Spiritual

In Benedict Backwards, Terrence Kardong builds the case that the Rule of Benedict is best read "backwards," that is, with emphasis on the last chapters, not the first ones. Benedict starts out dependent on the Rule of the Master, but he ends on a much more self-assured note, revealing more about his own thoughts on matters of monastic life. Kardong shows the final chapters of the Rule are primarily about community, and they provide insight into Benedict's vision for his monks.

Subtitle: Reading the Rule in the Twenty-First Century
Author: Terrence G. Kardong

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814646182
Details: 142 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 03/01/2017

The Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary offers more than 135 Scripture passages through which the faithful might deepen their devotion to Mary. While some texts are very familiar, others are not as well known to contemporary Catholics. In Preaching the Scriptures of the Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father David Brown examines each of the texts in detail, offering valuable insights for homily preparation.

This helpful book includes

• insightful exegesis of every Scripture passage of the Lectionary for these Masses
• helpful summary statements about each reading
• a generous set of "musings" on the readings for each Mass rich enough to prompt a variety of different homilies, making it useful year after year
• suggestions for further worthwhile reading
• Homilists will turn to this nourishing resource gratefully and repeatedly for inspiration and information.

Author: David O. Brown, OSM

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814635537
Details: 154 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 05/01/2013

How do ministers, whether lay or ordained, form their spiritual life? What practices do they need to foster in order to become good and to be holy in their service? To answer these questions, Richard Gula invites readers to think along with him about the kind of minister they want to be: "If we don't know where we want to go," he writes, "we will easily end up somewhere else." Gula then presents a variety of virtues?including gratitude, self-care, humor, and courage?and explains how developing these qualities is essential for a minister?s moral and spiritual life. By grounding a spirituality for pastoral ministry in the virtues, Gula provides a way for ministers to bridge the gap between who they are and who they hope to become in imitation of Christ Jesus.

Subtitle: A Spirituality for Pastoral Ministers
Author: Richard M. Gula, SS

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 978-0-8146-3347-2
Details: 184 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 01/01/2011

Thomas Merton's sessions with the young monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani showcase Merton's brilliant ability to survey the key figures and synthesize their writings, inspiring his listeners and readers with what it means for the spiritual life. Like its companion volume, A Course in Christian Mysticism, this book is a collection of fifteen lectures that get to the heart of Merton's belief that monastic wisdom and spirituality are applicable for everyone. This compact volume allows anyone to learn from one of the twentieth century's greatest Catholic spiritual teachers. The study materials at the back of the book, including additional primary source readings and thoughtful questions for reflection and discussion, make this an essential text for any student of Christian desert spirituality.

Edited by: Jon M. Sweeney

Paperback 5-1/2 x 8-1/2

Pages 200

ISBN: 978-0-8146-8473-3

Publication Date: 05/15/2019

homas Merton recognized the value and possibility of contemplative dialogue between monastics and contemplatives of other religious traditions and hoped that, through such dialogue, monastics would strive for "inter-monastic communion" and a bonding of the broader "spiritual family." He held out hope that this bond would demonstrate the fundamental unity of humanity to a world that was becoming ever more materialistic and divided.

Among other themes and topics, this book explores Thomas Merton's role as a pioneer of Buddhist-Christian dialogue and monastic interreligious dialogue. It delves into the process of Merton's self-transformation through contemplative experiences, explores his encounter with Zen and Tibetan Buddhists and his pioneering engagements in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and presents and responds to the criticisms of those who raise questions about Merton's understanding of Buddhism.

Author: Jaechan Anselmo Park, OSB

Paperback 5-1/2 x 8-1/2

Pages 304

ISBN: 978-0-8146-8474-0

Publication Date: 04/15/2019

Once we have encountered the Lord Jesus, how do we keep growing in Christ? How do we let the Lord mold us and make us into missionary disciples capable of spreading the gospel? Instead of just trying to get into heaven, how do we live the life of heaven now so that we can become saints?

In this book, Michigan pastor Fr. John Riccardo helps us dive into the Scriptures so that we can apply them to our daily lives. In his inspiring and incisive way, Fr. Riccardo addresses the obstacles we all face in becoming mature disciples. How do we learn to forgive? How do we combat fear and understand suffering? How do we worship the Lord, love others as Christ loves us, and fully surrender our lives to God? If you’ve enjoyed Fr. Riccardo’s gifts of teaching and preaching through his broadcasts and podcasts, this book is for you!

