Guide Books

A handy calendar that indicates the Mass and texts that may be said on each day. Used with the Saint Joseph Sunday Missal and with the Saint Joseph Weekday Missal.

St Joseph Missal Guide

Current year will be shipped unless noted otherwise. 

Together for Life has been the most trusted source for wedding planning in the Catholic Church for more than forty-five years. This new edition of Together for Life contains the new texts of the most recent translation of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony. It includes all the tools engaged couples use when meeting with a priest, deacon, or lay parish minister to plan their weddings and prepare for living the sacrament of Marriage.

Together for Life includes:

• Approved texts for The Order of Celebrating Matrimony and prayers from the Roman Missal
• The Word Brought Home, scripture commentaries by Catholic leaders
• Catechetical commentary by Rev. Peter Jarret, C.S.C.to help couples deepen their understanding of the Church's liturgy
• Hints for incorporating ethnic and cultural devotions and practices into a Catholic wedding
• Sample intercessions
• How-to guides to help parish ministers
• FAQ section about the celebration of Catholic weddings

This leading Catholic funeral planning resource contains all the approved lectionary readings and other liturgical texts needed to celebrate a funeral Mass, bringing together in one place all the official liturgical texts needed for planning a Catholic funeral Mass.

This accessible, easy-to-use liturgical aid provides a practical tool for priests, deacons, and lay pastoral ministers as they help grieving Catholics plan the funeral of a loved one. Families can select the readings and prayers that they find most fitting and record them on an easy-to-follow selection sheet. This sheet is then passed on to the presiding priest or his designate so that he can prepare the liturgy.

Highlights of this edition:

• Nearly one million copies sold in thirty-year history
• Contains all required changes from the 2011 edition of the new Roman Missal, official lectionary readings approved for use at the funeral Mass, and the pertinent texts from the Order of Christian Funerals
• Updated pastoral introduction offers comfort to both families and their pastoral leaders
• Comprehensive selection sheet included for families to fill out as they choose their readings and prayers
• Contains two distinct numbering systems: one coincides with the official liturgical books and the other with the Funeral Mass and Rite of Committal ritual card set published for presiders by Ave Maria Press
• Brief, informative appendix explaining Church teaching on the practice of cremation

United in Christ; Preparing the Liturgy of the Word at Catholic Weddings.

Preparing for a wedding can be a difficult and often stress-filled process. Designed as a formational tool for engaged couples, United in Christ guides them through each of the possible readings from The Order of Celebrating Matrimony, providing brief Scripture commentary reflecting the contemporary needs of the engaged couples. Along with the full text of each reading, this resource also offers insight into why a couple may choose a particular reading.

United in Christ includes:

• Full texts of the readings from The Order of Celebrating Matrimony in sense line format
• Pastoral Scripture commentary written by married Catholic scholars and liturgical ministers
• Reading suggestions for a cohesive and unified Liturgy of the Word
• Reasons a couple might select a particular reading
• Guidance for writing the Prayer of the Faithful with sample texts
• Full texts of the consent, blessing and exchange of rings, and the Nuptial Blessing
• Selection form to turn in to the pastor, deacon, or liturgist

ISBN: 978-1-61671-239-6

Paperback - 96 pages

Size: 5 3/8 x 8 3/8

Ushers and greeters ministers of hospitality are vital to parishes so they need strong formation to comfortably and graciously respond to the needs of everyone who comes through the doors of your church. Solid training helps them become models of hospitality for the whole parish. This guide helps you train new and returning ministers of hospitality by providing knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are practical, theologically and liturgically-informed, and spiritually inspiring.

With its new title, design, and added content, this revised edition is more helpful than ever. To Fr. Paul Turner's foundational chapters on the meaning and history of the ministry and on the ministry's spiritual dimensions, a brief chapter on the liturgy by liturgist Corinna Laughlin has been added. To Karie Ferrell's practical and wise advice on the many detailed duties of the ministry, psychiatrist and spiritual director Thomas Welch has contributed some additional perspectives. Updates to frequently asked questions, the annotated list of recommended resources, and the glossary have added yet more value to the book, and questions for reflection and discussion continue to accompany each chapter.

Let this guide help you open wide the doors of your church so that it can be, as Pope Francis has called for, a spiritual field hospital for our needy world.

