Random stuff I find interesting and you may not.
In an interview given to the program Le Club Le Figaro Idées , Cardinal Robert Sarah has offered an uncompromising diagnosis of the situation of the Church and the West. The African cardinal warns of a deep crisis of faith in Europe, denounces the reduction of the Church to a social organization, and emphasizes that … Read more
… you rarely (if ever) hear the following phrases. “Party like it’s A.D. 1570!” “We should sing more plainchant at this parish.” “I’d like to thank the choir for their sublime rendition of the Mass For Five Voices by William Byrd.” “I just love the way the four torchbearers process in with such dignity.” “People … Read more
In all five different communities we lived, we never attended the Catholic church nearest our house. Instead, we chose to drive past two or three substandard Catholic churches just so we could finally arrive at our new parish – the one with a reverent congregation and a pious pastor whose only negative was that it … Read more
Eric and Grace Morrison have never pressured their seven children to pursue the priesthood or religious life. Their son Danny, who is a transitional deacon in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., jokingly describes his vocation story as “boring.” There was “no big turnaround moment of conversion, but just this slow call of the Lord throughout … Read more
Catholicism needs a smaller papacy to clear room for worship and wonder . . . But there is another urgent, and perhaps unwelcome, task for the new pontiff. The greatest service he can give the church, and to restore true Catholic faith, is to take it upon himself to begin dismantling some of the accretions … Read more
Pope Leo XIV: Say This at Communion or Miss Heavenly Graces When recieing Communion: Jesus, stay with me, for without You I am lost. Stay with me Lord, for without You I can not bear this cross. Lord, You are my strength, free me from my chains. Jesus. make my heart Your home. … Read more
A growing number of Catholic parishes in the U.S. are restoring altar rails, renewing reverence and transforming the faithful’s experience of the Holy Eucharist. Every Sunday at St. Anne Church in Richmond Hill, Georgia, the Hilleary family — mother Michelle, father Brian and five children — receives Communion at the altar rail. “It creates a … Read more
Black Americans: It’s Time to Come Home to the Catholic Church That Black Catholic Chick, Roxie Beckles Related PostsTrust The Rule of Law and the Francis Pontificate Matthew 22:36-40 A Mencken for Catholics What’s Old is New
The Hymnal Industrial Complex Parishes do not have to rely on OCP and GIA. Alternatives exist that align with Catholic teaching and do not require recurring licensing fees. The Adoremus Hymnal preserves traditional Latin and English hymns, following Vatican II’s directive to maintain sacred music. The St. Michael Hymnal provides a rich selection … Read more
Mother Angelica, a pioneer in the world of Catholic communications, shared several tips over the years about Lenten resolutions and how we can grow in faith and prepare ourselves in the best way to accompany the Lord in his passion, death and resurrection. 1. Offer things that will last over time. Mother Angelica pointed out … Read more
While there is always room for organic growth from existing forms (cf. Vatican II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 23) in the celebration of the Mass, the many radical departures from the proper celebration of Mass threaten to sever our link to the Gospels, the Old Testament, and Christ Himself. Cool heads are necessary when … Read more
There are decades-old irregularities in how Holy Communion has been treated that were not addressed by last summer’s “Eucharistic Revival” and don’t appear to be on any agendas for the current “Synod on Synodality.” These aberrations surrounding the Body of Christ have created the current situation where up to 69% of Catholics do not understand … Read more
Cardinal Dolan is, to my mind, the American bishop par excellence, one of the few modern churchmen whose uncomplicated grandfatherly piety and Falstaffian joie de vivre can be effortlessly projected backward into any era of ecclesiastical history. One can imagine a Dolan standing shoulder to shoulder with the huddled Irish masses alongside “Dagger John,” a … Read more
Summertime, and millions of Americans have headed for the shores, the mountains, or the lakes. People need recreation, relaxation, and family time, and the Catholic Church wholly approves of the summer vacations—merely reminding the faithful that they should not take a “vacation” from Sunday Mass. Unfortunately, for many Catholics, when we are on vacation (or, … Read more
Sometimes the best way to move forward is to look back. That’s a lesson Catholic schools can learn from Sacred Heart Academy in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2013, Sacred Heart was on the brink of closing. Enrollment in the K–8 school had plummeted to fewer than 70 students. Fr. Robert Sirico, who became a pastor at Sacred … Read more
Hello. My name is Tony. I am a restorationist. I wasn’t always this way. I grew up in the 1960s and the 1970s, and we all took for granted everything the priests and bishops said we had to do according to the directions of the Second Vatican Council. None of us had read the documents, … Read more
I am a cradle Catholic. I was born after the Mass of St. Paul VI was already well established. I grew up familiar with hymns like On Eagle’s Wings and The King of Glory, and I enthusiastically sang along from my pew with all the hymns at Mass, because I wanted to participate actively, like … Read more
Of course, profanation of the sacred is the standard approach of many of our political elites. President Trump’s casual attitude to marriage is one example. President Biden’s preference for the pieties necessary for election as a Democrat over the rather clear teaching of his own church is another. The scorn for the Supreme Court in … Read more
Why Men Must Stand Up for Life | Into the Breach Into the Breach, from the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Study Guide to accompany the 12 Video Series (116-page PDF) Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix by Most Rev. Thomas … Read more
If You Don’t Live the Faith, How Can You Pass It On? (Evangelization) | Into the Breach Into the Breach, from the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Study Guide to accompany the 12 Video Series (116-page PDF) Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese … Read more
Why the Devil Wants You to Fail | Into the Breach Into the Breach, from the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Study Guide to accompany the 12 Video Series (116-page PDF) Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix by Most Rev. Thomas … Read more
Why Men Need the Sacraments | Into the Breach Into the Breach, from the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Study Guide to accompany the 12 Video Series (116-page PDF) Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix by Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, … Read more
How to Embrace Suffering | Into the Breach Into the Breach, from the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Study Guide to accompany the 12 Video Series (116-page PDF) Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix by Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop … Read more
Why Men Need to Pray | Into the Breach Into the Breach, from the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Study Guide to accompany the 12 Video Series (116-page PDF) Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix by Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, … Read more
God’s Plan for Every Man’s Life (Cornerstone) | Into the Breach Into the Breach, from the Knights of Columbus Into the Breach Study Guide to accompany the 12 Video Series (116-page PDF) Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, my Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix by Most Rev. Thomas … Read more