Smelling Like the Sheep as We Minister to God’s People by Fr. Bill Waters, OSA

Smelling Like the Sheep as We Minister to God’s People by Fr. Bill Waters, OSA

Smelling Like the Sheep as We Minister to God’s People

by Fr. Bill Waters, OSA

When Jesus said to go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News, he meant to incorporate his teachings and our faith into the ordinary aspects of our lives. This book includes reflections on practical pastoral life covering topics on family spirituality, marriage preparation, avoiding divorce, practical evangelization, premarital sex, and the role of the pastor, all the while smelling like the sheep.
 
Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

TBA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fr. Bill Waters, OSA, was born in Philadelphia in 1943. After graduating from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire he joined the Augustinian Community. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Education (Villanova University, 1968) and a Master’s Degree in Theology (Washington Theological Union, 1971) he was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest on August 28, 1971.

His first assignment was as Parochial Vicar at St. Augustine Parish in Lawrence, MA (1971-75). He then served as Vocation Director for the East Coast Augustinians (1975-79), and then Director of Students at Augustinian College in Washington., D.C. for the Augustinians who were preparing for Solemn Vows and/or Ordination. He returned to Lawrence as pastor of St. Augustine Parish (1984-93). He was the Vicar for the Lawrence Vicariate from 1991 to 1993. He then served as pastor of St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish in Jamaica, New York (1993-97) and then pastor of St. Mary-Inmaculada Concepcion Parish in Lawrence (1997-2004). While pastor at St. Mary’s, the parish in 2001 was named one of the 300 excellent parishes in the country by The Parish Congregation Study team led by Paul Wilkes. On August 6, 2004 Father Waters became pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Methuen and Lawrence, a position which he held until June of 2008 when he became a member of the Campus Ministry team at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. In August of 2014 he became Pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Philadelphia, a position he held until July 1, 2024. He is presently residing at St. Thomas Monastery at Villanova University.

He served as a member of the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and as Chaplain for the Philadelphia Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Before he came to Philadelphia, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mary Immaculate Health Care Services, a member of Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s Presbyteral Council in the Archdiocese of Boston, Chaplain of both the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 8 and the Massachusetts State Chaplain for the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He was the former chaplain of the Lawrence Police Department, a past member of the Board of St. Anne Home in Methuen and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Lawrence Public Library. He was named Irishman of the Year in 2004 by the Hibernians and named the Grand Marshall of Lawrence‘s 2006 St. Patrick Day Parade. In October of 2012 he received “The Catholic Leadership Award” from his alma mater, St. Anselm College. In March of 2014 he received “The Cardinal Cushing Award from the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

He has authored the eight published articles that comprise this book: “Spiritual Guidance in Family Settings” (The Priest, March 1981), “Marriage Preparation Comes Too Late” (Today’s Parish, Nov. /Dec. 1990), “Helping Couples Avoid Divorce” (Today’s Parish, April/May 1994), “Ministry of the Laity: Evangelization—Hearing the Word and Keeping It” (The Priest July, 2016.), “What the Bishop Never Told Us at Ordination” (The Priest June, 2018), “If Pope Francis Confuses People, He is in Good Company” (The Priest, March 2019),  “Christmas, a Holy Night, a Joyful Day—But is it a Glorious Season for Priests?” (The Priest, December 2023). “Why Wait ‘Till Marriage? It Is So Old Fashion!” (The Priest, January 2025)

 

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Pro-Life, Pro-Woman, Pro-Science: An Integrative Guidebook by Bonita Pratt

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Pro-Life, Pro-Woman, Pro-Science: An Integrative Guidebook 

by Bonita Pratt

Feel passionate about defending unborn life, but intimidated by loud pro-choice arguments? This guidebook has over 125 responses to both common and rare pro-choice objections. Read either front to back or by individual chapter, for a quick answer. Specifically, it examines: the historical and legal perspectives, life’s intrinsic value, when human life begins, fetal development, abortion procedures, adoption, how to find common ground, and many pro-choice talking points.

 
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Making the Impossible Possible: It Is All About Who Is With You by Fr. Peter Grover, OMV

Making the Impossible Possible: It Is All About Who Is With You by Fr. Peter Grover, OMV

Making the Impossible Possible: It Is All About Who Is With You

by Fr. Peter Grover, OMV

This book explores the transformative power of divine partnership, showing how God works through human imperfections to achieve extraordinary results. Drawing from scripture, personal anecdotes, and life lessons, the book demonstrates that collaboration with God is not limited to saints or the gifted—it is accessible to everyone. The central theme is that faith and trust in God allow ordinary individuals to participate in extraordinary accomplishments while finding fulfillment and simplicity.
 