This guide includes:

• Theological and historical reflections on the liturgy and the ministry
• Practical skill-building and advice for serving in this role
• Ways to deepen your spirituality and call to discipleship
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Recommended resources
• A glossary
• Questions for discussion and reflection

978-1-61671-591-5 | Saddlestitched | 6 x 9 | 64 pages | Language: English

Music ministers offer their gift to the glory of God. Whether they sing or play, their ministry is essential to the worship of your parish. It serves the flow of liturgical prayer, adds beauty and artistry to the way people pray, and enlivens the words that express belief and immerse those who sing them into the mystery of God.

This third edition has been expanded to help music ministers reflect more deeply upon their liturgical role. As part of the Liturgical Ministry Series ®, this book is grounded in Church doctrine, liturgical practice, and follows a format that provides the newly formed and experienced ministers alike with basic skills and theological insights in order to perform their ministry well and in a Christlike manner. This includes:

The work of the sacristan is extremely important, for without their preparations, the Mass cannot begin. Sacristans work behind the scenes to help ensure proper celebration of the liturgy, setting out the books, the vestments, the vessels, the bread, and the wine. Grounded in Church doctrine and liturgical practice, this updated guide provides newly formed and experienced sacristans with the skills and theological insights to help them fulfill these crucial tasks.

This guide includes:

• Theological and historical reflections on the liturgy and the ministry
• Practical skill-building and advice for serving in this role
• Ways to deepen your spirituality and call to discipleship
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Recommended resources
• A glossary
• Questions for discussion and reflection

978-1-61671-584-7 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English

Michael Cameron, Corinna Laughlin, Virginia Meagher, Paul Turner

Because readers provide a bridge between the Word of God and the assembly, helping Christ speak to his people, they need to understand, believe, and love the Word of God they proclaim. The Introduction to the Lectionary calls for a preparation for lectors and readers that includes spirituality, biblical and liturgical formation, and technical instruction for proclamation. This book provides exactly that in an inviting and readable style that grounds readers in essential knowledge and inspires them to keep learning and growing. This resource includes:

• Theological and historical reflections on the liturgy and the ministry
• Practical skill-building and advice for serving in this role
• Ways to deepen your spirituality and call to discipleship
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Recommended resources
• A glossary
• Questions for discussion and reflection
• 978-1-61671-578-6 | Saddlestitched | 6 x 9 | 80 pages | Language: English

Guide for Celebrating Christian Initiation with Adults by Victoria M. Tufano, Paul Turner, D. Todd Williamson

This invaluable guide for preparing the liturgies for the rites of Christian initiation will assist priests, liturgists, liturgy commissions, and coordinators of Christian initiation. The book focuses primarily on the rites for unbaptized adults but also considers the rites for uncatechized adults, the reception of baptized Christians into full communion, and the reception of Orthodox Christians. A Q & A chapter answers a range of questions for those who coordinate the process and parish pastors. A table outlines each period and step of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, indicating the rites that occur during each period and the length of each period. A glossary defines terms relevant to the Christian initiation process. The section on resources provides a library of initiation materials.

978-1-61671-316-4 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 176 pages | Language: English

Guide for Celebrating the Holy Week and Triduum by Corinna Laughlin, Kristopher Seaman, and Stephen Palanca

Holy Week and the Sacred Paschal Triduum are the most important days of the Catholic liturgical year and require careful and collaborative preparation. Guide for Celebrating Holy Week and the Triduum provides a detailed overview of the rubrics surrounding the various liturgies, rites, and devotions of this time and addresses concerns surrounding multicultural communities, evangelization, and liturgical aesthetics. This practical resource will assist parish communities to enter the Paschal Mystery of Jesus life, Death, and Resurrection more deeply each year.

As part of the Preparing Parish Worship series, this book includes:

• Theological reflections on this sacred time
• Historical overview of the ritual development of Holy Week and Triduum
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• A glossary and suggestions for additional resources
• Inspirational and informative quotations from Scripture and Church documents

978-1-61671-292-1 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 160 pages | Language: English

Guide for Celebrating Sunday Mass by Paul Turner

Participation at Sunday Mass is the most important action of the week for Catholics and it deserves careful preparation. With simple and informative guidance, this book provides a basic overview of the parts of the Mass as well as a foundational context for the celebration of the Sunday Mass. It guides readers through primary liturgical books and documents, highlights best practice, and reflects upon the catechetical and formational power of the liturgy.

