Ave Maria Press is sad to announce the passing of beloved author Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B., who died early Friday, April 24, 2020. She suffered from an inoperable brain tumor for the past several months.
Sr. Wiederkehr was a spiritual guide, popular retreat facilitator, and author who made her home with the monastic community of St. Scholastica in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Benedictine traditions of deep listening to the word of God and hospitality toward all of life formed the roots of her writing and retreat ministry. Wiederkehr wrote nine bestselling books, including The Flowing Grace of Now, Seven Sacred Pauses, Abide, Behold Your Life, and The Circle of Life, which she coauthored with her good friend Joyce Rupp.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at a later date. You can read Wiederkehr’s full obituary at dignitymemorial.com.
“Although the news that Macrina had died was not unexpected, it was certainly sad and sobering,” said Tom Grady, publisher of Ave Maria Press. “Over the course of more than twenty years, we have had the joy of publishing many of her wise and nourishing books.”
On her website, Wiederkehr described herself as creative, restless, joyful, spiritual, forgiving, and loyal. She said she loved morning, good books, good coffee, the earth, movies, and lectio divina, and that she needed words, silence, God, friends, laughter, tears, and questions.
“Having the opportunity to work with and know Macrina was both a gift and a joy,” said Amber Elder, who edited Wiederkehr’s final book, The Flowing Grace of Now: Encountering Wisdom through the Weeks of the Year. “Her writing was thoughtful, heartfelt, and full of gentle wisdom; she was even more so.”
Rupp spent the past several weeks with Wiederkehr. Rupp pointed out that the last chapter of The Flowing Grace of Now focuses on the reality of death. Wiederkehr quotes the late Irish poet John O’Donohue: “A deathbed is such a special and sacred place: a deathbed is more like an altar than a bed. It is an altar where the flesh and blood of a life is transformed into eternal spirit… We should endeavor to be present there with the most contemplative, priestly grace.”
Wiederkehr shared this prayer as well:
O Light of Revelation,
When dawn shows its face and when the shades of twilight enfold me, may I receive the peace that comes from being in communion with you. You who are a window to the eternal, hold me in your view. Don’t ever let me out of sight. Death will hold no terror for me, sheltered under your wings. May I rest in peace in life and in death.”
May God grant her prayer.
On April 15, 2019, millions of people from around the world watched in horror as the grand spire of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris burned to the ground. The Gothic masterpiece, which dates to the twelfth century, became a rallying point for people of all faiths. Millions of dollars were raised for the cathedral’s restoration in the weeks following the fire.
Beginning on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the fire, join Ave Explores: Art and Architecture as Katie Prejean McGrady and a team of experts in the fields of art, architecture, and iconography reflect on the importance of art and beauty to the Catholic faith.
As a preview to this multimedia series, Andrew Petiprin, a fellow of popular culture at Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Institute, appeared on the Ave Explores podcast with host Katie Prejean McGrady to discuss how Catholic art and architecture can lead us to a deeper faith and understanding of the truth. The Ave Explores podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play Music.
Here’s some of the content—podcasts, videos, and articles—you’ll find during the four-week art and architecture series:
Week 1 considers the importance of beauty in Catholicism with Katie Prejean McGrady, J.D. Childs, Fr. James Phalan, CSC, and Mike Aquilina.
Week 2 looks at architecture and art with experts Deacon Andrew DeRouen, Duncan Stroik, Prejean McGrady, Elizabeth Lev, and Christine Valters Paintner.
Week 3 offers a diverse look at Catholic creativity with artists Jen Norton and Daniel Mitsui, Rob Kaczmark of Spirit Juice Studios, Fabiola Garza, an illustrator with Disney, and Anthony D’Ambrosio.
Week 4 will wrap up the series with Emily Jaminet and Ali Hoffman.
You’ll also find a variety of resources from virtual museum and cathedral tours, as well as virtual art exhibits on the Ave Maria Press website.
Sign up for weekly emails for of Ave Explores content.
Ave Maria Press was founded by Fr. Edward Sorin, CSC, in 1865 and is recognized as a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and books on prayer and spirituality. Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.
Winners, including the book of the year, will be announced in early June.
Finalists and their category are:
Abide in the Heart of Christ by Fr. Joseph Laramie, SJ, in the inspirational category
The Flowing Grace of Now by Macrina Wiederkehr, prayer
The Crisis of Bad Preaching by Fr. Joshua Whitfield, resources for liturgy
ChurchMoney by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran, resources for ministry
Helping Teens with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, Roy Petitfils, resources for ministry
Renovación Carismática Católica by Andrés Arango, Spanish
Be Brave in the Scared by Mary E. Lenaburg, spirituality
Live Big, Love Bigger by Kathryn Whitaker, spirituality
See a complete list of finalists on the ACP website.
Fr. James Phalan, CSC, has been appointed national director of Family Rosary, which includes overseeing the day-to-day operations of CatholicMom.com, according to Fr. Willy Raymond, CSC, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries.