Author: Fr John Riccardo

ISBN 978-1-59325-301-1

Binding Softcover

Size 8 x 5.25 

In Abba Isn"t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises, Burton answers a number of fascinating questions that help you become more familiar with the Bible and your Catholic faith.

Have you ever wondered whether Christ is Jesus" last name?

Did you know that when Jesus called God Abba he didn"t really mean the familiar Daddy as you may have been taught?

Could the Our Father have originally been a Jewish prayer?

Burton answers these questions and many others in Abba Isn"t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises: What Catholics Really Need to Know about Scripture Study. The book will satisfy your curiosity about biblical subjects you"ve heard of and passages you"ve wondered about but never really pondered deeply nor understood.

Burton, a renowned scripture, introduces you to basic principles of scripture study and aids in your exploration of intriguing questions about the life of Jesus.

In part 1, Burton examines the history of the Bible, tools for scripture study, and the importance of archaeological, cultural, and linguistic discoveries for understanding the Bible. He also offers a fascinating explanation of how the geography of Israel played a crucial role in the Bible"s content and development.

In part 2, Burton addresses interesting questions related to the origin and meaning of topics in the New Testament.

Abba Isn"t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises is a perfect resource to encourage you to learn the principles of scripture study and undertake a deeper reading of the Bible.

Author: William L. Burton, O.F.M.

Format: Paperback

Pages: 192

Trim size: 5.x 8.inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-839-7

On-sale date: March 8, 2019

As a parent, do you struggle with trusting God"s will for your life and for those you love? Are you tired and afraid?

In Be Brave in the Scared, Catholic writer Mary Lenaburg shares how the overwhelming demands of caring for her severely disabled daughter ultimately taught her and can teach you that trusting in God and accepting his will can lead to profound joy, no matter what challenges you face.

Be Brave in the Scared is an uplifting account of human frailty (and stubbornness) surrendered to faith. Lenaburg tells the heart-rending story of how caring for her severely disabled daughter affected her self-image, marriage, family life, and faith.

Although she initially struggled to accept God"s will and her own limitations, Lenaburg ultimately learned how to trust God. She found in that trust inexplicable joy, even during the most difficult days of her life. She writes boldly and authentically about challenges we all encounter, such as trials with control, blame, exhaustion, fear, and acceptance.

Each chapter concludes with an invitation to write and a place for readers to express their thoughts and feelings. Lenaburg"s extraordinary story affirms that God"s redeeming love never fails and that he is there to help us through all of the challenges we encounter.

Author: Mary E. Lenaburg

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Trim size: 5.x 8.inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-883-0

On-sale date: May 10, 2019

Legendary former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz shared three easy to remember and impossible to forget rules for life during a commencement address at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

• Do what is right.
• Do everything to the best of your ability.
• Show people you care.

Now expanded into book form, Three Rules for Living a Good Life: A Game Plan for after Graduation offers a quick, sometimes humorous, and always practical formula for recent college graduates and other young adults to reach success in their business, personal, and spiritual lives.

Three Rules for Living a Good Life is a great gift book for a young adult looking for a quick read that offers encouragement and concrete advice for transitioning to the workforce and to deeper, more committed relationships.

Lou Holtz, one of the most successful college football coaches of all time, a college football analyst, and a premier motivational speaker, shares a message that is genuine and sensible. Punctuated with examples for keeping and living the rules each day from his years of working with teams, in business, and with his family, Holtz"s book keeps the discussion light, humorous, and real.

Holtz"s commencement message is one he often shares with business leaders around the world. He points to the foundation of his Christian faith and the necessity for young adults who have been raised in the faith to take stock of themselves at this crossroads of their life. Don"t ignore God! Don"t give up the faith! he writes.

A sought-after motivational speaker, Holtz annually gives hundreds of presentations on topics having to do with leadership, success, and achieving peak results. Holtz has also given many commencement addresses and been awarded a number of honorary degrees. In Three Rules for Living a Good Life, this iconic Notre Dame football coach and television and radio analyst sums up his essential graduation message that college grads will find useful as they take their places in the real world.

