Liturgy Resources

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

Ministers of care are commissioned by the Church to bring the compassion and communion of Christ to the sick and the homebound and to bear witness to the suffering of the members of the parish. The third edition of this award-winning resource provides lay ministers of care with a formational and training tool as they prepare to serve those who are sick and homebound. In these pages, lay ministers will learn a theology of sickness and suffering, how to preside over the rituals of the Church, how best to make pastoral visits, and how to take care of their own spiritual needs while caring for others.

Available in Spanish!

This clear and practical introduction to Christian Prayer explains step by step how to understand and celebrate this daily prayer of the Church.

How many times have you picked up a copy of Christian Prayer only to put it down again, confused by Commons and Propers, Invitatories and Antiphons? Initially, Christian Prayer can be intimidating. Fear not, however. It's not as complicated as it may first appear.

This small booklet is designed to help you learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. By introducing you to its various components and explaining-step by step-how to get started, this guide offers the map for a prayer-journey that can become part of the rhythm of your daily life.

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

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

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

978-1-56854-009-2 | Paperback | 8 3/8 x 10 7/8 | 176 pages | Language: English

This second volume of a three volume series, includes liturgical images for Year B that will enliven your bulletins, handouts, programs, and orders of service. Original art is drawn from the Sunday readings of each year of the Lectionary, from the great feasts and seasons. There is also a handy subject index and pieces for the national holidays. Suggestions for using the art are given in the introduction. Secretaries, parish staffs, musicians, worship coordinators, principals, and teachers will find top-quality illustrations for many different projects.

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

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life Leader's Guide by Trish Sullivan Vanni

Participating at Sunday Mass is the most important action of the week for Catholic Christians. From Mass to Mission deepens our understanding of the Mass and how it shapes us to live as Christ's disciples in the world. Developed for three different age groups (adults, teens, and children), the From Mass to Mission series includes booklets and Leader's Guides that offer the entire parish the opportunity to grow deeper in their understanding and participation in the liturgy.

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Children, Leader's Guide provides parish catechists and Catholic school teachers with the tools for teaching children about the Mass. A companion DVD-ROM provides a variety of downloadable materials that will enhance your lessons and assist with advertising and connecting with parents and guardians.

This Leader's Guide will help you:

• Catechize children about the Mass
• Lead lessons on the liturgy
• Use creative methods and ideas to teach
• Adapt material for intergenerational sessions

Inside you will find:

• Five videos on the parts of the Mass
• Session outlines
• Activities and games
• Materials for children, parents, and guardians
• Promotional ideas and supplemental resources

978-1-61671-301-0 | Book with disk | 8 1/2 x 11 | 32 pages | Language: English

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life by Trish Sullivan Vanni and Paul Turner

Every Sunday, Catholics gather together to attend Mass in memory of Christ, worshipping God by giving him thanks and praise. We hear his Word, receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion, and are charged with an important mission to be like Christ in the world.

This resource is an insightful exploration of the Mass and its importance for our life of faith and Christian discipleship. Each chapter explores the parts of the Mass, helping you understand the meaning of the prayers, responses, acclamations, gestures, signs, and symbols. From Mass to Mission will inspire you to participate more fully in the Mass and to carry out your mission as Christ's disciple, bringing forth his light to a world in need.

978-1-61671-300-3 | Saddlestitched | 5 3/8 x 8 3/8 | 48 pages | Language: English

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Teens Leader's Guide by Trish Sullivan Vanni

Participating at Sunday Mass is the most important action of the week for Catholic Christians. From Mass to Mission deepens our understanding of the Mass and how it shapes us to live as Christ's disciples in the world. Developed for three different age groups (adults, teens, and children), the From Mass to Mission series includes booklets and Leader's Guides that offer the entire parish the opportunity to grow deeper in their understanding and participation in the liturgy.

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Children, Leader's Guide provides parish catechists and Catholic school teachers with the tools for teaching children about the Mass. A companion DVD-ROM provides a variety of downloadable materials that will enhance your lessons and assist with advertising and connecting with parents and guardians.

This Leader's Guide will help you:

Inside you will find:

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Teens by Trish Sullivan Vanni

Every Sunday, Catholics gather together to attend Mass in memory of Jesus Christ. At Mass we give God our thanksgiving, praise, and worship. We hear his Word, receive the Body and Blood of Christ, and are charged with an important mission to be like Christ in the world.

This resource is an insightful exploration of the Mass and its importance in our life of faith. Filled with illustrations, photos, activities, and questions for reflection, this resource explores the parts of the Mass to help teens understand the meaning of the prayers, responses, acclamations, gestures, signs, and symbols. Additionally, From Mass to Mission will inspire teens to more actively participate in the Mass and carry out our mission as Christ's disciples in the world.

