For further information about worship and the ritual arts, see the Organization and Publisher links below.
Or jump down to:
U.S.
Bishops' Conference
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly
of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who
jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian
faithful of the United States. The purpose of the Conference is to
promote the greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially
through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the
circumstances of time and place. This purpose is drawn from the
universal law of the Church and applies to the episcopal conferences
which are established all over the world for the same purpose.
http://www.usccb.org
Federation
of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC)
A national organization of Roman Catholic Diocesan Offices of Worship
and Liturgical Commissions throughout the United States.
http://www.fdlc.org
Notre
Dame Center for Liturgy
The Center for Liturgy, a national resource for worship at the
University of Notre Dame, helps church leaders and parishes to
celebrate God's presence in church and world and to connect liturgy and
life.
http://liturgy.nd.edu/
The
National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM)
The National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) is a membership
organization primarily composed of musicians, musician-liturgists,
clergy, and other leaders of prayer devoted to serving the life and
mission of the Church through fostering the art of musical liturgy in
Roman Catholic worshiping communities in the United States of America.
http://www.npm.org
Network
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, educates, lobbies
and organizes to influence the formation of federal legislation to
promote economic and social justice.
http://www.networklobby.org
Center
of Concern
Since 1971, the Center of Concern has offered moral vision and provided
effective leadership in the struggle to end hunger, poverty,
environmental decline, and injustice in the United States and around
the world. Our goal is to provide individuals and organizations with
basic tools to address these universal questions: What are the root
causes of human suffering in the world today? How can we change the
system to increase social justice and offer hope? We provide reliable
information and analysis on development issues, practical alternatives
to current development policies and practices suggestions for personal
action, and faith reflections on this work for justice.
http://www.coc.org
We
Believe
We Believe is a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting the
reform of the Roman Catholic liturgy.
http://www.webelieve.cc
US
Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy (BCL)
The Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy is a standing committee of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The Committee has
the responsibility in the bishops' conference for all matters relating
to the liturgy.
http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/
Canadian
Conference of Catholic Bishops Liturgy Commission
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has two Episcopal
Commissions for Liturgy: one for French speaking dioceses and one for
English speaking dioceses. The English sector Commission meets four
times a year and is assisted in its mandate by the staff at the
National Liturgy Office: Donna Kelly, cnd, Director; Margaret Bick,
Editor, National Bulletin for Liturgy; Dorothy Riopelle, secretary;
Michael Ruckpaul, data entry clerk. The National Litugy office can be
contacted through e-mail at
liturgy@cccb.ca.
http://www.cccb.ca/Commissions.htm?CD=90
The
North American Forum on the Catechumenate
The North American Forum is an international network of pastoral
ministers, liturgists, catechists, and theologians. Since 1981 the
Forum has united and supported pastoral ministers in the U.S., Canada,
and beyond. It is dedicated to making a fully implemented Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults a reality for all, supporting the
reconciliation ministries implicit in the Rite. The Forum is also
committed to evangelization and conversion through catechesis, liturgy,
discipleship, and mission and celebrating all cultural gifts.
http://www.naforum.org
The
Liturgical Conference
In 1940 a group of Benedictine monks in Collegeville, Minnesota began
an in-depth study of the liturgical life of the Roman Catholic Church
in the United States. The Liturgical Conference came out of those early
studies and research. The Conference became a membership organization
that met each year to share research and promote liturgical reform.
Although the Conference began as a Roman Catholic movement, it later
invited other Christian traditions to join its efforts. Today,
membership includes Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, United
Methodists, Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Prebyterians, and the United
Church of Christ.
http://www.liturgicalconference.org/
Southwest
Liturgical Conference
Our primary mission is directed toward the local Church at the parish
and diocesan level. We are committed to educational programs and
regional workshops which will stimulate the people of God to that
"full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations
called for by the very nature of the liturgy." (CSL, 14) One of the
principal ways in which we have achieved this end is through the
sponsorship of an Annual Study Week. This four-day study week is held
in January each year; dioceses of the region take their turn in hosting
the study week. In its thirty-two year history, the study week has been
hosted in almost every diocese of the region and has addressed a wide
range of topics.
http://www.swlc.org/association_pages/
index-swlcassoc.html
St.
