Trish’s books include topics on mass, faith + spirituality.
This resource explores the parts of the Mass in a deeper way, helping adults to better appreciate the meaning of the prayers, responses, acclamations, gestures, signs, and symbols. From Mass to Mission will inspire you to be more actively and consciously involved in the Mass and in the world as Christ’s disciples. This booklet can be used by individuals, members of worship commissions, liturgical ministers, or in adult faith formation sessions. An accompanying leader’s guide is available.
Church basements have long been the home of twelve-step recovery groups, where people who have felt hopeless and alone find new hope and healing in the midst of a supportive community of witnesses who have been there and know that there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Sharing coffee and conversation, real recovery begins. This is much the same witness the early church made when disciples went out forming communities where the gospel was shared and bread was broken. This book, a remarkably fresh and unique “take” on the Scriptures, shows what could happen if that deeply spiritual sharing moved “upstairs,” into the body of the church. The authors, both in recovery themselves, bring their experience, strength, and hope to their reflections on Scripture. Organized loosely around the seasons of the liturgical year, their interpretations shed fresh light and power on stories we’ve heard many, many times. Their distinctive viewpoint will strike responsive chords not just with those in recovery, but with anyone who has ever felt out of place, out of step, or somehow set adrift in today’s world. Filled with wisdom, compassion, and humor, The Twelve Steps Meet the Gospel is a testament to the hope and joy that Scripture reveals, cast in human terms that speak to us all.
Most of us think of Easter as a single day, a springtime Sunday filled with celebration, family, good food, treats and the recognition of new life. It’s the day that Christians rejoice in the resurrection, the day that demonstrated that “death could not contain” the Lord. In fact, the Easter Season extends past resurrection day for a full 50 days that come to completion at Pentecost. These reflections, drawn from the daily lectionary and supplemented with brief excerpts from other authors, are designed to support our focus on not just celebrating the great feast of Easter, but of becoming Christ’s Easter people. Each day, the readers is offered a new way to dwell in the celebration that is Easter.
To enter into Lent prayerfully is to undergo a returning. A returning to God, to community, and our true selves. In this book. Trish Vanni offers honest reflections on the scriptures of the day, and how they call Christians to move closer to God as they approach Easter.
Participating at Sunday Mass is the most important action of the week for Catholic Christians. From Mass to Mission deepens our understanding of the Mass and how it shapes us to live as Christ's disciples in the world. Developed for three different age groups (adults, teens, and children), the From Mass to Mission series includes booklets and Leader's Guides that offer the entire parish the opportunity to grow deeper in their understanding of and participation in the liturgy. From Mass to Mission: Understanding the Mass and Its Significance for Our Christian Life for Teens, Leader's Guide provides those who minister to teens with the tools for leading effective formation and catechetical sessions about the Mass. A companion DVD provides a variety of downloadable materials that will enhance your sessions and assist with advertising and connecting with parents and guardians.
It is an honor to be asked to be a godparent, but what does being a godparent really mean, and what are the parents and the Church asking you to do? In simple, down-to-earth language, this book tells you what you need to know, before, during, and after the baptism ceremony itself. It also offers practical suggestions about how you can help this wonderful child grow in our faith in the years ahead.
Homiletic preaching is both an art and a craft. In this practical, clear program, faithful people -- both lay and ordained -- can train to become effective agents of breaking open the Word of God in the Sunday assembly. Written with equipping gifted lay leaders in mind, Patricia Baumer presents a thoughtful approach to understanding the unique nature of homiletic; preparing content, both spiritually and intellectually; considering the praying community and more. Used in dioceses across the United States, this manual is a proven approach to equipping a liturgical preaching team, as well as refreshing the training of deacons, priests, and other clergy. Patricia Hughes Baumer, M.Div. credits her approach to the training/formation of preachers to her work as a teen retreat director, college campus minister, pastoral care supervisor to medical interns, in residence hospice chaplain, lay preacher and mother guiding two sons, Paul and August, to maturity. Her motto to “preach on human life through the lens of the Scriptures” was the impetus for this practical manual used with women and men answering their faith communities’ call to preach in a liturgical setting. Patricia lives with her spouse, Fred, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.