February 25, 2008

Two weeks after the first meeting of my parish spiritual book club, the parish’s pastoral administrator said to me before Sunday Mass, “Everyone reading Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter and the Catholic Update by the same author, Day by Day Through Lent: Fasting From Our Clutter, must be cleaning their closets. They’re all bringing their clutter to church!”

I laughed with her and said, “Can’t you just imagine people all over America cleaning out their homes this Lent? The landfills and thrift stores will be busy.”

The book club’s first meeting surpassed my expectations, so much so that the rectory dining room where we met will no longer be adequate space for the group. Our first gathering attracted 15 people: 13 women and two men. The next day, I had seven more people join. This number astounds me: Our parish is a small, urban faith community of 600 registered “families.” Several people came from neighboring parishes; a few are members of churches of other faith traditions. And most are my fellow parishioners—some new and some for decades.

When I asked folks why they joined the book club and what they hoped to get from the experience, the answers surprised me in some instances and reassured me in most. Two women, both raised Catholic but who have had long periods of being inactive Catholics, said they hope to “reconnect to their faith” through the book club. Several women came because they are married to Catholics and want to learn more about their spouses’ faith. A handful said they are new to the parish or they don’t know many parishioners, and they want to make new friends. All who attended the book club meeting admitted, with me, a love for reading and books and a desire to grow their own faith.

I see this book club as a place where we can refresh our spirits, renew our commitment to Jesus and expand our perceptions of God and humankind. I anticipate eagerly that we will evangelize each other—and have fun doing so. This makes my heart sing!

Our book club next meets on Palm Sunday, March 16. I’ll let you know how much room we’ve made for God!

February 11, 2008, marks the beginning of a worldwide celebration of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France. In his just-released book, The Miracle of Lourdes: A Message of Hope and Healing, John Lochran writes: “At the heart of Lourdes stands an encounter of love between a child and a Mother, a child called Bernadette Soubirous and Mary, Mother of God and our Mother. That meeting happened a long time ago in 1858. It was a sacred and special moment that would forever change the face of a small French village, reach way beyond the Pyrenees, reawaken the spiritual yearnings of people from every corner of the earth and make Lourdes what it is today, a worldwide center of pilgrimage.”

Lochran knows firsthand what inspires people to journey to Lourdes: He was chaplain for more than ten years to English-speaking pilgrims there. His book recounts not only the story of Lourdes but offers his insights and spiritual reflections on what is the true message of the miracle of Lourdes.

Lochran says, “To serve as a chaplain of Our Lady of Lourdes is always an honor for any priest. To me it meant much more. It was a gracious gift of a merciful and loving God, who, in bringing me to Lourdes, gave me new life, new hope and a new mission.”

One hundred and fifty years after the appearance of Our Lady to Bernadette, the message of this remarkable and moving story is as valid today as it was then. It has touched the hearts and shaped the lives of countless people and continues to do so today. “Lourdes is a message,” writes Lochran, “not just for a past time. It is for our time, for every time.”

The Miracle of Lourdes is a perfect companion for an armchair or personal pilgrimage to one of the world’s most visited shrines.

February, when we celebrate Black History Month, is an ideal time to explore African American spirituality. Whether the African American faith tradition is part of your personal history or a tradition you want to learn more about, you will discover rich resources in three books: Songs of Our Hearts: Prayers for Black Catholics, Sweet, Sweet Spirit: Prayer Services From the Black Catholic Church and African Saints, African Stories: 40 Holy Men and Women.

Songs of Our Hearts transcends denominational boundaries and provides a collection of prayers deeply rooted in the Black experience. Brief essays that begin each section of prayers delve into the history of Africans in the Americas, providing insights into a spirituality whose aim is liberation and whose grace is reconciliation. Editors Cecilia A. Moore, Ph.D., C. Vanessa White, D. Min., and Paul M. Marshall, S.M., composed the book so that you will find prayers not only for personal reflection and meditation but that you can use in communal settings.

In Sweet, Sweet Spirit you will find prayer services from the Black Catholic church that inspire, evangelize and are ecumenical—that are “truly Black and truly Catholic.” Authors Joseph A. Brown, S.J., Ph.D., and Fernand Cheri, III, O.F.M., share the gift of the Spirit in this creative collection of libation and anointing rituals, prayer services, litanies and intercessions.

As Christians committed to the universal church, the heroes of African Saints, African Stories show us how to remain faithful despite struggles, disappointments and setbacks, writes author Camille Brown, Ph.D. They continue to show us how to embrace the gospel in our ordinary day-to-day lives. At the heart of the book is a chance for each of us to be spiritually charged and enriched by our heroes, to see Christianity in action and to learn about the contributions of people of color to the church.

