Authors Peggy Rosenthal and George Dardess spoke at the Interfaith Mission Service Interfaith Summit program in Huntsville, AL on June 16, 2009. The couple spoke about how “beauty” can work as grounds for interfaith dialogue. George also served as a panelist representing Catholicism. Peggy is the author of Praying through Praying Through Poetry: Hope for Violent Times and George is the author of Do We Worship the Same God? Comparing the Bible and the Qur'an. Visit the Interfaith Mission Service's website here.

Susan K. Rowland, author of  Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter invites all to visit her website here to explore how to nurture their spirits in today's busy world.

Fr. Dominic Monti, OFM, is being interviewed by Fr. Dave Dwyer on the young adult Catholic “Busted Halo” radio show tonight, Tuesday, June 23. During its “Vocation Awareness Tuesday” program he will interview Dominic about his own vocation, the Franciscan Order, and his recent SAMP book, Francis & His Brothers: A Popular History of the Franciscan Friars. It is on satellite radio 8:20 pm,  Sirius Channel 159, XM Channel 117.

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will feature The Boston Home and SAMP author Sr Bridget Haase, OSU, on their Making a Difference segment, Thursday, June 25 at 6:30pm. Additional info will be posted on MSNBC.com. Sr. Haase is the author, with her brother, Albert Haase, O.F.M., of  Enkindled: Holy Spirit, Holy Gifts.

The first three books in the Called to Holiness: Spirituality for Catholic Women series have been reviewed on the Catholic News Service (CNS) website. The review, which is entitled, “Series explores how women overcome boundaries within faith,” highlights how the three first volumes “are part personal testimonies, part how-to manuals on overcoming challenges and being good—good to God, good to oneself and good to one's community.”  Reviewer Eleonore Fournier-Tombs calls the series a practical read: “If readers go through the exercises, rituals, discussions and reflection periods suggested in the books, they are going to get quite a workout for their soul--whether they're women or men.” The first three books in the series are Making Sense of God: A Woman's Perspective by Elizabeth A. Dreyer; Grieving With Grace: A Woman's Perspective by Dolores R. Leckey; and Living a Spirituality of Action: A Woman's Perspective by Joan Mueller. Read the complete review on the Catholic News Service website here.

Author Maryanne Raphael was invited to speak at the Salvation Army’s “Annual Inauguration of Officers Banquet” at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club on May 14, 2009. Maryanne spoke about her book, What Mother Teresa Taught Me and signed books. Mother Teresa’s message was tied in with the mission of Salvation Army workers in that “little things should be done with great love.”

  Catholic Ponderings, a Catholic blog for seekers, published the following review of Thank God Ahead of Time: The Life and Spirituality of Solanus Casey on its website:  

While trying to choose a book to order nearly a month ago, I kept going over and over the list of possibilities. One book, Thank God Ahead of Time: The Life and Spirituality of Solanus Casey continued to beckon my attention. Sadly, I had never heard of the man before and I sought my son's input. Though he is only in fifth grade at his Catholic grade school, he knew a great deal about Fr. Solanus Casey and was quite shocked that I did not. I placed the order and anxiously awaited its arrival in our mailbox.

It has been quite some time since I have been able to read a good book of any substance. In addition to finishing up the Mystagogy portion of our RCIA program, I am also helping to care for my elderly grandmother who is struggling with dementia. I have been trying to keep up with my Bible study group assignments but even that has had to be put aside for now. Determined to read the book, I carried it with me wherever I went, hoping that I could grab a scant few minutes of reading time. I am glad I did.

Though the book was entirely about Fr. Solanus Casey, the person I learned the most about was myself. Having spoken with Bible study groups and our RCIA candidates year after year about holiness, I have never been able to truly grasp the possibility of it for myself. It sounds lovely and very righteous to say that we must die to ourselves, yet I have scarcely been able to catch a whisper of the true meaning of such wonderful words. I have at times thought about how much easier it must be for those who are called to the religious life, since they can more fully commit their full lives to God without the daily responsibilities of family life. Picturing myself behind a wooden screen, closed off from the world and spending all of my days with Jesus has brought me much joy on occasion. That is how a person of this world may try to catch a glimpse of how one can become holy, yet we are not called to merely glimpse.

Read the complete review here. 

St. Anthony Messenger Press and Servant Books received a number of awards under numerous categories at this year’s Catholic Press Association’s annual meeting. For “Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith”, Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God by Ginny Kubitz Moyer took Third Place. Under “Spirituality”, Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth  by Ilia Delio, O.S.F., Keith Douglass Warner, O.F.M. and Pamela Wood took Second Place and Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality by Richard Rohr, O.F.M., took Third Place.

In the “Scripture” category, Things Hidden took an Honorable Mention. Two books won awards in the “First Time Author of a Book” category: Prayers for Catholic Men  by Mike Pacer (Servant Books) took Second Place and Saints at the Dinner Table by Amy Heyd took Third Place. In the “Family Life” category, Together But Alone: When God Means Something Different To Your Spouse took First Place and  Grieving With Grace: A Woman's Perspective took Third Place.

Under Biography, Meet John XXIII: Joyful Pope and Father to All took Third Place. Under the category of Gender Issues, Making Sense of God: A Woman's Perspective and Living a Spirituality of Action: A Woman's Perspective, both of which are part of St. Anthony Messenger Press’s Called to Holiness series, took First and Third Place, respectively. Under “Social Concerns”, Care for Creation took First Place. 

This website, www.sampbooks.org, took Third Place for “An overall nice design and pretty graphics” among other reasons. 

Allan Wright, author of Jesus in the House: Gospel Reflections on Christ's Presence in the Home, a first-place award winner in the Catholic Press Association's yearly competition, has posted a short interview clip on YouTube. See it here. For more information on Allan Wright and his ministry, visit his website at http://www.allanwright.org/

Catholic Voice, Australia, posted the following review:

Have fun with the saints!
This is a fun read. In Saints Off the Pedestal, Amanda Roberts seeks to define the relevance that these revered men and women from the past have for us today. She concludes that their question and struggles are identical with ours. They had to define their identity, discover their vocation and persevere with hope in the face of suffering, loss, failure and hostility.

Roberts chooses 10 saints from Peter to Therese of Lisieux. For each saint she identifies a particular quality. For example she has Peter "moving beyond failure"  and Martin de Porres "responding to our neighbour in need". She believes the saints are accessibly human. In illustrating this, her book becomes a fun read. Read the full review here.