Louis Liturgical Institute
The Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University exists to study and
promote the most important foundation of the Catholic Church. Through
multiple activities, we work to continue restoration and successful
enactment of the Mass and other liturgical rituals throughout the world.
http://www.liturgy.slu.edu
The
National Pastoral Life Center (NPLC)
The Center serves the community and mission of the Catholic Church by
assisting its leadership in parishes, diocesan offices, national
offices and associations. The services include: CHURCH magazine and
other publications; training weeks for pastors and parish leaders;
parish ministry conferences; an annual symposium for diocesan directors
of parish services; services for the development of parish small
communities; consulting services to diocesan bishops and their staffs
as well as to committees and staffs of the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops and others. The Center is also the secretariat for the
Roundtable: Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors, and the
Catholic Common Ground Initiative founded by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
to foster dialogue in the church.
http://www.nplc.org
Center
for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA)
CARA is a national, non-profit, university-affiliated organization that
conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. Founded
in 1964, CARA has three major dimensions to its mission: (1) to
increase the Church's self understanding; (2) to serve the applied
research needs of Church decision-makers; and (3) to advance scholarly
research on religion, particularly Catholicism.
http://cara.georgetown.edu/
The
National Center for Pastoral Leadership (NCPL)
The NCPL is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to
fostering the growth and quality of leadership in the Catholic Church.
It is especially well-known for its yearly East Coast
Conference for Religious Education.
http://www.ncpl.org
NOCERCC
The National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic
Clergy (NOCERCC) is a network of diocesan and religious directors of
presbyteral continuing education/formation.
http://www.nocercc.org/
Pax
Christi International
Pax Christi International is a non-profit, non-governmental Catholic
peace movement that began in France at the end of World War II. Today,
it is comprised of autonomous national sections, local groups, and
affiliated organizations spread over 30 countries and 5 continents,
with over 60,000 members worldwide. The movement works in all areas of
peace but has a specific focus on demilitarization, security and arms
trade, development and human rights, and ecology.
http://www.paxchristi.net
Liturgy
Liturgy is an online resource is an online resource composed by Bosco
Peters, helping your worship to be vital, transforming, and faithful
ecumenical, international material for spirituality, worship,
preaching, teaching, or a pew sheet.
http://www.liturgy.co.nz
Education
for Justice
The Education for Justice website is an online Catholic Social Teaching
resource library for Catholic teachers, parish workers, social justice
committees, religious communities, and faith sharing groups. At the
website,
hundreds of resources are available to connect more than fifty social
justice topics (e.g. Poverty, Immigration, Torture, Death Penalty,
etc.) to
the social teaching of the Church. Resource types include lesson plans,
articles with discussion questions, lectionary reflections, prayers and
prayer services, bulletin inserts, handouts, and interactive materials.
The
website is membership-based, but visitors can request a 30-day free
trial
membership to the site by emailing efj@coc.org.
Education for
Justice
National
Catholic Partnership on Disability
The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) was established
in 1982 to foster implementation of the Pastoral Statement of U.S.
Catholic Bishops on People with Disabilities. Passed unanimously on
November 16, 1978, this prophetic document calls for welcome of the now
over fourteen million Catholics who are disabled. It states that these
persons must be able to participate in the celebrations and obligations
of their faith, and advocates for their inclusion "within the total
fabric of society." NCPD likewise promotes implementation of the
Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with
Disabilities, approved by the U.S. bishops in June 1995 to provide
pastoral guidance on sacramental access for people with disabilities.
In addition, NCPD is guided by the policy statements and resolutions
passed by the NCPD Board of Directors. (See NCPD Board Resolutions.)
This mission of inclusion for disabled persons moves forward through a
national network of diocesan level leaders called by their bishops to
address access and inclusion within parishes.
http://www.ncpd.org
National
Apostolate for Inclusion Ministry
The universal call to holiness leads us to recognize that the Body of
Christ suffers when some members are not invited to full participation,
therefore the National Apostolate for Inclusion Ministry (NAfIM)
envisions that every person with Intellectual/Developmental
Disabilities (IDD) will be welcome to full inclusion into our Catholic
communities.
http://www.nafim.org
National
Catholic Office for the Deaf
The NCOD's mission is to spread God's message through the support of
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Pastoral Ministry so that we may all be
one in Christ!
http://www.ncod.org
Catholic
Celiac Society
Catholic celiacs face a special set of challenges when it comes to the
Church and the Holy Eucharist. There has been no unified effort by the
Church to identify Catholics who turn away from the Church because of
communion issues. There has been no organized effort to educate priests
or Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion about the special needs of
Catholics with celiac disease. There has been no support system for
Catholic celiacs who have been struggling with this problem.
