I’m Leonard and I’m glad you’re here.
If you’re looking to grow in understanding and wonder about the Christian faith, I invite you to explore my books or read some selected articles on my blog. If you’d rather listen than read, check out the Church Life Today Podcast for conversations with fascinating guests about timely pastoral and social issues. If you’re interested in having me speak at your event, please learn more about my speaking, or feel free to get in touch with me directly by email or through my contact form.
I want to help people receive and respond to the life of Christ by growing in communion with God and each other. I serve the Church and the academy through my work at the McGrath Institute for Church Life and as a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. I am a husband, father, faithful parishioner, and dedicated mentor. I am available as a speaker, writer, and consultant, and to partner with you to fulfill your mission and calling.
New Releases and Other News
Strive for Christian Maturity
Maybe you are a committed young adult Catholic, or maybe you're not Catholic at all. Perhaps you were baptized and even completed your initiation into the Catholic Church through First Communion and Confirmation, and yet you don't think of yourself as "Catholic" first. Wherever you are in life, you're probably seeking a life with deeper meaning and substance.
Tackling a host of cultural and developmental topics, including prayer, friendships, dating, discernment, and more, this book empowers young people (and not-so-young people) with real guidance on the way to a full life of significance and consequence.
Build a Culture of Communion
How are we to live as though our faithful departed are in communion with us now?
This book is a call to embrace the mission of the Church: to practice communion in Christ between the living and the dead. Through illuminating stories, biblical meditations, and theological explanations, you will rediscover how Christ makes us one across death and what that should mean for us today.
This is great for reading groups, whether from parishes, schools, families, or other communities. Contact me directly at leonard@leonardjdelorenzo.com for more information and for discounts on ordering multiple copies.
Early Reviews: Outstanding
The combined work of theologians, literary scholars, artists and poets, The Chronicles of Transformation guides you into a new and potentially transformative encounter with C.S. Lewis’ beloved chronicles. The spiritual benefit of these stories is not just for children, but for anyone who is willing to be child-like, including and especially adult readers. Available now from Ignatius Press.
Three of my books recently won publishing awards!
Model of Faith: Reflecting on the Litany of Saint Joseph (OSV 2021) was the winner of the 2022 Association of Catholic Publishers’ “Excellence in Publishing Award”, recognized as the best book on prayer published in 2021. In this book you will find a reflection for each of the titles and honors of St. Joseph that we proclaim in his litany.
Turn to the Lord: Forming Disciples for Lifelong Conversion (Liturgical Press 2021) won two awards from the Catholic Media Association. The book received a first place award as the best book published in 2021 for pastoral ministry (catechesis) and a second place award as a faith formation publication. This book presents a new approach to forming new Catholics for the fullness of their initiation into the Church, primarily by building up parents, leaders, and mentors in their competence and confidence as Christian witnesses and teachers. Learn more about Turn to the Lord.
Our Faithful Departed: Where They Are and Why It Matters (Ave Maria 2022) won a third place award from the Association of Catholic Publishers and another third place award from the Catholic Media Association.