At the annual Catholic Media Convention in late May, the Catholic Press Association presented its awards to books judged superior in various categories. This week, The Tidings presents those books which earned first, second, third and honorable mention honors, with publishers listed in parentheses.

Popular presentation of the Catholic faith
First: "Help My Unbelief," William J. O'Malley (Orbis Books).

Second Place: "The Apostles, Illustrated Edition," Pope Benedict XVI (Our Sunday Visitor).

Third: "Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God," Ginny Kubitz Moyer (St. Anthony Messenger Press).

Spirituality: Soft cover
First: "Ancestral Grace," Diarmuid O'Murchu (Orbis).

Second Place (Tie): "Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth," Ilia Delio, OSF & Keith Douglass Warner, OFM (St. Anthony Messenger).

Third: "Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality," Richard Rohr, OFM (St. Anthony Messenger).

Spirituality: Hard cover
First: "The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day," Dorothy Day & Robert Ellsberg (Marquette University Press).

Second: "The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully," Joan Chittister (Blue Ridge).

Third: "Mother Teresa's Secret Fire," Joseph Langford (Our Sunday Visitor).

Theology
First: "The Sexual Person: Toward a Renewed Catholic Anthropology," Todd A. Salzman & Michael G. Lawler (Georgetown University Press).

Second: "Beyond Compare: St. Francis de Sales and Sri Vedanta Desika on Loving Surrender to God," Francis X. Clooney, SJ (Georgetown).

Third: "Disciples' Jesus," Terrence W. Tilley (Orbis).

Scripture
First: "Liberating the Bible," Linda MacCammon (Orbis).

Second (Tie): "The Acceptable Year of the Lord: Preaching the Old Testament with Faith, Finesse and Fervour," Karen A. Hamilton (Novalis).

Third: "The Spiritual Landscape of Mark," Bonnie B. Thurston (Liturgical Press).

Honorable Mention: "Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality," Richard Rohr, OFM, (St. Anthony Messenger); "Symbolic Language and the Apocalypse," Andrea Spatafora (Novalis).

Liturgy
First: "Reforming the Liturgy: A Response to Critics," John F. Baldovin (Liturgical Press).

Second: "From Age to Age: How Christians Have Celebrated the Eucharist," Edward Foley (Liturgical Press).

Third: "One Upon A Gospel: Inspiring Homilies and Insightful Reflections," William J. Bausch (Twenty-Third Publications).

Pastoral ministry
First: "The Way of Faith: A Field Guide for the RCIA Process," Nick Wagner (Twenty-Third Publications).

Second: "Good News Parish Leadership: Trust-Building Guidelines, Tools and Ideas," Michael L. Papesh (Twenty-Third Publications).

Third: "Diversity of Vocations," Marie Dennis (Orbis).

Professional books
First: "Christ in the Gospels of the Liturgical Year," Raymond E. Brown, SS (Liturgical Press).

Second: "Nature, Tasks and Scope of the Catechetical Ministry: A Digest of Recent Church Documents," Berard L. Marthaler, OFM Conv (National Catholic Educational Association).

Third: "Impact of the RCIA: Stories, Reflections, Challenges," Edited by Jerry Galipeau (World Library Publications).

Honorable Mention: "Misa, Mesa, Y Musa Volume 2," Kenneth G. Davis, OFM, Conv. (World Library Publications).

Educational books
First: "Applied Ethics in a World Church," Linda Hogan (Orbis).

Second: "Senior High Ministry That Works!: A Parish-Based Initiation Model," Fred T. Mercandante (Twenty-Third Publications).

Third: "That They May Be One," Dawn M. Nothwehr (Orbis).

Design and production
First: "Pope Benedict XVI in Washington: Herald of Christ's Hope," Edited by Mark V. Zimmermann (Carroll Publishing Company/Archdiocese of Washington D.C.).

Second: "Mysteries of the Rosary," Michael O'Neill McGrath, OSFS, Christine Krzystofczyk, Christine Enault (World Library Publications).

Third: "Praying the Word: Illuminated Prayers and Wisdom from the Saint John's Bible," Donald Jackson (Liturgical Press).

