A sub-category of News.
A recent trip to London, which involved a tour of Parliament, reminded me yet again of a terrible truth which should offend both British and Americans. Before revealing and exploring that truth, it must be said that this writer always marvels over the hold London has over the collective mind and imagination of the entire…
What is “good” Mass music? As a parish music director, I have often pondered this question. The Church gives clear instructions concerning the implementation of music within the Mass. For instance, the Church stipulates that the most important thing to be sung is the dialogue between the priest and the people: the Order of the…
Above: the burying of the Alleluia. Each year Lent almost sneaks up on our busy family. But in her wisdom Mother Church has provided a reminder for preparation and discernment for the coming of Lent in the Season of Septuagesima or Shrovetide. Shove is the past tense of the word shrive which means to confess…
In A.D. 312, the Roman Emperor Constantine won the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and became the undisputed Roman Emperor. A few years later, he issued the Edict of Milan, guaranteeing toleration of Christianity in the Roman Empire and ending the last major persecutions. While the end of the persecutions was doubtless welcomed in the…
On February 6, 2025, President Trump issued a memorandum directing executive departments to reassess funding for Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). Many Catholic charities fear this directive could lead to significant cuts in federal funding for Catholic NGOs that provide aid and advocacy for immigrants, including undocumented individuals. The memorandum instructs executive agencies to “align… Source Read…
Something more than a presidency was inaugurated on January 20th. We are witnessing a full-scale cultural swing away from the progressive policies and agendas that have defined the operations of major American institutions for the past decade, from education to government to media to entertainment. Recognizing that public opinion has shifted tectonically, leaders in these…
When I was in Catholic graduate studies, our instructors would alert us to incoming papal encyclicals. Excitement would build, delectatory anticipation of what Pope John Paul might say. When it was finally promulgated, it would be all the buzz during class breaks, as we sieved out insights about suffering, women, the elderly, and always, always…
Above: West front of the Washington Mansion at Mount Vernon. Monday, February 17, 2025 is to-day’s legal celebration of Washington’s Birthday – or Presidents’ Day, as many have come to call it. Of course, our first president was actually born on February 22, which – when I was a boy – was the day on…
One of the most fascinating aspects of politics in the late-19th century was the deeply ideological nature of discourse. Average citizens had opinions not just on hot-button social issues and perhaps loose convictions on the size of government, but they had opinions on complex topics like monetary policy as well. Monetary policy is a term…
I confess, as a conservative-minded Catholic, that I read the news of Pope Francis’ most recent missive with a healthy dose of annoyance. Why does this pope, who had little but silence or scorn for American politics over the last 10 years, choose to take formal action now, with this President, over this issue? And…