We are pleased to announce the formation of the Catholic Celiac Society
whose three-fold mission will be to educate Catholic celiacs about
their options for Holy Communion as provided for by Canon Law and the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; to inform Catholic clergy and lay
ministers about the special needs of Catholic celiacs in their dioceses
and parishes; and to reconcile those Catholic celiacs who have left the
Church through lack of understanding, exclusion from the Eucharist, and
isolation from their church community.
http://www.catholicceliacs.org
Mexican
American Cultural Center (MACC)
The MACC's mission is to empower and educate leaders for service in a
culturally diverse church and society.
http://www.maccsa.org
Oregon
Catholic Press (OCP)
Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) publishes of a wide variety of music and
worship materials. Their worship programs, including missals and
hymnals, are used in more than half of all Catholic churches in the US.
www.ocp.org
Liturgy
Training Publications (LTP)
LTP provides materials that assist parishes, institutions and
households in the preparation, celebration and expression of liturgy in
Christian life.
http://www.ltp.org
GIA
Publications, Inc. (GIA)
GIA is a publisher of a wide range of liturgical music and music
education materials as well as hymnals and worship aides.
http://www.giamusic.com
World
Library Publications
World Library Publications, a division of J. S. Paluch Company, Inc.,
Schiller Park, IL, publishes liturgy and music resources for worship.
http://www.wlp.jspaluch.com
The
Liturgical Press
For over 75 years, the Liturgical Press has published liturgical
materials for both pastoral and academic audiences.
http://www.litpress.org
Ministry
& Liturgy magazine (ML) -- formerly Modern
Liturgy
Ministry & Liturgy (ML) is a professional
magazine for members of the parish ministry team. It is dedicated to
exploring the connection between liturgy and life, unpacking the
treasures of the Roman liturgy, and helping ministers use the musical
and environmental arts to adapt liturgies to their local culture.
http://www.rpinet.com/ml/
Liturgical
Catechesis magazine (LC)
Liturgical Catechesis (LC) is a magazine devoted
to creative ideas for doing liturgical catechesis.
http://www.rpinet.com/lc/
CanticaNOVA
CanticaNOVA is a publishing company that specializes in "Traditional
Music for the Contemporary Church." Our goal is to provide music which
is grounded in the texts and the traditions of the Roman Rite itself.
http://www.canticanova.com
Additionally, some of the organizations listed in the left column may also have a publications department or link to external resource-sellers like Amazon.com.
Aquinas
Institute of Theology
Aquinas Institute of Theology is a Dominican graduate school that
prepares religious, priests, and lay men and women for future church
leadership.
http://www.ai.edu/
Barry
University Center for Dominican Studies
The Center for Dominican Studies at Barry University is a collaborative
partnership of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, Barry University, and the
Friars of the Province of St. Martin de Porres. The purpose of the
Center is to build, celebrate, and share the rich and diverse charisms
of the Dominican tradition and to be a place where the enduring
Dominican tradition of contemplata aliis tradere (contemplating and
sharing with others the fruits of that contemplation) is a lived
reality.
(http://www.barry.edu/)
Catholic
Association of Teachers of Homiletics
CATH exists to provide a common organization for the study of Catholic
homiletics. As an educational and religious society, CATH serves as a
forum for mutual sharing of scholarship and support which can lead to
the professional development of its members; to underscore the
significance of Catholic preaching as a means of proclaiming the Good
News; as a resource to the bishops in their responsibility for the
continuing formation of their priests respective to their duty to
preach; to develop programs in homiletics for the preparation of
priests, deacons and non-ordained ministers; to be a unified movement
toward the development of advanced degree courses in homiletics within
Catholic theological schools.
http://www.cathomiletics.org/
Claretians,
Province of Chicago
The Claretians are a Roman Catholic religious community of priests and
brothers dedicated to the mission of living and spreading the Gospel of
Jesus—to serving life—in more than 60 countries on
five
continents. The Claretians are dedicated to seeing the world through
the eyes of the poor. They strive to respond to the most urgent and
timely needs, using all means possible to care for the spiritual and
material needs of others. They give special attention to recent
immigrants, youth and families, leadership training, and spiritual
renewal. The Claretians were founded by St. Anthony Claret in Spain in
1849. A man on fire with God’s love, Claret embodied the
special
charisms of community, mission, evangelization, and spirituality..
http://www.claretians.org/
Dominican
Central Province
Dominican Central is the web site of the American Central Province of
the Dominican Friars, the Province of St. Albert the Great. We are
Roman Catholic priests and brothers, part of the global "Order of
Preachers," the Dominican Family of priests, brothers, sisters, nuns
and lay people, who live and pray today in a holy tradition that dates
back to time of St. Dominic, the thirteenth century.
