Teacher Resources

In the 2020 Directory for Catechesis, the Church calls for a renewal of catechesis that focuses on bringing people to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Solid formation is not only about teaching doctrine, but also, and more importantly, about forming disciples who have encountered and know Christ. In Following God's Pedagogy, Sister Mary Michael Fox, OP, brings decades of experience in catechesis to offer a unique and proven model for children's catechesis. She draws upon her deep catechetical experience and thorough research into the nature of the child, divine revelation, and catechetical methodology. She offers timely insight into how the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) offers an approach to children's catechesis that forms the mind and heart of the child, leading them into a deeper relationship with Christ and a life of discipleship.

Bishops, diocesan catechetical directors, and all catechists will discover a way of faith formation of children that is sure to renew and strengthen catechesis for years to come.

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

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

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:

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

Inspired by her daily contemplation and meditation on the Scriptures, Carmelite Sister Mary Grace Melcher offers this book of deeply meaningful prayers of the faithful for every day of the year. Cycles A, B, and C for Sundays and the two-year cycle for weekdays are all included. These beautiful intercessions echo the grace of the day indicated by the Scripture readings and have been prayed in her monastic community for years. Enrich your community's liturgy with these beautiful and inspiring intercessions.

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814634813

Details: 448 pgs   

Size: 7 x 10

Publication Date: 02/01/2013

Like its predecessor, this revised edition of The Ministry of Music explores liturgical singing in terms of how it enables the gathered assembly to enter more fully into ritual enactment of the paschal mystery. The "whats" and "how-tos" of music ministry are developed from this perspective. How does communal liturgical singing enable us to participate in and surrender to the paschal mystery? What musical and pastoral choices best enable the singing to fulfill this role? And how does the singing form us in a paschal mystery spirituality that shapes daily Christian living and makes the relationship between liturgy and life more evident?

This edition incorporates new understandings of the ministry of liturgical music generated by Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (STL). New material addresses the underlying theology shaping STL, provides schemas for using both the Proper chants and vernacular songs at the Entrance and Communion, discusses the value of singing the dialogues, and explores silence as a necessary component of music-making and liturgical prayer.

Author: Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN

104 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 01/19/2016

What are we doing when we confirm teenagers? Why is the religious education of teenagers so perplexing? Why is confirmation often a moment of "graduation" out of parish life?

Confirmation: How a Sacrament of God's Grace Became All about Us tells the story of how confirmation, more than any other sacrament, has interacted with secular culture to give rise to these kinds of pastoral challenges. At the same time, confirmation has, over the course of the twentieth century, become a sacramental stamp of approval for various Catholic renewal movements.

The cultural shifts of the last century have led to various theological themes for confirmation, creating a crisis of meaning today. Is confirmation a personal choice for faith, or is it the deepening of an ongoing relationship with the Divine? Timothy Gabrielli gives us a fresh approach for addressing these pressing questions.

Author: Timothy Gabrielli

Details:132 pgs, 6 x 9 

Publication Date: 09/24/2013

As the summit of the church's liturgical year, the Paschal Triduum requires the energy, time, and talents of many people within the parish community. In Three Great Days, Jeremy Helmes draws on rubrics, liturgical theology, the church's tradition, and plenty of lived experience to offer a sound guide to planning and preparing. He draws attention to rituals requiring special attention and helps you determine liturgical roles and responsibilities. He also offers templates, worksheets, planning forms, and other ready-to-use resources that any parish can use to make their liturgical preparation and evaluation easier and more effective.

Whether it's your first time preparing these liturgies, you're looking for fresh ideas, or you just want to make sure you're covering everything, this book will help your parish make this year's Triduum three truly great days.

Author: Jeremy Helmes 

Details: 106 pgs, 7 x 10 Paperback

Publication Date: 12/07/2016

The Collegeville Psalter is a brand new responsorial psalm collection for Catholic worship, composed by one of today's most accomplished and inspiring composers. It faithfully follows the U.S. Lectionary text of the psalms and responses for the complete three-year cycle of Sundays and major feast days. It also includes settings of the "Common Texts" responsorial psalms.

