HNP Today occasionally provides recommendations of publications that are relevant to friars and partners-in-ministry. Below are brief descriptions of three books — one about New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, another read by the incoming class of St. Bonaventure University, and one written by a Redemptorist priest.
Life Lessons From My Life With My Brother, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan by Bob Dolan (Tau Publishing, 2011), was recommended in the Dec. 1 issue of Catholic New York. A compilation of the author’s recollections, as well as previously published material written by the archbishop of New York, discusses “family hijinks from growing up.” Catholic New York editor John Woods wrote: “There is much to like in this book. Asked why he decided to write it, Bob Dolan replied, ‘To spread his approach to the Catholic faith. He’s impacted my life a great deal.’” Woods continued: “The author’s selfless spirit comes across in many ways. You can tell he’s very proud of his brother. Even in the chapter about sports, the one area of life where Bob admits he has an upper hand on his brother, it was Tim who came out on top in an epic whiffle ball battle in the family’s side yard, clouting a game-winning home run off Bob in the bottom of the 31st inning. That must have been some game.”
Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan (William Morrow, 2011), is the All Bonaventure Reads book for St. Bonaventure University’s class of 2015. The program, which began in 2006, asks all first-year students to read a book that is used as the cornerstone of a “University 101” course. In Little Princes, Grennan, 29, tells of his horrific discovery that children were trafficked from an orphanage where he volunteered for a year in 2006. Last month, the book was featured in SBU’s 2011 All Bonaventure Reads Expo and poster session, at which some students said they were “thankful for the resources and opportunities they have,” according to a news release. Essays by 13 students can be read on SBU’s website.
Living in the Gap: Religious Life and the Call to Communion by Dennis Billy, CSsR (New City Press, 2011), is endorsed by Sr. Ilia Delio, OSF, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center in the nation’s capital. Fr. Billy, a Redemptorist from the Baltimore Province, discusses the theme of communion being at the heart of the Christian message. In her endorsement, Sr. Ilia said, “Religious life is not a native utopia but a commitment to live in the gap between vision and reality, the already and the not-yet, the place where human relationships are deepened in the midst of human frailties. This is a well-written and thought-provoking book that will raise questions for some and provide insight for many. Living in the Gap offers a wise and spiritual foundation for those seeking the pearl of great price.”
The HNP Communications Office welcomes emails from readers who would like to suggest a book or periodical. Themes that are relevant to friars and partners-in-ministry — in addition to spirituality and news of the Catholic Church — include topics affiliated with Holy Name Province committees and directorates: evangelization, vocations, justice and peace, young adults, African-American and Hispanic ministries, and wellness.
— Compiled by Wendy Healy