| ROCHESTER, MN – On Wednesday, January 28, the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries announced a major initiative to support priestly formation and the Church's daily prayer. Thanks to the generosity of a private donor, Word on Fire will provide a complete four-volume set of its new Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition to every Catholic seminarian in the United States, at no cost to seminarians or seminaries.
Word on Fire estimates that approximately 4,000 four-volume sets will be distributed nationwide. Earlier today, Word on Fire sent a letter to the rector of every Catholic seminary in the United States outlining the initiative and inviting participation.
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the Church's official daily prayer and lies at the heart of priestly life. With the Vatican's approval of a revised English translation, all previous editions are being replaced. Word on Fire was selected by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as one of two publishers of the new Second Edition and will begin releasing the volumes in January 2027.
"This gift is an expression of gratitude and hope," said Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire. "While rector at Mundelein Seminary, I encouraged men to lean on the Liturgy of the Hours as a pillar of their priestly life. By placing a beautiful, durable edition into the hands of every seminarian, we hope to foster a lifelong fidelity to the Church's prayer among those preparing for Holy Orders."
Each seminarian will receive a complete four-volume set of Word on Fire's edition, produced with the highest standards of craftsmanship. The volumes will feature top-tier leather covers, Smyth-sewn binding for a lay-flat experience, richly colored ribbons, elegant line-matched typesetting, and artwork aligned with the liturgical seasons.
Brandon Vogt, Executive Publishing Director at Word on Fire, emphasized the significance of the initiative for priestly formation.
"This is a thrilling moment for the Church. It ensures all seminarians will be formed using a high-quality edition, designed to last for years," Vogt said. "And seminaries will enjoy a unified liturgical experience, with identical books and pagination. We are so happy to provide this gift."
Beyond its immediate impact on seminaries, the initiative signals a major moment in the life of the Church's prayer. As today's seminarians become tomorrow's priests and bishops, Word on Fire's edition of the Liturgy of the Hours will shape how the Church prays for generations to come.
"This is a publishing milestone," Bishop Barron added. "But more than that, it is a spiritual investment in the future of the Church."
Rectors were invited to confirm participation by providing enrollment projections and shipping information so the volumes may be distributed directly to their seminaries.
Building on the momentum of over one million Liturgy of the Hours booklets distributed, and an active community of 30,000 monthly subscribers, this initiative continues Word on Fire's mission to renew the Church's daily prayer and restore the Divine Office to the heart of Catholic life.
For more information about Word on Fire's Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition, visit LiturgyOfTheHours.com. | 
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