Deacon Books

A pastoral and theological approach by Paul F. Covino

When deacons reflect on their baptismal call, it opens a conversation about their vocation to the diaconate and helps them break open the meaning of the rite and each of its symbols. As an ordinary minister of the sacrament of baptism and in many cases, performing most baptisms in a parish the deacon is central to welcoming a new family and child to into their parish community.

A Deacon's Guide to Baptizing Children: A Pastoral and Theological Approach provides deacons with a greater understanding on how their own baptism calls them to ministry, along with ways to nurture faith among families who bring their children to be baptized.

It also addresses practical issues, such as when a deacon may baptize, preparation for celebrating the rite, homily preparation, and how to navigate through the ritual with intentionality when many children are being baptized at the same time.

978-1-61671-600-4 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2022

This second edition of The Deacon at Mass situates the role of the Deacon at Liturgy based on the new General Instruction on the Roman Missal (GIRM). A step-by-step handbook for deacons through the eucharistic celebration, this text looks at everything a deacon must do (read the gospel), may do (preach a homily), and may never do (sing the concluding doxology). Study questions follow each chapter. Noteworthy in the second edition:*The original edition had the benefit of drawing on the new GIRM, and while nothing in the GIRM has changed, we have the added benefit of the final English translations.*Questions raised by readers and reviewers of the original edition are answered.*An expanded introduction addresses specific issues related to the preparation and translation of liturgical books in general, and each subsequent chapter now includes references and guidance related to the approved English translation.

ISBN: 978-08091-4852-3

Can Catholic parishes become communities of missionary disciples that bear lasting fruit? If so, what does it take to move them in that direction?

Through his years as pastor of Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax, Canada, Fr. James Mallon discovered that the answer to the first question was a resounding yes! Tailored for Catholics, Alpha played a key role in the transformation of the parish he pastored.

Unlocking Your Parish: Making Disciples, Raising Up Leaders with Alphaaims to provide insight into what Alpha can do to help any Catholic parish become a vibrant, mission-focused community. 

Authors: Ron Huntley and Fr. James Mallon

ISBN 978-1-59325-365-3

Binding Softcover

Size 8 x 5.25 Inches 

Edited by James Keating

The first-ever systematic academic text for the first years of formation of deacons. This collection of essays on history, pastoral theology, and sociology covers the entire scope of diaconal life.

In Our Life of Service, international speaker and bestselling author Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers will inspire and uplift you as he and his brother deacons including Greg Kandra, Larry Oney, Dominic Cerrato, and Thomas J. Fox share their testimonies and insights about how to serve God with determination, faith, and vision. Burke-Sivers explains the gift of the diaconate as a living image of Christ the Servant in the world, a source of comfort and hope at a time when both are in short supply.

Burke-Sivers explores the daily realities of life to answer important questions about the diaconate such as:

• What does the Church teach about the purpose of this ministry both within the parish and the world?
• How are the three key responsibilities of teaching, sanctifying, and leading entrusted to a deacon at ordination practiced in daily life?
• How does his commitment to his wife help a married deacon balance his duties to his family and ministry?
• What are practical strategies and solutions for the challenges deacons face, especially when conflicts arise within ministry?

Burke-Sivers also calls for younger, more diverse groups of men who reflect on the face of the Church to become permanent deacons in order to bridge the gap between the Church and the world and to reach the unchurched.

Each chapter contains questions for reflection, action steps, and prayers to help deacons strengthen their own commitment to their calling. Drawing from the writings of St. John Paul II and other ecclesial writings about the purpose and gift of the permanent diaconate, Burke-Sivers educates and inspires us to more fully appreciate this gift and enriches and encourages those who have themselves answered this call.

Written for deacons in active ministry, Our Life of Serviceis also inspiring reading for Catholics in the pew who are considering a call or who simply want to understand the purpose and gift of the permanent diaconate.

