News

The Latest

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Family and Faith Take Center Stage at World Meeting of Families

Greg and Lisa Popcak are presenting a workshop at the World Meeting of Families—“See How They Love One Another: The Family and the Faith." Ave Maria Press recently asked the Popcaks about Pope Francis’s visit, faith and family, same-sex marriage, and the effects of popular culture on our kids. Here’s what they had to say: Ave Maria Press: Pope Francis will make his first visit to the United States as part of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Do you think the timing of his visit is meant to be a message to Americans? What family issues will Pope Francis likely address while he is in the United States? Greg and Lisa Popcak: I think it is a message for all people but, of course, America is the cultural trendsetter for the world. Culturally speaking, for better or worse, as America goes, the world follows. Pope Francis has been quite clear about some of his agenda items for the family. Most specifically, he has consistently reminded parents to spend time with their children, to slow down, to reassert the priority of family relationships over work and extracurricular activities and to pray together. People have suggested that this pope is less interested in the hot-button culture war issues of abortion, contraception, gay marriage, etc., but his strong comments in opposition to these issues suggest otherwise. Rather, I think the fact that he is not emphasizing these concerns speaks to the fact that there are more foundational issues at play—namely, the loss of meaningful connection between couples and within families. Q: A Pew research poll conducted just after the election of Pope Francis found that 76 percent of U.S. Catholics say the church should permit birth control; 54 percent of U.S. Catholics favor same-sex marriage; and 33 percent say homosexual behavior is a sin. What do these statistics say about U.S. Catholics today and what is the impact on the family? Do you think Pope Francis’s visit will have an impact on attitudes about those issues? A: It says that the Church has done a terrible job articulating its vision of family life. The Church leadership has assumed that “the kids are alright.” That family life is functioning “just fine” in general. Because of this, they have largely failed at articulating a coherent vision or mission statement for families, focusing, instead, on simply listing—but not really even explaining—the “do nots.” They think that because people show up on Sunday that they both understand and support the mission of the Church, but as Sherry Weddell’s research has shown, only about 3 percent of Catholics really get it. The fact that so many Catholics aren’t on board with the Church’s vision of family life is just a symptom of the deeper problem that the vast majority of Catholics have been sacramentalized, but fewer have been actually catechized, and fewer still have been evangelized. I hope that Pope Francis’s visit will have a positive impact. I believe that this is what he is attempting to accomplish with the Synod on the Family, but making systemic change is terrifically hard. Q: What role does faith play in a strong marriage? A: Research on marital satisfaction and stability consistently shows that “shared meaning” is a critical component in a couple’s happiness and ability to weather the storms of life. Compared to couples who think that marriage is just about them, husbands and wives who believe their relationship serves a greater purpose or higher cause are more able to overcome the challenges that life throws at them. Additionally, having a strong, shared faith has been shown to increase marital satisfaction because it enables couples to draw deeper meaning out of the events of their life and experience connection on deeper levels with each other. Q: How does popular culture affect marriages? A: The reality is that popular culture doesn’t just affect marriage. It defines it. It tells couples what they have a right to expect from their relationships, how they should behave toward each other, and how to know whether the relationship is good or not and whether it’s worth holding onto or not. That’s what I meant when I said above that the Church leadership has failed to articulate a coherent, compelling vision of marriage and family life. They have let popular culture define these terms and now, we’re playing catch-up and trying to keep the whole thing from falling in on itself after the fact. As far as rank-and-file Catholics are concerned, popular culture is the magisterial authority on marriage and family life, not the Church. This is largely because, for decades, bishops and pastors have accepted and even encouraged this dynamic. Q: What kind of influence does popular culture have our children’s faith? What can we do to counteract the negative influence of popular culture in our lives? A: Interestingly, research shows that popular culture doesn’t have to have a negative impact on faith development at all. More than anything else, if children experience the faith as the source of the warmth in their family and if fathers take the lead in faith formation, then the children will own the faith. But that’s critical. If children don’t see that the faith is making a practical difference in their family life, that their family isn’t actively striving to be more committed, loving, and joyful than the families of their non-believing friends, then they will come to see their parent and their parent’s faith as hypocritical and they will defer to the wider culture to tell them how to live and have relationships. Q: According to a new Pew study about the changing religious landscape in the U.S., the share of the Catholic population in this country has dropped from 23.9 percent to 20.8 percent between 2007 and 2014. Nearly one in five adults who were raised as Christians or in another religion now say they have no affiliation. What are the most important things parents can do to help our children understand, accept, and live out their Catholic faith throughout their lives? What can we do beginning at birth to establish a strong Catholic foundation in our children’s lives? A: Researchers have found that secure attachment is absolutely critical for healthy faith development. Psychologically speaking, parents are the face of God to their children—especially in the first five years of life. The willingness of a parents to respond to their children’s needs generously, promptly, and consistently directly predicts their children’s ability to see God as a trustworthy, benevolent, and credible influence in their lives. By the way, responding generously, promptly, and consistently to children’s needs doesn’t mean spoiling them. It means modeling the kind of generosity you expect from them in return and, as they get older, teaching them that just as you continually work for their good, they need to look for ways to contribute to the well being of the family and the order and joy of the household as well. Of course, what makes all this possible is the fact that, as Catholic families, we’re trying to live out the generous, servant leadership of Jesus Christ himself. When our children can see the impact of this kind of mutually generous family life, and see that the source of this is the family’s desire to follow Christ’s example—which we learn more about when we go to church and do church-related activities—faith doesn’t seem so much like some boring, grown-up hobby that they can’t wait to abandon.

