Teacher Resources

Instead of being a dour task on the checklist, what if the process of homily prep renewed you? Instead of feeling insecure about your message, what if your skills made you confident to preach a consistently clear message of Good News, authentic to you, relevant to your listeners, holding their attention and inviting transformation? Backstory Preaching: Integrating Life, Spirituality, and Craft shows you how.

By integrating your life and spirituality with the practical skills necessary for effective preaching, you can move beyond the boredom, stress, or insecurity of preaching so it is no longer you who preach but Christ who preaches in you. By connecting with God in the midst of your sermon prep, the Gospel will be spread deeper and further. God's joyand yourswill be made complete.

Author: Lisa Cressman

172 pgs , 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 05/23/2018

Whether you preach from a pulpit or sit in a pew, you hope (and pray) for a homily that connects the Good News with life. But what does it mean to connect? In a world that buzzes with the synapses of technological "connection," can the human touch of preaching make a difference anymore?

Connecting Pulpit and Pew is a fresh look at the conundrum of Catholic preaching, asking six key questions:

• Why does Sunday preaching matter and to whom?
• Why is Catholic preaching such an uphill climb?
• How can we connect the Gospel message with our young people?
• What are the struggles of clergy-on-the-ground in preaching?
• What is going on in the listener's head during the homily?
• And finally, what can each of us do to help "connection" in preaching become more common?

New research speaks to those questions from the voices of youth, the experiences of lay leaders, and the words of priests and deacons. Karla Bellinger offers concrete ways to connect the pulpit and the pew so that preaching becomes an act of love within a community of caring. This practical book breaks open an important and necessary conversation.

Author: Karla J. Bellinger

Details: 190 pgs, 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 05/08/2014

In June of 2012, an astounding 360 people gathered at the University of Notre Dame for a major conference on Catholic preaching. With contributions by a wide variety of theologians and practitioners, We Preach Christ Crucified gathers the fruits of those days spent reflecting on the importance of the preaching ministry. Its release is timely, given the US bishops' promulgation of a new document on preaching, Preaching the Mystery of Faith: The Sunday Homily (January, 2013), and the renewed emphasis on preaching by both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.

The challenges facing Christian preachers in our time are many and formidable ones. The authors in this collection take a fresh look at the task, the resources at hand, the contemporary context, and the preacher. The result is a refreshing and stunningly hopeful reconsideration of an ancient ministry.

We Preach Christ Crucified includes:

• Preface by Michael E. Connors, CSC
• We Preach a Living Word by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS
• Feasting at the Table of the Word: From Dei Verbum to Verbum Domini by Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP
• New Perspectives on Preaching from Verbum Domini by Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB
• Preaching from and for the Liturgy: A Practical Guide by Fr. Jan Michael Joncas
• Preaching and Catechesis: Mending the Rift between Scripture and Doctrine by John C. Cavadini
• The New Evangelization and the New Media by Fr. Robert Barron
• The Challenge of Fulfilled in Your Hearing to Interpret Life in the Light of the Word by Theresa Rickard, OP
• "This Intimate Link"-The Ecumenical Contribution of Fulfilled in Your Hearing by Craig A. Satterlee
• Unfulfilled in Our Hearing, or, Why Can't Our Newly Ordained Priest Preach? by Fr. Tom Margevicius
• Preaching Hope in Times of Polarization by Susan McGurgan
• African American Contributions to Our American Catholic Preaching Challenge by Maurice J. Nutt, CSsR
• Becoming a Cross-cultural Preacher by Kenneth G. Davis, OFM Conv
• Preaching Among the Poor: A Panel of Holy Cross Priests by Fr. Joseph Corpora, CSC; Fr. Bill Wack, CSC; and Fr. Ronald Raab, CSC
• New Directions in the Funeral and Wedding Homily: The Preacher as the Minister of Hospitality of the Kingdom of God by Guerric DeBona, OSB
• Preaching and Children by Ann Garrido
• The Challenges Ahead for Catholic Preaching in the Twenty-first Century by Archbishop Robert J. Carlson
• Afterword: A Living Word of Hope for the Whatever Generation by Michael E. Connors, CSC

Editor: Michael Connors, CSC

Details: 252 pgs, 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 02/04/2014

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has encouraged, inspired, and delighted those who have heard him preach. Especially fascinating have been his plain-spoken and insightful weekday morning Mass homilies. He has also offered the church a substantial contribution on the theory and practice of homiletics in a large section of his first major teaching document, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). In The Preaching of Pope Francis, Gregory Heille, OP, introduces readers to the pope's preaching, his insights about the preaching vocation of the ordained, and his call to all the baptized to go to the margins as missionary disciples and evangelists of the Word.