Phalen has worked in many capacities at HCFM since 1994, most recently as assistant director of the Family Rosary Pavilion/Chapel at the Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in France. He also served the English-language pastoral program at the shrine. He previously was director of Family Rosary—Peru, international director of Family Rosary, Latin American regional coordinator, and director of Family Rosary—Mexico. In addition, Phalan served in the formation of seminarians and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Peru and Chile and was novice master for Latin America.
Do you want to find an engaging way to reach “Christmas and Easter Catholics,” while strengthening the spirituality of parishioners who faithfully attend Mass each week?
The Ave Maria Press Parish Book Program is a great opportunity to purchase one of our outstanding books at an affordable bulk price for a limited time.
This spring we are offering a special paperback edition of the bestselling and award-winning Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales by Rev. John Burns, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Normally $13.95, the book is available for bulk purchase of 100 copies or more for $2.50. And you won’t pay shipping.
In this soul-changing, ten-day mini-retreat, Burns reinterprets St. Francis de Sales’s famous meditations on the Four Last Things—death, judgment, heaven, and hell—and pulls you deeply into contemplation of your relationship with God. Easily completed in the midst of a busy life, these ten meditations will inspire you to radically reorder your priorities and live entirely for Jesus.
You’ll learn the basics of forming a daily prayer routine and be challenged to take your prayer life to a new level as you explore the most fundamental questions in life: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life? What happens to me after I die?
A limited number of special edition books will be available while supplies last. If you preorder by March 18, your books will be delivered before Holy Week if you want to use them as an Easter gift.
The cost is $2.50 per book when you purchase 100 or more copies. Shipping is free within the contiguous United States. You can order on our website or by calling 800-282-1865. You won’t be charged until the books ship.
This special edition makes the perfect gift for your staff and parishioners, a parishwide group study, RCIA, small groups, diocesan retreats, or high school students and teachers.
Books are nonreturnable and no other discounts apply.
Thomas Grady, chief executive officer and publisher of Ave Maria Press, is being honored with the Association of Catholic Publishers 2020 Hall of Fame Award for his contributions to Catholic publishing.
“I cannot think of a person more deserving of this honor than Tom Grady,” said Rev. Anthony V. Szakaly, C.S.C., chairman of the board of Ave. “Tom epitomizes all the best in Catholic publishing, providing excellent leadership of Ave Maria Press in challenging times for the industry. He has served the Church well in helping Ave become a leader in religious and spiritual trade books, high school catechetical texts, and parish resources. He is focused on ensuring that the Press is an essential ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross in making God known, loved, and served.”
Grady joined Ave in 2005. Prior to that, he ran his own literary agency and served as publisher, editorial director, and editor at HarperSanFrancisco (now HarperOne) from 1986 to 1997. He was also an editor at both Winston-Seabury Press and Meadowbrook Press.
“I’m so thankful to the ACP and to those who nominated me for this award,” said Grady. “I’m aware of some of the previous award-winners, and I’m honored to be included in their company. This year marks my fortieth year in book publishing, and I can say without a doubt that my nearly fifteen years at Ave Maria Press have been the most fruitful and satisfying in my career. The authors we publish and the colleagues I work with are superb, and I’m going to miss them a lot when I retire in the fall. Further, the opportunity to serve the Church and the Congregation of Holy Cross has been a real blessing in my life.”
In addition to his duties as publisher and CEO, Grady also took on the role of editorial director for the past few years. During that time, the publishing team increased the number of titles released from thirty to forty annually.
“We are so blessed to work with Tom, and there is no one who exemplifies the best in Catholic publishing more,” said Karey Circosta, associate publisher and vice president of sales and marketing. “Tom is a compassionate and insightful leader who makes everyone at Ave better for working with him.”
Perhaps Grady’s most important contribution to Catholic publishing as a whole is his commitment to the development of authors whose works have since been recognized as trailblazing for the Catholic Church, including Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran, Lisa M. Hendey, Brandon Vogt, Brian Doyle, Joyce Rupp, and Paula Huston.
Grady’s work has enabled Ave to reach new audiences with the variety of books we publish in our four imprints—Ave Maria Press, Sorin Books, Christian Classics, and Forest of Peace. In addition, when guiding the publishing team during acquisition of new books or the republication of classics, he not only looks at whether books will sell well but also whether they are important to the life of the Church.
Grady also has been integral in enabling Ave to work closely with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on the Catechism to strengthen our textbooks and to provide valuable feedback to the committee about the high school textbook marketplace.
Grady appreciates and promotes the importance of Ave’s heritage as an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers—a history that dates back more than 150 years with the founding of The Ave Maria magazine by Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C. Under Grady’s leadership, Ave has published a number of books by Holy Cross priests and brothers.
"Tom Grady has been a blessing not just to Ave Maria Press, but to the entire apostolic effort of the Congregation of Holy Cross,” said Rev. William M. Lies, C.S.C., provincial superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. “Our education and parish ministries have been so much enhanced by Tom and his wonderful team's great work, as have so many ministries of the Church. We have all been blessed by Tom's vision and leadership. We're so very grateful to Tom!"
