Parish priests are by far the biggest influence on men who enter seminary. But realistically, how can busy priests help young men discern the priesthood, especially guys who've never expressed any interest?This booklet proposes a disarmingly simple approach: five 15-minute phone calls with regular guys in your parish, discussing what it's actually like being a priest. It's a field-tested method that's both efficient and effective-realistic for time-strapped parish priests, and also hugely influential for young Catholic men who may have a priestly vocation.

Archbishop Dolan clearly sets forth what it takes to be a Catholic priest in the Third Millennium. Whether he is stressing the necessity of regular Confession and the need to celebrate daily Mass and say the Liturgy of the Hours or discussing priestly celibacy in frank, realistic terms, he emphasizes true priest identity by presenting a life worth living, a life worth sharing, a life worth offering up to the Father through Christ and in the Holy Spirit. Pastoral, practical, and thoroughly Catholic, Priests for the Third Millennium will renew the joy of being Catholic in the heart of seminarians, priests, and the people they serve.

Catholic Press Association Award Winner! Reports indicate that many newly ordained men are feeling demoralized and some are resigning. The accounts raised many questions. How widespread is the problem? What difficulties are the recently ordained priests facing? Is the problem due to changes in lay attitudes or to changes in the ordained themselves? Is the situation different from what it was ten or twenty years ago? The First Five Years of the Priesthood is a collaborative work of the National Federation of Priests' Councils and the Life Cycle Institute of The Catholic University of America that considers this phenomenon. It explores the experience of early priesthood and is based on a pilot survey of two groups - recently ordained priests active in service and those who have resigned. The research team minimized interpretative work on the findings and engaged credible voices in American Catholic life to write commentaries on the implications of the findings. The First Five Years of the Priesthood includes both the research findings and commentaries. Chapters are The Setting of the Priesthood Today," "Attitudes of Newly Ordained Active and Resigned Priests," "What Makes for Satisfied Newly Ordained Priests?" "Four Types of Resigned Priests," "Life Experiences of Newly Ordained Active and Resigned Priests," and "Recommendations Made by the Priests." Dean R. Hoge is a professor in the department of sociology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He has done sociological research serving American churches for 31 years and has authored several books and articles on American religion.

A revelatory exploration of the Jewish roots of the Last Supper that seeks to understand exactly what happened at Jesus’ final Passover. “Clear, profound and practical—you do not want to miss this book.”—Dr. Scott Hahn, author of The Lamb’s Supper and The Fourth Cup Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitre answers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus’ purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, most important of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, “This is my body… This is my blood”? To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the Passover of the Messiah, the miraculous Manna from heaven, and the mysterious Bread of the Presence. As he shows, these three keys—the Passover, the Manna, and the Bread of the Presence—have the power to unlock the original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus. Along the way, Pitre also explains how Jesus united the Last Supper to his death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Inspiring and informative, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist is a groundbreaking work that is sure to illuminate one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: the mystery of Jesus’ presence in “the breaking of the bread.”

Leading Voices from across Christian Traditions Discuss the Mission of the Church What is the mission of the church? Every seminarian and church leader must wrestle with that question. No matter what designation a church uses to describe itself, it must also think critically about why it exists and what it should be doing. In this book, five leading voices representing a range of Christian traditions engage in an enlightening conversation as they present and compare their perspectives on the mission of the church. Each contributor offers his or her view and responds to the other four views. Contributors include Stephen B. Bevans, Darrell L. Guder, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Edward Rommen, and Ed Stetzer. The book's format is ideal for classroom use and will also benefit pastors and church leaders.

New York Times–bestselling author Garry Wills provides a provocative analysis of the theological and historical basis for the priesthood In a riveting and provocative tour de force from the author of What Jesus Meant, Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Wills poses the challenging question: Why did the priesthood develop in a religion that began without it and, indeed, was opposed to it? Why Priests? argues brilliantly and persuasively for a radical re-envisioning of the role of the church as the Body of Christ and for a new and better understanding of the very basis of Christian belief. As Wills emphasizes, the stakes for the writer and the church are high, for without the priesthood there would be no belief in an apostolic succession, the real presence in the Eucharist, the sacrificial interpretation of the Mass, and the ransom theory of redemption. This superb study of the origins of the priesthood stands as Wills’s towering achievement and will be of interest to all inquiring minds, believers and non-believers alike.

To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan is the definitive guide for men considering the priesthood. Using powerful and entertaining stories, the book explains in down-to-earth language how to carefully discover God's call.

In this rich book Matthew Levering explores nine key virtues that we need to die (and live) well: love, hope, faith, penitence, gratitude, solidarity, humility, surrender, and courage. Retrieving and engaging a variety of biblical, theological, historical, and medical resources, Levering journeys through the various stages and challenges of the dying process, beginning with the fear of annihilation and continuing through repentance and gratitude, suffering and hope, before arriving finally at the courage needed to say goodbye to one’s familiar world. Grounded in careful readings of Scripture, the theological tradition, and contemporary culture, Dying and the Virtues comprehensively and beautifully shows how these nine virtues effectively unite us with God, the One who alone can conquer death.

An intimate and personal glimpse inside the mind of the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, through his own words... “I believe in the kindness of others, and that I must love them without fear.”—Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis Jorge Bergoglio is the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to take the name Francis, after Saint Francis of Assisi, the thirteenth-century friar known for his charity and kindness. Here, in a series of extensive interviews conducted over two years, he reveals the very image of a humble priest and inspired teacher. This is a portrait of a man more interested in substance than style. In spontaneous, intimate terms, he talks about his childhood and family life, his first job, the discovery of his calling, and his early days in the seminary. He was a teacher of psychology and literature who befriended writers such as Jorge Luis Borges. He cites Homer and Cervantes with ease, and names Babette’s Feast as a favorite film and Marc Chagall as a favorite painter. He also takes on uncomfortable subjects: the declining number of priests and nuns; celibacy; the scandals that have rocked the Church; and his experience with the military dictatorship of Argentina. Through his own words, this book reveals a man who is thoughtful and witty, learned and introspective—one whose actions and words reflect his deeply rooted humility. Also included in this volume are Pope Francis’s own writings and reflections—full of wisdom and inspiration.