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Author Spotlight: Fr. Andrew Gawrych, Editor of Basil Moreau: Essential Writings

In honor of Basil Moreau: Essential Writings, this week's Book of the Week, we asked Fr. Andrew Gawrych, one of the editors of the book, a few questions about his experience. Fr. Drew edited the book with Fr. Kevin Grove, with whom he has worked on two other books including The Cross, Our Only Hope and You Have Redeemed the World, both prayer books in the Holy Cross tradition. Fr. Drew and Fr. Kevin are both priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross.  1. What made you and Fr. Kevin decide to work on this project? Over the years, Fr. Kevin and I had been privileged to receive and read several unpublished translations of Fr. Moreau's writings. What we found was a real, hidden treasure of works, and we realized that this treasure needed to be shared with others, so that they too could learn and grow from the writings of this truly remarkable and holy priest.  We in the Congregation of Holy Cross extremely value our opportunity to collaborate with lay men and women in serving the Church and proclaiming the gospel to the world. The more we can get the writings of our founder in their hands as well too, the more that collaboration can deepen. 2. With so much to choose from, how did you decide which selections to include in this collection of essential writings? There was a wealth to choose from! We could have published several volumes of his writings. To condense it into one volume, we highlighted excerpts that are most illustrative of both Moreau's way of thinking and doing theology as well as his spirituality and the charism that he passed on to Holy Cross. We also favored documents that had not been previously published elsewhere, such as his Meditations and Spiritual Exercises. 3. As a Holy Cross priest, what was it like for you personally to delve into this material? This was truly an amazing experience for both Kevin and myself to deepen our understanding of our founder through this immersion into our community's spirituality and charism. We learned a lot along the way, which in turn has re-shaped how we envision and carry out our ministry as Holy Cross priests today. It was also a tremendous experience working together with Kevin and the many other Holy Cross religious who were indispensable in the putting together of this work. We could not have done it without them. 4. This isn't the first project you have worked on with Fr. Kevin Grove. How did you two get connected and what would you say enables you to work so well together? Fr. Kevin and I overlapped in the seminary, and it was there that our friendship as well as our first collaboration on a book began. Although we like to joke with each other as we work on our books that we are each other's "cross," we have a deep respect for one another and our respective gifts.  Working on these three books with Fr. Kevin has been a powerful experience of what it means to be united in mind and heart in a mission that shares a common vision while having different perspectives and gifts to bring to that mission. We work together well, but even more importantly, I think we both allow the Spirit to work through us, as best as we can. All of the projects we have worked on together would not have been nearly as good if we had worked alone. Hopefully, we have a few more projects left to do together! 5. If there was just one thing that you would want every Catholic to know about Blessed Basil Moreau, what would it be? Hopefully, every Catholic would be able to draw on the truly deep faith that Blessed Basil Moreau had in the immeasurable power of God's love and the victory of that love for us on the Cross. Faith is what allowed Fr. Moreau to trust even in the darkest times of his life and the life of our community. God wants us to live with that invincible hope; God wants us to know that nothing can separate us from His love, and I believe the life and writings of Fr. Moreau can truly make that Truth come alive for us in our lives. I believe that in reading this collection of his writings all believers can come to live more in the hope that comes from the Cross of Christ.

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2014 Catholic Press Association Award Winners

We are very pleased to announce that multiple Ave Maria Press books were selected as Catholic Press Association award winners this weekend. Congratulations to all these wonderful authors!  Check out all the results at the Catholic Press Association website.  Pastoral Ministry Category (First Place)  Rebuilt by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran  Spirituality (Soft Cover) (First Place)   Atchison Blue by Judith Valente  Best Trade/Seasonal Catalog Category (Second Place)  Ave Maria Press Fall 2013 Trade Catalog by John Carson, Chris Tobin, and Heather Glenn  Professional Book Category (Third Place)  Redeeming Administration by Ann Garrido  Gender Issues Category (Third Place)  Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious by Pat Gohn  Design and Production Category (Honorable Mention)  Rebuilt by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran (Design by John Carson)    Other Awards for Ave Maria Press Authors  A number of Ave Maria Press authors received awards for their work in magazines, newspapers, blogs, and books with other publishers.  “Ora Pro Nobis” by Elizabeth Scalia: First Place, Best Regular Column: Spiritual Life  “CatholicMom.com” by Lisa Hendey, Sarah A. Reinhard: Third Place, Best Online Blog: Group or Association  U.S. Catholic, Chicago, IL, “The Subtle Theater” by Brian Doyle: First Place: Best Short Story  The Thorny Grace of It by Brian Doyle, Loyola Press, Chicago, IL: Third Place (Tied): Popular Presentation of Catholic Faith Catholic Mom's Café by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle, Our Sunday Visitor Press, Huntington, IN: Third Place, Family Life When Faith Feels Fragile by R. Scott Hurd, Pauline Books and Media, Boston, MA: Second Place, Popular Presentation of Catholic Faith    Congregation of Holy Cross Award Winners  Several priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross also won awards from the Catholic Press Association, including Fr. Matthew Kuczora, Fr. Daniel G. Groody, and Fr. Ronald Raab. Read about their awards at the United States Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross website. 

