About Us
Celebration Publications is a division of The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company. Established in 1972, the division operates out of a Roman Catholic tradition and an ecumenical spirit, and is committed to the development of liturgical planning resources and other spiritually enhancing and community-enriching publications.
The division complements the company's award winning publication, National Catholic Reporter, founded in 1964, which reports, comments and reflects on the church and society. The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company is a member of the Catholic Press Association and in 2010 the National Catholic Reporter newspaper received the Catholic Press Association's general excellence award for the 11th consecutive year.
The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company is a Kansas City, Missouri-based nonprofit corporation. NCR is an independent organization and is not affiliated with any diocese or other official arm of the Roman Catholic Church, nor with any group or organization. .
CORPORATE OFFICE
Pat Marrin
pmarrin@ncronline.org
Celebration Editor
Tom Fox
tfox@ncronline.org
Publisher
Wally Reiter
wreiter@ncronline.org
Business Manager - CFO
Board of Directors
Annette E. Lomont, chair
Pamela D. Hayes, vice-chair
John Weiser, treasurer
Zeni Fox, secretary
Tom Bertelsen
Maryjeanne R. Burke
Sr. Helen Garvey, BVM
Jeanne Marie Lee
Loida Nicolas Lewis
Joan McGrath
Kate Pichon
Peter Phan
Jeanette Rodriguez
Landon H. Rowland (emeritus)
Sr. Annmarie Sanders, IHM
Patrick J. Waide, Jr.
Dr. Patrick Whelan
CONTACT INFORMATION
CELEBRATION PUBLICATIONS
115 E. Armour Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111-1203
Phone Numbers
800-444-8910 Advertising
816-531-0538 Corporate Office
For sample copies or subscription information,
call toll-free: 1-800-333-7373
Web site: www.celebrationpublications.org
Fax Numbers
816-968-2268 Advertising
816-968-2292 Corporate Office
816-968-2293 Celebration Publications
Editor/Author
Patrick Marrin succeeded Bill Freburger as editor of Celebration in 1998. He holds master’s degrees in theology, philosophy and journalism and has worked in religious education, liturgical and preaching ministry and as book editor, graphics editor and political cartoonist for a daily newspaper. Before being tapped as editor for Celebration, he was chair of the Mass Communications department and an associate professor at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. He traces his interest in liturgy to his early formation as a student at St. John’s Prep in Collegeville, Minn., and to the influence of the Benedictine monks there. He was a member of the Dominican Order for 18 years, including 11 years of ordained ministry. He lives with his family in Kansas City, Mo.
Authors
Jim Auer taught religion and English for 30 years. He is the author of 15 books and several hundred articles, principally for the Catholic publications and principally on youth. He and his wife Rose have two grown children and a grandson. He lives in Cincinnati.
Dick Folger is a permanent deacon for the diocese of Oakland, Calif., and author of “Gospel Stories of Jesus,” a three-volume collection of reflections on the Sunday Gospels.
Rich Heffern is a regular contributor of Celebration and to the National Catholic Reporter newsweekly on issues of the environment, justice and ecospirituality. He is the former editor of Praying magazine and the author of several books on contemporary spirituality. He lives and works in Kansas City, Mo.
Gabe Huck writes and speaks about liturgy and justice issues. He was the founder and director of Liturgy Training Publications of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In 2000, he accepted the annual Frederick R. McManus Award, presented to the publishing house by the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions. In June 2002, the Board of Directors of the Catholic Book Publishers Association bestowed its Life-time Achievement Award on him in recognition of his creation and direction of Liturgy Training Publications.He currently resides in Damascus, Syria.
Artist Julie Lonneman lives and works in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she maintains a studio. Her illustrations have been published widely by the religious press, including the Crossroad Publishing Company, Augsburg Fortress Press, Paulist Press, Liturgy Training Publications, and St. Anthony Messenger Press, as well as in America, Sojourners and Weavings magazines. She is in her eighth year of illustrating the lectionary readings for Celebration.
Carol Luebering was a founding member of the first bereavement committee in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in one parish; the founder and coordinator of her community’s outreach to people who can’t get to church in another. A retired book and homily service editor for St. Anthony Messenger Press, she writes a column on ministry to senior citizens for Celebration and many CareNotes for Abbey Press. She and her husband take great delight in their grandchildren. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys sewing and cooking.
J. Michael McMahon is music editor for Celebration and the current president of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
Fr. Lawrence Mick is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, columnist, workshop leader on parish renewal and the author of many books on the liturgy. He is a long-time contributor to Celebration and other national publications.
David Philippart teaches and publishes widely about liturgy and catechesis. His book Saving Signs, Wondrous Words is a mystagogical reflection on select gestures and prayers of the eucharist, and he has written a workbook for children who serve Mass, Serve God with Gladness. He has 22 years experience in teaching and catechesis, 14 years experience in publishing and 10 years experience in parish pastoral work. David lives in Chicago, where he is adjunct instructor in liturgy at the Institute for Pastoral Studies at Loyola University.
Patricia Russell graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids with degrees in English and Secondary Ed. She has done further course work in the areas of theology, literature, education, teaching writing, promoting literacy and technology in education. She teaches writing at St. Francis Borgia Regional High School.
Patricia Datchuck Sánchez earned an M.A. in literature and religion of the Bible in a joint degree program at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in New York., where she was a student of the late Fr. Raymond Brown. She has been contributing articles and commentaries on the Sunday readings in Celebration since 1979.
Rafael Sánchez received an M.A. in Liturgy from Catholic University of America and a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from Tulane University. He is Associate Professor of Spanish at the University of Southern Mississippi, Liturgy/Music Director at Sacred Heart Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he also ministers to various Hispanic groups. He and his wife, Patricia Datchuck Sánchez, have been collaborating to provide Lectionary commentaries and homilies for Celebration since 1979. They live in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB is the abbot at St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kan. His poetry and photos have appeared in Celebration and been published as popular note cards.
Paige Byrne Shortal earned a bachelor’s degree in theology at Saint Louis University and a master’s in pastoral studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology. She worked for 28 years in full time parish ministry, first at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church in St. Louis and most recently at St. Francis Borgia Parish in Washington, Mo.
Fr. James Smith is the pastor at St. Matthias Church in Columbus, Ohio, and a long-time contributor of homilies and theological reflections to Celebration.
Mary E. Waldron received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology from Marquette University. She later earned a doctorate in American Studies from Saint Louis University where she served as the Doctoral Candidacy Advisor for the graduate school. Mary serves as a lector in her parish and has helped prepare others for this ministry.
Elizabeth C. Williams has a bachelor’s degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology. She currently teaches theology at St. Francis Borgia Regional High School and serves as a lector in her parish.