All of these resources will enhance school curricula, energize sacramental preparations and revitalize Bible study groups, black history programs and parish council meetings. And they make great gifts!

Feb. 11, 2008

A phone call from Wales near the end of a recent workday reminded me to begin praying the novena to Our Lady of Lourdes in preparation for the 150th anniversary of the miracle of Lourdes on February 11. The caller was Reverend John Lochran, author of our latest book, The Miracle of Lourdes: A Message of Healing and Hope. The reminder call prompted me to use the novena as opening prayer for work meetings this month.

The book’s 26 reflections and handful of prayers to Our Lady and Saint Bernadette provide much inspiration for anyone interested in an armchair pilgrimage to one of the world’s most-visited shrines.

Like every book we publish, The Miracle of Lourdes has its own story. Almost two years ago I received a package that contained two paperback books and a letter from John Lochran asking if St. Anthony Messenger Press would be interested in publishing his two out-of-print books for the anniversary year. The books, first published by Columba Press in Ireland, were well written and still contemporary in their message.

Our CEO-publisher at the time, Father Jeremy Harrington, O.F.M., and I liked much John’s writing style and so we proposed that the two books be combined into one volume, with some revision and new material and a bit of updating to make the text ready for 2008 readers. We also asked John to add a section of prayers to the book as an added value for readers. Graciously, John agreed to our revision plan and thus began a new author-publisher relationship that crossed an ocean.

John and I corresponded by e-mail often, and his phone calls to us from his busy parish in Wales were numerous as we discussed revisions and additions, title and permissions. I always looked forward to hearing the Scottish lilt in John’s voice!

Lisa Biedenbach, her college chum Bob Morrissey and author John Lochran dine in a London restaurant in October 2007.

In October last year, after a week at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, I traveled to London, where I met John for a lovely lunch in a small restaurant with a French name and Polish-Mexican food! My companion at lunch, a college chum who lives in Greenwich, England, had selected the restaurant and then squired me around London. We met John outside a metro station and walked a few blocks to the restaurant. Our conversation was as delicious as the multicultural cuisine. John told us about his years in the Congo and his many years as chaplain to English-speaking pilgrims in Lourdes as well as his current pastoral challenges serving two parishes, a large hospital and a hospice in Wales. After lunch, we walked to nearby Green Park and sat on a bench in the autumn sun for two hours chatting. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet in person one of our authors.

John’s book will be read here in North America as well as the United Kingdom and in Lourdes, where more than five million people pass through the shrine each year. In this anniversary year, the number of shrine pilgrims will be even higher. That truly is a miracle.

Feb. 1, 2008

On Sunday, Feb. 3, when much of America and the football-loving world will be preparing to watch the annual Super Bowl game, I will be moderating the first meeting of my parish spiritual book club. Football fans may be feeding on chips and dip and pizza and beer, but I and 16 others will be feeding on the words and insights of Catholic writers.

I’ve wanted for several years to establish a spiritual book club in my small urban parish in Cincinnati, a parish where I am a fourth-generation member. My Mom watched the church being built from her perch at the window of her home adjoining the church property. My roots are deep in this faith community.

I’ve noted a rising spiritual hunger and, to be frank, a growing need for further faith formation among our adult parishioners. So I was thrilled when our parish pastoral council approved in November my proposal to start a book club that would meet four to six times annually to explore our faith.

The response so far to the announcement of the book club’s first meeting and first book selection has been overwhelming to me and very encouraging. Our group of 16 women and one man will gather for 90 minutes after the noon Mass on Feb. 3 to meet each other and review the guidelines for the book club. We’ll use the rectory’s dining room table as our gathering point. I’ve prepared a goody bag for each attendee that includes: a yellow highlighter pen, Post-it notes, bookmark, index cards and a copy of our first book to discuss, Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter by Susan K. Rowland. I plan to tuck in a sheet listing my Ten Tips for Reading Spiritual Books to help folks get more out of what they are reading.

At our second meeting, set for March 16, Palm Sunday, we will discuss Rowland’s book and chat with her via telephone at a prearranged time. I’ve selected books for the remainder of 2008 and I’m lining up phone chats with the authors, or, in the case of a local author, an on-site visit.

I’m looking forward to sharing my love of books and my faith with my fellow parishioners and some guests. I’ll keep you posted about our own Super Sunday!

Lisa Biedenbach
Editorial Director, Books