The Way of Beauty
That fateful day; that day of faith
That clear, crisp Tuesday morning began quietly. By the end of the day, a city and a nation had witnessed... Read more
Catholic Education
Once again, the new school year is in session. Once again, a quality education for our youth claims center stage... Read more
St. Monica's 'Unfinished Symphony'
He was in love with love. He was in love with beauty. Into his extended adolescence, he sought to find... Read more
The Harp of the Holy Spirit
Think of a harp. What words come to mind? Heavenly, gentle, ethereal, light and airy, refined? In the movie, “In the Good... Read more
The Hammer of God
The Church is largely indebted to St. Athanasius for hammering out the dogma of the Incarnation, the mystery of God’s... Read more
Irenaeus, the Radiant
If St. Irenaeus were to speak at a public forum today, his reflections might rouse his audience. What could this... Read more
Blessed Peter Faber, the Second Jesuit and the Quiet Companion
On July 15th, it was reported that Pope Francis has plans to canonize Blessed Peter Faber (Pierre Favre), the first... Read more
Wisdom from the Church Fathers
“Nothing is sadder than someone who has lost his memory, and the church which has lost its memory is in... Read more
Born for Beauty
The title of this essay might suggest that its author has just landed from a utopian galaxy. Hasn’t she heard... Read more
Wisdom from Yogi Berra
According to Yogi Berra, “you can observe a lot by just watching.” Whether or not we want to admit it,... Read more
'That horrible moral squint'
In 1535, Cardinal John Fisher and Sir Thomas More were beheaded for refusing to sign an Oath of Supremacy declaring... Read more
The Church’s two pillars
They could not have been more different – Peter and Paul. One was a simple, uneducated Jew, a fisherman of... Read more
The Hours: A Feast for the Soul
“What is more pleasing than a psalm,” asks St. Ambrose, the fourth-century Archbishop of Milan (“Explanations of the Psalms,” Liturgy... Read more
Father-Love
Like mothers, fathers come in all different shapes, sizes, and personalities. The most basic and universal understanding of father is... Read more
The Psalms: Honey for the Soul
If there is one biblical book that expresses the hues and tints of human emotion, it is the Psalms, the... Read more
The Chant Vineyard and the Organ King
Last week, Father Jordi Piqué, O.S.B., dean of Rome’s Pontifical University of Saint Anselmo, announced that the Benedictine-run University has... Read more
The Catholic Church advances science: part five
“The Church is opposed to science; look at the Galileo debacle.” Haven’t most of us heard this criticism of the... Read more
The American Catholic Church and Education: Part Four
Catholic education begins with Christ the Teacher. As early as the third-century, he is portrayed in Alexandrian frescoes and wall... Read more
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Gustave Reese, the pre-eminent Medieval and Renaissance musicologist of his day (d 1977), was also famous for striking fear in... Read more
How the Church built western sacred music: part three
The music of Western civilization was born in the Catholic Church. Adapted from mid-eastern chants, it began with Pope St.... Read more
