The Catholic Book Blogger
Mike Aquilina is author or editor of more than forty books, including The Fathers of the Church, The Mass of the Early Christians, and Angels of God. He has co-authored books with Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci, theologian Scott Hahn, and singer-songwriter John Michael Talbot, among others. His works have been translated into many languages, from Hungarian and Portuguese to German and Braille. The Grail Code has appeared in ten languages since its publication in 2006.
Mike has co-hosted nine thirteen-week series that air on the Eternal Word Television Network. He is solo host of two feature-length documentaries. He appears weekly on Sirius Radio’s “Sonrise Morning Show” and is a frequent guest on other TV and radio shows. For many years he was a panelist on “The Weekly Roman Observer,” a news-commentary program on Catholic Familyland Network.
He has published hundreds of articles, essays, and reviews in journals such as First Things, Touchstone, Crisis, Our Sunday Visitor, National Catholic Register, The Priest, Columbia, and Catholic Heritage. He contributed work on early Christianity to the Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought. He has received honors from the Catholic Press Association, including “Best Magazine” for New Covenant during his editorship.
He and his wife, Terri, have been married since 1986. They have six children, who are the subject of his book Love in the Little Things.
Like many I am privileged to call Mike a friend. Here is our latest interview on his new book Keeping Mary Close.
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PETE: As each of your new books comes out I always find it interesting how the book developed. What is the story behind how Keeping Mary Close came to be?
MIKE AQUILINA: Like so many of my other books, Keeping Mary Close grew out of conversations — this time, with Father Fred Gruber, a young priest here in Pittsburgh. Father Gruber and I have led pilgrimages to Rome, where our conversation often turns to Our Lady. He’s done advanced studies there at the Pontifical Institute of Marian Studies, and so he’s studied under the greatest scholars in the field. At some point, it became clear to us that this book needed to be written.
Oh, and if you want to join our ongoing conversation, sign up for our 2016 pilgrimage to Rome. It’s with WendtTouring.com, and it has a page on Facebook. You won’t find a better price on a trip to Rome.
PETE: After reading Keeping Mary Close I wish I could put this book into the hands of every Protestant that questions the Churches stance on Mary. What is your greatest hope for this book?
MIKE AQUILINA: That many people will come to love her and more will come to love her better.
PETE: What impact has Mary had on your work as an author?
MIKE AQUILINA: That’s incalculable. We both grew up in devout families, with parents who kept a lively devotion to the Blessed Mother. We wouldn’t be writing today — or be much of anything we are — without the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
PETE: It has been a while since you and I have had a Q & A. Since last time you have added published song writer to your resume. Tell us a little about your recent collaboration with Dion.
MIKE AQUILINA: I’ve known Dion for a long time. We did a pilgrimage to Rome together. I co-authored his memoir, Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth. Then he asked me to try my hand at songwriting when he was recording his album Tank Full of Blues. I ended up co-writing half the songs on that album. Last year he asked me to work on this more recent album, and I ended up with credits on seven songs. One of them is “New York Is My Home,” which Dion sings as a duet with Paul Simon. Rolling Stone magazine launched the single in November; the album, also titled New York Is My Home, comes out at the end of January.
PETE: I have known you for a number of years now and it almost seems as if you are constantly writing. What books can we look forward to from you in 2016?
MIKE AQUILINA: I am constantly writing! It’s the only way I know how to make a living, and I have a lot of mouths to feed. Next book out is The World of Ben-Hur, a companion volume to MGM’s remake of the Lew Wallace classic. The publisher is Sophia Institute Press. Also in 2016 comes Something More Pastoral, a biography of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, co-authored with Ann Rodgers. That’s from Lambing Press.
PETE: Time for my signature ending question. This is a blog about books. What books are currently on your bookshelf to read?
MIKE AQUILINA: Grace Street, a collection of poems by my Penn State classmate Edward A. Dougherty, and Being and God: An Introduction to Metaphysics by the philosopher Michael D. Torre.
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Other Books by this author:
Seven Revolutions: How Christianity Changed the World and Can Change It Again
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