Author: Lou Holtz

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 96

Trim size: 5 x 7 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-906-6

On-sale date: February 22, 2019

Joel Stepanek grew up believing that humility required shunning success, never accepting praise, and embracing a crummy life so that God would reward him in heaven. Then he became successful at being a missionary. On a quest to find balance, Stepanek discovered powerful wisdom hidden within a nineteenth-century prayer that radically changed his life: the Litany of Humility. He shows you what he has learned about true Christian humility and how to right-size your expectations for living this crucial virtue.

As Stepanek, director of resource development at Life Teen, began to study and pray with the Litany of Humility, he discovered a pattern for spiritual growth that now anchors the way he lives. In Chasing Humility, he helps you explore eight essential aspects of humility in the life of a Christian: authenticity, confidence, gratitude, love, praise, empowerment, mentoring, and breaking barriers.

In addition to humorous and engaging stories and theological reflections, each chapter gives you practical exercises for spiritual growth such as:

• creating an authenticity diagram to explore how you see yourself, how you think God sees you, and how you believe others do;
• learning to keep a gratitude journal; and
• developing habits of speech that acknowledge and praise others for successes, rather than remaining focused on your own accomplishments.

This book will not only help you to understand and embrace the importance of humility, but teach you to love the virtue as well.

Author: Joel Stepanek

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Trim size: 5.x 8.inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-895-3

On-sale date: April 5, 2019

During the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga tells the dramatic story of how he survived while losing more than eighty of his family members and 45,000 of his parishioners in the killings. In the aftermath, Fr. Ubald experienced a renewed sense of purpose as a minister of reconciliation and a healing evangelist in his homeland and around the world. In Forgiveness Makes You Free, he offers five spiritual principles that can help those traumatized by the past to experience healing and peace in Christ.

In 1994 the world looked on in disbelief and horror as Rwanda erupted in violent bloodshed. All across the landlocked African country, militant Hutus rose up to exterminate the Tutsi population, including women and young children. One hundred days later, a million bodies littered fields, streets, and even churches. Now, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, a powerful testimony emerges of the power of God to bring peace and reconciliation into hearts full of fear and hate.

Author: Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga

Format: Paperback

Pages: 192

Trim size: 5.x 8.inches

Publication: March 8,2019

Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe's 62 years of life provide a powerful testament to God's presence, love, and hope amidst unimaginable violence. Throughout these many years, her native Uganda and southern Sudan (now South Sudan) have suffered the devastating effects of war and military clashes. Children, as the most vulnerable population, have suffered the most-being orphaned, kidnapped, forced to become child soldiers and sex-slaves. In Rosemary Nyirumbe: Sewing Hope in Uganda María Ruiz Scaperlanda brings to light Sister Rosemary's vocation of loving presence to these youth in the midst of this cultural and societal obliteration.

Paperback 160 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 

Publication Date: 03/15/2019

What if you had walked beside the Virgin Mary from the Annunciation to the point at which she and Joseph found Jesus in the temple? How might seeing Christ as a child impact you and your faith?

WINE: Women In the New Evangelization offers its second, six-week scripture study, this time following the infancy and early years of Christ as seen through the eyes of Mary and other familiar and imagined women in the gospels.

Founder Kelly Wahlquist and ten other members of WINE uniquely blend scripture reflections, imaginative encounters, and visio divina sacred seeing with practical spirituality and discussion questions that will help you take a prayerful and creative journey through Advent and the Christmas season.

Edited by: Kelly M. Wahlquist

Foreword by: Teresa Tomeo

Format: Paperback

Length: 192, with an 8-page color insert

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-829-8

On-sale date: August 24, 2018

33 Days to Merciful Love

Journey with St. Therese of Lisieux and discover  33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy,  the stirring sequel to the Fr. Gailtley's 33 Days to Morning Glory.

Author: Michael E. Gaitley, MIC

5.5" x 8.4" Paperback

201 pages

When the Trees Say Nothing: Writings on Nature

First published in 2003 and now available in paperback to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Thomas Merton"s birth, When the Trees Say Nothing has sold more than 60,000 copies and continually inspires readers with its unique collection of Merton"s luminous writings on nature, arranged for reflection and meditation.

Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk, author, poet, social commentator, and perhaps the most influential and widely published spiritual writer of the twentieth century. In When the Trees Say Nothing, editor Kathleen Deignan sheds new light on Merton by focusing on a neglected theme of his writing: the natural world as a manifestation of the divine.

Drawing from Merton"s voluminous writing on nature, Deignan has thematically assembled a collection of lucid, poetic reflections. Chapters on the four elements, the seasons, the Earth and its creatures, and the sun, moon, and stars provide brief passages from his diverse works that reveal the presence of God in creation.

Author: Thomas Merton

ISBN: 9781933495903

5" x 7" Paperback

192 Pages

On-sale date: February 16, 2015

The Journey Never Ends: How to Prepare a Spiritual Will

In the first book of its kind specifically for Catholics, theologian, spiritual director, and social worker Sr. Mary Petrosky, F.M.M.shows how a spiritual will a document that outlines your values, intentions, and hopes for the future can help you focus on what"s most important in your life. As you grow older, it will be something you"ll want to share with those you love.

The Journey Never Ends guides you through the process of preparing a spiritual will as an expression of your life"s intentions. If you are a Catholic or Christian of another background, you will find this a useful tool for creating the kind of life you want to live now in order to positively impact the world around you. In addition, like a traditional will, it will help you create a legacy for your family.

Petrosky has helped people on three continents find joy and meaning in their lives and purpose and understanding in their deaths through her work. Able to communicate theological ideas in everyday language, Petrosky organizes spiritual will-making around a theology of remembering, taking as her inspiration the words of Jesus: "Do this in remembrance of me."

She provides a variety of sample wills to illustrate various approaches you can take. In the final chapter of the book, Petrosky will guide you to write your own spiritual will with simple, clear, inspirational prompts and examples. The document is something that could be shared with family, friends, and colleagues later in life.

Following the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, who lived life with joy and welcomed his death with openness and optimism, Petrosky guides you in how to best appreciate the art of living and the way of dying.

Author: Mary Petrosky, F. M. M.

ISBN: 9781594718052

6" x 9" Booklet

96 Pages

On-sale date: March 30, 2018

Finding God in All Things: A Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

Dispelling the myth that spiritual retreats are only for those who can get away for an extended time, seasoned spiritual director William Barry, S.J.shares his unique understanding of the Spiritual Exercises and demonstrates how they can benefit the ordinary person's relationship with God. Finding God in All Things gives new life to the spirituality of St. Ignatius and illuminates the transforming power of the Exercises.

With over 50,000 copies sold of the first edition, this timely new edition offers today's readers a clear presentation of the themes and contemporary practice of this classic spiritual retreat.

Author: William A. Berry, S. J.

ISBN: 9780877934608

5.5" x 8.5" Paperback

144 pages

On-sale date: January 1, 2009

What I Am Living For: Lessons from the Life and Writings of Thomas Merton

Some of today's most popular spiritual writers including Rev. James Martin, S.J.Bishop Robert Barron; Robert Ellsberg; Rev. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M.and Kaya Oakes explore the meaning of life and what we live for using Thomas Merton's life and writings as a guide.

In his address before the US Congress, Pope Francis praised Merton as one of four exemplary Americans. This was no surprise to the thousands who already know and appreciate the twentieth-century monk, but there were many listening that day who still have no idea who Merton is.

What I Am Living For offers readers new to Merton, as well as longtime enthusiasts, an opportunity to see how the influential twentieth-century monk and writer continues to encourage the awakening of faith in the twenty-first century.

The book is in two parts. Each contributor to part one focuses on an aspect of the spiritual life that is of vital importance today and on which Merton made a profound impact. These include:

• Martin Finding who God intends you to be
• Ellsberg The spiritual need for solitude and stability
• Oakes The importance of coming to terms with our sexuality, whether married, single, or celibate
• Horan The importance of dialogue with God, culture, society, and people of other faiths

Part two features shorter, often more personal reflections on the future of faith, the life and teachings of Merton, and what he still says to anyone who seeks a relationship with God.

Author: James Martin, S.J. Mary Neill, O.P. Robert Ellsberg, Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., Kevin Hunt, O.C.S.O. Gregory K. Hillis, Kaya Oakes

ISBN: 9781594717413

5.5" x 8.5" Paperback

224 pages

On-sale date: March 16, 2018

Winter of the Heart: Finding Your Way through the Mystery of Grief

We can't really prepare for grief. The only experts on grief are those who have survived it and then helped others do the same.