Available 9/15/2021

The dedication of a new church or altar is a rare event that too few Catholic faithful and clergy are privileged to experience. When it happens, people have questions about the history, spirituality, and practical aspects of this amazing liturgy. This book by pastor and liturgical scholar, Fr. Paul Turner, will especially aid parish leadership in celebrating this rite with greater understanding.

In addition to the dedication of a new parish church, this book covers all of the other instances from this part of the Roman Pontifical: Laying the foundation stone, dedicating a church already in use, dedicating a new altar inside an older church, blessing a church to be used as a chapel or oratory, blessing an altar for a similar purpose, and the blessing of a chalice and paten. Essential for any serious student of the liturgy and helpful to those planning any of these celebrations, New Church, New Altar will expand the reader appreciation of these unusual liturgies so beautifully reformed after the Second Vatican Council.

Paul Turner is pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri and director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Sant' Anselmo in Rome. His publications include Glory in the Cross, Let Us Pray, Inseparable Love, One Love, Whose Mass Is It? Light in the Darkness, When Other Christians Become Catholic, and The Stations of the Cross in Atonement for Abuse and for the Healing of All, published by Liturgical Press. He is a contributor to Give Us This Day.

192 pgs, 5 3/8 x 8 1/4

Publication Date: 09/15/2021

The Catholic Church uses three different sacred oils in some of its most solemn ceremonies: the baptism of children, confirmation, the anointing of the sick, the ordination of a priest, the ordination of a bishop, and the dedication of a church and altar. Many churches place the three oils on display for the view of the faithful and for the convenience of the clergy. Sacred Oils explores the blessing and consecration of the oils at the annual Chrism Mass, as well as the guidelines for their usage. Inspirational and educational, this book will delight everyone interested in the ceremonies of the Catholic Church.

Paul Turner is pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri and director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Sant' Anselmo in Rome. His publications include Glory in the Cross, Let Us Pray, Inseparable Love, One Love, Whose Mass Is It? Light in the Darkness, When Other Christians Become Catholic, and The Stations of the Cross in Atonement for Abuse and for the Healing of All, published by Liturgical Press. He is a contributor to Give Us This Day.

160 pgs, 5 3/8 x 8 1/4

Publication Date: 08/15/2021

Presiding over the liturgy takes more than following instructions. Good presiding is artful presiding. It is knowledgeable and inspirational. It faithfully grasps the church heritage and gives it personal expression.

In Ars Celebrandi, Father Paul Turner offers a guide for priests in preparing for and celebrating the Mass. Building on a liturgy which adheres to the liturgical books, Turner examines styles of presiding and reflects on principles that will help the presider to foster active participation of the faithful.

Paul Turner is pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri and director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Sant' Anselmo in Rome. His publications include Glory in the Cross, Let Us Pray, Inseparable Love, One Love, Whose Mass Is It? Light in the Darkness, When Other Christians Become Catholic, and The Stations of the Cross in Atonement for Abuse and for the Healing of All, published by Liturgical Press. He is a contributor to Give Us This Day.

168 pgs, 6 x 9 x 3/8

Publication Date: 02/15/2021

Greg Kandra's A Deacon Prays--the essential prayer book for Catholic deacons--is a practical, daily companion that speaks to deacons as no other book has because it comes from Kandra, creator of The Deacon's Bench blog and one of the most popular voices and enthusiastic advocates of the deaconate in the Church today.

Kandra left a successful career as a television news writer and producer to become a Catholic deacon after the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. Covering the devastating story set Kandra on a spiritual quest that led to his ordination in 2007. He serves a parish in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

In A Deacon Prays, Kandra has written prayers to greatly strengthen a deacon's spiritual life and richly enhance his ministry. There are prayers

• for daily life and seasons;
• for service in particular ministries;
• to patron saints;
• of devotion tailored for deacons;
• of petition and intercession; and
• marking special times in the life of a deacon.