As part of the Preparing Parish Worship series, this book includes:

• Theological reflections on the importance of Sunday Mass
• Historical overview of the development of Sunday Mass
• A walk-through the Order of Mass
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Assistance with best liturgical practices
• Inspirational and informative quotations from Scripture and Church documents

978-1-61671-487-1 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 128 pages | Language: English

Guide for Celebrating the Pastoral Care of the Sick by J. Philip Horrigan

Suffering and illness have always been among the greatest problems that trouble the human spirit. Christians feel and experience pain as do all other people; yet their faith helps them to grasp more deeply the mystery of suffering and to bear their pain with greater courage. The Catholic Church has a long-standing and worthy tradition of taking care of her sick members. Indeed, this ministry is rooted in the ministry of Jesus himself who told his disciples that he did not come to heal those who are well, but those who are sick. This resource provides pastoral guidance for preparing the various rites found in Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum with particular attention to preparing communal celebrations, environment, music, and selecting from among the options in the ritual text. As part of the Preparing Parish Worship series, this book includes:

• Theological reflections on illness and Christianity
• A historical overview of the development of the Rite of Anointing
• A walk-through the various rites for the ordained and lay ministers
• Answers to frequently asked questions with responses to difficult pastoral situations
• Assistance with best liturgical practices
• Inspirational and informative quotations from Scripture and Church documents

978-1-61671-346-1 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 176 pages

By J. Philip Horrigan

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the encounter of the penitent with the mercy of God is one of the most transforming moments in the spiritual life of a Catholic. The ritual itself has changed throughout history, but the purpose of the sacrament has remained the same: to seek the forgiveness of the Lord and to renew ones efforts to live as a faithful and loving disciple of Jesus Christ. This resource provides pastoral insights for celebrating individual confession, communal Reconciliation services, and non-sacramental penance services with attention given to liturgical ministries, liturgical environment, and evangelization. As part of the Preparing Parish Worship series, this book includes:

• Theological reflections on the reconciling love of God
• A historical overview of the development of the Rite of Penance
• A walk-through of the Rite of Penance
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Assistance with best liturgical practices
• Inspirational and informative quotations from Scripture and Church documents

978-1-61671-415-4 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 160 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2018

By Michael Kwatera, osb, Dolores Martinez, D. Todd Williamson.

By the liturgical celebration of blessings, Christians live out their baptismal call to give praise and thanksgiving to God, acknowledging that God is the source of every gift, and imploring him for protection.

This resource is a helpful guide to the many orders of blessing as found in the Book of Blessings. It highlights blessings such as the Blessing of the Advent Wreath, the Blessing of Animals, and the Inauguration of a New Pastor. Guide for Celebrating Blessings provides liturgical guidance for celebrating blessings at Mass and outside of Mass, selecting music and readings, preparing the environment, involving liturgical ministers, and inviting the full, conscious, and active participation of the assembly.

As part of the Preparing Parish Worship series, this book includes:

• Theological reflections on the nature of Catholic blessings
• An historical overview of the liturgical development of blessings
• A walk-through of the Book of Blessings
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Assistance with best liturgical practices
• Inspirational and informative quotations from Scripture and Church documents

978-1-61671-421-5 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2022

Written by Corinna Laughlin, Michael R. Prendergast, Joanne Sanders, Paul Turner

Ensuring a smooth and prayerful celebration of the Eucharist begins with a focused, well-trained liturgy or worship committee. Responsible for setting the goals, direction, and principles of the liturgical life of the community, the committee functions best when both newly formed and experienced members of the committee receive training in the basic skills and theological insights that are vital to fulfilling their ministry with God's grace and guidance.

As part of the Liturgical Ministry Series ®, this book is grounded in Church doctrine and liturgical practice, and follows a format that provides the newly formed ministers and experienced ministers with basic skills and theological insights.

