle: Lessons for and from the RCIA
Author: David Yamane, Sarah MacMillen, Kelly Culver

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814618264
Details: 160 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 02/01/2006

Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life.

Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.

Authors: Michael White & Tom Corcoran

Foreword by: Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-386-6

On-sale date: February 25, 2013

Recovering the Riches of Anointing is a collection of the papers presented at an international symposium sponsored by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) as part of a long-term exploration of topics of theological and pastoral concern in pastoral care of the sick. This book looks at the anointing of the sick from the vantage point of theology, history, and canon law. Since Vatican II the training and commissioning of lay Eucharistic ministers has enabled the sick and dying to receive the nourishment of Christ's body and blood regularly in their confinement at home or an institution. The sacraments of penance and the anointing of the sick, however, have become less and less available as the number of ordained priests in chaplaincy is decreasing. In response to this pastoral problem Bishop Richard J. Sklba, auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee, suggested that the NACC gather theologians together to explore the history and practice of this sacrament and other rituals in the rich tradition of the Church. Thus the papers concerning this particular sacramental ministry were written and delivered at this conference. Recovering the Riches of Anointing will be helpful for professional ministers of pastoral care; professional pastoral, liturgical, and sacramental theologians; and those engaged in pastoral ministry formation.

Subtitle: A Study of the Sacrament of the Sick
Author: Genevieve Glen, OSB, Editor; Kevin Tripp, Susan Wood, SCL, Peter Fink, SJ, Michael Drumm, Kevin Irwin, John M. Huels, OSM, and Genevieve Glen, OSB; Foreword by Joseph J. Driscoll

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814627754
Details: 152 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 09/01/2002

By Donna M. Eschenauer

Every pastor and initiation coordinator will want Recruiting and Forming Your Parish Initiation Team in their catechumenal toolbox. This essential resource provides a sketch of the necessary roles needed on the initiation team then outlines the various qualifications for and responsibilities of each role on the team to help parish leaders carefully discern.

Dr. Eschenauer provides pastoral insight from her many years in parish initiation ministry, as well as concrete suggestions to help parish leaders build up and solidly form initiation team members who assist with the The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

978-1-61671-601-1 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2021

Ann Garrido’s 2009 article in America magazine on the spirituality of administration in Catholic settings created a wave of demand in this successful academic administrator’s already full speaking schedule. Garrido admits that she sometimes finds administration draining, even boring, as it fractures her days into “tiny shards of time” that make it impossible to focus on “the big ideas.” And yet she has found spiritual gifts in her many years as a theologian, parish minister, and administrator in higher education. In Redeeming Administration, she reveals those gifts by examining twelve spiritual habits for Catholic leaders in parishes, schools, religious communities, and other institutions—presenting a saint who embodies each habit—and showing readers how to experience their administrative work as a crucial ministry of the Church.

A brief prayer and questions for personal reflection, group conversation, or spiritual direction complete each chapter. Free downloads to accompany Redeeming Administration include a small-group guide and prayer resources.

Catholic theologian Ann M. Garrido—author of the bestselling and award-winning book Redeeming Administration—continues her work on Christian leadership by examining power not as a manipulative force in short supply but as Jesus understood it: an abundant good meant to be shared and put to use for the sake of harmony and holiness.

In Redeeming Power, Garrido helps you develop a spirituality of power by considering the skills and personal qualities that will enable a healthy and holy use of power in your role as one who leads. Garrido explores key passages from the creation stories of Genesis where we find the roots of how Jesus understood power. She shows how God shares divine power with all humans and calls leaders to specific ways of exercising power that will benefit the people and institutions they serve.

Many pastoral leaders feel ill-equipped to respond to the turmoil of those who face the death by suicide of a loved one. Responding to Suicide is the first book written for Catholic leaders that takes a holistic approach to understanding suicide and ministering effectively in its aftermath.

More than a dozen leading mental health practitioners, Catholic theologians, and pastoral care experts share how best to respond to suicide as leaders in parishes, schools, healthcare systems, and other Church settings. The book offers a cross-disciplinary approach that provides basic information about the central role of mental health in suicide and clarifies Church teaching about suicide, funerals and burials for those who have died by suicide, and their afterlife.

Death by suicide is usually sudden, often violent, and frequently comes at the end of a long and difficult struggle with a mental illness. Heaped on top of that is a social stigma that leaves loved ones in shock and often burdened with shame. Responding to Suicide addresses common concerns of the bereaved following a suicide: skepticism that Catholic leaders will understand; fear that the Church teaches that their loved one is in hell; and belief that they will find little if any support in the Church.

Far-reaching changes continue to take place in the American priesthood. Building on insights gained from four previous surveys, Same Call, Different Men uses fresh data from a 2009 survey-jointly implemented by the National Federation of Priest's Councils and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate-in which 900 priests shared attitudes and stories about their lives and ministry. Among topics covered are the challenges of ministry with fewer ordinations and larger parishes, ministering to an increasingly multicultural laity, collaboration with lay leaders, and personal reflections on the sexual abuse issue. It also relates the many satisfactions of being a priest, one who brings Christ to others and who is invited into many profound moments of individual lives.

Subtitle: The Evolution of the Priesthood since Vatican II
Author: Mary L. Gautier, Paul M. Perl, and Rev. Stephen J. Fichter

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814634295
Details: 256 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 05/01/2012

We all know that a one-size-fits-all approach to RCIA catechumenate formation doesn't work. But until now, many of us were stumped trying to find a viable alternative. Seek the Living God: Five RCIA Inquiry Questions for Making Disciples is the answer to your prayers. After just a few meetings with your seekers, you will be able to easily create a customized faith formation plan that is tailored to the unique needs of each person. The best part is that the seekers do most of the work in developing their own plan. Your role shifts from being the Catholic "expert" to being a mentor and coach.

