A Summer Reading List

man in hammock reading

When it comes to adult faith formation at my parish, Christ the King in Chicago, I am often reminded that many folks go away for the summer. That doesn’t mean that we can’t plan adult faith formation opportunities during the summer months; it just means that we might need to adjust our expectations when it comes to attendance. Another option, however, is to find a way to “travel with” people as they scatter to the “four corners” of the world for vacation! A good way of doing this is to put together a summer reading list for parishioners and then to ask them to share brief reviews/reflections that can be published in the parish bulletin or posted on the parish’s social media sites.

Let’s work together to compile a good summer reading list for adult faith formation.

I’ll start by sharing some books that I recommend, beginning with some Loyola Press titles:

Other Publishers:

What books do you recommend for summer reading? Keep it light and focus on spirituality. Think of books that folks would enjoy reading on the beach!

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

4 Comments

  1. No Problem: Turning the Next Corner in your Spiritual Life by Robert Wicks
    Conversation: The Sacred Art by Diane M. Millis
    The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister
    Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life by Joan Chittister

  2. Here’s my list!

    “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving
    “Mercy: The Essence of the Gospel and the Key to Christian Life” by Cardinal Walter Kasper
    “The Gospel of the Family” by Cardinal Walter Kasper
    “The Church of Mercy” by Pope Francis
    “Amoris Laetitia” by Pope Francis
    “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson
    “Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ” by Joe Paprocki
    “Mystagogy of the Eucharist: A Resource for Faith Formation” by Gilbert Ostdiek, OFM
    “Divine Renovation: Bringing Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission” by James Mallon
    “Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples” by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger
    “The Spiritual Meaning of the Liturgy” by Goffredo Boselli

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*