http://www.op.org/domcentral/
Dominican
Eastern Province
Founded in 1805 by Bishop Edward Dominic Fenwick, OP, the Province grew
rapidly. In 1939, it was divided to allow for the Central Province of
Saint Albert the Great. In 1978, Saint Joseph and Saint Albert
Provinces were further subdivided to allow for the Southern Dominican
Province of Saint Martin de Porres. In 1772, Spanish friars had gone to
the west which is now the Holy Name Province. Saint Joseph's Province
is the largest of the four provinces in numbers. In this, the Province
of Saint Joseph, the Gospel is preached and souls are served in 17
Dominican parishes; in Providence College, a liberal arts college for
men and women, located in Providence, Rhode Island; by friars on the
faculties of universities and seminaries, both in the United States and
abroad; by directing retreats at Saint Stephen Priory in Dover, MA, by
hospital chaplains, campus ministers, and by itinerant preachers who
travel from parish to parish giving retreats throughout the country.
http://www.op-stjoseph.org/
Dominican
House of Studies
The Dominican House of Studies is a school of theology. Founded in
1905, it has served the theological education of Dominican Friars of
St. Joseph Province. Since 1970, as part of the Washington Theological
Consortium, it has educated both religious and laity. It is fully
accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and by the Middle
States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
http://www.dhs.org/
Dominican
Leadership Conference
The purpose of this Conference is to serve as an association for
collaborative leadership among elected leaders of Dominican religious
congregations and provinces of women and men of the United States of
America.
http://www.op.org/dlc/
Dominican
School of Philosophy and Theology
Forming a community of learning inspired by the Gospel, DSPT offers a
variety of academic and/or professional programs for all its students
and provides a program of professional preparation to candidates for
ordained and lay ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. The School
draws its students into the tradition of classical philosophy and
Catholic theology, especially as exemplified by St. Thomas Aquinas.
http://www.dspt.edu/)
The Dominican
Sisters of Houston, TX
The Houston Dominican Sisters, publicly commit themselves to study and
address the crucial justice issues of our time. They assume the risks
inherent in preaching and teaching the gospel. They work to transform
social structures which oppress the powerless, ministering with them in
our common struggle to remain faithful to the Word of God.
www.houstonop.org/html/new_index.html
Dominican
Sisters of Springfield, Illinois
In 1873 six Catholic Sisters were sent to Jacksonville, Illinois from
the Convent of St. Catherine of Sienna, Springfield, Kentucky. They
were women imbued with the Holy Spirit to spread the Word of Jesus
wherever they were sent. Courageously and joyfully they undertook what
was to become a familiar pilgrimage: the move from a secure and
cherished home to a new and unknown place of ministry.
http://www.springfieldop.org
Dominican
Sisters of Racine, Wisconsin
Commitment to truth in the light of the Gospel compels us to consecrate
whatever power we have, personally and as community, to sustain the
fundamental right of every person to pursue the fullness of life and to
share in the common good. Today such a stance demands an explicit
solidarity in prayer, struggle,
suffering and hope with those who are oppressed by systems designed to
serve the interests of the wealthy and advantaged. This perspective
governs our every ministry, whether that ministry is among the
economically advantaged or among the economically poor. http://www.racinedominicans.org
Dominican
Southern Province
In order to offset the influence of Radical Fundamentalism, the
Dominicans offer an intellectual Catholic presence at southern
universities. Faced with an inherited social structure and economy, our
province remains committed to promoting social justice - so crucial to
the poor, unemployed and immigrant populations we serve.
http://www.opsouth.org
Dominican
Western Province
We belong to the international community of Friars Preachers, called by
the Roman Catholic Church to evangelize in the name of Jesus Christ,
especially in the Western United States and in some foreign missions.
In cities and university communities particularly, we manifest special
concern for faith issues, justice, peace, and outreach to those not
touched by the Church’s common ministry. Our distinctive
Dominican charism is nourished by our common life in priories, which
sustains liturgical prayer, encourages simplicity, fosters
contemplative study, and guarantees democratic government.
http://www.opwest.org
Franciscan
Province of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
We believe that as followers of St. Francis of Assisi we are "Lesser
Brothers" called to be centered in Christ with the Gospel as our Rule
life. We believe that fidelity to our calling is expressed in loyalty
to the mission of Jesus continued in His Church, in a spirit of prayer
and contemplation, with a special love for the poor, and reverence for
all God's creation. We believe that we are called to fraternity, to
share a life of joy and peace, to draw our inspiration from the cross
of Jesus, and to be renewed continually through our celebration of the
Eucharist.
