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Thursday, April 24, 2014

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.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

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.

Monday, March 24, 2014

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.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

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.

Monday, January 20, 2014

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!

Friday, December 06, 2013

Free Study Guide Prompts Closer Look at Everyday Idols

Almost immediately after Elizabeth Scalia's Strange Gods: Unmasking Idols in Everyday Life was published, readers began meeting in small groups to study the book and reflect on the idols in their own lives. To help them in this effort, Scalia has now prepared a set of questions for reflection that are available as a free, downloadable study guide. Just in time for the biggest consumer (and most idol-inducing) holiday of the year, these incisive, thought-provoking prompts and questions are designed for use after each chapter of Strange Gods and invite readers to honest reflection on the presence of idols in their everyday lives. Perfect for both small-group and personal use, these questions will also be included in the next printing of the book, due out in early 2014. Download the study guide here.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Family Rosary Announces FREE Advent and Christmas Mobile App

Family Rosary, Ave Maria Press's fellow apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, announced yesterday that it has released a free mobile app to help Catholics spend a few minutes each day acknowledging the true meaning of Advent and Christmas. Family Rosary's app features meditative music with scripture and reflections for use on iPhones, iPads, Androids, and all other smartphones and is the perfect spiritual aid while standing in line to buy presents or trekking to stores in the wee hours for that midnight madness sale. When Advent begins on Sunday, Dec. 1, the mobile app will feature a new prayer each day. The app will be available starting November 29. Read more about this app here.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Hendey's Handbook First Audiobook for Ave Maria Press

Ave Maria Press is pleased to announce the launch of its first audiobook: Lisa Hendey's The Handbook for Catholic Moms is now available for download at Amazon.com, Audible.com, or in iTunes. With narration help from author and podcaster Pat Gohn, Hendey brings her first CatholicMom.com classic to life in this exciting audiobook. Now Catholic moms on the go who struggle to find time to read can receive Hendey's trusted, practical, and solidly Catholic coaching while exercising, driving, or working at home. This audiobook is not available at AveMariaPress.com. Readers can purchase it from the following online retailers: Amazon Audible.com iTunes