DRE         

If you have questions about any of these resources click here.  Please include the Reference Number listed.

Publisher Information

1)      Bausch, William J.  Ministry Traditions, Tensions, Transitions.  Mystic, Connecticut:  Twenty-Third Publications, 1982.

    “The past (traditions), present (tensions), and future (transitions) of ministry are thoroughly researched (and footnoted).  Yet, this New Jersey pastor’s writing style is so personal and warm that this volume makes the study and reflection upon ministry accessible to the average reader.”

       Reference Number:  B-00060

2)      Bergevin, Paul and McKinley, John.  Adult Education for the Church.  St. Louis, Missouri:  The Bethany Press, 1971.

       Reference Number:  B-00061

3)      Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Responsibility in Ministry A Statement of Commitment.  Ottawa, Ontario:  Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1996.

       Reference Number:  B-00062 

4)      Devillers, Sylvia and DeBoy, Jim.  How to Choose Catechetical Textbooks:  Process & Criteria.  Washington D.C.:  National Conference of Catechetical Leadership, 1996.

       Reference Number:  D-00100

5)      Dunning, James B.  Ministries Sharing God’s Gifts.  Winona, Minnesota:  Saint Mary’s Press Christian Brothers Publications, 1980. 

    “James Dunning offers a vision of the church in which all its members may truly share the talents which are uniquely theirs.  The author clearly know his terrain, and he skillfully lead the reader through it wit ha writing style that is both engaging and enlightening.  Recognizing and respecting the accepted ministries of the Word, community-building, celebration, ad service-healing, Dunning expands our understanding of these ministries and challenges us to see new opportunities for involvement in each one of them.”

       Reference Number:  D-00033

6)      Emler, Donald G.  Revisioning the DRE.  Birmingham, Alabama:  Religious Education Press, 1989. 

    “The most complete and most thorough book ever written on the DRE.  It places the nitty-gritty work of the DRE into an overall framework of meaning and vision.  And it provides general helps and specific practices which can further enhance the effectiveness of every director of religious education.”

       Reference Number:  E-00028

7)      Flagel, Clarice.  Avoiding Burnout Time Management for DRE’s.  Brown-Roa A Division of Wm. C. Brown Communications, Inc., 1993.

       Reference Number:  F-00012 

8)      Fox, Zeni.  New Ecclesial Ministry Lay Professionals Serving the Church.  Kansas City, Missouri:  Sheed & Ward, 1997.

       Reference Number:  F-00016

9)      Harris, Maria.  The DRE Reader a Sourcebook in Education and Ministry.  Winona, Minnesota:  Saint Mary’s Press Christian Publications, 1980. 

    “Presents the most important and far-reaching results of that creative dialogue and its impact on perhaps the most significant new ministerial role in the church today—the professional Director of Religious Education (DRE).”

       Reference Number:  H-00023

10)  How to Create a Parent Handbook for Your Parish Religious Education Program.  Washington D.C.:  National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, 2001.

      Reference Number:  01102

11)  Lenihan, Hugh and Murphy, Arlene Wrigley.  The Catechist Journal 2000-2001:  Behold, I Make all Things New.  Linden, New Jersey:  Journal Press II Resources, Inc., 2000.

       Reference Number:  L-00025

12)  Lutz, Robert R. and Taylor Bruce T.  Surviving in Ministry Navigating the Pitfalls, Experiencing the Renewals.  New York, New York:  Paulist Press, 1990.

       Reference Number:  L-00030

13)  McBrien, Richard P.  Ministry a Theological, Pastoral Handbook.  San Francisco, California:  Harper & Row, Publishers, 1987.

       Reference Number:  M-00056

14)  McCarty, Jim.  A Practical Guide for the DRE.  Dubuque, Iowa:  Brown and Row Publishing Media, 1990.

       Reference Number:  M-00057 

15)  McKenna, Gail Thomas.  Through the Year with the DRE (A Seasonal Guide for Christian Educators).  New York, New York:  Paulist Press, 1987.