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

New Rebuilt Parish Book Focuses on Communications

Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran know that a parish doesn’t just communicate its mission from the pulpit. Teaching and preaching also happen in classes and small groups, in bulletins, on the church website and social media, and through volunteers who welcome visitors through its doors. In the newest book in the Rebuilt Parish series, Rebuilding Your Message, White and Corcoran tackle a key issue—parish communications. Ave Maria Press asked White and Corcoran to reflect about Rebuilding Your Message: Ave Maria Press: Why did you focus on communications for the next book in the Rebuilt series? Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran: We focused on communications for a few reasons. One, we believe that this is an area of the Church that has a great potential for growth. We believe if parishes put more time and energy in their communications they would see great growth in reaching lost people and making disciples. Second, we are able to speak from experience on this issue as we have seen a great rise in giving and in volunteerism as a result of focusing efforts on communication. Third, at the end of the day, parishes are in the communications business. The Gospel means “Good News.” We are in the business of stewarding the most important news that exists: God so loved the world he gave his only Son. Unfortunately, this message gets lost in all the other noise and communication around. We have the most important message, but if we do not communicate it well, no one will know about it. Q: What is the most important thing you want readers to take away from Rebuilding Your Message? A: As parishes, we steward the life-changing message of the Gospel. It is the most important message there is and deserves our very best efforts in communicating it. Q: When you talk about communications and message, why is it important to also include parishioners? A: Parishioners are meant to help communicate the message and carry it to the world. The members of our Church should not just be consumers, but people who share the message of the Gospel with the world. Q: Why does Nativity’s story resonate with so many Catholics, both religious and lay people? A: Many people share in the frustrations and concerns that characterized our parish that things are not going well. People love their parishes and want to see them succeed. Nativity’s story represents hope that God is still active and that the Church can be rebuilt. Q: When you were looking to change the status quo at Nativity, you visited some Protestant mega-churches and consulted with Pastor Rick Warren and business expert Patrick Lencioni. Why? What is the most important thing you learned from each of them? A: Overall, we learned from Rick Warren that things could be different. We learned that our Church culture could be warm and welcoming and friendly. He gave us hope and now our intention is to do the same for other parishes. Our relationship with Pat Lencioni has only developed more recently. Pat has taught us about the importance of a healthy organization and how it is achieved through some very simple practices. Most important to the health of an organization is a core team that creates clarity.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