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Author Spotlight: Msgr. Charles Murphy & Reclaiming Francis

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, Msgr. Charles Murphy was working on the manuscript for a book on Saint Francis and the New Evangelization. It was providential. Murphy's book pointed to Saint Francis as the model for the modern New Evangelization. With a new pope taking the name Francis, it became clear he was on the right path. After the election, Murphy went back to work writing about the many important similarities between the saint and the pope and the worlds that encountered.  An Interview with Msgr. Charles Murphy Msgr. Murphy took a few minutes to answer our questions about this book in honor of this summer's Book of the Week series. Here is the interview:  1. What inspired you to write Reclaiming Francis? I was inspired to write this book in response to Pope Benedict's call for a new evangelization. St. Francis led the greatest religious revival in the history of the church. What can we learn from him for today? 2. What has the response been from readers of the book so far?  Everyone loves St. Francis but few know much about him. Some readers have commented "I love St. Francis but he is not for everyone". I disagree. He followed the Gospel with great literalness as we all must do. 3. If you had to pick one characteristic of St. Francis that could best help us carry out the new evangelization today, what would it be? Why?  Perfect joy. Pope Francis has reiterated this in his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. 4. Same question, but for Pope Francis. If you had to pick one characteristic of Pope Francis that could best help us carry out the new evangelization today, what would it be? Why?  Witness. When you encounter Pope Francis you are meeting someone who witnesses to Jesus. 5. A few weeks ago, you presented Pope Francis with a copy of your book. What was that experience like?  After the Wednesday public audience I presented my book to Pope Francis. He had already been driven around St. Peter's Square 45 minutes before the audience began greeting people. He shook every bishop's hand. At the end he greeted the sick, then married couples (in their wedding attire). Then, though he seemed tired, he gladly received my book and thanked me for it. We spoke in English. 6. How has your ministry changed as a result of writing this book?  I find myself challenging people more to practice evangelical simplicity of life, not buying into consumerism, and being more mindful of the poor in our midst. Reclaiming Francis is this week's Book of the Week. Find out more at www.avemariapress.com/bookoftheweek/reclaimingfrancis/.

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Two to Be Ordained Holy Cross Priests on April 26

Rev. Mr. Adam D. P. Booth, C.S.C., and Rev. Mr. Patrick E. Reidy, C.S.C., will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., provincial superior of the United States Province of Priests and Brothers, will present the two deacons for Ordination during the 2 p.m. Mass. The Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades, bishop of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, will confer the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Ordination will be streamed live here. On Sept. 7, 2013, Deacons Booth and Reidy professed perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and committed themselves to the common life and apostolic work of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Looking ahead to their Ordination Fr. O’Hara commented: “Holy Cross rejoices with Adam and Pat as they begin their priestly ministries with zeal. We know that Adam and Pat, true to the Holy Cross charism, will be a blessing to God’s people by making Him known, loved and served throughout the world as educators in the faith.” Read the full press release here on the website of the United States Province of Holy Cross.

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Seven AMP Books Named Finalists in 2014 ACP Excellence in Publishing Awards

The Association of Catholic Publishers has announced finalists for the 2014 Excellence in Publishing Awards, and Ave Maria Press has seven books that were named. They are listed below by category: Ministry Resources: Rebuilt by Michael White and Tom Corcoran and Redeeming Administration by Ann Garrido Children's Books: Holy Goals for Body and Soul by Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki General Interest: Six Sacred Rules for Families by Tim Muldoon and Sue Muldoon Inspirational: Atchison Blue by Judith Valente and Strange Gods by Elizabeth Scalia Prayer & Spirituality: The First Spiritual Exercises by Michael Hansen, S.J. The awards will be announced and presented on May 29, at the 2014 Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit (RBTE) in St. Charles, Illinois. The goal of these awards is to recognize the best in Catholic publishing. Read ACP's full press release on the awards here.