This resource includes:

• Theological and historical reflections on the liturgy and the ministry
• Practical skill-building and advice for serving in this role
• Ways to deepen your spirituality and call to discipleship
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Recommended resources
• A glossary
• Questions for discussion and reflection

By Paul Turner

With a theological and historical overview of the newly translated texts of The Order of Confirmation, this practical resource provides your parish team with a collaborative approach to catechizing about and preparing for the Confirmation liturgy. Paul Turner walks through each part of the rite, noting best practices and highlighting differences in the newly translated ritual; provides guidance selecting Scripture readings, prayer texts, and music; advice for preparing the liturgical environment; and offers suggestions for evangelization and hospitality.

978-1-61671-242-6 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2016

By Various authors including Joseph DeGrocco and Bruce T. Morrill

The process of preparing a Catholic funeral can be a healing and life-giving experience for all who are involved. This resource provides parish staffs with a thorough treatment of the various funeral rites from the first meeting with families after death through the burial. It offers pastoral guidance for collaborating with families, preparing the liturgical environment and music, selecting prayer texts, scheduling liturgical ministers, and ways for your parish to be a source of comfort, hope, and strength for mourners.

As part of the Preparing Parish Worship series, this book includes:

• Theological reflections on the importance of Sunday Mass
• Historical overview of the development of Sunday Mass
• A walk-through the Order of Mass
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Assistance with best liturgical practices
• Inspirational and informative quotations from Scripture and Church documents

978-1-61671-291-4 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 176 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2017

Available in Spanish!

By John Thomas Lane

Praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass has been a part of Catholic tradition for centuries. This practice leads us to a deeper appreciation of Christ's presence in our lives and to fuller participation in the Mass. This resource traces the historical developments of this practice from the early Church through the post-Conciliar reform. Providing a theological and pastoral context for best parish practices, this book addresses the following:

• The Rite of Exposition and Benediction
• Celebrating the Liturgy of the Hours and other Eucharistic services during exposition
• The transfer of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday
• The Corpus Christi procession
• Perpetual exposition
• Perpetual adoration
• Holy hours and Forty Hours
• Youth and exposition
• Eucharistic congresses and their significance for the parish

978-1-61671-243-3 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 112 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2015

By Rita Burns Senseman, Victoria M. Tufano, Paul Turner

This book helps parishes prepare and celebrate the rites of the Christian initiation process in ways that are appropriate to children. It also describes how to prepare children and their families for full participation in the rites. The Q&A chapter answers a range of questions.

978-1-61671-315-7 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 160 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2017

By Richard B. Hilgartner and Daniel J. Merz

Guide for Celebrating Matrimony walks through each part the revised ritual noting best practices and appropriate adaptations while providing pastoral guidance for forming and catechizing couples; ideas for leading wedding workshops, handling difficult situations, and developing parish guidelines; as well as offering suggestions for parish evangelization and hospitality.

As part of the Preparing Parish Worship series, this book includes:

• Theological reflections on the Sacrament of Matrimony
• Historical overview of the development of Marriage rituals
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• A glossary and suggestions for additional resources
• Inspirational and instructive quotations from Scripture and Church documents
• Ritually instructive photos

978-1-61671-237-2 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 128 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2015

The celebration of the Eucharist is the heart of the Church. Participating in this sacrament enables the Catholic faithful to encounter the presence, love, and mercy of Christ. Because this sacrament is so important, the Church provides the option for lay ministers to distribute the Body and Blood of Christ when there is not enough priests and deacons available to do so; Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are also deputed for ministry at Mass and for the needs of the sick, the homebound, and the dying.

This third edition has been updated with enhanced content and features. As part of the Liturgical Ministry Series ®, this book is grounded in Church doctrine and liturgical practice and follows a format that provides newly formed and experienced ministers with basic skills and theological insights in order to perform their ministry well and in a Christ-like manner. This resource includes:

• Theological and historical reflections on the liturgy and the ministry
• Practical skill-building and advice for serving in this role
• Ways to deepen your spirituality and call to discipleship
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Recommended resources
• A glossary
• Questions for discussion and reflection

978-1-61671-574-8 | Saddlestitched | 6 x 9 | 80 pages | Language: English

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

Available for shipment April 2025

Guide for Training Initiation Ministers, An Introduction to the OCIA, Second Edition by Michael Ruzicki

This practical guide provides parish leaders with the tools needed for facilitating and training all those involved with the adult Christian initiation process. Designed as a companion to An Introduction to the OCIA: The Vision of Christian Initiation, Revised Edition by Ronald J. Lewinski, the enclosed training sessions explore the vision, theology, and purpose of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults in a lively, interactive, and faith-filled way. A supplemental website is provided with downloadable materials and videos that will deepen and enlighten participants’ understanding about the Christian initiation process. This second edition has been updated to correspond to the new translation of the OCIA.