This is an indispensable addition to any deacon's prayer corner, briefcase, or glove compartment, and will be a popular gift for ordinations, birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions in the life of a Catholic deacon.

Deacons proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in three primary ways. They assist during the liturgy. They serve the needy in the community. They preach.

Many deacons are single men who are preparing for their ordination to the priesthood. Their diaconate serves as an internship for the joys and demands of priesthood. We call them transitional deacons because they serve the Church as deacons during an interim period of their life.

Other deacons commit to this ministry as a lifelong service. We call them permanent deacons. They spend their years of preparation to serve as deacons specifically serve. Some of them are single, yet they have not felt the call to priesthood. Most of them are married. As baptized and confirmed members of the community, they have already accepted the responsibility to bear witness to the faith they profess. As married members of the community, they demonstrate the holiness of wedded love. As ordained members of the community, they possess the special charisms of deacons. Their entire lives bear witness to the interplay between faith and service, between worship and charity. Their lives enrich the Church.

This book will offer deacons guidance to assist their liturgical ministry. You will learn about the history of the diaconate and how the Church understands the role of the deacon. Deacons will find some reflections to help develop your spirituality, whether they are single or married. This book gives practical advice on many aspects of the liturgical service you offer the Church. And it will answer the most frequently asked questions about diaconal ministry. At the end there will be a selection of resources for further reading, as well as a glossary of This book includes:

• A basic theological and historical overview of the ministry
• Catechesis about liturgy, ritual, and symbols
• Ways to deepen your prayer life
• Generous quotations from the documents of the Church and from scripture
• Detailed and practical instructions regarding the deacons role at Mass, Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings, Funerals, Liturgy of the Hours, and Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest
• Frequently asked questions with answers
• Questions for discussion and reflection
• Annotated bibliography
• Glossary for easy reference
• Instructive photos, charts, and text boxes
• Prayers of preparation

This book has been written with texts from the third edition of The Roman Missal.

978-1-61671-046-0 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English

Author: Tim O'Donnell

ISBN: 9780809154258

192 pages, 6" x 9"

In this book, the author develops a vision of the distinctive ministerial identity of deacons that is theologically rigorous and practically useful, combining two complementary images: "icon of Christ the servant" and "minister of the threshold."

Tim O'Donnell, a deacon in the Archdiocese of Boston, teaches in the diaconate formation program there and is assigned to St. Peter Parish in Cambridge, MA. He received an STL from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.

The Deacon's Ministry of the Word offers both scriptural and theological resources, as well as strategies and approaches, for effectively communicating the word of God. The book focuses primarily on the homilybut the ideas and skills can be readily applied by deacons in any presentation in which the word of God is central including RCIA meetings and retreat conferences.

Author: Jay Cormier

126 pgs , 6 X 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 12/08/2016

The deacon's exercise of charity and justice extends the loving hand of God's constant love and mercy to all who are in need. The Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education has called this work "the ministry most characteristic of the deacon."

In The Deacon's Ministry of Charity and Justice, Deacon William Ditewig focuses on this ministry as a constitutive element of the nature of the church itselfalways flowing from the ministries of word and sacrament and leading back to them, never apart from them. Along with a rich exploration of the scriptural, historical, and theological foundation of the deacon's practice of charity and justice, Deacon Ditewigone of today's foremost experts on the permanent diaconatedevelops specific and concrete principles for exercising these ministries faithfully, authentically, and effectively.

Author: William T. Ditewig

112 pgs , 6 X 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 12/07/2015

The Deacon's Ministry of the Liturgy offers a concise and accessible introduction to the liturgical aspects of the ministry of the diaconate. The book covers not only the practical side of liturgical ministrywhat the deacon does in various liturgical celebrationsbut also roots of that ministry in Scripture and tradition, as well as reflecting on the role of the liturgy in the spiritual life of the deacon.

Author: Frederick Bauerschmidt

132 pgs , 6 X 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 05/09/2016