Leon J. Suprenant, Jr., editor Servants of the Gospel is a collection of essays by American bishops on the bishop’s role in the Church today. Written in anticipation of the Synod (worldwide gathering) of Bishops scheduled for the Year 2000 to discuss this very topic, these essays are geared to helping all people understand the unique and challenging task of the successors of the apostles. This …

What makes a good priest? How can you become a better priest? What is the role of the priest in today's Church? A Pastor's Challenge: Parish Leadership in an Age of Division, Doubt, and Spiritual Hunger is written about priests, for priests, by a priest.  In this much-needed book, Monsignor George Kelly takes an in-depth look at the "Church's first officers."  A priest himself for …

Joseph Tylenda, S.J. , Editor Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a man who saw above and beyond his century, a man of vision and calm hope, who could step comfortably into our era and the Church of our time and show us how to draw closer to Christ. Ignatius' autobiography spans eighteen very important years of this saint's 65-year life…from his wounding at Pamplona (1521) through his conversion, his …

Andres Vasquez de Prada This second volume of a new three-volume biography of St. Josemaria covers one of the most remarkable periods of his life: from the outbreak of the civil war in 1936 to his departure for Rome in 1946. In Republican Spain fierce anti-Catholic persecution led St. Josemaria to do his priestly work in secret, fully aware that if caught, he would be executed - as were 6000 …

A theological reflection on the spirit and apostolic practice of Opus Dei.

About this Book Curiosity about nuns and their distinctive clothing is almost as old as Catholicism itself. The habit intrigues the religious and the nonreligious alike, from medieval maidens to contemporary schoolboys, to feminists and other social critics. The first book to explore the symbolism of this attire, The Habit presents a visual gallery of the diverse forms of religious clothing …

Joseph Becker, S.J. In the decade following the Second Vatican Council--roughly 1965-1975--the Jesuit order underwent an internal transformation probably greater than any it had experienced in its previous 400 years. The Re-Formed Jesuits provides a detailed history of this Jesuit experience in the United States. This history has significance beyond itself on at least three levels. First, …

Hamish F.G. Swanston The first-of-its-kind study of the interrelationships among the early Redemptorist "brotherhood" is a behind-the-scenes look at how they influenced the development of the congregation of Redemptorists we know today.

Jean Marie Hiesberger A useful resource for pastors and all who play an active role in the life of a parish, Fostering Leadership Skills provides help in dealing with some of the challenging aspects of present-day church ministry and stresses the importance of community building, planning together, and empowering small groups. Sections on change, transition, and ministerial development …

Fr. Richard Butler OP The question of discerning a vocation is agonized over by many generous young Catholics today. A solid Thomist, who wrote this book in 1961, Father Butler shows that this type of question shows a totally wrong approach to a religious vocation - an approach that began with misguided theology in the 20th century, which then trickled down to the popular level, confusing both …

In 1960, five young men arrived at the imposing gates of Parkminster, the largest center of the most rigorous and ascetic monastic order in the Western world: the Carthusians. This is the story of their five-year journey into a society virtually unchanged in its behavior and lifestyle since its foundation in 1084. An Infinity of Little Hours is a uniquely intimate portrait of the customs and …

Andres Vazquez de Prada This second volume of a new three-volume biography of St. Josemaria covers one of the most remarkable periods of his life: from the outbreak of the civil war in 1936 to his departure for Rome in 1946. In Republican Spain fierce anti-Catholic persecution led St. Josemaria to do his priestly work in secret, fully aware that if caught, he would be executed - as were 6000 …

Uncommon Faith is an absorbing story about Saint Josemaria Escriva, whose teachings about the universal call to holiness anticipated Vatican II's theology of the laity by more than thirty years.   The book gives an insider's account of the early years of Opus Dei, an institution founded by Escriva in 1928 to spread his message about lay holiness.   Coverdale tells the intriguing …

A striking coffee-table book whose prose and photographs draw the reader into the prayerful rhythms of monastic life, as pictured in Mepkin Abbey, Monks Corner, SC.  Includes interviews with noted authors Thomas Moore, Kathleen Norris and Herbert Benson, M.D.

Hans Urs von Balthasar One sometimes wonders what relevance the speculations of theologians can have for Christians--and in particular the laity--engaged in the ordinary tasks of life. In this remarkable book we see the theological literary erudition of von Balthasar in these sermons preached over a period of several decades. The sermons are arranged according to their place in the Church's …

At the dawn of the 20th century, six sermons were preached by a Benedictine priest in commemoration of men and women who loved God more than they loved themselves and who paid the ultimate price for their faithfulness. Now, at the dawn of a new century we can revisit their sacrifices and examine our own consciences to discover how much we love the God who gave us His only Son on Calvary and in …

View From The Altar - Reflections On The Rapidly Changing Catholic Priesthood Howard P. Bleichner View from the Altar opens a window into the lives of dedicated men of the Church who have repeatedly had to relearn their most cherished traditions, rituals, and roles. Fr. Bleichner, a priest, rector, and longtime leader in American priestly formation, has a fresh perspective on the rapid changes …

Hans Urs von Balthasar It is not only the Catholics who attend Sunday Mass, but also the priests who preach at Mass who feel overwhelmed by the three scripture readings in which for the most part only the first from the Old Testament and the third from the Gospel have any interconnection, while the second from the apostolic letters stands by itself. This book seeks to present the common theses …

Hans Urs von Balthasar This book describes the common task which Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr undertook, the founding of a secular institute: The Community of St. John. He also describes their common theological work and explains the theology and role of secular institutes.

A detailed theological reflection on the liturgical ministry of the deacon at the Eucharistic liturgy of the Latin Rite in light of the newly-revised The General Instruction for the Roman Missal (GIRM). About the author:  William T. Ditewig, Phd., was ordained a deacon in 1990. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1993. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Secretariat for …