The book is structured in three parts: God, You, and Both, guiding readers to understand divine power, personal responsibility, and mutual partnership. Grover illustrates these themes with vivid stories, such as David’s triumph over Goliath, personal encounters with faith, and everyday interactions showcasing divine providence. Each chapter emphasizes practical lessons: relying on God, overcoming fear and failure, and discovering joy in service.

Fr. Grover draws from his experiences as a priest and scholar, blending humor, wisdom, and biblical insights. He encourages readers to align their talents with God’s will, emphasizing that imperfections do not diminish value or potential. Ultimately, the book inspires readers to trust in God’s plan, embrace their unique roles, and strive for a life of purpose and gratitude.

Paperback: $19.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

TBD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fr. Peter Grover, OMV is a religious priest with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. Presently he is the director of St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine in Boston. He also teaches classical languages and biblical studies at St. John Seminary, the Theological Institute of Boston, and Pope St. John XXIII Seminary. He is an avid fly-fisherman and enjoys wreaking havoc in the kitchen.

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The Art of Accompaniment: Practical Steps for the Pastoral Mentor by Sr. Marysia Weber, RSM, and Troy Stefano

The Art of Accompaniment: Practical Steps for the Pastoral Mentor

by Sister Marysia Weber, RSM, DO, MA, and Troy Stefano, PhD

The Art of Accompaniment: Practical Steps for the Pastoral Mentor presents an integral approach to formation during the vocational synthesis stage, weaving together the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions of priestly preparation. This works responds to the Church’s vision articulated in Pastores Dabo Vobis, Ratio Fundamentalis, and the Program of Priestly Formation (6th edition), offering formators a comprehensive framework for accompanying transitional deacons in their final preparation for priesthood.
 
The book’s structure mirrors the organic nature of integral formation itself.
 
Part 1—spanning Chapters 1-2—establishes the theological and anthropological foundations necessary for authentic accompaniment, inducting readers into formation as an encounter with both the mystery of the person and the mystery of vocation. Drawing particularly on Saint John Paul II’s understanding of affective maturity, Part 1 prepares mentors to engage in formation as a sacred art that demands both reverence for mystery and practical wisdom. These chapters present the vision of integral formation and affective maturity in the vocational synthesis stage that serve as the foundation for the rest of the work.
 
Part 2 focuses on the parish as a community of formation where the pastoral mentor (Chapter 3) and parish staff (Chapter 4) form a constellation of formative roles and structures that indispensably support the transitional deacon’s integral formation. 
 
Part 3—which includes Chapters 5-6—explores the irreducibly relational character of formation, recognizing that authentic accompaniment requires transformation in both mentor and mentee. These chapters provide concrete strategies and skills for formative dialogue, while emphasizing that such tools must always serve the deeper process of interior transformation. Here, mentors learn to create and sustain formative relationships that foster genuine growth in pastoral charity and priestly identity.
 
Part 4 presents the Church’s benchmarks for evaluating progress in formation (Chapter 7), offering these not merely as assessment tools but as living markers of the integral vision to which we are called. These benchmarks serve as practical guideposts for discerning growth while embodying the Church’s understanding of formation as a unified journey of discipleship toward priesthood.
 
This work seeks to provide formators with both a synthetic vision of integral formation and practical tools for implementation. By integrating theological wisdom with concrete guidance, it enables mentors to accompany transitional deacons through the vital process of vocational synthesis, helping them integrate their years of formation into a coherent priestly identity. The book stands as an essential resource for those charged with forming priests who can effectively serve the Church in our contemporary world, always in fidelity to the Church’s vision of priestly formation.
 
Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

TBA

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Sr. Marysia Weber, RSM, DO, MA

Sister Marysia Weber is a Religious Sister of Mercy of Alma, MI.  She is a physician, certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  She completed her residency and fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  She received the Howard P. Rome, MD Writing and Clinical Research Award-Mayo Clinic, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology. She holds a master’s degree in theology from Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana.  She practiced psychiatry at her religious institute’s multidisciplinary medical clinic, Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center in Alma, MI from 1988-2014. She has served as a psychological expert consultant for the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, USCCB.  She became the Director of the Office of Consecrated Life for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 2014. She served as facilitator for Rachel’s Vineyard, and as an executive board member of the Saint Louis Guild Catholic Medical Association. She served on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Review Board and Safe Environment Board. She also served as Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri. She continues her work as chair of the board of directors of MyCatholicDoctor and with the Seminary Formation Council forming seminary formators in the Art of Accompaniment. She was recently missioned to Tulsa, OK and serves as vice president of mission and ministry and co-chair of the ethics committee for San Francis Health System.

Dr. Weber offers workshops on a variety of topics including human attachment, boundaries and character development, depression and anxiety, dialogue and conflict resolution, as well as on social media and its effects on the brain for clergy, seminarians, women’s and men’s religious communities, parents, teachers and students. She presents on Internet pornography addiction—a Catholic approach to treatment to bishops, clergy, seminarians, religious communities, and laity throughout the United States and Europe. She presented to the U.S. Bishops in Dallas TX in 1992 on “Pedophilia and Other Addictions”.  She was a member of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse in 1994-1995.  Dr. Weber has presented to the Curia, Vatican City State on “Sexual Abuse of Minors by Clergy in North America” in 2002.

Dr Weber has published a second editionof her book: The Art of Accompaniment: Practical Steps for the Seminary Formator which incorporates aspects of the transformational focus of the Program for Priestly Formation, 6th edition (https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/artofaccompaniment/

Her bookScreen Addiction: Why You Can’t Put that Phone Downnow also available in Spanish (https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/screenaddiction/) describes how excess screen time alters the brain and offers many practicals to address these effects.  

She also has two chapters in Spiritual Husband-Spiritual Fathers: Priestly Formation for the 21st Century including:“Guideposts for the Seminary Formator in Understanding and Assessing Levels of Preoccupation with Use of Internet Pornography and a Formative Process for Moving from Vice to Virtue” https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/spiritualhusbands/).

Her other publications include “Medical Aspects of Addiction”; “The Roman Catholic Church and the Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests and Religious in the United States and Canada: What Have We Learned? Where Are We Going?”; “Pornography, Electronic Media and Priestly Formation” in Homiletic and Pastoral Review. Her publications in Seminary Journal include: “Significant Markers of Human Maturation Applied to the Selection and Formation of Seminarians”; “The Discernment of a Priestly Vocation and the Expertise of Psychiatry and Psychology”; and “Internet Pornography and Priestly Formation: Medium and Content Collide with the Human Brain”.

Troy Stefano, PhD

St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary
Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology
B.A., History, St. Thomas University, Miami Gardens, FL
M.T.S., History of Christianity, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN
Ph.D., History of Christianity and Systematic Theology, University of Notre

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Magnify Love: Unlocking the Heart of Jesus in Your Marriage and Your Life by Nicole Berlucchi

Magnify Love: Unlocking the Heart of Jesus in Your Marriage and Your Life by Nicole Berlucchi

Check out Nicole’s appearance on the Universal Sister Podcast from back when she was still seeking a publisher!

Magnify Love: Unlocking the Heart of Jesus in Your Marriage and Your Life

by Nicole Berlucchi

Uncover the power of the Rosary and Mary’s intercession: how the scripture-based mysteries of the Rosary can be a compass in directing your steps and navigating the highs and lows, in order for you to listen for God’s voice and live like Jesus. So many people talk about discernment and listening to the Lord, but how do we do it and how does it play out? Through personal accounts about navigating life shifts, secondary infertility, marital struggles, career changes and physical challenges, Nicole Berlucchi invites you into her love story to learn from her mistakes and to be encouraged by her transformation when she started leaning on God and listening to the Holy Spirit. Discover what it means to Magnify Love when you open your heart to what the Rosary has to teach us.