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Poets Explore Saints, Challenge Claim That Catholic Writer MIA

Notre Dame, IN—In 2012, famed editor and writer Paul Elie asked in a New York Times essay whether fiction had lost its faith. More recently, Dana Gioia examined the disappearance of Roman Catholicism from its traditionally formative role in arts culture, asking, more or less, where the Catholic writer has gone. A new poetry anthology, like the character in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, replies,“S/he’s not dead yet!” St. Peter’s B-list: Contemporary Poems Inspired by the Saints is composed of poems whose speakers narrate in the messy here and now, but whose musings point to the great company of Catholic saints. The anthology boasts contributions from such contemporary award-winning poets as Dana Gioia, Mary Karr, Paul Mariani, Brian Doyle, Franz Wright, Judith Valente, and Kate Daniels, as well as many new and emerging poets. The poems invite readers to imagine the saints as they never have before: a mother trying to get her newborn to fall asleep, an older brother concerned about the marriage of his sister, a man’s memory of his involvement in a bar fight, a burn victim’s compassion for a small child. Riffing on Flannery O’Connor’s incarnational view of art, Mary Ann B. Miller, editor of St. Peter’s B-list, reminds readers that “Christ’s humanity validates the natural world as wholly able to reveal to us the presence of the divinity within it.” Miller also distinguishes between artist and art: “I am making no judgment upon whether the author is a practicing Catholic, only that the content of these poems contains a basic underlying assumption that is essentially Catholic: the voices in these poems reflect belief in and hope for, often in spite of themselves, eventual union with God.” Neither devotional nor pious, these poems capture how, in unexpected ways, the saints illuminate daily life for everyday saints-in-the-making and ask readers to see the action of God in their own lives.

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Brusie Helps Women in Unplanned Pregnancies Answer the “Now What?”

When Chaunie Marie Brusie stared down at the two tell-tale lines on the pregnancy test, she knew her life had changed forever. As she puts it: “I was twenty-one, unmarried, a student in my senior year of college, and still taking my laundry home to my parents every weekend. The question of ‘What if I’m pregnant?’ quickly became ‘What the heck am I going to do now?’” As Brusie navigated her way forward, she learned that while many resources exist for teens facing unexpected pregnancies, there were surprisingly few for women in their twenties—the age range in which most abortions take place. She set out to advocate for better support systems at her college and became a pro-life advocate and speaker for Feminists for Life. For the millions of young women who each year find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, Tiny Blue Lines offers a map for navigating the murky waters of becoming a young mom, perhaps a single parent, and an aspiring professional. With humor and candor, Brusie offers the benefit of her experience for answering tough questions and learning how to process the experience of unplanned pregnancy in healthy ways. She explores such topics as: • How to Tell Your Parents • Things to Consider before You Tie the Knot • Navigating Your Feelings of Guilt • How to Deal with Rude People • Being a Student and a Mom • What No One Tells You about Unplanned Pregnancy Brusie reminds readers that their plight is near to the heart of Mary and that there is healing to be found in Catholic practices like the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Brusie provides lists, resources, humor, anecdotes, and spiritual inspiration to help women gracefully navigate this challenging terrain.

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Ave Maria Press Remembers William G. "Bill" Storey

William G. “Bill” Storey, longtime Ave Maria Press author and friend, passed away on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at the age of ninety. Bill was professor emeritus of Liturgy and Church History at the University of Notre Dame. He was the author of more than twenty-five books, many of which were modern prayer books that made the tradition of the Liturgy of the Hours accessible to a wide audience. His first book with Ave Maria Press in 1973 was Praise Him. It was one of the first books after Vatican II to offer a way for lay people to join in the praying of the Divine Office. Bless the Lord in 1975 expanded on Praise Him by providing daily morning and evening prayer for the liturgical seasons. In 1978 he coauthored with Thomas McNally, CSC, the popular prayer book Lord Hear Our Prayer. It has been revised numerous times and is still in print today. He and McNally also collaborated on Day by Day: The Notre Dame Prayerbook for Students. With more than a half million copies sold, it has been used by countless students at Notre Dame as well as in high schools around the United States. He also published with Ave Maria Press The Week with Christ in 1981 and Hail Mary: A Marian Book of Hours in 2002. We at Ave Maria Press are grateful to have shared in Bill’s groundbreaking work and offer our prayers and sympathy to his family and many friends. May he rest in peace!

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