Retreat leader, former psychotherapist, and bestselling author Paula D"Arcy is one of those experts. In Winter of the Heart, she shares her life"s work, accompanying you through seasons of grief and the emotions that come with the loss of a loved one or after other major changes in life.

Winter of the Heart is a companion for anyone early in grieving process for the person experiencing shock, emotional pain, an inability to move, guilt, intense anger, and a range of other emotions that might be new to you.

D"Arcy lost her young husband and toddler in a violent car accident more than four decades ago. She understands your grief and can also help you look to what"s on the other side hope, acceptance, recognition that what you are experiencing is both common and unique, and the essential counsel that you need not ever "get over it."

Winter of the Heart is for those who mourn the death of a loved one, but it is also for counselors and pastoral ministers. You"ll find D'Arcy's words relevant for other occasions when mourning can be painful, including the end of a marriage, job loss, and other major life changes.

Author: Paula D'Arcy

ISBN: 9781594717635

5" x 7" Paperback

64 pages

On-sale date: February 16, 2018

Boundless Compassion: Creating a Way of Life

"Living compassionately is rarely convenient and often downright challenging," writes Joyce Rupp, bestselling and award-winning author and retreat leader. The definitive Christian guide to compassion, Boundless Compassion is the culmination of Rupp's research and work as co director of the Servite Center of Compassionate Presence. Through this six-week personal transformation process for developing and deepening compassion, Rupp nudges, encourages, and inspires you to grow in the kind of love that motivated Jesus" life and mission for his disciples.

With master teacher Joyce Rupp, you will learn to develop compassion as never before. You will discover compassion from science, medicine, theology, spirituality, sociology, and psychology. You will be encouraged to explore personal and professional expressions of compassion, and to re-energize your ability to offer loving kindness to those around you.

Rupp has felt the call to walk with others in their suffering since she was a young member of the Servants of Mary, whose charism is compassion. She eventually cofounded the Boundless Compassion program with Sr. Margaret Stratman, O.S.M.

Based on the format and theme of Rupp"s bestselling books like Open the Door and her popular workshops conducted by the Center of Compassionate Presence, Boundless Compassion has the power to transform your life, giving you wisdom, confidence, understanding, and inspiration to be a more caring presence. It will help you build on relational skills, learn self-care, gain wisdom for incorporating loss and suffering into your active life, and find ways to show compassion at work.

By the book's end, you will feel prepared to live with a renewed commitment to a compassionate presence for yourself and those who are in the midst of pain, struggle, and transition.

Author: Joyce Rupp

ISBN: 978193206

6" x 9" Paperback

224 pages

On-sale date: March 2, 2018

This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults

This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults is a bestselling overview of the faith for those preparing entry into the Church, as well as for both newly initiated and lifelong Catholics who wish to understand Church teachings more clearly. This revised and updated edition strengthens one of the strongest endorsements of the book: that it communicates important Church teachings in an engaging and understandable manner.

Revised and updated in collaboration with longtime RCIA leaders, this new edition of This Is Our Faith has been refreshed with two new chapters, with language and style more in line with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and with updated cultural and historical references.

The text maintains the popular book"s accessible tone and easy-to-follow organization, following the four pillars of the Catechism:

• the Profession of Faith
• celebration of the sacraments, liturgy, and the Paschal Mystery
• life in Christ: foundations of Catholic morality
• Christian prayer

Chapters in each of the four parts lead with a thought-provoking story that connects the reader to important teachings, which are then communicated through an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format. Discussion questions and suggestions for additional reading are included for RCIA and parish adult-education groups wishing to explore Church teachings in a group environment.

This Is Our Faith provides a solid, clear presentation of the Catholic faith for adults at any stage in their faith journey.

Author: Michael Pennock

ISBN: 9781594718410

6" x 9" Paperback

384 pages

On-sale date: August 3, 2018

The Mystery of Suffering

In The Mystery of Suffering a timeless classic first written in 1963 celebrated British Benedictine monk, author, and sculptor Hubert van Zeller (1905-1984) offers an eloquent response to the question of human suffering: Those who endure suffering with hope and trust in Divine Providence will embark on an ever-deeper path to holiness that leads to eternal glory.

