At its annual convention in late May, the Catholic Press Association presented its awards to books judged superior in various categories. This week, The Tidings presents those books which earned first, second, third and honorable mention honors, with publishers listed in parentheses.

Popular presentation of the Catholic faith

First: "One Day He Beckoned," Antoinette Bosco (Ave Maria Press).,

Second: "De-Coding Da Vinci," Amy Welborn (Our Sunday Visitor).

Third: "Invitation To the Old Testament & New Testament: 2 Vol. Set," Alice Camille (ACTA Publications).

Honorable Mention: "Justice: A Global Adventure," Walter J. Burghardt (Orbis Books); "Blessed Art Thou: Mother, Lady, Mystic Queen," Michael O'Neill McGrath, Richard N. Fragomeni (World Library Publications).

Spirituality: Soft cover

First: "Finding God in the Dark," John Pungente, SJ, and Monty Williams, SJ (Novalis).

Second: "The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times," Dean Brackley (Crossroad Publishing).

Third: "Peace in the Post-Christian Era," Thomas Merton (Orbis).

Honorable Mention: "Seeking God In All Things," William Reiser (Liturgical Press); "Drawn Into The Mystery of Jesus Through the Gospel of John," Jean Vanier (Paulist Press).

Spirituality: Hard cover

First: "Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir," Joan Chittister (Sheed & Ward).

Second: "Blessed Art Thou: Mother, Lady, Mystic Queen," Michael O'Neill McGrath, Richard N. Fragomeni (World Library).

Third: "A Book of Hours: Music, Literature, and Life - A Memoir," M. Owen Lee (Continuum).

Honorable Mention (tie): "Eternal Seasons," Michael Ford, editor (Sorin Books); "Autumn Years: Taking the Contemplative Path," Robert H. King & Elizabeth M. King (Continuum).

Theology

First: "The Church Unfinished," Bernard P. Prusak (Paulist).

Second: "Formed in the Image of Christ," Kathleen A. Cahalan (Liturgical Press).

Third (tie): "Constants in Context," Stephen B. Bevans, Roger P. Schroeder (Orbis); "Moral Wisdom," James F. Keenan, SJ (Sheed & Ward).

Scripture

First (tie): "How the Bible Came to Be," John W. Miller (Paulist); "What Does the Bible Say About the End Times?," William Kurz, SJ (Servant Books).

Second: "Jesus' Urgent Message For Today," Elliott C. Maloney (Continuum).

Third: "Treasures Old & New," Joseph Blenkinsopp (Wm. B. Eerdmans).

Honorable Mention: "'My Name Is Legion' --- The Story and Soul of the Gerasene Demoniac," Michael Willett Newheart (Liturgical Press).

Liturgy

First (tie): "A Precious Fountain," Mary E. McGann, RSCJ (Liturgical Press); "Preaching to a Multi-generational Assembly," Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP (Liturgical Press).

Second: "We Worship: A Guide to the Catholic Mass," Oscar Lukefahr, CM (Liguori Publications).

Third: "Prayer Services for Parish Life," Jerry Galipeau (World Library).

Honorable Mention: "Living Liturgy, Year A," Joyce Ann Zimmerman, CPPS, Thomas A. Greisen, Kathleen Harmon, SND de N., Thomas L. Leclerc, M.S. (Liturgical Press).

Pastoral ministry

First: "Parish Ministry in a Hispanic Community," Charles W. Dahm, OP (Paulist).

Second (tie): "Birth of a Church," Joseph Nangle, OFM (Orbis); "Forgiveness in International Politics," William Bole, Drew Christiansen, SJ, Robert T. Hennemeyer (USCCB Publishing).

Third: "A Struggle For Holy Ground," Michael Weldon, OFM (Liturgical Press).

Honorable Mention: "Diary of a Barrio Priest," Michael P. Enright (Orbis).

Professional books

First: "The Lost Art of Walking on Water," Michael Heher (Paulist).

Second: "Leadership From Inside Out," Wesley Granberg-Michaelson (Crossroad).

Third: "101 Questions & Answers on Deacons," William T. Ditewig (Paulist).

Educational books

First: "In the Footsteps of Jesus," Dr. Stephen M. Colecchi (USCCB Publishing).

Second: "Mission Possible," James DiGiacomo, SJ (National Catholic Educational Assn.).

Third: "Saints and Their Symbols," Fernando and Gioia Lanzi (Liturgical Press); "Finding God Religion Series," Barbara and Jim Campbell (Loyola Press).

Honorable Mention: "Teaching That Transforms: Worship as the Heart of Christian Education," Debra Dean Murphy (Brazos Press); "Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins," Miguel A. De La Torre (Orbis).

Design and production

First: "Blessed Art Thou: Mother, Lady, Mystic Queen," Michael O'Neill McGrath, Richard N. Fragomeni (World Library).

Second: "Mary Mother of God," Giovanna Parravicini, editor (Liguori).

