Parish Resources

Behold the Wonder invites you to experience Advent in a fresh and immersive way—by stepping into the world of scripture and witnessing the story unfold around you. Imagine breathing in the scent of lilies at the annunciation. Envision Mary embracing Elizabeth in joyful wonder. Pause to contemplate the hushed awe of the shepherds on that first Christmas night. Picture yourself traveling with the Magi beneath a guiding star, drawn to the radiant light of Christ.

Theology professor Catherine Cavadini and artist Anastassia Cassady blend the ancient monastic practices of lectio divina (divine reading) and visio divina (divine seeing) to lead you on a contemplative journey, inviting you to encounter Jesus as Mary did—with wonder, love, and trust.

Do you want to learn more about Catholicism? Are you returning to the faith after a long absence? Do you want to know what role the Catholic faith plays in your life? The Seeker’s Catechism answers your questions in an easy-to-read Q&A format to help you feel more at home with what the Church believes and practices.

This updated edition of The Seeker’s Catechism by veteran teacher Michael Pennock offers concise answers to questions about the riches of Catholic faith based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You will learn about what the Church teaches about the sacraments, annulment, the purpose of prayer, the Virgin Mary, salvation, the Paschal Mystery, and much more.

In an era marked by Eucharistic revival, synodal renewal, and Jubilee celebrations, Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—the bestselling authors of Rebuilt—offer a practical guide to revitalizing your parish through small groups. In The Transformative Power of Small Groups: A 7-Step Guide for Building Vibrant Catholic Communities, they show you how to foster faith-based friendships, which result in vibrant communities that not only sustain Christian love and service but also change the world.

This concise guide shows how small groups can become the backbone of your parish’s pastoral care, discipleship, and evangelization efforts. Through their signature blend of engaging storytelling—highlighting real-life successes and struggles—White and Corcoran share examples of how small group members rally around each other during times of crisis, challenge one another toward spiritual growth, and provide meaningful support in everyday life.

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.

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.

9780893905408 | 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 | 48 Pages

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

Available March 2025.

There are many ways of ordering our time. The liturgical year is the Church’s way for centering and ordering our lives around Christ. Through the cycle of liturgical seasons and special feast days, we are reminded of God’s love revealed to us through Jesus Christ and invited to enter into God’s time and his salvation.

This pastoral resource provides an insightful and spiritually engaging overview of the meaning of the liturgical year, the liturgical seasons, the importance of Sunday, and the role of the saints in leading us to Christ. It will help you embrace the sacredness of the liturgical year and allow it to order your prayer and personal life so that, in all you do, Christ is at its center.

9781616718374 | 5 3/8 x 8 3/8 | 64 Pages

Available March 2025.

In November 2000, Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship (BLS) was published from the United States Catholic bishops. This document is designed to guide religious communities, parish teams, and other Catholic institutions in the renovation or building of new churches, chapels, and oratories. The document “reflects [the Church’s] understanding of the liturgy, of the role and importance of church art and architecture, and of the integral roles of the local parish and the diocese that enter into a building or renovation project” (BLS, 9).

This important document also “contains many of the provisions of universal law governing liturgical art and architecture and offers pastoral suggestions . . . [and] guidelines that can serve as the basis for diocesan bishops to issue further guidelines and directives for their dioceses” (BLS, 10). With its theological reflections on art and liturgy and its establishment of liturgical norms, it is an essential document for architects, liturgical consultants and artists, contractors, and other professionals who are responsible for the design and construction of worship spaces.

9781616718411 | 6 x 9 | 96 Pages

Use these forty color-coded, self-adhesive tabs to mark the major divisions and rites found in the newly translated English and Spanish Order of Christian Initiation of Adults approved for use in the diocesed of the United States. The tabs are bilingual in English and Spanish.

These self-adhesive, die-stamped tabs require no cutting or inserting and are easy to attach to pages of the OCIA. Just peel off, then press and stick. Detailed instructions are provided inside the package.

Available March 2025.

The coordinator’s role in Christian initiation is essential for developing a rich and fruitful initiation ministry in the parish community. This book will renew veteran coordinators of Christian initiation in their role and introduce novices to the many aspects of their work. It will help coordinators manage their various responsibilities, come to a deeper understanding of the process of Christian initiation, and develop a profound appreciation for the way the liturgical and ritual elements of the baptismal catechumenate lead to an encounter with the living God. Features include:

• An introduction to the overall vision of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, which sets the tone for the whole ministry of initiation
• Stories of initiation that resonate with the experiences of coordinators
• Practical steps and advice to help coordinators implement the ritual
• Suggestions for how to form an initiation team and a vibrant parish ministry
• Guidance for addressing pastoral concerns that arise during the process of initiation
• Downloadable forms that help facilitate recordkeeping
• A glossary of commonly used terms related to initiation

9781616718336 | 7 X 10 | 112 Pages

This best-selling book has been a practical and spiritually enriching formational resource for years. Guide for Sponsors offers practical suggestions for accompanying another on a faith journey and explains the periods and stages of the Christian initiation process. Sponsors will become immersed in the rich theology of the sacrament of baptism and come to understand conversion as a lifelong process for all disciples. The book details the traits of an effective sponsor and provides a glossary of initiation terms and the text of traditional Catholic prayers. With this resource, sponsors in your faith community will be more confident as they walk with catechumens and candidates on the path to the sacraments.