Heille, a highly regarded professor of homiletics and preacher himself, offers an inspiring and practical resource for priests, deacons, and anyone involved in the ministry of preaching. He shares the pope's vision and example for the preparation and delivery of effective and engaging homilies and for laity invested in the church's ministry of the Word in a post-Vatican II pastoral context.

Author: Gregory Heille, OP

Details: 96 pgs, 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 02/19/2015

What should preachers aim for in Sunday preaching? In 1982, the USCCB document Fulfilled in Your Hearing: The Homily in the Sunday Assembly answered this question. Here, in a pastoral commentary on Fulfilled in Your Hearing, several Catholic scholars in homiletics, liturgy, and biblical studies both appreciate the abiding insights of Fulfilled in Your Hearing and also propose areas for continuing reflection. Following the four sections of the Bishops' document, The Assembly, The Preacher, The Homily, and Homiletic Method, this commentary emphasizes the document's continuing importance for the initial and ongoing formation of Catholic liturgical preachers, while also inviting conversation about present-day cross-cultural, liturgical, and communication concerns for Catholic preaching.

Priests, deacons, seminarians, bishops, and all others engaged in the preaching task are invited to deepen their appreciation of the homily's unique role in the liturgical life of the church and to stir their enthusiasm for preaching and preaching preparation.

Edited by James A. Wallace, CSsR

Details: 136 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 11/01/2010

Thomas Scirghi, SJ, has trained priests, deacons, and lay ecclesial ministers in the art and theology of preaching for decades. In Longing to See Your Face, he makes his insights and experience accessible to a much wider audience.

Scirghi begins with a discussion of the purpose of preaching and offers a theological sounding on proclamation, taking up several descriptions of the role of the preacher in relation to the congregation. He also addresses current theological issues for the contemporary preacher. The second part of the book discusses the practical matter of preparing to preach and proposes a method of preparation by following a pattern of reflection, research, writing, and rehearsing. The third part focuses on two specific sacramental celebrations: funerals and weddings.

Author: Thomas Scirghi, SJ

Details: 130 pgs, 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 03/08/2017

In Good News, Darrin Snyder Belousek explores the meaning of salvation in the Gospel of Luke. Through biblical reflections on the stories and songs of Luke's telling of the coming of Jesus the Messiah, this book explains the manifold message of "good news." Fully accessible to laypersons yet substantially informed by biblical scholarship, keenly aware of spiritual concerns and passionately engaged with social issues, this book offers a vision of salvation that is grounded in grace and nurtured by prayer, relevant to both the spiritual and the social, and inseparable from doing justice and seeking peace.

Author: Darrin W. Snyder Belousek

Details: 154 pgs, 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 04/07/2014

The Lectionary is made up of selected passages from the Bible, placed within a literary and liturgical context. This new context calls for a consideration of the liturgical character and setting of the Lectionary readings. Preaching the New Lectionary: Year C, offers readers that interpretation.

Preaching the New Lectionary is unique. First, it employs a literary-liturgical way of interpreting all the readings of each Sunday and major feast of the liturgical year, including the often overlooked responsorial psalm. Second, it explicitly situates the interpretation of each day within the theology of its respective liturgical season. This theology is drawn from the specific themes of the readings that comprise that particular year rather than from more general themes associated with the season. The meaning of the entire season becomes the context for understanding the individual parts of it. Third, the lections are also read in sequential order from the first Sunday of that season to the last. This reading interprets the function of the literary forms, thus providing yet another way of interpreting the riches of the readings.