    “The essential handbook for religious education coordinators at a congregational level.  Her book begins where others leave off.  While other books may tell you about educational theory or doctrinal content, Gail McKenna provides the step-by-step information about organizing the school year, finding and training catechists, administering programs, and reaching out with educational services to may different groups in your parish.”

       Reference Number:  M-00063 

16)  Mongove, Ann Marie, O.P.  The Prophetic Spirit of Catechesis:  How We Share the Fire in Our Hearts.  New York, New York:  Paulist Press, 2000.

       Reference Number:  M-00066

17)  National Catechetical Directory for Catholics of the United States.   Sharing the Light of  Faith an Official Commentary.  Washington D.C.:  United States Catholic Conference, 1981.

       Reference Number:  01028

18)  NCEA and NCDD.  DRE Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.   Washington D.C.:  United States Catholic Conference, 1991.

       Reference Number:  N-00003

19)  NCEA, NCCL, and the United States Catholic Conference Department of Education.  Those Who Hear You Hear Me.  Washington D.C.:  United States Catholic Conference, 1995.

       Reference Number:  N-00004

20)  Ryan, Mary Perkins.  We’re All in this Together.  New York, New York:  Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972.

    “The present painfully confusing situation could become an increasingly creative and fruitful one if it caused us to realize that we are called to help one another “grow up in all things toward Christ,” as members of a pilgrim Church with a mission to carry out the pilgrimage of all mankind…Yet the realization of the possibilities of creative companionship in our journeying comes about only as we begin to share our confusions, our questions, our insights, and our solutions with one another—and also with those holding different faith-views.  The tendency of most of us—especially if we are parents, teachers, or pastors—is to hide our confusions, raise our questions only with those whom we consider like-minded peers—and to impose our solutions on our children, students, or parishioners.  As the last few years have shown, this tendency only leads to polarization and mistrust rather than to fructifying interchange and mutual help.  As we come to admit both that we are all learners and that we may have something to contribute to others’ learning, we may begin to be gladdened rather than saddened by the present plurality of views and plans.”

       Reference Number:  P-00048

21)  Seymour, Jack L., and Miller, Donald E.  Contemporary Approaches to Christian Education.  Nashville, Tennessee:  Abingdon Press, 1982. 

    “Seymour and Miller, with four other experts in the field, seek to clarify the agenda, resources, and hopes for Christian education in the twenty-first century.  Gone are the days when Christian education was variously envisioned as a school, a home, and educational system, a mission agency, or a school for Christian living.  These dreams revealed the conflicts Christian education was to face throughout much of the twentieth century; yet hey also clarified its resources and motivated efforts on its behalf.  Modern educators such as Symour and Miller also dream of what Christian education is and what it can become.  Here they investigate five approaches through which contemporary Christian educators can develop the theory and practice of Christian education: 1) religious instruction; 2) faith community; 3) development; 4)liberation; 5) interpretation.”

       Reference Number:  R-00027

22)  Shaughnessy, Mary Angela, SCN.  Religious Education and the Law:  A Handbook for Parish Catechetical Leaders.  Washington D.C.:  National Catholic Educational Association, Department of Religious Education, 1996.

       Reference Number:  S-00058

23)  Shaughnessy, Mary Angela, SCN.  Ministry and the Law:  What You Need to Know.  New York, New York:  Paulist Press, 1998.

      "Written as a resource for all ministers who serve primarily within Catholic tradition, offers helpful and practical insights regarding the relationship of civil law to ministry. The first chapter offers readers a ten-point pre-test to help gauge their knowledge of civil law and its governance of religious ministry. Chapter Two deals with the sources of law impacting ministry-whether they be the Constitution, due process, statutory law, common law, contract law or canon law. In Chapter three, the author discusses the types of lawsuits that occur most often in churches and church-sponsored programs, including negligence, malpractice, child/vulnerable adult abuse, defamation of character and discrimination. The significant area of personnel issues, including pre-employment considerations, evaluation and supervision of employees-including volunteers-is deftly handled in Chapter four. The final chapter deals with topics of special interest such as confidentiality and its ramifications, sexual misconduct and parish finances."