He is much admired by both authors and his colleagues in the publishing industry.
“Our faith community has been enriched by the vision, the care, and the professionalism of Tom Grady,” said Joe Durepos, who retired in 2018 as executive editor of trade acquisitions at Loyola Press. “We all owe him a generous thank you and a blessing forward.”
Joyce Rupp has been a bestselling and award-winning Ave author for more than 30 years. “Working with Tom Grady as my publisher is somewhat like approaching a ripened field of wheat,” she said. “Tom’s vast expertise, personal wisdom, and respect of authors wait to be harvested every time I bring a manuscript to him. I’m deeply grateful for the trusting relationship I have with this remarkable publisher.”
Paula Huston, National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and the author of two novels and seven works of spiritual nonfiction— including Simplifying the Soul and One Ordinary Sunday—first met Grady when he keynoted a writer’s conference in 1996. He eventually became her agent. “He has always had the vision and the patience for me to catch up with what he is seeing,” Huston said. “And then the endurance to help me get these books into the best possible shape. I owe my career as a Catholic writer to Tom. And he has also been the very finest of friends.”
Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran, authors of the bestselling and award-winning Rebuilt, said Grady’s humility, thoughtfulness, and kindness, “coupled with real wisdom and a lifetime of experience guided our first-time effort to bestseller status. Tom is a publisher authors can only hope for.”
The fourth edition of the bestselling booklet Together at Baptism includes texts from the new English translation of The Order of Baptism of Children, which must be used by parishes in the United States beginning on April 12, but may be used as early as February 2.
Author Robert M. Hamma helps parents understand the sacrament with brief commentaries that provide insight not only on the celebration of Baptism but also on handing on the Catholic faith to their children in the midst of everyday life.
Together at Baptism offers parish staff a practical, concise tool to help prepare parents and godparents for the Baptism of a child. It offers both spiritual support and important information about the sacrament. The booklet contains twenty-six brief commentaries by Hamma on the essential elements and liturgical texts of The Order of Baptism of Children. Parents will learn about their role as first witnesses to the faith, the essential support of godparents, the distinctively Catholic understanding of the sacrament, and the joys and challenges of lifelong commitment to the faith.
The familiar and popular features of earlier editions of Together at Baptism remain in place, but have been updated to meet the realities of today’s Catholic families, including shifting family structures, the influences of digital distractions on family life, and the need for basic education about the faith. The words of the baptismal celebration and the three-fold immersion in or pouring on of holy water are the same, but many of the greetings, prayers, and instructions of the liturgy have subtle, important changes shifting the tone to the more formal language of the newest edition of the Roman Missal.
These changes affect such elements as:
the greeting for the Rite of Receiving the Child;
text of the Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith by parents and godparents;
the post-baptismal Explanatory Rites—the Anointing after Baptism, Clothing with the White Garment, Handing on of a Lighted Candle, and the Ephphatha (be opened prayer); and
the formulas for the Prayer of the Faithful.
The booklet also contains all the Lectionary readings assigned for the celebration of Baptism, the alternate prayer texts provided by The Order of Baptism of Children, and a selection sheet for parents invited to choose readings, prayers, and other texts for the liturgy.
The new edition of Ave Explores takes an in-depth look at stress, anxiety, and mental health.
In this multimedia series, clinical experts and those who have struggled with mental health issues will help everyday Catholics better understand grief, addiction, loss, spiritual direction vs. therapy, depression, suicide, and forgiveness from a Catholic perspective. We also offer a list of resources where you can seek more information.
As a preview to the series, Leah Darrow, Catholic author, speaker, and former contestant on America’s Next Top Model, appeared on the Ave Explores podcast with host Katie Prejean McGrady to talk about dealing with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, “mom guilt,” and finding peace through spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and daily Mass. The Ave Explores podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play Music.
Here’s some of the content—podcasts, videos, and articles—you’ll find during the four-week series:
Week 1 focuses on why we need to talk about mental health issues. Experts include Dr. Robert J. Wicks, Roy Petifils, and Gary Zimak.
Week 2 looks at faith and mental health with Deacon Ed Schoener, Allison Ricciardi, Fr. Rob Galea, Tommy Tighe, and Roy Petitfils.
Week 3 considers addiction and grief with Scott Weeman, Mary Lenaburg, and Dr. Greg Popcak. Look for a social media exclusive on infertility by Carmen Santamaría later in the week.
Week 4 will wrap up the series with healing and forgiveness with Bob Schuchts, Sr. Miriam James Heidland, and Fr. John Burns.
Sign up for limited-time, weekly emails with this series of Ave Explores content at https://www.avemariapress.com/aveexplores-mentalhealth/.
If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you're having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately.
Ave Maria Press was founded by Fr. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., in 1865 and is recognized as a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and books on prayer and spirituality. Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.