The music is fresh and singable, with memorable responses for the assembly, fresh tones for the cantor, and engaging accompaniments for organ or keyboard. Psalms with different refrains or sets of verses use the same or related musical material for ease of learning. An important new resource, The Collegeville Psalter serves well either as a stand-alone parish psalter or as a fine addition to any existing liturgical music program.

Author: Paul Inwood

Coil bound 166 pages 8 1/2 "x 10 7/8"

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in a Parish Setting Revised Edition by Tina Lillig, revised by Mary Mirrione

What happens when a parish community chooses the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for its youngest members? What questions should be asked before that decision is made, and after? What does an atrium look like? What do you need? How do you start? And how did this type of Catechesis ever get started in the first place?

This newly revised edition of Tina Lillig's practical and enduring resource offers step-by-step information to address the questions of pastors, directors of religious education, parish staff members, parents, catechists, and anyone else interested in the great blessing that young children are to the parish community.

978-1-61671-423-9 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 80 pages | Language: English

This book describes the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based style of catechesis that focuses on the child's independent journey to God by working with materials in a specially prepared place called an atrium. Written by Sofia Cavaletti, the Italian scripture scholar who developed the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, this classic work demonstrates the profound spiritual capabilities of children as brought forth through their engagement in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This book is important for anyone desiring to learn about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or the spiritual life of children ages 3-6.

ISBN: 9781616715182 

Paperback  256 pages

Size: 6 x 9 

Can Christians still pray the Our Father in the twenty-first century? We can, and we must.

Gerhard Lohfink breaks open its strange phrases like "hallowed be thy name," its off-putting language like "Father" and "kingdom," and its apparently harsh demands like forgive us as we have forgiven those who hurt us-all to shed light on Jesus' original words and their meaning. By probing what the prayer meant for Jesus and his first disciples in their world Lohfink calls us to allow the Our Father to break open our own minds and hearts to its infinite invitation and challenge for our time and for all ages.

Hard cover 28 pgs , 5 x 7 
Publication Date: 02/20/2019

In this book, which covers all of Jesus parables, award-winning author Gerhard Lohfink takes a closer look at the origins of each oneits shape, its realistic details, but most of all its original message and the situation into which it was once spoken. Jesus parables speak in bold images of the kingdom of God, making it present to us as they reveal something of the mystery of his own person.

ISBN: 9780814685105
Details: 272 pgs, 6 x 9 x 7/8
Publication Date: 07/05/2021

"What are the implications of Vatican II for the understanding and concrete exercise of doctrinal teaching authority in the Catholic Church?" Teaching with Authority faithfully represents the teaching of Roman Catholicism on the Church's doctrinal authority while highlighting areas where a gap remains between an ecclesiological vision of the Church informed by Vatican II and the popular understanding and concrete exercise of that authority in the life of the Church today.

Dr. Gaillardetz shows that Vatican II did not so much produce one new ecclesiology as it recovered a number of ecclesiologies from biblical and patristic sources. Using images like the people of God, body of Christ, temple of the Holy Spirit, and pilgrim Church, along with such concepts as mystery, communion, and sacrament, the council breathed new life into reflection on the nature and mission of the Church. Since Vatican II, much work has been done by ecclesiologists to explore the new directions suggested by the Council. This book contributes to that post-conciliar project by developing a comprehensive theology of doctrinal teaching authority consonant with the ecclesiological vision of Vatican II.

Theologians and graduate students of Roman Catholic ecclesiology will benefit from the scholarship behind Teaching with Authority. And, because of its comprehensive yet non-technical treatment of doctrinal authority in the Roman Catholic Church, it's also a useful reference for all in pastoral ministry ordained and non-ordained.