978-1-61671-296-9 | Saddlestitched | 5 3/8 x 8 3/8 | 48 pages

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Children Leader's Guide by Joyce Donahue

Participating at Sunday Mass is the most important action of the week for Catholic Christians. From Mass to Mission deepens our understanding of the Mass and how it shapes us to live as Christ's disciples in the world. Developed for three different age groups (adults, teens, and children), the From Mass to Mission series includes booklets and Leader's Guides that offer the entire parish the opportunity to grow deeper in their understanding and participation in the liturgy.

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Children, Leader's Guide provides parish catechists and Catholic school teachers with the tools for teaching children about the Mass. A companion DVD-ROM provides a variety of downloadable materials that will enhance your lessons and assist with advertising and connecting with parents and guardians.

This Leader's Guide will help you:

Inside you will find:

978-1-61671-299-0 | Book with disk | 8 1/2 x 11 | 32 pages

From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Children by Joyce Donahue

Every Sunday, we go to Mass to pray with our family, friends, and members of our parish. Going to Mass is the  most important thing we do as Catholic Christians. Mass gives us time to praise God and to thank him for all the blessings in our life, to hear his Word, and to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Going to Mass helps us to become better people. This booklet explains the meaning of the Mass and will help you understand why going to Mass on Sunday is so important for our faith.

Children will learn:

• Why Mass is important
• What Catholics believe about Christ
• The parts of the Mass
• Why we stand, kneel, sing, and listen
• Prayers, responses, and acclamations
• Vocabulary Words
• How Mass helps us to be more like Jesus

From Mass to Mission may be used with children from grade three to six in the classroom and with parents. This booklet is filled with fun activities, illustrations, photographs, and simple explanations. An accompanying leader's guide for teachers and catechists is available.

978-1-61671-298-3 | Saddlestitched | 5 3/8 x 8 3/8 | 48 pages

Baptismal Ecclesiology and the Order of Christian Funerals by Stephen S. Wilbricht, csc; Foreword by H. Richard Rutherford, csc

Throughout this work, Fr. Stephen S. Wilbricht, csc, emphasizes the link between Baptism and death, assisting Christians in grasping who we are called to be in this life as disciples and who we are promised to become in eternal life as saints. As the author points out the centrality of baptismal identity to the funeral liturgy, he makes apparent that the union established at Baptism continues until all reach Christ. Such an appreciation for life in the Body of Christ will help the community recognize both their responsibilities at the death of a member and the union that remains with that member as all journey to the divine. Wilbricht explores the Church's theology of Baptism and death, and provides pastoral suggestions that will encourage communities to carry out their commitment to care for the grieving and bury the dead.

978-1-61671-443-7 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 224 pages

La Vigilia por el difunto y el rito exequial Guia da oracion by Danielle Noe

The Vigil for the Deceased and the Rite of Committal Worship Aid by Danielle Noe

Vigil for the Deceased and the Rite of Committal prayer card will help those who take part in these rites of the Order of Christian Funerals. This easy-to-use worship aid guides the mourners through the liturgy and provides their responses, and it includes a few well-known hymns to encourage singing. Its simple, dignified design is suited to the solemnity of the rites it supports.

978-1-61671-440-6 | Prayercard | Language: English

The Funeral Mass Worship Aid by Danielle Noe

The Funeral Mass prayer card is designed to help those who attend the Funeral Mass, including those who are unfamiliar with Catholic worship, to follow and participate in this liturgy. This easy-to-use worship aid guides the mourners through the liturgy and provides their responses to the prayers and readings. Its simple, dignified design is suited to the solemnity of the liturgy it supports.

978-1-61671-439-0 | Prayercard | Language: English

Guide for Training Initiation Ministers: An Introduction to the RCIA 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 RCIA: The Vision of Christian Initiation by Ronald J. Lewinski, the enclosed training sessions explore the vision, theology, and purpose of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in a lively, interactive, and faith-filled way. Supplemental resources are available for download online, and the enclosed DVD includes thirteen videos that will deepen and enlighten participants' understanding about the RCIA process.

This training resource will help parish leaders:

• Facilitate sessions and lead retreats on Christian initiation
• Explore the periods (stages) and rites (steps) of the RCIA
• Catechize and form initiation ministers in the vision of the RCIA
• 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 session
• Easy-to-use leader's and participants' outlines
• Scripts and directions for leader's facilitation
• Discussion sparkers
• Opening and closing prayers
• Thirteen videos with interviews and footage of best practice
• Links to supplemental materials

978-1-61671-354-6 | Book with disk | 8 1/2 x 11 | 144 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

The Liturgy: Source and Summit of Our Christian Life by Corinna Laughlin.