Third: "Sister Thomas Carey, OSB: The Light Within," Baulu Kuan, OSB, Nancy Hynes, OSB (Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict).

Honorable Mention: "Franciscan Prayer," Ilia Delio, OSF (St. Anthony Messenger Press).

Children's books

First: "The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth," Brian Singer-Towns (Saint Mary's Press).

Second: "Where is God?," Joni Oeltjenbrun (Pauline Books & Media).

Third: "My Bible: The Story of God's Love," Melissa Wright (Pauline).

Honorable Mention: "The Color of Me," Linda L. McDunn (Liturgical Press); "Clare and Francis," Guido Visconti (Wm. B. Eerdmans).

First time author of a book

First: "The Mary Magdalene Tradition," Holly E. Hearon (Liturgical Press).

Second: "The Way of the Cross in Times of Illness," Elizabeth Thecla Mauro, (Liturgical Press).

Third: "God's Beloved," Michael O'Laughlin (Orbis).

Honorable Mention: "Clerical Culture: Contradiction and Transformation," Michael L. Papesh (Liturgical Press); "Unveiling: A Novel," Suzanne M. Wolfe (Paraclete Press).

Family life

First: "Raising Courageous Kids," Charles A. Smith (Sorin Press).

Second (tie): "The Liturgy of Motherhood," Kathleen Finley (Sheed & Ward); "Please Don't Drink The Holy Water!," Susie Lloyd (Sophia Institute).

Third: "Catholic Mom 24/7," Tammy Bundy (St. Anthony Messenger Press).

Honorable Mention: "Up All Night," Gregory Orfalea & Barbara Rosewicz, editors (Paulist).

History

First: "History of Vatican II, Vol. 4," Giuseppe Alberigo, Joseph A. Komonchak, editors (Orbis).

Second: "The Lion and the Lamb," William M. Shea (Oxford University Press).

Third: "Catholic Theologians in Nazi Germany," Robert A. Krieg (Continuum).

Honorable Mention: "Four Cultures of the West," John W. O'Malley (Harvard University Press).

Biography

First: "Orestes A. Brownson," Patrick W. Carey (Wm. B. Eerdmans).

Second: "Flannery O'Connor and the Christ-Haunted South," Ralph C. Wood (Wm. B. Eerdmans).

Third (tie): "Peter Maurin: Apostle to the World," Dorothy Day with Francis J. Sicius (Orbis); "John Baptist de la Salle," Carl Koch, Jeffrey Calligan, FSC, Jeffrey Gros, FSC (Paulist Press).

Gender issues

First: "The Papal 'No'," Deborah Halter (Crossroad).

Second: "Adam's Return: The Five Promises of Male Initiation," Richard Rohr (Crossroad).

Third: "Women in Christ," Michele M. Schumacher, editor (Wm. B. Eerdmans).

Spanish language titles

First: "Primera Eucaristia," Joan Mitchell, CSJ (Pflaum Publishing Group).

Second: "Una Vision del Ministerio Pastoral," Richard R. Gaillardetz (Liguori).

Third: "Una Espiritualidad para Lectores," Richard R. Gaillardetz (Liguori).

Reference books

First: "The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia," Michael Glazier & Monika K. Hellwig, editors (Liturgical Press).

Second: "Dictionary of the Reformation," Klaus Ganzer, Bruno Steimer, editors (Crossroad).

Third (tie): "Stamped With The Image of God," Cyprian Davis, OSB, Jamie Phelps, OP, editors (Orbis); "35 Years of the BCL Newsletter" (USCCB Publishing).

Best book by a small publisher

First (tie): "In the Heart of the Temple," Joan Chittister (Blue Bridge); "Voices From The Council," Michael R. Prendergast & M.D. Ridge, editors (Pastoral Press).

Second: "Teresa of Avila: An Extraordinary Life," Shirley du Boulay (Blue Bridge).

Third: "Inviting Silence," Gunilla Norris (Blue Bridge).

THE PUBLISHERS

• ACTA Publications, Chicago, IL
• Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN
• Blue Bridge, New York, NY
• Brazos Press, Grand Rapids, MI
• Continuum, New York, NY
• Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, NY
• Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
• Liguori Publications, Liguori, MO
• Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN
• Loyola Press, Chicago, IL
• National Catholic Educational Assn., Washington, DC
• Novalis, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY
• Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, IN
• Oxford University Press, New York, NY
• Paraclete Press, Brewster, MA
• Pastoral Press, Portland, OR
• Pauline Books & Media, Boston, MA
• Paulist Press, Mahwah, NJ
• Pflaum Publishing Group, Dayton, OH
• St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, OH
• Saint Mary's Press, Winona, MN
• Servant Books, Cincinnati, OH
• Sheed & Ward, Lanham, MD
• Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN
• Sophia Institute, Manchester, NH
• Sorin Press, Notre Dame, IN
• USCCB Publishing, Washington, DC
• Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI
• World Library Publications, Franklin Park, IL