When Catholic Was Just Catholic When I was a child about half the kids in our public school were Catholic. We never knew there were conservative and liberal Catholics. We wore shorts to our overcrowded Church full of tourists every summer. My sister wrote grace for us. “Thank you for this food. Thank you for everything nice. Amen.” ‘Nice’ ended our prayer before Amen because Kathleen was not thankful for bad things. Well, what kind of prayer do you expect... Read more
After 60 posts. At almost 3 months since we started. In a new month… The Catholic Bard presents it’s FIRST GUEST POST Welcome Jackson Werner Mark has kindly given me the opportunity to be a guest contributor on The Catholic Bard. I would like to tell my conversion story. The summer of 2012, I went to summer school up in New Hampshire at a place called Phillips Exeter. The summer, I studied world literature, international affairs, and took a crash... Read more
Several interesting things happen in the last year of the 70’s, 1979. The Bishop of the airwaves Fulton Sheen (May 8th, 1895 – December 9th 1979) dies. Karl Keating first begins the superstar apostolate Catholic Answers. John Michael Talbot releases his first album after his conversion to the Catholic church called ‘ The Lord’s Supper’ . Mother Theresa wins the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. And a former pupil of Fr. Joseph Ratzinger ( the future pope) Father Joseph Fessio founds Ignatius Press. It is... Read more
May the souls of the Unfaithful by the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” Jesus also taught us that “of faith, hope, and love, the most important of these is love.” When Jesus said this as He hung there dying on the cross, he did not say only if they get baptized and believe in my teachings. Can you imagine a person who worked themselves to the bone taking... Read more
It doesn’t matter what type of liturgy that you go to because the result is still the same. You could go to a liturgy that is said in elegant Latin with a full choir of saintly dressed nuns in the coolest blackest habits singing the most beautiful articulated Gregorian Chant ever heard this side of heaven. Or you could go to a Life Teen Mass with a band of youths and a congregation that couldn’t hit a correct note if... Read more
The Catholic sacramental imagination shapes our world view. It fuels our art placed in churches and museums throughout the world. With such things as paintings and statues of St. Agatha holding a tray serving her two severed breasts, Or of the Holy Child of Raffles reclining his head on a hard-human skull instead of a fluffy pillow. The Catholic sacramental imagination helps us see the Gothic Revival Structure as made for the drama of the Latin Mass. It helps us... Read more
The brain is a funny thing As it governs our everyday life And when it doesn’t function properly It can cause turmoil and strife. But when crosses pop up For us to carry along They can inspire A Poem or a Song. Creativity can sometimes flow, when you have sorrow or are… DEPRESSED Depression regression A self-esteem recession Tears and fears And you think no one cares. All alone, don’t answer the phone Still in bed can’t I just stay... Read more
There is a deluge of Catholic content online. Four decades ago there was almost nothing. You would have to go to public library or the bookstore if you wanted gather information regarding any topic, including information about your faith. Now the knowledge is available in your living room or you can access this portable library while you go down the street walking your dog. But it can be hard to keep track of and remember all the cool Catholic places... Read more
The Key I was there so often I was granted a key Yes, a church key No, not the kind used to open a bottle It was my very own, until further notice, church key I did not flaunt it But I did spend countless hours cleaning, taking care of the plants And best of all in prayer, prayer journaling-and writing some of my most devout poetry Before the Tabernacle in front of my Love’s home I was a working... Read more
When I wrote my blog, post entitled 12 Catholics I Admire, someone commented Looking forward to part 2 — where you name Catholic women you admire. So in response here are 12 Great Catholic Women Writers. Correction. 18 Great Women Writers. I am expanding it from my usual 12 to 18. You may like some writers and not others. You may think I should have added so and so and excluded that writer I don’t like. All I can say... Read more
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