This way of reading and understanding the Lectionary has potential for liturgical ministry. It can quicken the religious imagination of homilists, thus providing fresh new possibilities for liturgical preaching. It offers creative insights for those involved in the liturgical preparation for the celebration of feasts and seasons. It can also act as a valuable resource for liturgical catechesis. The insights included in Preaching the New Lectionary contribute toward enhancing the liturgical lives of the faithful.

Author: Dianne Bergant, CSA, with Richard N. Fragomeni

Details: 456 pgs, 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 08/01/2000 

What are Vespers? Where have the consecration bells gone? Why do some liturgical ministers vest and others don't? Blinking sneakers on altar servers, Christmas trees in January . . . what is that all about? These are some of the candid questions that Catholics and others often wonder about the liturgy. In What's the Smoke For?, expert liturgist Johan van Parys offers helpful and engaging answers. Based on church teaching and rooted in sound theology, Johan's responses invite inquiring minds to continue to think about what is happening in the church and to be engaged in learning more about liturgy and the arts.

Author: Johan van Parys

Details: 168 pgs, 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 07/07/2014

More than half a century after its introduction into the Easter liturgy, the rite of the washing of feet on Holy Thursday goes to the heart of what it means to take part in Christian liturgy as well as to live a Christian life. In Washing Feet: Imitating the Example of Jesus in the Liturgy Today, Thomas O'Loughlin explores the significance of mutual footwashing in early Christian communities and in the rituals of churches today.

Washing Feet is a sound and engaging combination of liturgical theology, historical exploration, and practical pastoral guidance. Clergy, liturgy committees, and RCIA leaders involved in Holy Week liturgies will find this a useful and accessible resource for understanding how this practice is a key to how ordinary Christians understand the nature of the church and their relationship to others within their particular communities.

Author: Thomas O'Loughlin

Details: 144 pgs, 5 x 7 

Publication Date: 12/07/2015

Since its initial publication in 2006, Paul Turner's Let Us Pray has become a valuable resource for understanding, planning, and celebrating the Eucharist. This new edition, thoroughly updated by the author to be in full continuity with the Revised English Translation of The Roman Missal, will be one that priests, liturgical ministers, planners, and students will want to keep close at hand.

Turner offers helpful explanations for the principal rubrics for a typical Sunday Mass. He reflects on the place of ritual within the context of Catholic piety and then explores the regulations governing the furnishings, vestments, and ministers. He carefully walks readers through the entire Mass from the entrance procession to the dismissal. The book is cross-referenced to answer most questions about the Sunday ritual.

Author: Paul Turner

Details: 184 pgs, 6 x 9 

Publication Date: 09/01/2012

The Collegeville Ministry Series offers inexpensive, yet comprehensive, training on the various liturgical roles. Each booklet is 5 3/8" x 8 1/4" in size and prepared by a specialist in the field and provides down-to-earth suggestions for making ministry more meaningful for the ministers and those who serve.

Rites of Passage is a much-needed, practical homiletic resource for priests and deacons who preach Christian baptisms, weddings, and funerals. The three authors, a religious priest, a diocesan priest, and a permanent deacon, draw from the scriptural and liturgical resources available to the preacher for these three important ritual moments to suggest ways to build an effective homily. This book will serve as a helpful and engaging resource for priests and deacons in parish life and as a blessing to the faithful.

296 pages, 6" x 9" Paperback

Publication Date: 09/15/2018

The Psalms' insights are remarkable, unexpected, eye-opening. They have vital things to say to us if we listen intently to the ancient wisdom, much of which has been lost to modern ears.

Using the insights of the "shape and shaping of the Psalms" work done by Psalms scholars over the past twenty-five years, James Chatham presents an inviting study for non-experts to explore the interactions that various psalms have with one another. The book invites us to listen in on several psalm conversations, to realize how contemporary they are, and to join them. Chatham encourages us to immerse ourselves in the mind, heart, and world of the Psalms editor, to get to know that editor well, and to realize that that editor's world was, in important ways, very much like ours. Through this process, the messages spoken by the Psalms editor emerge with words of faith about everyday issues in human living, both then and now.

144 pages, 6" x 9" Paperback

Publication Date: 08/24/2018

Text by Inos Biffi. A beautifully illustrated overview of the Church's liturgical year, starting with Advent and ending with the last Sunday in Ordinary Time. The text features explanations of all the celebrations with their scriptural underpinnings and the richly-hued art, by Franco Vignazio, manages to combine a medieval style with a modern sensibility. Paperback cover.