Teaching with Authority's structure reflects the traditional three-fold distinction among the subject of doctrinal teaching, the object of doctrinal teaching, and the exercise or act of doctrinal teaching. However, the developments of the Second Vatican Council remind us of the importance of a fourth category, the reception of Church teaching by the whole people of God, which this work addresses.

Author: Richard R. Gaillardetz

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814655290
Details: 312 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/2 
Publication Date: 02/01/1997

Rebuilding Youth Ministry: Ten Practical Strategies for Catholic Parishes

Christopher Wesley is on the front lines of youth ministry. He"s been in the parish trenches, refocusing an unpopular youth program and making it one where teens feel connected, stay involved, and grow in faith. In Rebuilding Youth Ministry, Wesley offers ten indispensable strategies to help you make your youth programs just as successful.

Wesley coaches fellow Catholic ministry leaders on how to overcome common hurdles of ministering to young people. For Wesley, those hurdles included feelings of complacency, underestimating youth, and entertaining rather than ministering in his own parish. Working through these problems, Wesley built a distinctive program based on small group faith formation and sustained it with the assistance of more than sixty volunteer adult mentors.

Wesley shares ten strategies that helped grow participation in his high school program from nine teens to ninety and the middle school program from forty teens to eighty-five, including:

• making your youth program about more than pizza;
• pursuing authentic relationships between small groups and mentors;
• shaping a dynamic youth ministry team; and
• creating a space that"s welcoming to teens.

Author: Christopher Wesley

ISBN: 9781594715761

5.5" x 8.5" Paperback

128 pages

Within the Eastern tradition of Christianity, the eikon, or religious image, has long held a place of honor. In the greater part of Western Christianity, however, discomfort with images in worship, both statues and panel icons, has been a relatively common current, particularly since the Reformation. In the Roman Catholic Church, after years of using religious statues, the Second Vatican Council's call for "noble simplicity" in many cases led to a stripping of images that in some ways helped refocus attention on the eucharistic celebration itself but also led to a starkness that has left many Roman Catholics unsure of how to interact with the saints or with religious images at all.

Today, Western interest in panel icons has been rising, yet we lack standards of quality or catechesis on what to do with them. This book makes the case that icons should have a role to play in the Western Church that goes beyond mere decoration. Citing theological and ecumenical reasons, Visel argues that, with regard to use of icons, the post-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church needs to give greater respect to the Eastern tradition. While Roman Catholics may never interact with icons in quite the same way that Eastern Christians do, we do need to come to terms with what icons are and how we should encounter them.

Subtitle: Toward a More Sacramental Encounter
Author: Jeana Visel, OSB

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814646601
Details: 192 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/2 
Publication Date: 09/06/2016

Do you struggle to know when or if it"s appropriate to step in to help a teen who seems stressed, anxious, or depressed? Do you know the signs to look for to determine whether a teen is in distress?

In Helping Teens with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, Roy Petitfils a Catholic author, speaker, and psychotherapist offers his personal experience, advice, and faith to give parents, pastors, and youth leaders the knowledge, courage, and tools they need to step in, make a difference, and be the presence of Christ for teens in crisis.

Roy Petitfils knows what it"s like to be an addicted, depressed teenager, filled with self-loathing and desperate for help. He describes himself at high school graduation as by far the largest person in his hometown and yet feeling as though he were stuck in Harry Potter"s invisibility cloak.Weighing more than 500 pounds, he was addicted to food and hated himself.

Now a leading Catholic voice in youth advocacy and creator of the popular podcast Today"s Teenager, Petitfils entered adulthood a very different person than he is today. His life was radically changed by a handful of people in college who reached out in friendship and helped him set a new course.

Using personal life lessons and expertise gleaned from more than twenty-five years in youth ministry and private practice as a licensed counselor, Petitfils teaches parents, pastors, and youth leaders what they need to know about mental health issues among America"s youth. Whether teens need help coping with healthy levels of stress or face persistent, more serious problems with anxiety and depression, Petitfils will help the adults in their lives get comfortable with stepping in.

