Father Barry has announced his summer reading picks for our parish. There are four books that he feels are absolute must reads. Make sure you purchase your books through smile.amazon and pick our parish as your charity. A win win for everyone. Let us know what you think.
1. Rebuilt: The Story of a Catholic Parish by Michael White and Tom Corcoran
As reviewed on Goodreads:
Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life.
Rebuilt is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.
2. Catholic Parishes of the 21st Century by Charles E. Zech
Goodreads wrote:
A seminal moment in the study of U.S. Catholic parish life came in the 1980s with the publication of a series of reports from the ground-breaking Notre Dame Study of Catholic Parish Life. These reports are now badly outdated, as Catholic dioceses grapple with new challenges that didn't exist in the 80s. Topics that were not considered then, like greater Catholic mobility, increased cultural diversity, and structural re-organization as well as the rise of lay leadership, have attained new significance.
This timely book, based on more than a decade of research, provides an in-depth portrait and analysis of the current state of parish life and leadership. Unique in the scope of the research and the timeliness of its findings, the book critically examines the current state of parish life. The authors draw on data from national polls of Catholics, national surveys of parishes, and thousands of in-pew surveys which explore parishioners' needs, experiences, and satisfaction with parish life in the twenty-first century. The book provides a unique 360-degree view of parish life from the perspective of pastors, parish staff, parishioners, as well as the larger Catholic population.
3. The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Goodreads summarizes the book:
A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt’s painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same title, he shares the deeply personal meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. This Lent course, which has been adapted from the book, helps us to reflect on the meaning of the parable for our own lives. Divided into five sessions, the course moves through the parable exploring our reaction to the story: the younger son's leaving and return, the father's restoration of sonship, the elder son's resentment and the father's compassion. All of us who have experienced loneliness, dejection, jealousy or anger will respond to the persistent themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation.
Goodreads wrote:
Retirement is no longer just about recreational activities like shuffleboard and golf nowadays, it's often about re-creation: reinventing oneself and having the time to do all the things that got deferred while working 9 to 5 and/or raising a family. 65 Things To Do When You Retire is a fun, lively, and inspiring guide to how to make the most of the years ahead. This book includes 65 essays, with practical advice from noted authors, retirement experts, and people who have used their retirement as an opportunity to turn their personal dreams into a reality, whether it's starting a nonprofit, writing a novel, or inventing new technologies to help others. Contributors include President Jimmy Carter, Gloria Steinem, Ernie J. Zelinski, Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners, and Nancy K. Schlossberg.
Happy Reading