Drawing on more than forty years of experience as a catechist, parish DRE, textbook publisher, and founding director of the Echo Program at the University of Notre Dame, Gerard F. Baumbach explores contemporary catechesis in light of its history. This landmark book is an essential resource for every catechetical leader and will spur a new appreciation of the opportunities and challenges of catechesis in the Church today.

The Way of Catechesis offers a new and timely perspective on the vital ministry of catechesis at a pivotal moment in the work of New Evangelization. Gerard F. Baumbach shows how today"s catechists can follow the pedagogy of Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life, and he invites readers to an understanding of essential dimensions for handing on the faith and living in union with Christ the Teacher.

Author: Gerard F. Baumbach

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-714-7

On-sale date: May 31, 2017

Anyone familiar with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has probably encountered the early description of this approach to the religious formation of the child in The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. With major contributions by Sofia Cavalletti, Gianna Gobbi, Silvana Montanaro, and Patricia Coulter, this book has long been a core text' for catechists and also for parents of children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Now there is a new edition, which reflects the changes in the presentations and the materials that Sofia Cavalletti made in the years before her death in August 2011. The original contributions of the authors are retained in Part I. In Part II, long time catechist and one of the first US catechists to study with Sofia Cavalletti, Rebekah Rojcewicz, has carefully outlined the current methods and developments in the work. This includes a selection of the key parables and scripture texts that are presented to the children. She also offers a new Introduction in which she describes the process by which the original authors and founders of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd came to recognize the child's potential for a relationship with God and learned what nurtures that experience. The original art work by Julie Coulter-English is retained in this new edition.

Sofia Cavalletti, Patricia Coulter, and Gianna Gobbi contributed to this resource.

Paperback | 8 x 10 | 112 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2014

Since Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi founded the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) in Rome seventy years ago, they approached children's catechesis with a focus on Scripture and liturgy, and solidly based their approach on the Montessori principles of education. CGS is a gift and legacy that Sofia and Gianna have bestowed on generations of adults and children around the world who have fallen in love with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

In recognition of seventy years of CGS and of forty years as a national association, CGSUSA has compiled the commemorative journal The Gift of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The heart of this journal comprises a collection of previously unpublished excerpts from Sofia's personal correspondence with translator Patricia Coulter, covering various reflections on life and on the nature of the Good Shepherd Catechesis itself. Also included are Coulter's observations of Gianna's work with children in Rome. CGS members and catechists will appreciate Sofia and Gianna's long and deep experience of living the Catechesis joyfully and fruitfully with adults and children alike.

Paperback | 8 1/2 x 11 | 32 pages

ISBN 9781616717971

Here at last is the long-awaited continuation of The Religious Potential of the Child (from 3 to 6 years old). The author, Sofia Cavaletti, founder of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, describes an approach to the religious education of children according to the methods of Maria Montessori, which has gained worldwide attention. In this book she draws on her long experience with children from diverse cultures and environments to describe the vital religious needs of the older child (6 to 12 years old).

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for the older child builds on the foundation in scripture and liturgy offered to the younger child (3 to 6 years old). The theme of the covenant between God and humankind, first revealed to the people of Israel, is expanded to include the dimension of time: all of history, from creation to the parousia. For the older child, awareness of participation in this covenant relationship leads spontaneously to a sense of moral responsibility, and of engagement with the cosmos in all its manifestations.

This book will be a great help to educators and catechists who seek to understand the characteristics of the older child, particularly the child's relationship with the mystery of God.

ISBN: 978-1-61671-441-3

Paperback: 6x9

192 Pages

Author: Sofia Cavalletti

By Ann M. Garrido

Preaching in congregations with many children is one of the most difficult challenges many preachers face. Whether you are a priest, deacon, catechist, or prayer leader, this book offers practical help in crafting specific homilies for children. Drawing on insights gleaned within the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Garrido helps preachers understand key characteristics of childhood and children's spirituality and presents ways to reflect on Scripture through the lens of the young child. Preachers will discover that they are preaching with children, rather than preaching to them.

