The Deacon's Bench
This is truly something remarkable — and well worth a visit.
My brother deacon Eric Stoltz from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has created and designed a beautifully executed new website devoted entirely to marking the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Titled “Conciliaria,” the new site is a treasure trove of history, theology, journalism and trivia, with each entry marking a milestone in the council.
Welcome to Conciliaria, where you can relive the moving and hope-filled days of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Council, we offer day-to-day coverage, utilizing archival reporting from that time, contemporary documents and special guest correspondents who will step into a time machine to report on the dramatic events as though they were there 50 years ago.
Our content partners include some of the most respected Catholic publications in the world: archival content from America, the national Catholic weekly founded by the Jesuits in 1909 and excerpts from the Council Daybook, published by the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the predecessor organization to the United States Council of Catholic Bishops. On Conciliaria you will also find documents which are difficult to find in English translation—or that are translated here for the first time. Reference sources include the most authoritative histories, memoirs and journals with a record of accurate information about the Council. Our guest correspondents are prominent writers, some with best-selling books, who will go back 50 years ago to report on events while confining their analysis to what was known then.
It’s also available for mobile devices.
This should be a required destination for anyone who wants to understand more about what the Second Vatican Council undertook, and what it achieved — which means it should be of interest to any modern Catholic.
Curious? Go, visit, browse, and come away wanting to know more. You won’t be disappointed. Kudos to Eric for undertaking this enterprise, and pulling it off with so much intelligence and good taste. I’m in awe.
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