Paperback: $17.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“I often reflect on the encouraging reality that so long as we’re still breathing, there’s not yet a period at the end of our story. Nicole’s transparent and vulnerable sharing of how God worked in her life, and in her marriage, is a powerful testimony to His grace made perfect in our weakness, and of the reasons to always have hope.” – Father John Riccardo, ACTS XXIX Executive Director

“Nicole Berlucchi’s writing is a gift of the Spirit to anyone seeking to transform their marriage and deepen their walk with Jesus Christ. With disarming humility and profound faith, Nicole invites readers into her personal journey of suffering, redemption, and grace. This book is a treasure for those seeking to navigate the joys and struggles of marriage with the wisdom of the Rosary and the intercession of Mary. Whether you’re in a season of heartache or renewal, Nicole’s story and practical reflections will remind you that God’s plans for your life and marriage are nothing less than a miraculous love story. Prepare to be inspired, challenged, and deeply moved.” -Christopher Reed, Ph.D. author of Sacred Conversations: How God Wants us to Communicate

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicole Berlucchi is a writer and speaker. You can find her on her personal website: www.nicoleberlucchi.com and on social media: @berlucchiwriting. She serves as a regular contributor to www.CatholicMom.com and Diocesan.com (Gospel Reflections for 2025). She has occasionally contributed to other Catholic outlets such as SpiritualDirection.com and FamilyRosary.org. She is a proud member of the PraiseWriters Community as well as Catholic Writers Guild.

Nicole has worked in a number of roles in the nonprofit world from fundraising to research, but helping people realize their vision and make an impact, whether in business or in life, seems to be the sweet spot. She now owns her own marketing and nonprofit consulting business, Coley B. Creative, where she works with a variety of clients on their strategy and marketing needs.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, she has been married to her husband, Joe, since 2006. They now reside in the Nashville area with their four children where they are members of Catholic Church of the Nativity. She’s a big fan of brilliant skies, coffee, salted caramel with chocolate, books and more books. She loves sharing her journey with Jesus so that others might: Come and see.

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Influence of Childhood Experiences on Faith Development: A Journey toward Wholeness by Sr. Adaku Helen Ogbuji, CCVI

Influence of Childhood Experiences on Faith Development: A Journey toward Wholeness by Sr. Adaku Helen Ogbuji, CCVI

Influence of Childhood Experiences on Faith Development: A Journey toward Wholeness

by Sr. Adaku Helen Ogbuji, CCVI, PhD

This book examines how childhood experiences impact faith development in religious individuals. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 80 consecrated persons, the book reveals that early experiences, whether positive or adverse, can deeply influence adult behavior, especially in religious life. Guided by theories like Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development and James Fowler’s faith development, Ogbuji explores how formative experiences shape adult attitudes toward faith, relationships, and authority.

The book highlights challenges faced by consecrated persons, including lingering effects of childhood trauma, which can manifest as emotional instability, attachment issues, or even aggressive behavior in community settings. Ogbuji advocates for a holistic formation process, suggesting that therapeutic interventions and ongoing psychological and spiritual support can help religious individuals achieve wholeness. She also calls for well-trained formators who understand the complex emotional needs of candidates.

Ultimately, the book emphasizes the importance of addressing personal histories to foster emotional and spiritual maturity, creating healthier, more joyful communities. The work serves as a valuable resource for religious formators, superiors, and all those interested in understanding how early life influences vocational development and overall well-being in religious life.

Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“This book is an idea whose time has come! I highly recommend it to religious men and women, superiors and formators, clergy and lay persons, and all those who wish to understand how their childhood experiences affect the way they behave as adults” — Dr. Stephen Asatsa, Lecturer, Department of Counselling Psychology, CUEA

“Sr. Helen’s book is a must read for formators of religious congregations and Institutes of Consecrated and Apostolic Life. Superiors of the same communities will find it insightful and positive about the universal need for therapy. Pastors of souls can benefit much from this distilled text about reconciliation with oneself and one’s story of joy and suffering. All consecrated persons will find delight in discovering the wide range of possibilities in the helping professions. Finally, believers with strong scientific background will rejoice in the continuous line between faith and the human sciences. In short, this book will help any reader to feel more comfortable with the concept of psychological health” —Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Foro, SJ, Provincial Delegate for Formation, Cameroon

“This piece of work is profound, full of insights, and a noteworthy contribution towards the formation and ongoing formation of consecrated Men and Women. Above all, it is well-written. I am pleased to grant the Imprimatur for its publication.” Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, DD, Bishop of Umuahia Diocese.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sister Adaku Helen (Helena) Ogbuji, CCVI, PhD, belongs to the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston, Texas. She is an author of several books. She holds a master’s in Theology, Divinity and Psychology and a PhD in Counseling Psychology. Presently, she is the Formation Director and the Novice Director in their formation house in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

OTHER PRACTICAL THEOLOGY BOOKS

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read more
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