New Book Answers Pope's Call for Parents to Teach Children to Pray

During his weekly catechesis on the family on Aug. 26, 2015, Pope Francis reminded parents of their responsibility to teach their children how to pray. “There are children who have not learned how to make the sign of the cross!” the Holy Father said. “You, mother, father! Teach your children how to pray, how to make the sign of the cross!” Grace Mazza Urbanski, director of Children’s Ministry for the Apostleship of Prayer in the United States, offers a means to help parents and their children become closer to God through prayer in her new book Pray with Me: Seven Simple Ways to Pray with Your Children. We recently asked Urbanski about the importance of prayer in families: Ave Maria Press: What part does prayer play in your family life, especially with your own children? Grace Mazza Urbanski: Remembering to pray is like turning on the hose spigot; God's grace is the water. I have no idea, on any given day, how I'll need the grace God offers through prayer, but I can be absolutely certain that I'll need the grace. The water analogy is helpful, because I use water in hundreds of ways each day: to take a shower, brush my teeth, do the dishes, run a load of laundry, prepare meals, avoid dehydration, and all the rest. If I suddenly had no access to water, all of these common tasks would be hugely difficult, even impossible. The same is true with God’s grace. Prayer reminds me that everything is God’s gift. Everything. Life itself becomes impossible without God’s saving help And so I pray—sometimes rapturously in quiet meditation, but most often in short, panicky bursts of “Oh, my God!” Keeping up that conversation with God reminds me that God provides all I need. My husband and I started praying together when we were dating. Going to Mass and praying before meals came pretty naturally, but more spontaneous, private forms of prayer felt awkward at first. Sharing the intentions that were on our hearts, discussing what God might be asking of us—this kind of prayer took some getting used to. Once we realized we were going to be a family together, we decided prayer would have to remain a constant. If children were in the plan (and they were!), we would ask God to help us make prayer a totally natural, organic part of the family life. We wanted to help our children avoid the terrible shyness my husband and I felt toward each other when we started praying together. With God’s help, we would throw open the spigot and let God’s grace slosh all around our home. Consequently, talking about God and to God is habitual. We have standard prayer triggers, like the Morning Offering, prayers before and after meals, and nighttime prayers. We also like to slip into prayer at spontaneous moments, like when we see something beautiful, have a really good time with company, or are wrestling with a difficult homework problem. One of my favorite recent developments in our family prayer involves our little prayer space in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We have a marvelous image set prominently on a bookshelf in the kitchen. When we are facing particularly snarly problems, one or more of us will stand before the Sacred Heart and share all our wounds with Jesus. This special place has been the source of great comfort and peace. Q: Why is it important for any parent to teach their children how to pray? What do you tell parents about teaching their children to pray as part of your job as director of Children’s Ministry at the Apostleship of Prayer? What’s the most important thing for parents to remember? Is there an ideal age to start? A: Children who pray have a constant source of confidence. Children who spend time every day paying attention to their relationship with God will grow up knowing that God ALWAYS has a plan of joy and goodness in store for them. This can’t start too early! Parents can pray with children in the womb. I have found that saying or singing the same prayers at the same time each night prepares a baby for life outside the womb. In physical terms, this means babies pick up on familiar bedtime prayer cues and learn how to fall asleep on their own more effectively. When I speak to families about prayer, I often relate one of the most powerful stories I have ever heard about the fruits of prayer. I met an older gentleman who was interested in what I do for the Apostleship of Prayer. After a little while, he took me aside and told me the secret of his life: when he was in grade school, 1st or 2nd grade, his teacher looked him straight in the eye and told him, “God is ALWAYS with you.” His teacher was aware of the difficult home life plaguing him, and said again, “God is ALWAYS with you.” As he grew, this boy faced temptations and challenges that sometimes threatened his very life. At most difficult moments, he remembered—and even felt—the presence of God, which led him to make healthy, life-giving choices when no one would have expected that of him. That's the power of a personal relationship with God. Prayer plants familiarity with God deep, deep within each of us, where it can actually save our lives. One of my best friends has four young children. Though she works in ministry, she was shocked to realize, upon the birth of her first child, that her son had his very own relationship with God that she did not create. Her son had a living connection to the God of the universe, and her job was to respect that relationship, nurture it, and never forget it. That’s the most important thing parents can keep in mind: our children are not ours. They belong to our beloved heavenly Father, and we are at our best when we help our children delight in belonging to God. Q: How did you come up with the idea for Pray With Me? How will it help both parents and children? A: When I began working at the Apostleship of Prayer, I was surprised to meet so many parents and teachers who felt sheepish about praying with children. Some felt inadequate or hypocritical. Others preferred to pray alone and saw no obvious connection between their own private prayer life and the prayer lives of their family members. It only took a few months for me to see a real crisis in confidence among adults who care for children. Most adults vaguely want children to have robust prayer lives, but feel unequipped to help them. I wrote Pray with Me to provide some basic tools for folks who just don't know where to begin. Some families who do pray together, but rigidly, get stuck in a rut. The book has inspiring ideas to help them discover new prayer triggers and fresh ways to spend time with God. Praying can feel as natural as breathing. And there are so many ways to pray! I hope adults will enjoy the book (it has some pretty funny stories) and grow in confidence. God is thirsting for us! Prayer turns on the spigot and refreshes us all.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Congregation of Holy Cross, Ave Featured in New PBS Documentary

