Rev. William M. Lies, C.S.C., has been elected provincial superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.
Lies was elected to a six-year term by his peers during the Provincial Chapter in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, June 14, 2018. He succeeds Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., who served for one term. As provincial superior, Lies will oversee the work and welfare of more than 500 priests, brothers, and seminarians in the US Province, which also includes apostolates such as Ave Maria Press, and missions in East Africa, Chile, Peru, and Mexico.
His election was confirmed by the superior general of the Congregation in Rome, Rev. Robert Epping, C.S.C.
A native of Little Falls, Minnesota, Lies was born on July 4, 1962, and is one of ten children. He has a twin brother, Jim, who is also a Holy Cross priest. Lies earned his bachelor’s degree in English with minors in French and Philosophy from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He entered the Congregation of Holy Cross on Aug.15, 1988, professed First Vows on Aug. 12, 1989, received his master's of divinity degree from the University of Notre Dame and took Final Vows on Aug. 28, 1993. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 9, 1994.
Lies earned his doctorate in Latin American politics from the University of Pittsburgh. His research and teaching have focused on human rights, religion, and politics in Latin America, and the politics of poverty. He has given talks and lectures throughout the country, and serves on a number of related domestic and international boards. In 2013, Lies received Catholic Charities USA’s “Keep the Dream Alive” award that honors Martin Luther King Jr.
Prior to his election as provincial superior, Lies served as vice president for mission engagement and church affairs at Notre Dame. In that role, he acted as liaison for Notre Dame to the Congregation of Holy Cross, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Holy See. Lies also oversaw the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem.
He previously served as executive director of ND's Center for Social Concerns and taught in the Department of Political Science. Lies is a fellow of both the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies.
Six Ave Maria Press authors are finalists in the 2018 Excellence in Publishing Awards by the Association of Catholic Publishers.
ACP annually recognizes the best in Catholic publishing in ten categories. Ave’s finalists and their categories are:
Why I Am Catholic (and You Should Be Too) by Brandon Vogt, general interest;
Lift Up Your Heart by Rev. John Burns, inspirational;
Prayer Seeds by Joyce Rupp, prayer & spirituality;
The Way of Catechesis by Gerard F. Baumbauch, resources for ministry;
El Credo by Hosffman Ospino, Spanish; and
God Is Not Nice by Ulrich L. Lehner, theology.
The 2018 award winners will be presented in June.
In their new book Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage Dan and Amber DeMatte offer a 33-day, in-home retreat for couples as a means to live radical holiness and consecrate your marriage to Christ. Giving and receiving love and living for the sake of others—especially your spouse and children—will help you achieve holiness, they say. You can even find holiness in the everyday tasks of marriage and family life such as doing the dishes, changing diapers, and cleaning up messes.
This retreat will help you fall deeper in love with Christ, your spouse and children, and the world God calls you to serve.
The DeMattes shared their vision and hopes for the book in an interview with Ave Maria Press.
Ave: What inspired you to write Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage?
Dan: Holiness in marriage is difficult. It’s hard to be holy when you are raising children, going to work, keeping up with household chores, and managing busy lives. But we wanted to live radical holiness in our lives. We didn’t want to blend in to the rest of the world and walk along the wide path that leads to destruction. We wanted to discover the narrow path. Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage is our reflections on what walking the narrow path looks like as married couples. It is in fact the "more" that you are looking for as a married couple.
Amber: We were inspired to write this book by a call for radical holiness in our lives. I'm sure many of us have experienced it. It's a whisper in our hearts that simply cries out for more. We want more of God and more from our marriages but we need a practical path to get there. The Lord inspired Dan to unpack the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. At first, I'll be honest, it scared me. Doesn't poverty stoke fear in most of us? But as we explored it together I grew in appreciation for the freedom, joy, and abundance these counsels brought into our lives and our marriage.
Ave: What is the most important message you want readers to walk away from the book with?
Dan: They are created to be a self-gift in every aspect of their lives. They are to be a gift with their finances, a gift with their time, a gift with their resources, a gift to their spouse, and a gift to the world. I want the readers to know that their marriage isn’t for themselves, but it is for the kingdom of God. They exist to bring heaven to earth.