      Reference Number:  S-00160

24)  Shaughnessy, Mary Angela, SCN.  Religious Education and the Law:  A Catechist Handbook.  Washington D.C.:  National Catholic Educational Association, Department of Religious Education, 1996.

      Reference Number:  00235

25)  Smith, Joanmarie.  Teaching as Eucharist.  Williston Park, New York:  Resurrection Press, Ltd., 1999.

       Reference Number:  00236

26)  Smith, Thomas J.  A Day in the Life of a DRE a Handbook for Parish Coordinators.  National Association of Parish Coordinators and Directors of Religious Education.

       Reference Number:  S-00059

27)  Sowing the Seeds of Faith.  Washington D.C.:  National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, 2000. 

    English and Spanish.

       Reference Number:  00237

28)  Sullivan, Thomas F.  Discussion Guide to Sharing the Light of Faith. Washington D.C.:  National Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education, 1979.

       Reference Number:  S-00060

29)  Teaching Religion Pre-School to Post-School Continuing Christian Development.  West Mystic, Connecticut:  Twenty-Third Publications, 1973.

    “Here is a handbook for religion teachers to assist them with old wisdom, new ideas, and the advice of teachers who write from successful experiences.  The fourteen chapters are geared to give practical help to religious educators of Christians from pre-school to post-school ages.  The articles are down to earth and are written clearly with many practical examples to clarify the subject matter.”

       Reference Number:  00238

30)  United States Catholic Conference.  Commission on Certification and Accreditation.  St. Louis, Missouri:  USCC, 1990.

       Reference Number:  C-00049

31)  United States Catholic Conference.  Groundwork Cultivating Adult Religious Education in the Parish a Workshop Design.  St. Louis, Missouri:  USCC, 1990.

       Reference Number:  C-00050

32)  Untied States Catholic Conference.  A Report on the State of Catechesis in the United States Findings and Conclusions.  St. Louis, Missouri:  USCC, 1990.

       Reference Number:  C-00051

33)  Vaughan, Richard P., S.J.  Basic Skills for Christian Counselors: An Introduction for Pastoral Ministers.  New York, New York:  Paulist Press, 1987. 

    “The primary and explicit goal of counselors in pastoral ministry is to help Christians solve their problems in a way that follows the message of Jesus Christ.”  Richard Vaughan, S.J. finds that while many engaged in pastoral work have a strong desire to help those who come to them for counseling, they are often wanting in the skills needed for this ministry.  In this book Father Vaughan provides help for those already engaged in counseling but lacking the formal training for it.  He writes:  “This book will offer these people the opportunity to learn about some of the effectiveness at pastoral counseling” Both those aspiring to become counselors in pastoral ministry and those already involved in it will find this book a valuable resource.”

       Reference Number:  V-00005

34)  Walsh, Kevin.  Discipline for Character Development.  Birmingham, Alabama:  R.E.P. Books, 1991.

    “This dynamic book gives teachers and parents a winning formula discipline which has been extremely successful wherever it has been tried.  This proven, winning formula is Dr. Kevin Walsh’s famous trinity of discipline.  The first leg of the trinity of discipline is structure, namely the ways in which teachers and parents establish and maintain overall limits in the child’s psychological, social, and physical environment.  The second leg of the trinity of discipline is intervention, namely the ways in which teachers and parents improve the child’s behavior in a wide variety of environments and situations.  The third leg of the trinity of discipline is intervention, namely the ways in which teachers and parents build and nourish symmetry between what the school and the home are doing to the child, and between what the mother and the father are doing to the child.”

       Reference Number:  W-00013

35)  Weithman, Rev. Martin and Purcell, Antoinette, O.S.B.  Developing a Parish Plan for Family Catechesis.  Washington D.C.:  National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, 1994.

       Reference Number:  W-00014

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