The premiere of a new PBS documentary that features the Congregation of Holy Cross and its apostolates, including Ave Maria Press, will air at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 21, 2015, on WNIT channel 34.1 in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan. The documentary Sacred Mission-Civic Duty, which looks at how Holy Cross and its apostolates have been influential to the growth and development of South Bend, Indiana, is part of WNIT’s celebration of the city’s 150th anniversary. Ave Maria Press also celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding by Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., this year. Ave is actually several weeks older than the city of South Bend. Sacred Mission-Civic Duty explores the history and impact of the brothers, sisters, and priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross on education, health care, arts and culture, and the economy in South Bend and surrounding communities. “There’s a small group of men and women living and working, often silently and behind the scenes, in our midst who have an outsized effect on Michiana,” says program producer Will Turbow. “Many area residents are simply unaware of these organizations, but they play big and important roles in South Bend’s continuing evolution.” Through interviews with Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame; Br. Chester Freel, C.S.C.,superior of the of the Midwest Province of the Brothers of Holy Cross; Sr. M. Veronique (Wiedower), president of the Sisters of the Holy Cross; Tom Grady, publisher of Ave Maria Press; and many others, WNIT viewers will learn how their lives are influenced by the Congregation, regardless of their religious faith. Rebroadcasts of Sacred Mission-Civic Duty are scheduled on WNIT at 4 p.m. September 26 and at 7 p.m. Oct. 1.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Fatica Brings 'Amazing' Show to EWTN

To Justin Fatica, author of Win it All: The Way to Heaven for Catholic Teens, every person is amazing. Now he’s taking his message to EWTN on a new series. “You’re Amazing With Justin Fatica,” which premieres online on the Catholic network’s YouTube channel at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 27. The series will air regularly at 10 p.m. Thursdays starting Sept. 3 on EWTN. In each episode, Fatica—speaker, evangelist, and executive director of Hard as Nails Ministry—helps bring young people and their parents to Christ as he visits high schools across the United States, speaking with teens about issues such as pornography, broken families, premarital sex, self-mutilation, and lost loved ones. There will be a live pre-show on “Life on the Rock” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 27 also on YouTube where Fatica and LOTR producer Jeremy Rivera will interact with students from John Carroll High School in Birmingham, Alabama, and LOTR cohosts Rev. Mark Mary and Doug Barry. Fatica will also take viewer questions, which can be sent to amazing@ewtn.com. Find out more about the series and view the trailers at http://www.ewtn.com/amazing.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Family Theater Releases New Family Drama Based on Holy Cross Apostolate in Phoenix

In 40 Hours, Family Theater Productions’ newest faith-based family film, the characters find out about the importance of prayer is when faced with difficult circumstances. Rev. David Guffey, C.S.C., national director of Family Theater, wrote and directed the movie based on his experiences at André House, a soup kitchen and homeless center in Phoenix founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. "The drama is based on various experiences that occurred when I managed André House,": Fr. Guffey said. "These powerful moments continually showed us the power of prayer and God’s love. I knew my experiences would make a great story someday." 40 Hours follows the continuing story of Cristina, a 16-year-old high school student who was first featured in Family Dinner, released by Family Theater Productions last year. In the most recent film, she must volunteer for 40 hours at a charitable organization for one of her classes. Cristina hopes to just put in her time, but becomes close to people she would normally never meet. She quickly makes friends with other volunteers and homeless guests, especially, Kat, a girl about her age. When Kat relapses into old and dangerous habits, Cristina tries to help her, but she resists and Cristina soon learns that sometimes the only thing you can do is to pray and let God do the rest. "Prayer helps us have hope in the ways God's grace works so that we can see the resurrection moments in our lives every day," Fr. Guffey said. This powerful drama relates to scripture and the First Glorious Mystery of the Rosary, The Resurrection. The film is ideal for families looking to deepen their faith while exploring the spiritual side of topical issues and how they relate to the life of Christ. It is part of a DVD series for teens and families and can be used in faith formation programs. To find out more about the film and to watch the trailer, check out www.FamilyTheater.org/40Hours. For more on Andre House, visit www.andrehouse.org. Holy Cross Family Ministries, the parent of Family Theater, and Ave Maria Press are apostolates of the U.S. Province.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

