News — march 2016

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Novalis Now a Canadian Distributor for Ave Maria Press

Novalis Now a Canadian Distributor for Ave Maria Press

Novalis Publishing and Ave Maria Press are excited to announce that Novalis will represent Ave in Canada as its distributor, effective immediately. Ave Maria Press is a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and books on prayer and spirituality. Its imprints include Ave Maria Press, Sorin Books, Christian Classics, and Forest of Peace. An apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, Ave recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. Novalis is the largest bilingual publisher in Canada, maintaining offices in both Toronto and Montreal.  It was founded by André Guay, OMI, in 1935, and now is a division of Bayard Canada. Novalis distributes books and resources in Canada for more than twenty religious publishers from the United States and the United Kingdom. The two companies share a common mission and values, producing spiritual resources that engage Catholics more deeply in their faith. This distribution partnership will allow both companies to better serve the Church and its people. "We look forward to extending our reach in Canada through this partnership with Novalis Publishing," said Karey Circosta, vice president of sales and marketing at Ave Maria Press. "We’re pleased to make our high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and outstanding line of trade books more readily available throughout the country."

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Hamma to Retire as Editorial Director in July

Hamma to Retire as Editorial Director in July

Robert Hamma had been interested in publishing before he began his second career as an editor at Paulist Press in 1984. His background in ministry and two theology degrees from Immaculate Conception Seminary and the University of Notre Dame drew him toward Catholic publishing. Hamma will retire in July after 25 years at Ave Maria Press. He learned the publishing business at Paulist Press, where he acquired and edited books, worked with RENEW, and developed resources for RCIA and college-level theology. Hamma and his wife, Kathy Schneider, met at Notre Dame and they wanted to return to their circle of friends in the area. In 1991, Hamma was hired by Frank Cunningham as a book editor at Ave, as well as editor of Spiritual Book Associates, which involved working with about a half-dozen other publishers whose books were included in the book club. In that role Hamma also served as editor of Spiritual Book News, which was published eight times a year. He was promoted to editorial director in 1996. Hamma estimates he’s edited about 200 books, including those of such notable authors as Sr. Joyce Rupp, Robert Wicks, Henri Nouwen, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, Msgr. Peter Vaghi, Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, Christine Valters Paintner, Michael Pennock, Judy Cannato, Msgr. Joseph Champlin, Fr. Ed Hays, John Kirvan, Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin, and Br. Loughlan Sofield. Hamma is a respected part of Ave’s team. “Oh, how I will miss having Bob Hamma as my editor,” Rupp said. “He polished my manuscripts with his editorial skills and often restored my confidence. I owe so much to Bob for how kindly he approached my writing and the deftness with which he brought it to fuller life.” Added current Ave Maria Press publisher Tom Grady, “After such a long and fruitful tenure at Ave, Bob has earned his retirement, but it will be hard to imagine this organization without him.” Digital technology has open up new opportunities for publishing, Hamma said, and the pace of the work has increased accordingly. Communication with authors is instantaneous now, allowing editors to be more productive. Changes in the Catholic Church itself have altered the focus of publishing from primarily books for priests and religious to publications for lay Catholics exploring what it means to be part of the faith today. “Interest in Catholic identity has really shaped the kind of publishing we do,” Hamma said. He is still discerning plans for the future, but Hamma wants to remain involved in publishing in a limited way, possibly to write and teach, and to work especially with Spanish-speaking Catholics. “It’s been 25 years and I feel like I am in place where I have a lot of energy for new things and I’m ready to make a change and step back from the fast pace.” Ave will begin searching for Hamma’s successor immediately.

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Join Movement to Invite 5,000 People to Attend Easter Mass

Join Movement to Invite 5,000 People to Attend Easter Mass

Will you commit to making a difference in someone’s life this year by becoming an Easter Evangelist? Jared Dees, author of the newly released To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach: The Essential Guide to Ministry in Today’s Catholic Church, recently launched a campaign to extend 5,000 personal invitations to attend Easter Masses on March 26 and 27. He needs your help to meet his goal. Just invite someone who is a lukewarm or fallen-away Catholic to go to Easter Mass and share with them why Easter is important to you. It’s that simple. Dees recommends asking God to lead you to the person who needs the invitation the most. It could be a friend, coworker, acquaintance—even a family member who hasn’t been to church in a while. They might say no, but they also might say yes. Remind them as Easter gets closer and offer to go with them if you sense some reluctance. Let God and the Holy Spirit do the rest. You might be planting a seed that could be a turning point in their faith journey. Join the movement and gather with other Catholics from throughout the world at easterevangelist.com, where you’ll also find some FAQs to help. In addition, by joining the Easter Evangelist e-mail list, you’ll get scripts and prompts to help you extend your invitations. You’ll receive stories and advice to help you become better at evangelization. Most importantly, you’ll be a part of a community of fellow Christians committed to spreading the joy of the Gospel this Lent and Easter season.

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