Children's books
First: "Adventures of Saint Paul," Oldrich Selucky & Zdenka Krejcova (Pauline Books & Media).

Second: "Olivia and the Little Way," Nancy Carabio Belanger (Harvey House Publishing).

Third: "Look It Up!: Over 600 Definitions for Catholic Kids and their Parents and Teachers," Janet A. Alampi (Pauline).

Honorable Mention: "Take It to the Queen, A Tale of Hope," Joseph Nobisso, Katalin Szegedi (Gingerbread House).

First time author of a book
First: "Down to Earth: Celebrating the Blessed Life of the Farmer," Curt Arens (ACTA).

Second: "Prayers for Catholic Men," Mike Pacer (Servant Books).

Third: "Saints at the Dinner Table," Amy Heyd (St. Anthony Messenger).

Family life
First: "Together But Alone: When God Means Something Different to Your Spouse," Donna Erickson Couch (St. Anthony Messenger).

Second: "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living Catholic Faith," LeAnn Theiman (Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing).

Third: "Grieving With Grace: A Woman's Perspective," Dolores R. Leckey (St. Anthony Messenger).

History
First: "Catholic Moral Theology in the United States: A History," Charles E. Curran (Georgetown University Press).

Second: "History of Theology: The Middle Ages," Giulio D'Onofrio (Liturgical Press).

Third: "The Great Medieval Heretics: Five Centuries of Religious Dissent," Michael Frassetto (Blue Ridge).

Honorable Mention: "From Age to Age: How Christians Have Celebrated the Eucharist," Edward Foley (Liturgical Press).

Biography
First: "The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day," Dorothy Day & Robert Ellsberg (Marquette University Press).

Second: "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters," James W. Douglass (Orbis).

Third: "Meet John XXIII: Joyful Pope and Friend to All," Patricia Treece (Servant).

Gender issues
First: "Making Sense of God: A Woman's Perspective," Elizabeth A. Breyer (St. Anthony Messenger).

Second: "Family Violence," Elizabeth Soto Albrecht (Orbis).

Third: "Living a Spirituality of Action: A Woman's Perspective," Joan Mueller (St. Anthony Messenger).

Spanish language titles
First: "Reconciliacion: El minsterio revelado del amor y la misericordia de Dios," Clare Colella, Rory Cooney & Joseph Favazza (Liturgical Publications Inc.).

Second: "Palabra, Vida y Fe," Miguel Arias (Oregon Catholic Press).

Best book by a small publisher
First: "Be Not Afraid: An Alternative to the War on Terror," Tom Cordaro (Pax Christi USA).

Second: "The Beauty of Mary," Rosemary Vaccari Mysel, Andrew J. Vaccari & Peter I. Vaccari (Pauline).

Third: "La Bella Brigata: A Pictorial History of the Kentucky Dominicans," Paschala Noonan, OP, Daniel J. Roth, Elaine DesRosiers, OP & Mary Eva Kimbel, OP (Brookville Books).

Social Concerns
First: "Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth," Ilia Belio, OSF, Keith Douglass Warner, OSM, & Pamela Wood (St. Anthony Messenger).

Second: "Child, Victim, Soldier," Donald H. Dunson (Orbis).

Third: "The Seamless Garment: Writings on the Consistent Ethic of Life --- Joseph L. Bernardin," Thomas A. Nairn, OFM (Orbis).

THE PUBLISHERS ACTA Publications, Chicago, IL Blue Bridge, New York, NY Brookville Books, Sea Cliff, NY Carroll Publishing Company, Washington, DC Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, CosCob, CT Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC Gingerbread House, Westhampton Beach, NY Harvey House Publishing, Rochester, MI Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN Marquette University Press, Milwaukee, WI National Catholic Educational Assn., Washington, DC Novalis, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY Oregon Catholic Press, Portland OR Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, IN Pauline Books & Media, Boston, MA Pax Christi USA, Erie, PA Servant Books, Cincinnati, OH St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, OH Twenty-Third Publications, New London, CT Servant Books, Cincinnati, OH World Library Publications, Franklin Park, IL