Van Zeller believed that those who surrender to the pain and embrace it as a way to identify with the Passion of Christ discover its deeper meaning, replacing fear with trust, resistance with peace, and defeat with the triumph of grace.

Author: Hubert van Zeller

5.5" x 8.5" Paperback

128 pages

September 18, 2015

A History of the Church in 100 Objects

The star of Bethlehem exemplifies the birth of Jesus, the Wittenberg Door is synonymous with the Protestant Reformation, and symbolizes the sexual revolution and that helps tell the story of Christianity.

In this unique, rich, and eye-catching book, popular Catholic author and EWTN host Mike Aquilina tells the Christian story through the examination of 100 objects and places. Some, like Michelangelo's Pieta , are priceless works of art. Others, like a union membership pin, don't hold much monetary value. But through each of them, Aquilina offers a memorable and rewarding look at the history of the Church.

When Catholics tell their story, they don"t just write it in books. They preserve it in memorials, monuments, artifacts, and museums. They build grand basilicas to house tiny relics.

In this stunning book, Aquilina, together with his writer-daughter Grace, show how the history of the Church didn"t take place shrouded in the mists of time. It actually happened and continues to happen through things that we can see and sometimes hold in our hand.

The Christian answer to Neil MacGregor's New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, Aquilina's A History of the Church in 100 Objects introduces you to:

• The Cave of the Nativity (the importance of history, memory, and all things tangible)
• Catacomb niches (the importance of Rome, bones, and relics of the faith)
• Ancient Map of the World (the undoing of myths about medieval science)
• Stained Glass (representative of Gothic cathedrals)
• The Holy Grail (Romance literature and the emergence of writing for the laity)
• Loaves and fish (a link from Jesus to the sacrament of the Eucharist)
• The Wittenberg Door (Martin Luther and the onset of the Reformation)

Each of these and the 93 other items and places in the book tell part of the Christian story. Each is an essential piece of the story of our salvation.

God makes himself known and accessible through material things, always accommodating himself to our condition. It is, after all, the condition he created for us spiritual and material and the form he assumed for our salvation.

Author: Mike Aquilina, Grace Aquilina

6" x 9" Paperback

448 pages

October 20, 2017

Making Room for God: Decluttering and the Spiritual Life

Decluttering became trendy with the 2014 release of Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. And while these's no shortage of secular books promoting the practice, Making Room for God is the fist book on organization from a Catholic perspective. With warmth and humor, self-proclaimed pack-rat Mary Elizabeth Sperry will help you make decluttering a prayerful, peace-filled, and soul-expanding experience.

Author: Mary Elizabeth Sperry

February 2, 2018

128 pages

5.x 8.inches

A Pope Francis Lexicon is a collection of over fifty essays by an impressive set of insightful contributors from around the globe, each writing on a specific word that has become important in the ministry of Pope Francis. Writers such as Sr. Simone Campbell, Cardinal Blase Cupich, Cardinal Ãscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, Fr. James Martin, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby, and Carolyn Woo explore the Pope's use of words like joy, clericalism, money, family, and tears. Together, they reveal what Francis's use of these words says about him, his ministry and priorities, and their significance to the church, the world, and the lives of individual Christians. The entire collection is introduced by a foreword by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians worldwide, and a preface by one of Francis's closest advisors, Cardinal Seán O'Malley.

This is no set of encyclopedia entries. It's a reflective, inspiring, and often heartfelt book that offers engaging answers to the question "What is this surprising Pope up to?"

Edited by Cindy Wooden and Joshua J. McElwee

218 pages , 6" x 9" Hardcover

Publication Date: 01/25/2018

Father Augustus Tolton was the first identified black American ordained to the priesthood in the United States. He was born into slavery and escaped to freedom with his mother and siblings under harrowing circumstances. Throughout his life he displayed a great devotion to the Lord and the Catholic faith despite facing racism within the Church at nearly every turn. Still, he felt and preached that the Catholic Church's teaching that all people are children of God regardless of race made it the true church for African Americans in the United States following the Civil War. In Augustus Tolton, Joyce Duriga brings to light his quiet witness as a challenge to prejudices and narrow-mindedness that can keep us insulated from the universal diversity of the kingdom of God.

Author: Joyce Duriga

128 pages , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 09/15/2018