Once you understand how the five-question process works, you can easily train others to use it. New team members don't have to worry about "knowing enough" to be on the team. Start using these questions with your very next RCIA seeker. You will be amazed at the powerful conversion that will happen with your inquirers-and with you.

Author: Nick Wagner

130 pages, 6" x 9" Paperback

Publication Date: 12/14/2017

Since Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi founded the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) in Rome seventy years ago, they approached children's catechesis with a focus on Scripture and liturgy, and solidly based their approach on the Montessori principles of education. CGS is a gift and legacy that Sofia and Gianna have bestowed on generations of adults and children around the world who have fallen in love with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

In recognition of seventy years of CGS and of forty years as a national association, CGSUSA has compiled the commemorative journal The Gift of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The heart of this journal comprises a collection of previously unpublished excerpts from Sofia's personal correspondence with translator Patricia Coulter, covering various reflections on life and on the nature of the Good Shepherd Catechesis itself. Also included are Coulter's observations of Gianna's work with children in Rome. CGS members and catechists will appreciate Sofia and Gianna's long and deep experience of living the Catechesis joyfully and fruitfully with adults and children alike.

Paperback | 8 1/2 x 11 | 32 pages

ISBN 9781616717971

The Living Word: Leading RCIA Dismissals, Year A by Lesia Anslinger Mary A. Ehle Biagio Mazza Victoria M. Tufano

This easy-to-use resource provides initiation ministers with the pastoral tools needed to lead dismissal sessions with adults preparing for Baptism. Through reflection and discussion, each dismissal session guide helps to develop the catechumen's relationship with Christ, self, and neighbor by internalizing the Word, concentrating their prayer around the Scriptures, and becoming familiar with the teachings of the Church. The step-by-step format makes leading the dismissal an easy and prayerful experience.

The Living Word: Leading RCIA Dismissals, Year A includes:

• Guides for dismissal sessions for every Sunday and Holyday of Obligation of Year A
• Seasonal overviews, Scripture backgrounds, and preparation materials for catechists
• Seasonal dismissal texts for the priest celebrant
• Complete reflection texts with discussion sparkers on the readings of the day
• Centering ideas and closing prayers
• Suggestions for additional catechetical topics that are connected to the readings of the day
• An appendix with dismissal guides for the Rite of Acceptance, Rite of Sending, Rite of Election, and the three Scrutinies

Available September 2019!

978-1-61671-414-7 | Paperback | 8 1/2 x 11 | 352 pages | Language: English

The Living Word: Leading RCIA Dismissals, Year B by Leisa Anslinger, Mary A. Ehle, Biagio Mazza, Victoria M. Tufano

This easy-to-use resource provides initiation ministers with the pastoral tools needed to lead dismissal sessions with adults preparing for Baptism. Through reflection and discussion, each dismissal session guide helps to develop the catechumen's relationship with Christ, self, and neighbor by internalizing the Word, concentrating their prayer around the Scriptures, and becoming familiar with the teachings of the Church. The step-by-step format makes leading the dismissal an easy and prayerful experience.

The Living Word: Leading RCIA Dismissals, Year B includes:

• Guides for dismissal sessions for every Sunday and Holyday of Obligation of Year B
• Seasonal overviews, Scripture backgrounds, and preparation materials for catechists
• Seasonal dismissal texts for the priest celebrant
• Complete reflection texts with discussion sparkers on the readings of the day
• Centering ideas and closing prayers
• Suggestions for additional catechetical topics that are connected to the readings of the day
• An appendix with dismissal guides for the Rite of Acceptance, Rite of Sending, Rite of Election, and the three Scrutinies

978-1-61671-366-9 | Paperback | 8 1/2 x 11 | 352 pages

The Living Word: Leading RCIA Dismissals Year C by Leisa Anslinger, Mary A. Ehle, Biagio Mazza, Victoria M. Tufano

This easy-to-use resource provides initiation ministers with the pastoral tools needed to lead dismissal sessions with adults preparing for Baptism. Through reflection and discussion, each dismissal session guide helps to develop the catechumen's relationship with Christ, self, and neighbor by internalizing the Word, concentrating their prayer around the Scriptures, and becoming familiar with the teachings of the Church. The step-by-step format makes leading the dismissal an easy and prayerful experience.

The Living Word: Leading RCIA Dismissals, Year C includes:

• Guides for dismissal sessions for every Sunday and Holyday of Obligation of Year C
• Seasonal overviews, Scripture backgrounds, and preparation materials for catechists
• Seasonal dismissal texts for the priest celebrant
• Complete reflection texts with discussion sparkers on the readings of the day
• Centering ideas and closing prayers
• Suggestions for additional catechetical topics that are connected to the readings of the day
• An appendix with dismissal guides for the Rite of Acceptance, Rite of Sending, Rite of Election, and the three Scrutinies

978-1-61671-431-4 | Paperback | 8 1/2 x 11 | 352 pages | Language: English

Emphasizing both spiritual and practical preparation, this book will help both experienced and beginning lectors develop their understanding of the ministry of proclaiming the word of God as well as the skills needed to do it well. Wallace offers insight to various aspects of the lector's work (job, ministry, vocation), and reflects on the mystery of God who speaks to--and through--us in the Word. It includes an accessible explanation of important concepts related to the Lectionary and the liturgy, ideas for spiritual preparation before serving as lector, concrete guidance for ongoing skill development, and a handy pronunciation guide.

Author: James A. Wallace, CSsR

104 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 02/10/2017