Longing for the Holy is a guide created by RENEW International that helps readers explore important themes of Church community, justice, sexuality, and the practices of the spiritual life. RENEW is a Catholic organization with a mission of fostering spiritual renewal. It began in 1976, in the Archdiocese of Newark, and was the dream of two priests, Monsignors Tom Kleissler and Tom Ivory. Msgr. Tom Kleissler continues to lead RENEW International and the efforts of an international team that services dioceses and clusters of parishes in the United States and worldwide.

In an effort to respond to critical events of the world, RENEW International developed and distributed free of charge, its faith-sharing resource, Grieving the Death of a Loved One, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. They also created, Healing the Body of Christ, to help people find healing in the wake of the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.

RENEW International seeks to reach out to the needs of the community including pastors, ministry leaders and participants. They offer step-by-step guides, sound materials and personal support to help everyone grow in understanding of their faith and giving them the confidence to share it with others, and have 30 years of experience in promoting faith sharing.