Ave Maria Press authors were recognized for nine books—including two with first-place honors—during the annual Catholic Press Association book awards.
Paula Huston’s One Ordinary Sunday was awarded top honors in “Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith.” The book focuses on the mysteries of the Mass by way of the fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.
“Whatever one’s own pilgrimage has been like, no one will come away from a reading of this gem without a firmer appreciation for the Mass as the bedrock of Catholic celebration,” the judges said.
The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion, edited by Lisa M. Hendey and Sarah A. Reinhard, was given a first-place award in the “Collections of Prayers” category. The book by moms for moms includes spiritual reflections on a variety of topics for every day of the year by more than eighty contributors.
“This book is a treasure for all seeking wisdom, hope, and interior peace,” the judges commented.
Hendey also earned a second-place award in “Children’s Books” for The Strangers at the Manger and she shared a second-place award with Barb Szyszkiewicz for Best Group or Association Blog for CatholicMom.com.
Other winners and their categories are:
Divine Mercy for Moms by Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet, third place, "Family Life"
To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach by Jared Dees, third place, "Pastoral Ministry"
The Mysteries of the Rosary by Daniel Mitsui, third place, "Coffee Table Book/Religious Art"
The Enthusiast by Jon M. Sweeney, third place, "History"
Great Catholic Parishes by William E. Simon Jr., honorable mention, "Pastoral Ministry"
Redeeming Conflict by Ann M. Garrido, honorable mention, "Professional Books"
The Complete Encyclicals, Bulls, and Apostolic Exhortations by Pope Francis, honorable mention, "Pope Francis books."
You can find the complete list of winners on the Catholic Press Association website.
Lisa M. Hendey is stepping away from the day-to-day operation of CatholicMom.com—the award-winning website she founded in 2000—and passing the reins to Holy Cross Family Ministries. The change will be effective July 1.
Hendey and Rev. Willy Raymond, CSC, president of HCFM, made the official announcement live on CatholicTV’s This Is the Day on June 20, 2017.
Hendey’s mission with CatholicMom.com has been to provide practical information and activities to deepen the faith lives of individuals and families through the Domestic Church. HCFM, which has mission offices in sixteen countries, plans to enhance and grow CatholicMom.com to its worldwide audience.
“CatholicMom is a relevant and engaging site. It’s imperative that we maintain that rich essence,” Raymond said. “We’ll work closely with Lisa and the contributors as we get to know their followers and identify future opportunities to serve these young families.”
CatholicMom.com has more than a hundred regular contributors who provide fresh perspectives on a variety of topics important to Catholic families. HCFM’s outreach includes a variety of faith-based media, including social media and apps.
Hendey, who will remain an author and editor-at-large at Ave Maria Press, plans to spend more time on writing projects. She’ll continue to be an advisor for CatholicMom.com. “As my sons have grown and my maternal vocation develops in new ways, I have prayed diligently about how God is calling me to serve our Church and her families in this next part of my life,” Hendey said. “I feel comfortable turning the site over to HCFM’s leadership, as we’ve had so many connections over the years and I’ve witnessed their heart for families and the effective way in which they lead on topics related to Domestic Church.
“I look forward to having the support of Holy Cross Family Ministries to continue to expand the mission of CatholicMom around the world,” Hendey said. “Fr. Raymond and the talented team at HCFM have the experience needed to grow our community and to explore new directions to serve today’s young families worldwide.”
Ave Maria Press launched the CatholicMom.com Books series in 2012, building on the popularity of Hendey’s award-winning website, as well as her books The Handbook for Catholic Moms and a Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. Today there are ten books in the series—written by trusted CatholicMom.com contributors and other Catholic authors—that address a variety of family and parenting issues from a thoroughly faith-filled perspective. CatholicMom.com books will continue as a partnership between Ave and HCFM.
“The CatholicMom.com series will continue,” said Tom Grady, Ave publisher. “We’re thrilled for Lisa and we’re excited to explore new ways to work with Holy Cross Family Ministries.”