Amber: I'd love to see our readers walk away with a more intimate relationship with God the Father. He offers abundant life through the radical call of the cross. His arms are heavy with gifts for us. I want to see our readers receive those gifts and live that life.
Why is this topic so important right now?
Dan: Marriage is in crisis. With divorces increasing every day, the three secrets to holiness in marriage are, in fact, the recipe to cure divorce in the world.
Amber: We all enter into marriage with such high hopes. If they've picked up this book, chances are the readers began their marriages focused on living their lives for Christ. But then life happens and all of a sudden you begin to understand why everyone says marriage is hard! What many of us don't know is that we can do hard things. We forget that God is for us, not against us. And frankly, we forget the Cross. The Father is giving us everything we need to succeed in marriage and obtain salvation together.
Have you seen changes in your own relationship since you wrote the book?
Dan: I’ve found a lot of peace. Our marriage was never "broken" so it didn’t need to be fixed. But I wanted more in life. I wanted to give God everything but I didn’t know how. These three secrets taught me how to give God everything while living marriage. I love Jesus more; I love my wife more; and I love my children more having written this book.
Amber: There is no better way to learn than to teach. While writing this book the Holy Spirit shone a light on many areas in our own personal lives where Dan and I need to change and grow. We are on this journey with you! The end goal is perfect love!
It’s providential that a book on gratefulness is being released during a time of intense division in the United States. In Gratefulness: The Habit of a Grace-Filled Life, Susan Muto, executive director of the Epiphany Association, explores how life-changing a spirit of gratefulness can be by using both personal and well-known examples of the struggles and rewards of grateful living.
Muto and companions such as Julian of Norwich, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Henri J. M. Nouwen, and Dorothy Day highlight the power of gratitude as a grace from God and walk with us as we learn to practice thankfulness.
Muto also shares about the benefits of positivity and dangers of negativity, the redemptive power of prayer, and the lasting fruits of thankfulness.
She talked more about the book in this Q&A with Ave Maria Press:
Ave Maria Press: What inspired you to write Gratefulness?
Susan Muto: The answer is simple. On a personal note I want to be a more grateful person, and I ask God daily to grant me this grace. On a second note, I seemed to have reached a point where I cannot bear the blanket of negativity that covers so much of our culture today. Bad news. Hatred. Bitter complaints. All breed the poison of negativity. It concerns me, and it ought to concern everyone who reads this book. We need to honor scripture and proclaim the Good News; love one another as God loves us; and find at least one reason everyday to be grateful.
Ave: What is the most important message you want readers to walk away from the book with?
Muto: I want to arm readers with the conviction that to be grateful is not to be "pollyannish," but to be proponents of a positive approach to life that is good for their health (research reveals that negativity and stress erode our immune system) and an excellent way to promote a holier life (positivity lightens every burden life puts upon us). In brief, the main message of this book is: A grateful heart will change your life for the better.
Ave: Why is the topic of gratefulness so critical now?
Muto: Each time we turn on the television or read a newspaper or browse social media, we can feel descending upon us the heavy weight of nets of negativity that can result in low-grade depression and a devilish feeling of hopelessness. We must ask ourselves if we have the courage to trust in the Lord and be thankful; to respect life on all levels; and to truly believe that goodness prevails over evil. Gratefulness may not come as naturally to us as ungratefulness. That is why we need to ask God for this grace. As I try to show in my book, we also need to consult the companions of grateful living God has given us in the saints, the mystics, and the spiritual masters both alive and well from ancient to modern times.
Ave: Why are the saints and mystics good models of gratefulness? Is there one in particular whom you connect with more than others?
Muto: These stellar souls prove the point that to place God first in our life is to choose to be loving, not hateful, like St. John of the Cross; generous, not greedy like Dorothy Day; self-giving, not self-serving, like St. Vincent de Paul.
Deeply impressive to me was the life and writing of the fourteenth-century English mystic Julian of Norwich. Etched on my heart for many years and penned in this book are her wonderfully appreciative words, "All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well." Such is the habit of a grace-filled life and such is the physically, emotional, and spiritual wellness and happiness it yields. May every reader of Gratefulness benefit from this legacy and pass it on to the next generation of the grateful and gracious people of God.