'Sacred Reading' a Unique Way to Pray Lectio Divina

With the release of the new annual prayer book Sacred Reading: The 2016 Guide to Daily Prayer, Ave Maria Press asked author Doug Leonard, executive director of the Apostleship of Prayer—“the pope’s prayer group”—to reflect on its uniqueness and the overall importance of daily prayer in our lives. Ave Maria Press: What is unique about Sacred Reading? Douglas Leonard: It's a unique mix of Ignatian prayer practices: reminding yourself that you are already in the presence of God as you begin to pray; God is also present to pray through you; the Scripture is the daily Gospel which revolves around Jesus, himself the Word of God; you read the passage with your whole being—mind, emotions, imagination, etc.; you pray beginning with what jumps out at you (prompted by the Spirit, one trusts); your prayer can involve any or all modes of prayer—asking for things, praising, worshipping, interceding, thanking, and/or just being present with God; you take time to listen to what the Lord has to say to you; and finally you ask God to show you how to live today so the prayer experience makes a difference in your daily life. What is unique about the book is that it prompts the reader to pray—it doesn't try to do the praying for the reader. The prompts are also an effort to get the Holy Spirit involved in the prayer. It's all about openness to God's leading. You may be moved to sing or dance! Those can be prayer too. Question: Lectio Divina is an ancient practice. How can Catholics make it relevant for their lives today? Leonard: Lectio Divina is just Latin for ‘sacred reading’ and people have been doing in as long as there has been scripture. Any part of the Bible can be used—Genesis through Revelation. Some people pray with other spiritual texts as well, like Thomas a Kempis' Imitation of Christ. Sacred Reading is relevant for anyone who seeks to encounter God and grow in his or her relationship with God. Question: Why is a prayer practice such as this so important to work into our daily lives? Leonard: Doing it daily makes it an ongoing relationship rather than a weekly or occasional experience. Prayer is the key to knowing and loving God. If we love someone, we want to communicate with him or her every day. Without prayer, we have no relationship with God (though God always has a relationship with us and every person in the world). Doing Sacred Reading every day makes it a cumulative experience because you carry your experience of previous days into this day. In that way, Sacred Reading becomes an increasingly rich experience. This is one good reason to do it with a journal—writing your words and God's words. That spiritual notebook over time becomes your spiritual autobiography. After my mother died I found among her papers some prayers she'd written down and she'd even recorded what God was saying to her. What God said to her was very precious. Question: How does Sacred Reading fit into the overall mission of the Apostleship of Prayer? Leonard: Sacred Reading fits the mission of the Apostleship of Prayer because we encourage people to offer themselves to God each day for the good of themselves, those in need, all people, those who serve Christ and his Church. That offering of self to God is a natural thing to do while engaged in sacred reading. If Jesus says, “follow me” you will respond “I am doing it, Lord. How may I serve you today?” Sacred Reading tries to encourage people to serve others, not just pray for them—though it starts with prayer. Everything starts with prayer. Question: Is this kind of prayer practice hard to do? Does it get boring? How long does it take? Leonard: No, you cannot make a mistake. This prayer relies on God. It's open ended. There is no script, just prompts. Even the same passage will jump out at you in different ways, as the Spirit moves. It takes as little as five minutes, I suppose, but even as much as an hour. It depends how long you are able to talk to God. Sometimes we need to “pray through” a particularly difficult challenge in our lives or our faith. This is a great way to pray through. Question: Is Sacred Reading a contemplative prayer method? Leonard: Yes. Contemplation and meditation are many things to many people. With practice, you become better at contemplation and meditation. This book seeks to give you practice in contemplation every day. In fact, I developed this method of sacred reading for my own prayer life. I really wanted to involve the best of everything into one daily experience. This is how I pray and, glory to God, I feel the Lord meets me, teaches me, talks to me, loves me, and guides me every day. God also hears my prayers for others.

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Two More Textbooks Available on iBookstore

Two high school religion textbooks published by Ave Maria Press have been added to our iBookstore catalog. Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching: Living as a Disciple of Christ, the most recently released textbook in the new Encountering Jesus series, is organized around the seven principles of Catholic social teaching and helps students gain a greater understanding of the roots of social teaching in the Church, its context in the Bible and the Catechism, and real-life examples of charity and justice in action. Download this eTextbook on the iBookstore today. Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching is in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and fulfills the requirements of Elective C of the USCCB Curriculum Framework. Encountering Jesus in the New Testament, our most popular textbook, also has been added to the iBookstore. The content and detail in Encountering Jesus in the New Testament is unparalleled for introductory high school Scripture courses and offers support for the introductory courses of the USCCB Curriculum Framework. This text is a combination of Christology—a complete study of the person and divinity of Jesus Christ—with an overview of the books of the New Testament. Download this eTextbook on the iBookstore today. Encountering Jesus in the New Testament has been found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can download free samples of both textbooks from the iBooks app. The complete digital textbook of each book can be downloaded for $12.99. Other Ave texbooks available in the iBookstore include; Exploring the Religions of Our World (Elective E), Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World (Course I), Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry (Course II), Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation (Course III), Meeting Jesus in the Sacraments (Course V), and Your Life in Christ: Foundations in Catholic Morality (Course VI).