http://www.thefriars.org/
Franciscan
Province of St. John the Baptist
The 240 friars of St. John the Baptist Province (SJB) are members of
the Order of Friars Minor, a Franciscan brotherhood inspired by the
13th-century example of St. Francis of Assisi. We serve the Catholic
Church as brothers and priests, devoting our lives to the search for
God in a communal life of poverty, prayer, and service to others.
http://www.franciscan.org/
The Georgetown
Center for Liturgy
The mission of the Georgetown Center for Liturgy is to support and
promote the Second Vatican Council's vision of liturgical reform and
renewal. The Center works with liturgical leaders on the
national,
diocesan and parish level, serving as a catalyst and a resource to
improve the quality of the liturgical experience in parishes throughout
the United States. The Center's unswerving commitment to the
Second Vatican Council's agenda of liturgical renewal makes it a beacon
of hope to all who wish to further and deepen the work begun at the
Council.
http://centerforliturgy.georgetown.edu
National
Federation of Priests' Councils
The National Federation of Priests' Councils (NFPC) is a church
membership organization which represents and provides ministry
resources for 123 councils of diocesan and religious clergy - totaling
over 25,000 Roman Catholic priests.
http://www.nfpc.org/
National
Institute for the Word of God
The National Institute for the Word of God conducts programs in
preaching, liturgy, catechetics, Bible sharing, lector training and
parish renewal. In addition, it promotes research in the fields of
Scripture, theology and sociology pertinent to its mission.
http://www.wordofgodinstitute.org/
NOCERCC
The National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic
Clergy (NOCERCC) is a membership association of dioceses, religious
communities, and other interested organizations and individuals
committed to the Church’s mission to promote and support
ongoing
formation for priests and presbyterates. Founded in 1973,
NOCERCC’s current membership includes approximately 170 Roman
Catholic dioceses and religious communities in the United States as
well as approximately 50 other organizations and individuals around the
world that are part of the ongoing clergy formation community.
http://www.nocercc.org/
Partners
in Preaching
Partners in Preaching, a national ministry of consultation, training
and formation for the Church's ministry of liturgical preaching.
http://www.partnersinpreaching.org/
Paulist
New England Outreach
Paulist New England Outreach (PNEO) is a ministry of the Missionary
Society of St. Paul the Apostle, usually called the Paulist Fathers.
PNEO program offerings reflect the ministerial concerns of the Paulists
to the broader Catholic Church of New England.
http://www.paulistnewengland.org/
Preaching
the Just Word
Preaching the Just Word is a national program sponsored by the
Woodstock Theological Center to assist priests and other ministers of
the gospel to be more effective in preaching social justice.
http://www.georgetown.edu/centers/woodstock/pjw.htm
Redemptorists
of the Baltimore Province
A Roman Catholic Congregation of Priests and Brothers founded by St.
Alphonsus, Redemptorist Missionaries follow in the footsteps of Jesus
the Redeemer, living in a spirit of brotherhood, serving the needs of
the poor and abandoned. More than 5,000 members world-wide, we ...
...preach parish missions, staff retreat houses, work with youth and young adults, minister to people living with AIDS, work in rural areas as well as minister with Hispanics and African-Americans, especially in the inner-city, and staff parishes in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Croix, Dominica and St. Lucia (to name a few).
While the Congregation is located on every continent in the world, the
Baltimore Province is one of the largest units. We have houses from
Boston to Washington, D.C., from Ohio to Delaware. Our mission is to
bring the Good News of Christ to those who are unaware of his message
and his saving mercy, meanwhile continually striving to deepen the
faith of others.
http://www.redemptorists.net/
Sacred
Heart School of Theology
A National Roman Catholic seminary serving second-career vocations.
http://www.shst.edu/
St.
Meinrad School of Theology
The mission of Saint Meinrad School of Theology is excellence in the
formation of those preparing for priesthood and other ministries in the
Church. This takes place within a community and a tradition which
fosters learning, worship, and character.
http://www.saintmeinrad.edu
Georgetown
University
The oldest Catholic University in America, Georgetown continues the
tradition of Jesuit education in a variety of disciplines.
The Georgetown Center is an institute within the university; Center
staff occasionally teach courses in several degree and certificate
programs.
http://www.georgetown.edu
Holy
Trinity Catholic Church
Located one block east of Georgetown University, Holy Trinity is the
oldest church in continuous operation in the District of Columbia.
Founded in 1787 and continuously staffed by Jesuit Fathers, Holy
Trinity recently completed a renovation of its parish center and
restoration of the original chapel (1792) -- under the direction of
Georgetown Center Director, Lawrence J. Madden, SJ. (The Georgetown
Center for Liturgy's offices are located within the parish center
complex.).
http://www.holytrinitydc.org