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Press Releases
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christine Schicker
(404) 610-8871
cschicker@maximusmg.com
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS MARKS CALL TO CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD WHILE NEW BOOK URGES RECLAMATION OF TRUE PRIESTLY IDENTITY
An "Excellent Work" and "Worthwhile Spiritual Reading" says Archbishop Timothy Dolan
OMAHA, Nebr., April 2, 2008 - As the 45th World Day of Prayer for Vocations approaches on April 13, 2008, young men discerning a vocation to the Catholic priesthood will wrestle with many questions: Is God truly calling me? Am I ready to give up a secular life? What does it mean to be a priest in modern-day America?
In a cultural atmosphere that openly ridicules the values and devotion that define the priesthood, the decision to pursue a vocation becomes more than just a career move - it becomes an act of courage. But without a clear understanding of the unique nature and identity of the priesthood, discerners and seminarians alike must navigate conflicting and erroneous messages that can easily corrode their commitment.
Realizing that the cultural and social convulsions in the decades following the Second Vatican Council have sometimes left laity and clergy perplexed about the contemporary role of the priesthood, Father David L. Toups, S.T.D. - Associate Director of the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops - has written a blueprint for the future of those both called to serve and those already in service.
Reclaiming Our Priestly Character offers a doctrinally sound vision of how the Catholic priesthood can be renewed through a better understanding of its own distinctiveness. In practical and accessible prose, Father Toups' book surveys the Biblical and historical roots of the priesthood, the post-Conciliar confusion, and the foundations and principles essential to the priestly life - all from the perspective that priests who are firmly grounded in the Church's theology of the priesthood are less likely to abandon their vocation.
Father Toups - who has served as a parish priest - appreciates the endless demands upon the time and attention of our priests, and offers realistic advice that will provide discerners and seminarians with insight into the daily life of a priest, while equipping those who are already living it with a renewed outlook.
"If a priest knows the fullness of the gift received, it will help him live out the gift in its fullness," Father Toups writes of ordination to the priesthood. "The gift is given and meant to be a gift for others." With careful scholarship and pragmatic spirituality, Father Toups offers a fresh and valuable look at where the priesthood has been, where it is going, and where it can go. Reclaiming Our Priestly Character offers a vocational roadmap to everyone concerned with the future of the Catholic priesthood.
Reclaiming Our Priestly Character is available at www.IPFpublications.com or by calling 877-263-1263.
For possible interview opportunities with Father David Toups, please contact Christine Schicker with The Maximus Group at 404-610-8871.
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Our Products:
Marriage in the Lord: Poured out for Love - by Deacon James Keating, PhD
Communion with Christ: Practical Prayer - by Deacon James Keating, PhD
Reclaiming Our Priestly Character: A Refresher Course for Busy Priests - by Fr. David L. Toups, S.T.D.
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