Conformed to Christ Crucified, Volume Four

Father Joseph Carola offers his fourth series of meditations that explores two essential questions: Why priests? and What is the priest for?

Conformed to Christ Crucified, Volume IV, will assist priests in deepening their understanding of the gift and mystery of their vocation, while also inspiring the lay faithful to grow in love and reverence for the priesthood of Christ.

The collection has four parts:

• Holy Orders, comprising various facets that directly consider the priesthood.
• Conferences, including three extended studies that treat various dimensions of the priesthood.
• The Paschal Mystery, featuring sermons delivered during Lent and on Paschal themes.
• Funeral Services, reflecting on the ultimate purpose of the priest’s labor: the salvation of souls—a novel addition to these volumes.

Father Carola’s meditations blend spiritual depth with everyday relevance, making them accessible and profoundly moving. Whether you are a member of the clergy or the lay faithful, his reflections offer clarity, inspiration, and a grounded path toward deeper faith.

“For priests, seminarians and any serious Catholic, reading Conformed to Christ Crucified will be a retreat-like experience. The reader will gain new insights into familiar biblical texts, be inspired and challenged to be a more faithful disciple of Jesus, and be drawn into conversation with the One to whom we are striving to conform our lives. Perhaps, I find reading Conformed to Christ Crucified to be such a spiritually enriching experience because some of the content of this volume I first heard while participating with my Brother Bishops from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa in a retreat under the direction of Father Carola.”

+ Joseph F. Naumann
Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas