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Schlaver, Former Editor and Pubisher, Served at Ave Maria Press for 10 Years

Fr. David E. Schlaver, CSC December 5, 1942–December 10, 2022 NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Fr. David E. Schlaver, CSC, 80—former editor and publisher of Ave Maria Press—died on December 10, 2022, at Holy Cross House. He was born on December 5, 1942, in Kewanee, Illinois, the oldest of three children of Clarence and Elizabeth (Cronau) Schlaver. He graduated from Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois, in 1960. In 1966, Schlaver graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, where he heard God’s call to the priesthood. He entered the Congregation of Holy Cross' Sacred Heart Novitiate in Jordan, Minnesota, on August 15, 1963; professed final vows on April 9, 1969; and was ordained a priest on December 18, 1971. Schlaver earned a master's degree in theology from Notre Dame in 1969 and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Michigan in 1979. Schlaver served as editor and publisher at Ave Maria Press for ten years, from 1984 to 1994. His other ministries included stints in Notre Dame; St. Michael Community in St. Louis, Missouri; Casa Santa Cruz in Phoenix, Arizona; Holy Cross Mission Center; parish ministry in Saco, Maine; and Bangladesh. He moved to Holy Cross House in 2022. Schlaver is survived by his brother, Paul J., his sister, Marcia L. Steffens, and his many nieces and nephews. The funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. EST on December 16, 2022, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame. The service will be live-streamed at https://livestream.holycrossusa.org. Burial will be in the Holy Cross community cemetery at Notre Dame. Kaniewski Funeral Home, South Bend, Indiana, is in charge of the arrangements.  

Pope Francis Cites Ave Book During Recent General Audience

In his general audience on October 5, 2022, Pope Francis quoted from the Ave Maria Press book Weeds Among the Wheat by Thomas H. Green, SJ. The Holy Father was discussing self-knowledge, part of an ongoing series on discernment. He said: “Underlying spiritual doubts and vocational crises, there is — not infrequently — insufficient dialogue between religious life and our human, cognitive and affective dimension. A writer on spirituality noted how many difficulties on the theme of discernment are indicative of problems of another kind, that should be recognized and explored. This author writes: ‘I have come to the conviction that the greatest obstacle to true discernment (and to real growth in prayer) is not the intangible nature of God, but the fact that we do not know ourselves sufficiently, and do not even want to know ourselves as we really are. Almost all of us hide behind a mask, not only in front of others, but also when we look in the mirror’ (cf. Thomas H. Green, Weeds Among the Wheat, 1984). We all have the temptation to wear a mask, even in front of ourselves.” In the book, Green—who died in 2009—engages discernment with both wisdom and common sense, showing that it is a function of an individual’s personal relationship with God. Green was an internationally recognized teacher, spiritual director, and author, best known for his classic works on prayer. Four of his books are still in print from Ave Maria Press. To read the entire catechesis from Pope Francis or to watch the video, see the Vatican’s website.

John P. Dolan Installed as Bishop of Phoenix

PHOENIX—Most Rev. John P. Dolan was installed as bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix on August 2, 2022. Dolan previously served as auxiliary bishop of San Diego. He is the coauthor of When a Loved One Dies by Suicide and Responding to Suicide. In a letter read during Dolan's installation, Pope Francis wrote, "The transition from the oceanfront diocese you have known to a desert diocese will be a challenging one. But Christ, who taught and worked miracles on both the water and in the desert, will be with you and will surely give you the needed strength for the great mission ahead of you."

Ave Authors Honored by the Catholic Media Association

Ave Maria Press designers and authors earned thirty one awards—including eight first-place honors—from the Catholic Media Association. First-Place Honors: Real Presence: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter? by Timothy P. O’Malley, McGrath Institute for Church Life, for the popular presentation of the faith category Adore: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation by Fr. John Burns and illustrated by Valerie Delgado for classical spirituality and best cover artwork by designer Brianna Dombo Awaken My Heart Prayer Journal for design and production by designer Brianna Dombo A Deacon Prays: Prayers and Devotions for Liturgy and Life by Deacon Greg Kandra in collections of prayers Finding Sanctuary: How the Wild Work of Peace Restored the Heart of a Sandy Hook Mother by Jennifer Hubbard in memoir St. Dymphna’s Playbook: A Catholic Guide to Finding Mental and Emotional Well-Being by Tommy Tighe in the healing and self-help category, also won ACP honors earlier this year Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church by Fr. Blake Britton for first-time author of a book Ave swept the following two categories:  Presentation of the Catholic Faith: Real Presence: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter? by Timothy P. O’Malley, McGrath Institute for Church Life, earned first place. Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church by Fr. Blake Britton won second place. What to Say and How to Say It: More Ways to Discuss Your Faith with Clarity and Confidence, vol. 2, by Brandon Vogt took third place. Healing and Self-Help: St. Dymphna’s Playbook: A Catholic Guide to Finding Mental and Emotional Well-Being by Tommy Tighe earned first place. Give Up Worry for Good! 8 Weeks to Hopeful Living and Lasting Peace by Gary Zimak won second place. Be Restored: Healing Our Sexual Wounds through Jesus’ Merciful Love by Bob Schuchts took third place. Ave Explores won second place for Best Podcast, Expression of Faith, and host Katie Prejean McGrady took third runner-up for Podcaster of the Year. The judges said Ave Explores has “excellent production value, deep subject matter, and a conversational and highly engaging format. A podcast others can aspire to.” Other winners include the following:  Return to the Root: Reflections on the Inner Life by Joyce Rupp earned third place for contemporary spirituality. Just Rest: Receiving God’s Renewing Presence in the Deserts of Your Life by Sonja Corbitt earned second place for popular scripture studies. Real Presence: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter? by Timothy P. O’Malley, McGrath Institute for Church Life, earned second place for pastoral ministry catechetical resource. #Rules_of_Engagement: 8 Christian Habits for Being Good and Doing Good Online by Ann M. Garrido earned third place in the professional church category. Stumbling into Grace: How We Meet God in Tiny Works of Mercy by Mary Pezzulo won second place in Catholic social teaching. The Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers, edited by Heidi Hess Saxton, won third place for collection of prayers, and Called by Name: 365 Daily Devotions for Catholic Women, edited by Kelly M. Wahlquist, Alyssa Bormes, and Allison Gingras, won honorable mention in the same category. Give Up Worry for Lent! 40 Days to Finding Peace in Christ by Gary Zimak earned third place for backlist beauty. Finding Sanctuary: How the Wild Work of Peace Restored the Heart of a Sandy Hook Mother by Jennifer Hubbard earned second place in best cover artwork designed by Brianna Dombo and third place for first-time author of a book. Awakening at Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Healed Our Family and Restored Our Faith by Christy Wilkens won third place in the memoir category. The Engaging Catholicism Series from the McGrath Institute for Church Life won third place for best new religious book series. Seriously, God? Making Sense of Life Not Making Sense by Michael White and Tom Corcoran won third place in grief and bereavement. Our Not-Quite-Holy Family won second place for family life and took the first-place award from the Association of Catholic Publishers last month. Tenderness: A Gay Christian’s Guide to Unlearning Rejection and Experiencing God’s Extravagant Love by Eve Tushnet won second place in gender issues, inclusion to the Church. The Old Testament [Third Edition] Our Call to Faith and Justice earned honorable mention in design and production by designer Andy Wagoner, and Adore: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation earned second place in the same category by designer Brianna Dombo.

Ave Authors Win Four ACP Excellence in Publishing Awards

Four Ave Maria Press titles won 2022 Excellence in Publishing Awards from the Association of Catholic Publishers. In the general interest category, Our Not-Quite-Holy-Family by Mark and Melanie Hart took first place. St. Dymphna's Playbook by Tommy Tighe and A White Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege by Daniel P. Horan tied for third place in the general interest category. Deacon Harold Burke Sivers also won a third-place award in resources for ministry for his book for deacons, Our Life of Service. First-, second-, and third-place awards were given in sixteen categories. An overall resource of the year from among the first-place winners will be announced later this summer. See the complete list of winners on the ACP website.

Coming to an MLB Park Near You: Two priests—11 weeks—30 Major League Baseball stadiums—17,000 miles

Go on an extended road trip this summer with The Bleacher Brothers—Fr. Casey Cole, OFM, and Fr. Roberto “Tito” Serrano, OFM. From Miami to Seattle and Chicago to Los Angeles, the Franciscan friars are crisscrossing the United States and Canada to attend games at all thirty Major League Baseball stadiums to meet people where they are, preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.  In 2013, Cole and Serrano began to dream how they might preach in the modern world like St. Francis of Assisi did in the 13th Century: to ordinary people in the spaces they gather in ways they understand. Avid baseball fans, Cole and Serrano came up with the idea of spending a summer visiting the ballparks of America’s pastime, inviting people “home” to the Catholic Church. That dream is finally coming true this summer. They will celebrate Masses and also visit Catholic schools, parishes, and dioceses for talks along the way. “St. Francis didn’t just preach in churches,” Cole said. “He had a gift of finding God even in the ordinary. For 800 years, the Franciscans have continued this legacy. This trip is our way of continuing what St. Francis started.” The tour coincides with the release of Cole's new book, The Way of Beatitude: Living Radical Hope in a World of Division and Despair. He explores the mearning of the words Jesus preached at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12) and shows readers how to get beyond apathy and despair and help Christ bring about the Kingdom of Heaven in the here and now. The Beatitudes, Cole says, offer a path toward radical change. The stadium tour kicks off with a visit to the Miami Marlins (vs. Atlanta Braves) on May 20 and ends with the Colorado Rockies (vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers) on July 30. You can see the complete schedule for The Bleacher Brothers tour on breakinginthehabit.org.  

Noem Named Editorial Director at Ave Maria Press

Josh Noem has been named editorial director at Ave Maria Press. "Josh brings a solid Catholic background, a deep understanding and appreciation of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and strong management experience to Ave’s editorial department. He also offers the creative energy and vision to help our management team expand the reach of our books and digital content,” said Karey Circosta, publisher and CEO. “I am excited that he is joining the Ave family." "The team at Ave Maria Press is bringing creativity and faithfulness to the work we have ahead of us as a Church in the coming years, and I’m thrilled to join the effort," Noem said. "What a gift to be working alongside authors and the Congregation in forming communities of the coming kingdom." Noem serves as senior editor at the award-winning Grotto Network, an initiative from the University of Notre Dame that is pioneering new approaches to digital evangelization. The platform engages disaffiliated young adults online and welcomes them back to practicing communities of faith. Noem develops original content and has grown a diverse pool of freelance writers to contribute to the platform. He previously worked as editor of FaithND, a service of the Notre Dame Alumni Association, where he grew the reach of the daily Gospel reflection email tenfold. Noem also has served in campus ministry at the University of Portland, as a facilitator for the Notre Dame Satellite Theological Education Program, and as a blogger for the USCCB’s ForYourMarriage.org. Noem began his career as an editor and reporter at the Florida Catholic newspaper. He is the author of The End of Ending, which took first place in the Catholic Media Association book awards in 2021. Noem and his wife, Stacey, are active parishioners at St. Joseph Parish, South Bend. He has served on the school boards of both St. Joseph Grade School and St. Joseph High School. Noem officially will join Ave on May 20.  

9 Books, 11 Authors Are ACP Excellence in Publishing Award Finalists

Nine books by Ave Maria Press authors—including three books in two separate categories—are finalists for the 2022 Excellence in Publishing Awards by the Association of Catholic Publishers. The books and their categories are: Real Presence by Timothy P. O’Malley and the McGrath Institute for Church Life, theology; Oración y Espiritualidad by Andres Arango, Spanish; Our Life of Service by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, resources for ministry; Pray for Us by Meg Hunter-Kilmer, inspirational; Finding Sanctuary by Jennifer Hubbard, inspirational; Awakening at Lourdes by Christy Wilkens, inspirational; St. Dymphna’s Playbook by Tommy Tighe, general interest; Our Not-Quite-Holy Family by Mark and Melanie Hart, general interest; and A White Catholic’s Guide to Racism and Privilege by Fr. Daniel P. Horan, OFM, general interest. “I am so pleased that these authors have been recognized as award finalists,” said Karey Circosta, publisher and CEO of Ave Maria Press. “These book selections represent the depth and breadth of the outstanding work we publish at Ave.” First-, second-, and third-place winners for each category will be announced in June. A resource of the year will be named from among the first-place finishers in the fourteen overall book and music categories. There are ninety-five finalists representing eighteen Catholic publishers among the finalists. See the complete list of finalists on the ACP website.