These books are included in the CatholicMom.com line:
A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms
The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion
A Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy
Divine Mercy for Moms
The Handbook for Catholic Moms
Imitating Mary
Mary’s Way
Small Steps for Catholic Moms
Ave and HCFM, which is based in the Boston, Massachusetts, area, are both apostolates of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. HCFM, which also includes Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions, was founded by Servant of God Patrick Peyton, CSC, with the vision of “the family that prays together stays together.”
You can learn more on CatholicMom.com.
Ave Maria Press will preview four of its new fall books at the Catholic Marketing Network trade show in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The annual trade show, sponsored by the Catholic Marketing Network, is July 18–21, 2017, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center.
Popular Catholic author and EWTN host Mike Aquilina, executive vice president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, will be the featured speaker at the annual retailer and supplier luncheon sponsored by Ave Maria Press on July 18, 2017. He will sign galley copies of his forthcoming book, A History of the Church in 100 Objects—which he wrote with his daughter, Grace—following the luncheon.
The Christian answer to Neil MacGregor’s New York Times bestseller A History of the World in 100 Objects, the Aquilinas’ book tells the Christian story through the examination of 100 objects and places. Some, like Michelangelo’s Pietà, are priceless works of art. Others, like a union membership pen, don’t hold much monetary value. But through each of them, the Aquilinas offer a memorable and rewarding look at the history of the Church.
Ave will have a limited number of galley copies of Why I Am Catholic (and You Should Be Too) by Brandon Vogt at its booth in the exhibitor hall, #305.
With atheism on the rise and millions tossing off religion, why would anyone consider the Catholic Church? Vogt, a bestselling author and the content director for Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, shares his passionate search for truth, a journey that culminated in the realization that Catholicism is right about a lot of things, maybe even everything. His persuasive case for the faith reveals a vision of Catholicism that has answers our world desperately needs and reminds those already in the Church what they love about it.
Iconographer Joseph Malham, artist-in-residence at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois, will demonstrate his craft on Wednesday afternoon, July 19, 2017, at the Ave booth. He is the author of Drawing Closer to Christ: A Self-Guided Icon Retreat, which will be released in October. In the new book, Malham takes readers through an eight-day, self-guided contemplative retreat to create an icon of the Christ Pantocrator (Ruler of All).
Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet, bestselling coauthors of Divine Mercy for Moms, will sign galley copies of their forthcoming book, The Friendship Project, from 3 to 4 p.m. on July 19, 2017, at the Ave booth.
Drawing on the cardinal and theological virtues, stories of the saints, and anecdotes from their own friendships, Faehnle and Jaminet provide a practical primer for any Catholic woman seeking ways to deepen old friendships and develop new ones of virtue.
Joining Faehnle and Jaminet at the book signing will be Lisa Hendey (The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion), Sonja Corbitt (Fearless), and Marge Fenelon (Our Lady, Undoer of Knots).
Ave Maria Press is an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. Ave is a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, ministry resources, and books on prayer and spirituality.
NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Holy Cross priest Rev. William A. Wack, C.S.C., has been appointed bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee by Pope Francis.
The date for his ordination and installation as bishop has not been set. The Pensacola-Tallahassee Diocese covers eighteen counties in northwestern Florida and includes 67,000 Catholics in fifty parishes and nine missions.
Rev. Thomas O'Hara, C.S.C., provincial superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, said that the congregation is delighted by the appointment. "Bishop-elect Wack is a gifted pastor and administrator who possesses an extremely welcoming personality. He is quick to reach out to all, is strong enough to lead and humble enough to listen. Above all, he is an outstanding priest who is passionate in his faith and absolutely dedicated to serving the People of God."
Wack has served as pastor of St. Ignatius Martyr parish in Austin, Texas, since 2009.
Fr. Wack was born on June 28, 1967, in South Bend, Indiana. He studied government at Holy Cross College, eventually receiving his bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from the University of Notre Dame in 1990. Entering the seminary at Notre Dame in 1985, he received his master of divinity degree in 1993 and professed his perpetual vows on August 28, 1993. He was ordained a priest on April 9, 1994.
During his formation, Fr. Wack was involved in ministering at detention centers, a prison, homeless shelters, AIDS Services of Austin, and among the people of the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. After his ordination, the bishop-elect served as parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Colorado Springs, Colorado for three years. From 1997-2002 Fr. Wack was associate director of vocations for the Congregation and was a member of the administrative council of Holy Cross Associates from 1998-2002. He was also a member of the Caritas of the Diocese of Phoenix from 2003-2008.