This revised edition gives particular emphasis to the differences that exist between sponsoring a candidate and sponsoring a catechumen and includes references to the new translation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

9781616717438 | 6 x 9 | 80 Pages

The period of the catechumenate is rich with opportunities for catechesis, and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults presents four ways that catechesis occurs during that time for the unbaptized. A Guide to the Period of the Catechumenate breaks open each of those ways of catechizing by first exploring the approach of catechesis accommodated to the liturgical year, then by providing suggestions on how to introduce catechumens to the Christian way of life. In addition to this foundational material, this book also includes:

• An overview of six foundational principles of initiation ministry and how they are applied to the period of the catechumenate
• Practical advice for leading formational and catechetical sessions with the unbaptized
• Thirty-five seasonal outlines and twenty-four monthly outlines with liturgical suggestions for preparing Celebrations of the Word
• Thirty-four seasonal outlines and twenty-four monthly outlines with practical ways catechumens can serve their parish and local communities
• Twelve catechetical sessions on the lives of the saints

9781616718015 | 7 x 10 | 244 Pages | Paperback

Simple Catechism of the Catholic Faith, in words and pictures. Catecismo de la Fe Catolica con palabras e ilustraciones simples.

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

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!

Fulfilling what he has called a "grave responsibility," Pope Francis has often addressed the issue of economic inequality and the use of personal, corporate, and national wealth. Francis's teaching is rooted in the teaching of Jesus, preserved in the pages of the New Testament. The Bible has more to say about the use of wealth than it does about other moral issues of our day, yet this teaching seldom enters into the conscience of believers. In Wealth, Wages, and the Wealthy: New Testament Insight for Preachers and Teachers Fr. Raymond F. Collins redresses this issue and provides the reader with a careful examination not only of what Jesus said about wealth but also of what each of the New Testament authors wrote about the topic.

Subtitle: New Testament Insights for Preachers and Teachers
Author: Raymond F. Collins

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814687840
Details: 366 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 06/12/2017

The baptized are called to serve God and the Church in a variety of ways, utilizing the gifts they have been given by the Holy Spirit. Some are called by God to serve in a special way. They have heard God's voice and have responded to his call by presenting themselves to the Church to be instituted as a lay catechist, a lector, or an acolyte or to be ordained as a bishop, a priest, or a deacon. The ceremonies of institution and ordination set apart these members of the Catholic faithful as servant leaders, and these liturgical rites affirm the special charisms that have been bestowed upon them by the Holy Spirit.

In Present for God's Call, Fr. Paul Turner provides the historical evolution of the rites of institution and ordination as well as a pastoral overview of the current Latin texts and English translations of these rites. This book is a timely and important liturgical study on the vocational and ministerial roles in the Church, especially for women, who are now permitted to serve as instituted lectors, acolytes, and catechists.

Unique to Fr. Turner's study is the emphasis on the faithful's role in the rites of institution and ordination. The ordination ceremonies expect that the assembly be prepared and that they fully participate in these rites. The entire local Church is called to prepare to take part in these rites, and this book provides one way for this formation to take place.

Spend just five minutes a day praying around your Advent wreath with popular author Lisa M. Hendey's heart-felt reflections and you'll experience the promise, renewal, and hope of the Advent season.

Hendey founder of CatholicMom.com invites you to take up the centuries-old tradition of lighting candles and gathering around an Advent wreath in prayer with family and friends. These scripture-based devotions are perfect for any age and setting, and offer a few minutes of simplicity, focus, and sacred longing as you contemplate and prepare for the great gift of Christ's birth.

Each day includes an opening antiphon and a closing prayer, a scripture reading, a short reflection, and questions to ponder, journal about, or use in conversation.

The compact size and affordable price make this booklet perfect for homes, classrooms, RCIA, youth groups, adult faith formation, campus ministry, and parish settings.

Let the Holy Family be your light through Advent as you receive the healing power of Christ.

In this beautiful guided journal for prayer and meditation, Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT author of the bestselling book Restore will walk with you as you explore familial wounds with the help of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Behold features stunning original art by Josiah Henley of Heart of IESVS. Free weekly companion videos, a downloadable discussion guide, and other resources make this book perfect for parish-wide, individual, and book club use leading up to Christmas.

