Just outside the realm of visibility, the sacraments of the Church lie ready to effect real change in our lives. We need only to let them in. In Holiness and Living the Sacramental Life, Fr. Philip-Michael Tangorra lays out the mystical and invisible realities that are present during the celebration of the sacraments and explains how they can lead us to living ever more in tune with God. Read how the sacraments aren’t empty ceremonies, but rather powerful, effective signs that bring grace crashing through the cosmos and into our world. See how beauty—expressed in art, music, and architecture—can bring us deeper into the mysteries of God. Fr. Tangorra teaches the average Catholic how to abandon a lukewarm spirituality and start living a sacramental existence, allowing God to imbue life with a constant sense of union and communion with the divine.

About the author:

Fr. Philip-Michael Tangorra is a priest of the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey. He was the co-founder and president of “Hands of Mary for Haiti,” an Association of the Christian Faithful aimed at helping the people of Notre Dame du Perpetuel Secours parish in Fragneau-Ville, Haiti materially and spiritually as they recover from the devastating earthquake there in 2010. He served as the parochial vicar for the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Morristown, New Jersey, where he also served on the Board of Directors for the Neighborhood House in Morristown. He recently rebuilt and created an award-winning Catholic Campus Ministry at William Paterson University serving as its chaplain. He has also served as the Assistant Coordinator for Evangelization for the Diocese of Paterson. Fr. Tangorra is currently studying Canon Law at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

Endorsements:

“Holiness and Living the Sacramental Life by Fr. Philip-Michael Tangorra helps Catholics who are eager to be edified and encouraged as they strive to grow in holiness and follow Jesus Christ along the Way of discipleship in the twenty-first century. The crisp style of Father Tangorra’s book enables the reader to reflect on the beauty of the Church’s sacraments and the central place that they should enjoy in the life of every Catholic. I plan to distribute it to our RCIA team, Catechumens and Candidates for the Sacraments of Initiation, and will recommend it to our parishioners.”

—Msgr. John E. Hart
Pastor, Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Morristown, NJ

“Holiness and Living the Sacramental Life by Fr. Philip-Michael Tangorra provides a meaningful and approachable explanation of the sacramental rites and rituals of the Catholic faith. Free of complex theological jargon, and through simple and clear language, the reader is able to deepen their understanding of the beauty and significance of various gestures, symbols, and prayers used in the sacraments. Reflection on text leads the reader to a renewed commitment to living a sacramental life. Holiness and Living the Sacramental Life will be a useful resource for those involved in facilitating RCIA, catechesis, high school-level theology classes, and other forms of faith formation.”

—Sr. Brittany Harrison, FMA
Theology Department Chair
Mary Help of Christians Academy
North Haledon, NJ

“Holiness and Living the Sacramental Life was easy to understand and our sisters loved it. They loved that they could better understand why the Mass has different parts and what is happening.”

—Mother Therese Katulska
Prioress, Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel
Carmelite Monastery
Morristown, NJ