ACP Inducts Nancy Bird, Elaine Rendler into Hall of Fame; Service Award to Peter Dwyer, Mary Sperry
BALTIMORE, MD — “The Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) is very proud to announce its two latest Hall of Fame inductees, Nancy Bird from RCL Benziger and Dr. Elaine Rendler, and the two 2021 recipients of the Outstanding Service Award, Peter Dwyer from Liturgical Press and Mary Elizabeth Sperry from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,” noted Mike Raffio, ACP president.
Because of the pandemic, these inductees and recipients will be honored at the 2022 ACP Membership Meeting, June 2-3, in Chicago, IL.
Bird and Rendler join other members of the ACP Hall of Fame who, like them, have dedicated their careers to the Catholic community and achieved significant accomplishments that advanced the ministry of the Church in their respective fields, catechesis and music. In their service to the Church, Sperry and Dwyer have demonstrated a generosity of spirit that they have shared ceaselessly with those who have worked with and for them.
Nancy Bird has worked for the Catholic Church and in Catholic publishing for 35 years. Currently, Bird serves as the Director for Training and Development for RCL Benziger since 2015. In her 23 years of service at RCL and RCL Benziger, she has shared her expertise in sales, as a workshop presenter, and as a national leader in the catechetical field. A catechist at heart, Bird engaging catechists and catechetical leaders to support the Church’s mission in sharing the Good News. Her impact has been felt in the sales and marketing of key formational resources like Blest Are We (Silver Burdett Gin), Faith First and Faith First Legacy (RCL), Be My Disciples/Sean mis Discipulos (RCL Benziger) and Echoes of Faith Emmaus (RCL Benziger). She has made an impact on the next generation of leaders by imparting her skills and knowledge in training and developing others.
Dr. Elaine Rendler-McQueeney is a nationally recognized musician, teacher, author, composer, pastoral liturgist and speaker. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in organ performance, theory and liturgy from The Catholic University of America. She is associate professor of music theory at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. Dr. Rendler is perhaps best known as the editor of Today’s Liturgy, a quarterly magazine offering insightful articles and music suggestions to aid in liturgy preparation for more than 30 years. She is co-author of Celebrating Marriage, Revised Edition, an invaluable resource for those involved in the Roman Catholic Rite of Matrimony. Through her writing, Dr. Rendler has profoundly shaped the musical worship of the Church. She received the 2020 Jubilate Deo award from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) in recognition of her substantial contribution to the development of pastoral liturgy in the United States. Additionally, Georgetown University’s Center for Liturgy bestowed upon Elaine the National Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Liturgical Life of the Church.
Peter Dwyer has served Liturgical Press for over 32 years, starting in 1989 as sales and marketing director. Throughout his tenure at Liturgical Press, Dwyer has not shied away from taking on volunteer leadership roles in the Catholic publishing industry including serving on the ACP Board of Directors and as its president until early 2020. His patient and thoughtful insights have fostered growth at both Liturgical Press and the ACP.
Mary Elizabeth Sperry has worked for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) since 1994 and serves as associate director for USCCB permissions and NAB utilization. Sperry is a trusted source of information and insight about Scripture and the materials owned and administrated by the USCCB and Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD). She is a tireless advocate for publishers within her role and a staunch champion for justice issues related to copyright and proper distribution of royalties to all content creators.
The Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) is a membership organization of Catholic publishers, those who provide services to Catholic publishers, and individuals who work with Catholic publishers. The ACP provides opportunities for members to further the Catholic publishing industry, promote Catholic publishing and reading, and engage those they interact with including retailers, pastoral leaders, individual customers, and staff.