Each week of Behold will focus on a different theme that you can connect to your life in a practical way:

• Week one: Motherhood Receive Maryas your mother and let her tender love soften your heart toward your earthly mother;
• Week two: Fatherhood AdoptJosephas your father and embrace his loving strength as you seek healing in your relationship with your own father;
• Week three: Childhood Become childlike with Jesus and remember the core of who you are as you release your inner joy and playfulness; and
• Week four: Stable Restore peace and unity in yourfamilyand regain hope.

Each day you will journey deeper into the meaning of Advent with a meditation, reflection questions, a prayer, and journaling space.

Following the success of their bestselling devotional Lent: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens, youth ministry experts Katie Prejean McGrady and Tommy McGrady offer devotions for Advent and Christmas that help teens make sense of the things that matter most in their lives such as relationships, their future, and coping with stress.

Realistic and easy to use, each daily devotion starts with a brief Bible quote that connects with a topic important to teens such as insecurity, pressure, trust, fitting in, finding hope, and choosing joy. A brief reflection helps teens consider the day's topic through their faith.

The McGrady's sometimes offer comfort, hope, or reasons for joy in these reflections, while on other days they issue a challenge or two. Unlike many other seasonal prayer books, each day offers exercises and activities such as naming areas of teen's lives where they want to be more hopeful or to trust God more. The result is a closer relationship with God.

Each single-page, weekday devotion can be as brief as five minutes or as long as thirty if a teen chooses to do a bit extra with a feature called Feel Ambitious This activity invites them to read, reflect, and respond to a longer scripture passage that connects to the day's theme. Saturdays and Sundays offer additional challenges to reflect on the previous week and to look ahead to the next.

You have a choice this Advent: Get caught up in the annual rush of shopping, decorating, and parties or slow down and take a few minutes each day to remember who this season is really about Jesus.

In Adore, popular author and speaker Fr. John Burns and illustrator Valerie Delgado of Pax. Valerie will help you reclaim the sacred sense of longing and joyful hope at the heart of Advent, focusing on a new theme each week vigilance, preparation, nearness, and Emmanuel that you can relate to your own life.

Each day you'll journey  deeper into the meaning of Advent with:

• a scripture- and liturgy-based meditation,
• stunning art specially created for this book,
• reflection questions,
• a prayer, and
• journaling space.

Adore is perfect for both individual and group use.

An imprimatur for Adore was granted by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in 2021.

Advent Light from the Threshold Bible Study by Stephen Binz

Advent is a time for new understanding, for putting different pieces of God's revelation together to see the divine plan more clearly. We listen to the words of the ancient prophets, to the wisdom of Jesus, to the stories of his birth and infancy, and we make connections. Then we connect those truths to our own lives and our world and see how God is acting anew, how God continues to reveal the coming of Jesus today. Our best model for this Advent search for understanding is Mary of Nazareth. By making connections between the ancient and the new, between her people Israel and her own life, Mary grew in understanding of God's plan and responded to God's will with her acceptance: "Let it be with me according to your word" (Lk 1:38).

Item: 953164

ISBN: 9781585953165

Publisher: 23rd Publications

Pages: 113 paperback

Henri J. M. Nouwen is one of the most beloved and well-read spiritual author of our time.  His works are popular among Christians of all denomination.  This book of Advent and Christmas Wisdom will both challenge you and warm your heart during your annual preparation for the Lord's coming.  Through the quotes, Nouwen shares with the reader his own journey of waiting while seeking the Lord.

Advent is that period of great anticipatory joy to prepare for the celebration of Christ's arrival in Bethlehem as a helpless infant.  The date commemorating his birth begins the Christmas cycle of the liturgical year, a cycle that runs through the Sunday after the feast of the Epiphany.  This book is designed to be used during the entire period from the First Sunday of Advent to the end of the Christmas season.

Reflections for each day in this book begin with the words of Henri Nouwen taken from various sources of his writings.  Following that quotation is an excerpt from Scripture related to the quote.  Next is a small prayer based on the quote and the Scripture passage. Finally, an activity is suggested for applying the messages to one's daily life.

ISBN: 9780764812187

Publisher: Liguori

Pages: 88 paperback

The Bilingual Edition includes facing Spanish-English pages as the perfect resource for minister less familiar with the Spanish language. Features include easy-to-read type for text and music, a sturdy cover, and high-quality acid-neutral cream paper with the highest opacity.

This full-sized Bilingual edition of The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults includes facing Spanish-English pages to assist ministers who are not as familiar with Spanish. 800 pages. Size 7 1/4 x 10 1/4.