For more on Bishop-elect Wack, see the St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church website.
PORTLAND, Ore.—Brian Doyle, award-winning author and editor of Portland Magazine, died May 27, 2017, after a six-month battle with a brain tumor.
His funeral Mass will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 2, 2017, at St. Mary's Cathedral in Portland.
Doyle, 60, is survived by his wife, Mary, their daughter, Lily, and twin sons Liam and Joseph.
"Brian exemplified God's grace by how he lived his life," said University of Portland President Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C. "He was a man filled with a sense of humanity and wonder, who was interested in everyone's story and who saw everyone’s potential. His warmth, humor and passion for life will be deeply missed."
Born in New York City in 1956 to James A. Doyle, a journalist, and Ethel Clancey Doyle, a teacher, Doyle grew up in a large Irish Catholic family in a home peppered with Irish Gaelic. He always knew he would be a writer and credits his start to his parents, whom he described as gifted raconteurs and storytellers. His father led the Catholic Press Association for thirty years, and Doyle's writings, like his father's, reflect his deep Catholic faith.
After earning a degree in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1978, he went on to become the assistant editor at U.S. Catholic magazine and, later, a senior writer for Boston College Magazine, before he was hired as editor of the University of Portland's quarterly magazine in 1991.
Doyle wrote many books of fiction, essays, and poems, including Ave's A Book of Uncommon Prayer: 100 Celebrations of the Miracle & Muddle of the Ordinary, which was named “A Best Spiritual Book of the Year” by Spirituality & Practice and received an honorable mention in spiritual soft-cover books from the Catholic Press Association. His novels include Mink River, The Plover, Chicago, and Martin Marten, for which he won a 2016 Oregon Book Award for Young Adult Literature. His most recent novel, The Adventures of John Carson in Several Quarters of the World: A Novel of Robert Louis Stevenson, was published in March 2017. His essays have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Orion, The American Scholar, The Sun Magazine, and The New York Times, and have been reprinted in the annual anthologies from Best American Essays, Best American Science and Nature Writing, and Best American Spiritual Writing.
Other honors include a number of book awards from the Catholic Press Association, three Pushcart Prizes, the Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the John Burroughs Award for Nature Essays, and, most recently, the 2017 John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Nature Writing for his novel Martin Marten, only the second work of fiction to be awarded the Medal in its 90-year history.
Here is Doyle's final prayer from A Book of Uncommon Prayer, “Last Prayer”:
Dear Coherent Mercy: thanks. Best life ever. Personally I never thought a cool woman would come close to understanding me, let alone understanding me but liking me anyway, but that happened! And You and I both remember that doctor in Boston saying polite but businesslike that we would not have children but then came three children fast and furious! And no man ever had better friends, and no man ever had a happier childhood and wilder brothers and a sweeter sister, and I was that rare guy who not only loved but liked his parents and loved sitting and drinking tea and listening to them! And You let me write some books that weren’t half bad, and I got to have a career that actually no kidding helped some kids wake up to their best selves, and no one ever laughed more at the ocean of hilarious things in this world, or gaped more in astonishment at the wealth of miracles everywhere every moment. I could complain a little right here about the long years of back pain and the occasional awful heartbreak, but Lord, those things were infinitesimal against the slather of gifts You gave mere me, a muddle of a man, so often selfish and small. But no man was ever more grateful for Your profligate generosity, and here at the very end, here in my last lines, I close my eyes and weep with joy that I was alive, and blessed beyond measure, and might well be headed back home to the incomprehensible Love from which I came, mewling, many years ago. But hey, listen, can I ask one last favor? If I am sent back for another life, can I meet my lovely bride again? In whatever form? Could we be hawks, or otters maybe? And can we have the same kids again if possible? And if I get one friend again, can I have my buddy Pete? He was a huge guy in this life—make him the biggest otter ever, and I’ll know him right away, okay? Thanks, Boss. Thanks from the bottom of my heart. See You soon. Remember—otters. Otters rule. And so: amen.
For more information about Brian Doyle’s life and work, visit the University of Portland website.
NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Six authors from Ave Maria Press have been recognized by the Association of Catholic Publishers as part of the 2017 Excellence in Publishing Awards.
The honors include two first-place awards. Paula Huston earned the top award in the general interest category for her book One Ordinary Sunday: A Meditation on the Mystery of the Mass. Dawn Eden received first place in the inspirational category for Remembering God’s Mercy: Redeem the Past and Free Yourself from Painful Memories.
Ave’s new marriage preparation program, Joined by Grace: Preparing for the Sacramental Journey of Your Marriage, written by John and Teri Bosio and produced by Spirit Juice Studios, received a second-place award for ministry resource programs.
Two authors also placed in the resources for ministry category. Ann M. Garrido won second place for Redeeming Conflict: 12 Habits for Christian Leaders. Jared Dees earned third place for To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach: The Essential Guide to Ministry in Today’s Catholic Church.
"It is such an honor that six of our authors have been recognized for their outstanding work by the ACP," said Ave Publisher Tom Grady. "I am also proud that the selections represent both the diversity and the strength of Ave’s trade and ministry resource programs."
You can read more about the awards on the ACP website.
Ave Maria Press is an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. Ave is a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, ministry resources, and books on prayer and spirituality.
NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Michael P. Palmer, C.S.C., and Ryan J. Pietrocarlo, C.S.C., were ordained priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross on April 22, 2017, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame.
The Most Reverend Arthur J. Colgan, C.S.C., auxiliary bishop of Chosica (Perú), conferred the Sacrament of Holy Orders on the two men.
Fr. Michael Palmer is the fourth of seven sons of Warren and Victoria Palmer of Berkley, Michigan. He entered formation with Holy Cross in 2007 and professed First Vows on July 28, 2012.
Fr. Palmer served his diaconate year at Christ the King Catholic Church, South Bend, Indiana, where he presided over his first Mass on April 23, 2017. He will also celebrate Mass at his home parish, National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, on May 21, 2017.
Rev. Ryan Pietrocarlo is the eldest of two children of Joe and Karen Pietrocarlo of East Rochester, New York. He served his diaconate at St. Adalbert/St. Casimir Parishes in South Bend, and will continue his ministry there.
Fr. Pietrocarlo entered formation with Holy Cross as an Old Collegian in 2007. He made his First Vows on July 28, 2012.
He celebrated his first Mass as a priest on April 23, 2017, at St. Adalbert Catholic Church, South Bend. Fr. Pietrocarlo also celebrated Mass at the Morissey Hall Chapel at Notre Dame that evening.
You can learn more about the new priests on the Holy Cross Vocations website.
NOTRE DAME, IN—Ave Maria Press is excited to announce that we have twelve finalists across multiple categories in the Association of Catholic Publishers 2017 Excellence in Publishing Awards.
Awards will be given later this year for books falling into eleven categories. A “Book of the Year” will be named from among the first-place finishers of those categories.
Ave’s finalists are:
General Interest: One Ordinary Sunday by Paula Huston; The Complete Encyclicals, Bulls, and Apostolic Exhortations (Vol. 1) by Pope Francis
Inspirational: Divine Mercy for Moms by Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet ; Remembering God's Mercy by Dawn Eden; Twelve Little Ways to Transform Your Heart by Susan Muto
Prayer & Spirituality: The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion, edited by Lisa M. Hendey and Sarah A. Reinhard
Resources for Ministry: Great Catholic Parishes by William E. Simon Jr.; Redeeming Conflict by Ann M. Garrido; To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach by Jared Dees; Witness by Leonard DeLorenzo
Resources for Ministry—Programs: Joined by Grace by John and Teri Bosio
Spanish: Ministerio hispano by Timothy Matovina
“I am so pleased and excited for the authors whose books have been chosen as finalists in the Excellence in Publishing Awards,” said Ave Publisher Tom Grady. “I am also delighted to see that the nominated books nicely represent the diversity of Ave’s trade and pastoral ministry publishing programs.”
Each category was judged by a three-person panel, which reviewed and evaluated the entries, reducing the number of finalists to 6-8 titles, all of which will move on to the final round of judging. First, second, and third place winners will be announced in June.