Petitfils offers information and advice on:

• the major causes of stress and anxiety in teens today
• differentiating healthy stress from toxic stress
• simple steps to take after identifying a hurting kid, beginning with how to assess whether and how to step in
• the art of listening

He explores the support and comfort available through the sacraments, Catholic devotions, different forms of prayer, and reading the Bible. Ultimately, Petitfils identifies how to gently, yet persuasively guide hurting young people to deeper trust in the tender mercies of God.

Author: Roy Petitfils

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Trim size: 5.x 8.inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-889-2

On-sale date: March 8, 2019

Belief in a triune God is central to Christian faith but on the periphery of most people?s understanding of it. Indeed, it is greatly misunderstood by many. Briefly and clearly, Neil Ormerod explains what the Christian tradition understands when it speaks of a triune God. He presents and develops his material in three parts: where our belief in the Trinity comes from (Scripture), what we believe about the Trinity (creed), and how best to understand what we believe (analogy). A Trinitarian Primer will be welcomed by many who are engaged in religious education and formation. Preachers will appreciate the homily suggestions included.

Author: Neil Ormerod

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814633557
Details: 96 pgs , 4 1/4 x 7 
Publication Date: 11/01/2010

9781568540351 | Paperback | 8 3/8 x 10 7/8 | 176 pages | Language: English

This third volume of a three volume series, includes liturgical images for Year C 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.

This calendar presents the cheerful, colorful art of Catherine Pape. Her illustrations of blessings in Catholic family and community life focus on some of the many blessing practices rooted in tradition and lovingly passed on through generations: the blessing of a home and of an advent wreath, of food at a soup kitchen or at a family table, of children by parents as they depart for the day, and of crops, animals, and farm equipment. All of these scenes depict little celebrations of the ways we are blessed and protected by God. Such blessings keep us mindful of God's love and guidance, and they model for our children one way that Catholics try to stay open and aware of God's presence in our ordinary lives.

The Year of Grace liturgical year follows the Sunday Year A, B, or C cycles and the Weekday Year cycles.



LTP's circular display of the liturgical year makes its key features easily understandable. We can see at a glance the liturgical seasons in their characteristic colors, Sundays on the outer rim, and the days and weeks radiating from the center.



Use the Year of Grace notebook version in many ways:



Use as handouts for children and adults in classrooms or in catechetical or formation sessions to teach about the liturgical year
Give (or sell) laminated copies to households in the parish and school to use as placemats.
Along with the poster calendar, post one in every classroom, meeting room, and in the church vestibule to teach about the liturgical year.
Present to first communicants and Confirmation candidates in preparation sessions.

After Jesus died and rose, his disciples continued to preach: proclaiming Christ's resurrection, spreading his teachings, and recalling many facts about the life of Jesus on earth. This is how the Gospels came to be written.

This edition of The Gospels is specifically designed for children to encourage them to come to know Jesus and to foster their love of Scripture. Included are the first four books of the New Testament, written by the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and selected verses from the Psalms, Isaiah, the Acts of the Apostles, and Revelation. With The Gospels, children will continue their study and meditation of God's Word.

This book is an ideal gift for children preparing for or have celebrated first Communion or confirmation, or those who are on a journey towards Christian Initiation. It includes:

• Easy-to-read text and full-page layouts to help children hone their reading skills
• Full color design to engage the reader with the text
• Embellished initial caps and numerals to help children identify the beginnings of each chapter
• Images of the evangelists and visual representations of the land and places of Jesus' time
• ¢ Scripture text from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition

Printed on durable card stock with larger type, this confession aid includes the full order of service for individual confession from the new translation of the Order of Penance. Its easy-to-use, tri-folded-format is designed to help penitents participate more fully in individual reconciliation and know the appropriate prayers and responses. This confession aid also includes a Prayer of Preparation, an Examination of Conscience, and a Prayer of Thanksgiving.

This aid can be kept on hand in confessionals and reconciliation chapels or in church vestibules.

Each pack includes 50 cards.

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