This training resource will help parish leaders:

• Facilitate sessions and lead retreats on Christian initiation
• Explore the periods (stages) and rites (steps) of the OCIA
• Catechize and form initiation ministers in the vision of the OCIA
• Encourage deeper reflection on the sacraments of initiation, especially Baptism
• Engage conversation about the Christian faith
• Involve the baptized members of the community in the process of initiation
• Impart the catechumenal process as the model for all parish faith formation

Inside you will find:

• Ten detailed, informative, and prayerful training sessions
• Easy-to-use outlines
• Scripts and directions for leader’s facilitation
• Discussion sparkers
• Opening and closing prayers
• Videos with interviews and footage of best practices
• Links to supplemental materials

Corinna Laughlin, Paul Turner, D. Todd Williamson

The work of the sacristan is extremely important, for without their preparations, the Mass cannot begin. Sacristans work behind the scenes to help ensure proper celebration of the liturgy, setting out the books, the vestments, the vessels, the bread, and the wine. Grounded in Church doctrine and liturgical practice, this updated guide provides newly formed and experienced sacristans with the skills and theological insights to help them fulfill these crucial tasks.

This guide includes:

• Theological and historical reflections on the liturgy and the ministry
• Practical skill-building and advice for serving in this role
• Ways to deepen your spirituality and call to discipleship
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Recommended resources
• A glossary
• Questions for discussion and reflection
• 978-1-61671-579-3 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English

Your great love of music and musical talent have led you to serve the Church as a cantor, song leader, and psalmist. The ministry of cantor is an essential part of the Church's worship; it helps the flow of liturgical prayer, adds beauty and artistry to the celebration, and enlivens the words that express Catholic belief all which lead the assembly into an encounter with the presence of Christ.

This third edition has been updated with enhanced content and features. As part of the Liturgical Ministry Series ®, this book is grounded in Church doctrine and liturgical practice, and follows a format that provides both the newly formed minister and the experienced minister with basic skills and theological insights in order to perform their ministry well and in a Christlike manner. Guide for Cantors provides:

• Theological and historical reflections on the liturgy and the ministry
• Practical skills-building and advice for serving in this role
• Ways to deepen your spirituality and call to discipleship
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Recommended resources
• A glossary
• Questions for discussion and reflection

978-1-61671-582-3 | Saddlestitched | 6 x 9 | 80 pages | Language: English

Third Edition

Gui ­a para celebrar la iniciacion cristiana con adultos by Victoria M. Tufano, Paul Turner, D. Todd Williamson

This invaluable guide for preparing the liturgies for the rites of Christian initiation will assist priests, liturgists, liturgy commissions, and coordinators of Christian initiation. The book focuses primarily on the rites for unbaptized adults but also considers the rites for uncatechized adults, the reception of baptized Christians into full communion, and the reception of Orthodox Christians. A Q & A chapter answers a range of questions for those who coordinate the process and parish pastors. A table outlines each period and step of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, indicating the rites that occur during each period and the length of each period. A glossary defines terms relevant to the Christian initiation process. The section on resources provides a library of initiation materials.

978-1-61671-446-8 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 176 pages | Language: Spanish

Advanced training for proclaimers of the word of God by Douglas Leal.

Assemblies recognize the difference between a lector who simply reads and one who truly proclaims the Word of God. They perk up and take special notice when they sense that the lector has worked to get inside the text, to express the meaning authentically, and to draw them into the story. Douglas Leal has spent decades as a lector, lector trainer, actor, and director. He knows how to coach lectors beyond reading so they can become proclaimers of the Word. The conversational, spirited style of the book recreates the sense of a live training session with the author. In a magazine format, with running text surrounded by boxes that focus on a particular subjects and techniques, a tool from the actor's toolbox, or an encouraging story from the world of acting, the book presents a wealth of wisdom and practical instruction that can carry a lector far beyond basic training. Chapter by chapter, Leal guides lectors to