The book, The Future of the Sacrament of Penance, by Frank O’Loughlin has just won First Place in the Pastoral Ministry category of the 2010 Catholic Book Awards, sponsored by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada.

Frank gave a series of talks at the NCP 2000 Lorne Convention which he later developed into a book that was published by St Pauls Publications in 2007 with partial financial assistance from NCP. It was published by Paulist Press in the USA last year (2009).

In this complete presentation on a difficult pastoral subject, Frank effectively presents the many and varied formats / practices of the sacrament which provide the necessary context for the discussion that follows. His insight into the pastoral challenges that confront the 21st century church, a church in need of conversion and in need of living the memory of Christ, is “spot on”.