Ave Maria Press author Katie Prejean McGrady is one of three young Americans invited to Rome in March for a meeting that precedes the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment.
She will represent the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at the meeting. The two other USCCB delegates are Br. Javier Hansen, FSC, a religion teacher from El Paso, Texas, and Nick Lopez, the director of campus ministry for the University of Dallas. All three have local and national connections to the life of the Church, according to the USCCB, and they represent the cultural and vocational diversity of the U.S. Church.
“It is easily one of the greatest honors of my life," Prejean McGrady said. “While there, I am greatly looking forward to the chance to learn through dialogue and discussion, how other countries uniquely lead young people into an authentic and personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and to bring this information home to share with our bishops, priests, and lay men and women working in ministry.”
Prejean McGrady is a Catholic speaker and the author of Room 24 and the forthcoming Follow: Your Lifelong Adventure with Jesus, a book geared toward young people.
She shares the gospel with a unique blend of humor and storytelling that weaves in theological truths to engage audiences of all ages and sizes. She has spoken at the National Catholic Youth Conference, Steubenville Youth Conferences, the National Conference for Catholic Youth Ministry, the National Catholic Educational Conference, the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, and in dioceses and parishes across North America. Prejean McGrady has appeared on EWTN, CatholicTV, Relevant Radio, Radio Maria, and on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel. She lives with her husband and daughter in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Pope Francis and the Synod of Bishops called the meeting to listen to young adults around the world in the advance of the 2018 Ordinary Synod that will take place in October at the Vatican.
"We are delighted that Br. Javier, Nick, and Katie have accepted the invitation to represent the youth and young adults of the United States at this important gathering in Rome,” said Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., chairman of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. “We hope that all Catholics will join us in praying for them and for all the young delegates from around the world, participating in the pre-synod conference.”
For more information, check out the complete announcement on the USSB website. Find out more about the synod on its official Vatican website.
Rev. Edward Looney, a priest in the diocese of Green Bay, will be the featured speaker for the annual retailer luncheon at the 2018 Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show.
Fr. Looney will speak at noon on July 31, 2018, at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The show runs from July 31 through August 3, 2018. The luncheon is sponsored by Ave Maria Press.
Fr. Looney is a pastor, Marian theologian, writer, and speaker. He is the author of the recently released A Heart Like Mary’s: 31 Daily Meditations to Help You Live and Love as She Does.
“We are so pleased that Fr. Looney will be sharing his message of Marian love and devotion with Catholic retailers,” said Karey Circosta, vice president of sales and marketing at Ave Maria Press. “His passion for Mary is contagious.”
Looney earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2011 from Conception Seminary College. He also received a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and a master’s degree in divinity from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.
In 2007, Looney received the Sharon Schumer Pro-Life Award. He is a member of the Thomas Merton Society and the Mariological Society of America, where he was elected to be a councilor in 2015. He is the author of seven books. He has contributed to numerous publications, including Catholic Digest, Catholic Exchange, Ignitum Today, Catholic Lane, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He also has appeared on EWTN TV and Radio, Relevant Radio, the Catholic Channel on SiriusXM Radio, Spirit Radio, Mater Dei Radio, and Radio Maria.
Holy Cross priest Rev. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.—"the Rosary priest"—is another step closer to becoming a saint. He was declared venerable by Pope Francis on Monday, December 18, 2017.
Peyton, who founded Family Rosary in 1942 with the goal of building family unity through daily prayer of the Rosary, is well known for his saying, “the family that prays together stays together.” Being named venerable means that the Holy Father has recognized Peyton’s heroic virtues and sanctity of life. The next step in the canonization process is being named “blessed,” which comes once a miracle is attributed to his intercession. After a second miracle is attributed to Peyton’s intercession, the Pope would name him a saint.
