Organizations and Institutions Books

"Grace Before Meals ~~ Food Ritual and Body Discipline in Convent Culture" was written in 1989 by Sister Patricia Curran, SNDdeN and offers a very rare and important piece of research into an area of Convent life that had not yet been explored nor published outside those convent walls. The food rituals of two congregations of nuns are the subjects of this study ~~ the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. "Grace Before Meals" describes the waning days of the centuries-old convent meal rituals as performed by these two communities of nuns. The participating nuns from these congregations were divided into two groups ~~ those nuns who had entered before 1925 and those who had taken their vows in the 1960s. Drawing upon interviews, questionnaires, and other research, Sister Curran describes ~~ in GREAT detail ~~ the typical convent meal of the early 1960s and contrasts and compares the customs and rituals of these two orders of nuns. She treats the refectory (convent dining room) as a sort of stage on which the nuns are the actors. Gestures, postures, movement, speech and silence were all carefully blended to embody the ideal nun. There are so many mysterious customs revealed in this book ~~ customs and rituals which were, at one time, kept extremely secret from the outside world. Now, for the first time, these customs are not only revealed to the reader, but the nuns speak out and describe exactly how they felt when they were living this life. Twenty nuns from each congregation responded to Sister Curran's questions. These questions were specifically designed to stir old memories from Novitiate days in the convent refectory ~~ Food (quality, quantity, availability and familiarity of diet) Environment (textures and colors, seating and setting) Formal Behaviors (reading, speaking,penances, table manners) Next, the nuns were asked to describe how they had been initiated into these strange practices; how the unfamiliar had been explained to them as young novices; what each nun believed was the purpose of all of this strange behavior. "Grace Before Meals" is a fascinating read for anyone who was ever curious about life inside the convent. The details provided are amazing and most could, probably, be applied to any congregation of nuns.

This extensive reference surveying corporate grantmaking for racial and ethnic communities provides a comprehensive listing of 124 major corporations and over ten thousand grants offered to benefit minorities. Grants is a 'must' for those involved in either fundraising or community projects, documenting the major supporters of ethnic communities and revealing trends in minority gift-giving.

Simply stated, this book helps congregations focus on the fundamentals of being Christian. Too many congregations loose their identity by majoring on minors. This book helps renew the heart of being church. The pyramid is an especially helpful illustration to help leaders design parishes on purpose. The chapter on evangelism is also worth the cost of the book alone.

Every Christian can learn the importance of being involved in a small group ministry by reading this book. I have used this book for small group leadership training prior to starting small groups. The author gives good Biblical background , sound Theological foundations for small gropus in the Church. It is easy reading and loded with practical illustrations and experiences. A must for any pastor, church, personal library.

Barney Coombs has a lifetime of pastoral experience and this book is a great summary of how to handle all those difficult situations and unknowns that face every pastor for the first time, sometime.

THE GUIDE TO THE CATHOLIC SISTERHOODS IN THE UNITED STATES has a threefold purpose. Its primary objective is to place the hands of young women interested in entering the religious life, a manual briefly describing the history, mode of life, nature of the work or works carried on, the spiritual life, training program, general qualifications for admission, and the descriptions of the habit with photographs of three hundred and fifty-two congregations of women in the United States. This information should prove of great value to girls in the selection of a community whose rules and apostolate are most suitable to their talents, desires, and aptitudes.

A secondary purpose is to provide a compact informational directory for priests, sisters, parents, teachers, and others who are employed in the vocational guidance of young women.

The volume is also intended as a reference for the general public. More than six hundred sisterhoods with foundations in the United States are included.

Also included are pictures of professed members of the respective congregations in their distinctive habits. This should not only serve to make each community better known to the general public, but it should also result in a better understanding of the ideals of the religious life and a greater appreciation for the noble work being carried on by the sisters, not only in the United States, but throughout the entire world.

The Guide has well defined limitations. It is not intended as a complete historical or statistical account of the communities of women with foundations in the United States. Moreover, to keep such an extensive undertaking within the confines of a convenient manual, each congregation, with a few exceptions, has been given a single page.

In every instance, a young woman interested in a particular community of sisters is provided with an address to which she may apply for more detailed information.

In this edition, the communities of sisters have been arranged according to their general apostolic work, viz., contemplative, domestic, foreign and home missions, nursing, retreat and social work, teaching, and writing and publications. Such an arrangement will prove beneficial to the reader. By arranging the congregations according to their main apostolate, it is hoped that the Guide will become a definite aid in fostering vocations to the sisterhoods. It will be helpful not only for girls who are interested in a particular apostolate but especially for those who are unaware of the many works of religious life.

Another feature of this edition is the inclusion of community addresses by city and state. Since many girls are interested in entering a congregation, which is close to their homes, a special index has been added which lists the location of every principal house alphabetically arranged by city and state.

To further aid the reader in interpreting the various names and nomenclature of the religious life used throughout this book, a special glossary of terms has been added.

Special consideration has been given to the over-age and under-age candidates to their religious life. Most congregations will not accept girls who are over thirty years of age. Some religious communities will receive late-vocations if they have sufficient intelligence and possess those qualities, which make them good religious women. The communities that will accept candidates over the age of thirty have been noted in the section under QUALIFICATIONS.

While a greater number of communities are reluctant to accept non-high school graduates, there are a few that will receive teen-age girls who have not yet graduated from high school, as candidates for the religious life. Such religious groups conduct what are known as aspirancies. These are community-supervised secondary schools, where girls may complete their high school studies while living and enjoying the spiritual benefits of convent life. Girls, who desire to enter the religious life, although they have not completed their secondary school training, are asked to take special notice of the section on TRAINING PROGRAM, where congregations conducting aspirancies may be found.

This edition also contains a section on the SECULAR INSTITUTES. There has been a notable increase in these societies in our own country. The last edition recorded eleven. Today there are twenty-three such organizations in the United States. Young women interested in the lay-apostolate, under vows, are advised to investigate the SECULAR INSTITUTES located at the end of the book.

As a houseleader and committee member for a Habitat Affliate I found many of my joys and frustrations were address in this book. Well written and candid, it addresses the many points of view that are part of the Habitat Universe. If you are a volunteer or are interested in becoming one this book provides insight on the dynamics and tensions that you'll be dealing with.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE OLD SOUTH FROM THE ANGLE OF THE COLLEGE MAN. AS A GRADUATE OF A COLLEGE IN THE DEEP SOUTH, I SAW SO MANY PARALLELS BETWEEN TODAY'S COLLEGE EXPERIENCE AND THE ONES I READ ABOUT IN HALLS OF HONOR. BY CONTRAST, THE VAST DIFFERENCES AND IDIOSYNCRACIES OF COLLEGE LIFE IN THE ANTEBELLUM ERA WERE FASCINATING. FOR ME, AS A STUDENT OF THE PRE-WAR DECADES, HALLS OF HONOR WAS A DELIGHT TO READ.

I liked the buying experience, book was in great shaoe and showed up very fast

I've just finished reading Stephanie Lowell's Careers in the Nonprofit Sector. I recommend it highly. Almost every page contains a profile about someone working with nonprofits. Lowell supports these profiles with thorough discussions of how to find work in nonprofits, why work for nonprofits, and what nonprofits are like.

About half of the book categorizes the nonprofits. I found these the most useful sections. They subdivide each sector, list the hot topics, discuss the roles for MBAs, present profiles, and provide addresses and web sites.

There is two recurring themes: the rewards of working for nonprofits and the importance of volunteering. Everyone working for a nonprofit or wanting to work for a nonprofit should read this book.