“The scales began to fall.” Neilson Carlin is talking about his conversion to the Catholic faith, which was facilitated through the patient guidance of a priest and deacon who answered his many questions during an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program in 2000. Carlin had not expected to become Catholic, but only wanted to know more about the faith which was so important to his fiancee and her mother. Carlin is a Philadelphia artist who now specializes in sacred art.... Read more
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (in English, the Basilica of St. Mary of the Flower) is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Florence, in Italy. Constructed in the 14th century, it replaced a fifth-century church on the same spot which was crumbling with age. The Basilica, with its tall Baptistery of St. John adjacent to the main church, is one of the world’s largest houses of worship. Particularly noteworthy is its Duomo (Dome), which was for centuries the... Read more
Today nine activists from the pro-abortion group Femen have been acquitted of charges that they caused substantial damage to a bell at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in February 2013. The bell named Marcel is named in honor of St. Marcel, the ninth bishop of Paris, who lived in the fifth century. Marcel was particularly revered by Parisians for his charity towards the poor and the sick. The bell which bears his name weighs 244 pounds and stands 55 inches... Read more
News from the Vatican this morning, where Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, has just announced the names of 253 individuals who will participate in the upcoming Synod which will be held October 5-19, 2014. The word “Synod” (or “Synodus” in Latin) means “taking a path together.” Participants will come together from around the world for the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The theme of their discussions will be “Pastoral Challenges to the... Read more
First, there’s the great music: THE IDENTICAL, which is showing this week in theaters across America, is replete with rock-and-roll music that is eerily reminiscent of the great Elvis Presley. In fact, the legendary rock star Drexel Helmsley, one of the twin protagonists played by Blake Rayne, is a dead ringer for the ’50s icon; and if you’re not careful, you’ll slip into believing that it’s Elvis’s life you’re peering into on the big screen. Rayne himself, an indie recording artist and... Read more
Just a block or so from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, there live an order of nuns affectionately known as the “Baby Mary Sisters.” The actual name of their religious order is the Sisters of Charity or, more commonly, the Sisters of Maria Bambina; and they came to mind because on September 8, we celebrate the birthday of the Virgin Mary. The Baby Mary Sisters got their name because since the 1700s they have been caretakers of a wax statue of... Read more
In 1996, Texas Democrat Wendy Davis learned that the child she was carrying in her womb had a severe and life-threatening abnormality. That same year Karen Santorum, wife of then-Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), learned that the child she was carrying in her womb had a severe and life-threatening abnormality. How the two women dealt with their “problems” exposes the chasm which divides pro-life and pro-abortion Americans. * * * * * WENDY DAVIS Wendy Davis (D-Texas) burst onto the national stage in... Read more
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are his sisters here with us?” –Mark 6:3 DID JESUS HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS? The Gospel of Mark would seem to say so. And not only in the Gospel of Mark. In Luke 8:19-21, the topic comes up again. Jesus is told by a crowd gathered to hear him speak. The crowd says, “Your mother and your brothers are standing... Read more
No doubt about it: Todd Starnes has a nose for news. His cutting-edge reports on Fox News expose religious discrimination in all its forms—in schools, in business, and in the public square. Starnes reveals the not-infrequent failure of our society to protect freedom of religion as guaranteed by our Constitution. But those daily news reports are embedded in other news of the day: happy stories of everyday citizens engaged in works of charity; weather alerts; political intrigue; movies and cultural... Read more
Vandals spray-painted “Infidels” and verses from the Koran on three churches in Columbus, Indiana this weekend. The graffiti was discovered by church employees on Sunday morning. Churches which had been vandalized included St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in central Columbus, Lakeview Church of Christ on the north side, and East Columbus Christian Church on the east side. At Saint Bartholomew’s, the graffiti read, “Infidels!” and included a reference to the Koran: “Qur’an 3:151.” That verse can be translated: “We will cast... Read more
Seasons of Grace
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