The Catholic Church teaches that the celebration of the liturgy is the source and summit of the Christian life� (Lumen gentium, 11). Participating in the liturgy the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the sacramental rites, blessings, and other official rites is the most important act of Catholic Christians, for it is through the liturgy that the faithful give praise to God, thank him for his blessings, and go forth strengthened and challenged to life as Christ's disciples in the world.

This easy-to-read resource explores what it means to call liturgy source and summit.� It will help the Catholic faithful to understand the meaning of the liturgy and its importance to our life of faith, experience Christ's four-fold presence in the various Church rites, come to a deeper relationship with God, and reflect on the transforming power of the liturgy to change the world.

978-1-61671-425-3 | Paperback | 5 3/8 x 8 3/8 | 80 pages | Language: English

Signs and Symbols of the Liturgy: An Experience of Ritual and Catechesis by Michael Ruzicki, Victoria M. Tufano, D. Todd Williamson, and Terry Navarro.

Catholic liturgy is a rich language composed of music, spoken word, silence, symbols, signs, postures, gestures, and ritual actions. Each of these elements serves to open our hearts, minds, and bodies to the presence of God, allowing us to deepen our participation in the mystery we celebrate. This resource will help participants explore the various elements of the liturgy.

Give groups in your parish a reverent, artful, and interactive experience of the symbols of the liturgy followed by time to reflect on their meaning. The symbols common things of nature and human craft such as water, candlelight, oil, book, and cross, are the very language through which we encounter the mysteries of our faith, and they cannot be understood through words alone.

Signs and Symbols of the Liturgy will help parishes break open the signs and symbols of the liturgy in their most basic forms. It explains how to prepare a ritual and catechetical experience of the signs and symbols in which participants can interact with the symbols as they are presented, one by one.

This resource includes:

• Instructions for gathering and training a team, arranging an appropriate space, selecting music, and rehearsing the choreography
• A video to show you how the experience looks and sounds
• Commentary on the video to advise you on the nuances of delivering an artful and reverent experience 
• Scripts with the poetic texts
• Checklists of items needed
• Diagrams of room arrangements
• A promotional flyer
• Reflection questions and advice for helping participants process their encounter

It is a wonderful resource for catechists and liturgists to use with Christian initiation groups, sacramental preparation sessions, adult formation programs, youth group meetings, and retreats for liturgical ministers.

978-1-61671-437-6 | Book with disk | 8 1/2 x 11 | Language: English

Liturgy with Style and Grace Third Edition Revised by Gabe Huck

This book presents the basics of liturgy for parish liturgy committees and planning teams, liturgical ministers, and anyone interested in learning more about the way we worship. It offers planners and ministers a way to gain a sense of all the ways liturgy expresses the life of a parish.

Whether read from beginning to end or simply selected by a particular topic, these articles assist with teaching and learning about the liturgy. Discussion questions and helpful quotations from a variety of sources are available for individual use or group study. The new revision includes updated quotes from liturgical documents and texts as well as revised study questions and sidebar quotes.

978-1-61671-436-9 | Paperback | 8 3/8 x 10 7/8 | 144 pages | Language: English

Connecting the Liturgy with Our Lives: Print and Digital Resources for Faith Formation by Kathy Kuczka

Through images and stories that come from daily experiences, these faith formation inserts provide insights on the parts of the Mass, gestures and postures that are part of the liturgy, rites and symbols, and the liturgical year. As parishioners read these short pieces, they will relate to the mysteries we celebrate at Mass. Parishes will want to distribute these pieces during particular seasons of the liturgical year The 63 inserts can be downloaded from the CD-ROM or from the resource's website.

978-1-61671-485-7 | Book with disk | 8 1/2 x 11 | 80 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

A deep strain of tribal politics is dividing societies around the globe. Organized religions are also coping with scandals, disappointments, and polarizing ideologies. The history of Christianity reveals that such frictions deeply wound the church. Fr. Richard S. Vosko recognizes that liturgical buildings are metaphorical expressions of the people of God. He proposes, in a relational way, that when all physical and psychological boundaries in a place of worship are removed people will discover a common ground. Building on theological foundations and design principles, Vosko envisions what an egalitarian "servant church" can look like. In a bold but thoughtful manner, he presents progressive insights into the fields of church art and architecture.

Author: Richard S. Vosko

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814684719
Details: 252 pgs , 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 paperback
Publication Date: 09/15/2019