978-1-61671-673-8 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2022

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he commissioned his disciples to spread his Good News to all nations. As catechists, we are part of this important work to help others be in a deeper relationship with God and become better disciples. This resource provides new and experienced catechists with an overview of the history of their ministry and offers spiritual formation and practical guidance for teaching the faithful and leading them to deeper communion with God and the world.

Paperback | 6 x 9 | 112 pages

ISBN 9781616717452

A handbook for catechumenate leaders second edition by Dennis Chriszt

Author Dennis Chriszt, CPPS, provides practi ­cal guidance on the practice of mystagogy in contemporary parishes, the wisdom of the early church mystagogues, and today's church documents to help Christian initiation coordinators and catechists understand the goals of mystagogy and plan for postbaptis ­mal catechesis in their communities.

978-1-61671-634-9 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 144 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2021

The period of the catechumenate is focused on helping new disciples understand the doctrines and precepts of the Church in a way that flows from the liturgy. This period imbues catechumens with a spirit of prayer and service as catechists guide them to a deeper relationship with Christ.

Catechetical Sessions for the Catechumenate provides models and suggestions for leading catechumens through the many aspects of the Catholic faith, including fifty prayerful and theologically sound sessions to use when catechizing the unbaptized and the uncatechized. The sessions are organized in five categories: Beliefs, Catholic Living, Holy People, Prayer and Liturgy, and Sacraments, allowing the catechist to integrate doctrinal teachings into sessions in a prayerful and formative way that reflects the vision of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. This material can also be adapted to your parish's unique needs, including to a year-round catechumenate model.

The sessions include:

• Theological backgrounds for each session topic
• Engaging and interactive catechetical scripts
• Liturgical recommendations for the Celebrations of the Word
• Opportunities for catechumens to live their faith
• Summary statements for wrapping up each session
• Organizational chart for scheduling the sessions according to the liturgical year

Also included in this book is an organizational chart for scheduling the sessions according to the liturgical year.

With a helpful overview of the period of the catechumenate, and guidance for forming catechumens, this resource will help catechists and initiation team members share their faith, teach Catholic beliefs, and help catechumens live their developing faith as disciples of Christ.

Spiral | 8 1/2 x 11 | 240 pages

ISBN 9781616717841

Brings the theological and catechetical principles of the third catechetical directory into the heart of everyday parish life by establishing a formal ritual institution of the age-old lay ministry of catechist.

This is a meditation about the vocation of the catechist. Whether you are a seasoned catechist or considering the invitation to become one, Called to Witness Hope reflects on the joy as well as the responsibilities of being someone who echoes the faith to others. A catechist is, first and foremost, a person living the grace of Baptism in the everyday, a joyful missionary disciple, a passionate witness of God's love in history. Starting with some thoughts on the calling to be a catechist, the book invites readers to contemplate four images meant to inspire deeper appreciation for this ministry: evangelizer, bridge, companion, and prophet of hope.

Called to Witness Hope builds upon the impetus generated by Pope Francis's institution of the ministry of catechist in his apostolic letter Antiquum Ministerium (2021), the text of which is part of the book. This book is neither a commentary on the apostolic letter nor an analysis of the specialized ministry of the instituted catechist. This is a work about all catechists and for all catechists�a meditation on the beauty and power of this vocation.

Author: Hosffman Ospino, Foreword by Rosalia Meza, VDMF

Also Available in Spanish - Llamados a Se Testigos de la Esperanza

History, theology, and catechesis by Timothy R. Gabrielli, Carolyn F. Houston, and Christine G. Taylor.

An Introduction to the Restored Order explores the historical, theological, and catechetical dimensions of celebrating the sacraments of initiation in the order of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. It is primarily written for catechists who are guiding children and parents along the journey of the restored order, but others who are interested in this process will find useful insights as well. Through a deeper understanding of the restored order and its place in the Church's sacramental life, catechists are inspired to form children, parents, and the whole parish into lifelong disciples. Questions at the end of each chapter provide an opportunity for readers to reflect on their own understanding and experience of initiation. These questions can also be used to guide group discussions about the way the restored order is practiced in a parish community.

978-1-61671-622-6 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 96 pages | Language: English | Copyright Year: 2022