The Catholic Media Association just announced this year’s winners and I’m happy to share that Crossroads received an honorable mention in the Inclusion in the Church category!
Continue readingCMA Award and JSSR Review for Crossroads
Review of Catholics in America
I’m so glad to share my review of Dr. Lisa Keister’s Catholics in America in the Review of Religious Research. Keister’s book brings together some great national data to help us learn more about American Catholics. A unique contribution of this book is its close look at Catholic wealth and income, which has lots of implications for resources at parishes and Catholic organizations. Keister’s book is also the only recent work that I know of that compares white Catholics, Hispanic Catholics, white Protestants and Hispanic Protestants so we can understand when and how race and religion matter.
Continue readingReviews in RRR and JAAR
Happy to share two recent reviews of Crossroads with you all. Both mentioned their appreciation of the interviews for the first time in this series; I’m happy to say we are planning to continue to include these! The first review comes from Review of Religious Research and is written by Dr. Patrick Gilger, SJ, at Loyola University Chicago.
Continue readingCatholic Campus Ministry Book!
Rosie Chinea Shawver, Executive Director of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association, and I are teaming up with Ave Maria Press to bring you The Campus Minister’s Toolkit. This will be an amazing edited collection exploring a wide variety of topics facing today’s campus ministers. We are in the final stages of revisions with the contributors (who are some of the brightest stars in this field) and the book promises to be incredibly helpful for both new and seasoned ministers. The twenty chapters explore some of the most critical areas of campus ministry, like building partnerships, shaping your mission and vision, intercultural ministry, budget and fundraising, retreat design, and so much more. Something for everyone! I’ll keep you updated on my Books page as we move through the process.
UPDATE: The manuscript has been submitted for copyedits!
Good Friday Reflection
I wrote this back in 2019 for JST, my alma mater, but I thought I’d bring it back for those looking to enter into the solemnity of the day. As you can likely tell, it is based off of today’s readings:
I’ll apply an important lesson from my preaching class to this reflection: Your sermon should always provide good news to your listeners.
However, today’s Gospel reading is dark: betrayal, denial, interrogation, intrigue, blame, torture, hubris and the execution of Jesus… good news is not obvious. But, we can see the dimmest of stars on the darkest of nights. After reading the texts several times, I finally saw it, and when we read the crucifixion narratives in the other Gospels, this phrase appears only in John’s account, “The slave’s name was Malchus.”
Continue readingStewardship Study Begins!
I bring you a joyful announcement on this fine Feast of St. Patrick: The IRB for our stewardship study has been approved! This study will be an update of Chuck Zech’s 2006 study of parish stewardship. With e-giving, digital communications, COVID, declines in membership and more, it is time to discover what sorts of practices best correlate with higher rates of volunteering and financial giving in today’s parishes.
Soda bread tastes even better when you can celebrate these official beginnings! 🙂 ☘️
UPDATE: Survey launched April 16!
Reviews in American Catholic Studies and Sociology of Religion
The latest issue of American Catholic Studies contains a wonderful review of Crossroads. Huge thanks to theologian Dr. Rev. Aaron Wessman, vicar general and director of formation for the Glenmary Home Missioners, for his close read and thoughtful comments.
Continue readingChapters on Priestly Wellbeing in New Book
Happy Feast of the Epiphany! There has been a lot of good news to announce lately and I’m afraid that I am two months late in letting you know that a book based on the first wave of the National Study of Catholic Priests housed at The Catholic Project at the Catholic University of America has been released!
Continue readingChristmas 2025: Pope Francis
As regular readers know, the last few Christmases I have departed from the academic and offer some sort of “fun post” to highlight songs, organizations, treats, movies and anything else that has helped me enter into the Christmas season that year. This year I am changing things up. When Pope Francis passed away, it hit me really hard. So, as a way of honoring all he has given to me, I wanted to offer you some of my favorite treasures from Francis’s papacy.
Continue readingNew Position with the Center for Church Management at Villanova University
It’s official! I’m thrilled to be joining my colleagues at Villanova University’s Center for Church Management. I will try not to be too redundant (you can read more about my excitement in the press release), but for now it is settled that I’ll be working on a book exploring Catholic leadership models across the globe, another book updating Dr. Chuck Zech’s 2006 study Best Practices for Parish Stewardship, and research on synodality.
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Maureen K. Day, Ph.D. 