"We are filled to overflowing with joy at this news," said Rev. Wilfred Raymond, C.S.C., president of Holy Cross Family Ministries. "How exciting and encouraging it is just to write the designation 'venerable!' This designation represents a rare recognition by the universal Church that Fr. Peyton is a person of heroic virtue and a life worthy of veneration by all Christians."
Evidence collected from witnesses and supporting documents on Peyton's life, virtues, and reputation of holiness had previously been approved by a panel of nine theologians and fifteen cardinals and archbishops who voted to recognize his heroic virtues.
Hundreds of testimonies to Peyton's heroic virtue and holiness of life have been recorded. Tens of thousands of prayer cards containing a prayer for a favor through Peyton's intercession are in circulation. Hundreds of favors have been reported. Some of these favors are remarkable healings for which there is no medical explanation.
Peyton also founded Family Theater Productions in Hollywood in 1947. Today both Family Rosary and Family Theater are part of Holy Cross Family Ministries, an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, of which Ave Maria Press also is an apostolate.
Timeline of the Cause of Sainthood for Rev. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.
Peyton died on June 3, 1992, in San Pedro, California. The cause was transferred from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (his place of death) to the Diocese of Fall River (where he was buried).
July 1997: First step in the cause process; the Congregation of Holy Cross asked the bishop to open an investigation of Peyton's life.
June 2001: A nihil obstat was granted from Rome and Peyton was given the title, "Servant of God."
October 2003: Diocesan inquiry opened.
November 2005: The review of a possible medical miracle in Africa was closed and the documentation was sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome.
November 2008: Due to the significant scope of the study, Peyton's Cause for Sainthood was moved from the Diocese of Fall River to the Archdiocese of Baltimore by the Holy See.
July 2010: The tribunal in Baltimore closed and the 6,000 pages of documentation (known as the "Acts") were sent to Rome to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
November 2010: A tribunal to conduct the diocesan inquiry of the possible medical miracle attributed to Peyton was formed.
December 2014: A summary of the Acts was completed. This document, called a Positio, is a 1,300 page summary of Peyton's life and ministry and the primary source for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to determine if Peyton lived a life of heroic virtue and sanctity of life.
June 2017: The Theological Congress for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints voted to move Peyton's Cause forward.
December 18, 2017: Pope Francis authorized the Congregation to promulgate the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Peyton, declaring him venerable.
Prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Patrick Peyton
Dear Jesus: Father Peyton devoted his priestly life to strengthening the families of the world by calling them to pray together every day, especially the Rosary. His message is as important for us now as it was during his life on earth. We beg you, therefore, to hasten the day of his beatification so that your faithful people everywhere will remember his message that “The Family That Prays Together Stays Together” will imitate him in his devotion to your Mother and ours, and will be inspired by his holy life to draw ever closer to you with childlike confidence and love. Amen.
Prayer for a Favor through the Intercession of Venerable Patrick Peyton
God, our Father: your wisdom is displayed in all creation and the power of your grace is revealed in the lives of holy people, who inspire us to trust you more fully and to serve others more generously. In a unique way, you blessed the life and work of your servant Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., and made him a fervent apostle of Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary and Mother of us all. Through his intercession, we ask for this favor. . . Please grant it, if it is for your honor and glory, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Jaymie Stuart Wolfe is joining the staff of Ave Maria Press as senior editor, trade books.
"I am delighted that Jaymie is joining our team,"said Tom Grady, publisher. "She has a broad and informed knowledge of the Church and an appreciation of the richness and diversity of the Catholic publishing landscape."
A Cleveland, Ohio, native, Wolfe worked for a number of years as a faith formation coordinator and music director at a parish in the Boston area. From 2010 to 2016, she was editor at Pauline Books and Media. For the past year she’s served as acquisitions editor at Our Sunday Visitor.
In addition to writing a regular column for The Boston Pilot for the past twenty years, Wolfe also is the author of several books for adults and children. Her first book, The Wonder Within, was published by Ave.
She will acquire trade titles for the Ave Maria Press, Sorin Books, and Christian Classics imprints in the areas of spirituality, history, biography, theology, and marriage and family life. Wolfe will begin her new position on January 3, 2018.
She and her husband, Andrew, are the parents of eight children. They live in the Boston area.
