Did you know the eccentric English poet Edith Sitwell was friends with Marilyn Monroe? My article this week for Imaginative Conservative looks at their lives and learns a lesson Having known for some time of the unlikely friendship between the dour T.S. Eliot and the zany Groucho Marx, I was intrigued to learn that the weird poet Edith Sitwell was friends with the wild sexpot Marilyn Monroe. There is a famous photograph from 1953 of the two of them sharing... Read more

Let’s face it, the aged Cardinal Walter Kasper is a modernist of the old school. He doesn’t believe in friendly ghosts. The “friendly ghost” I’m thinking of is Jesus walking on the water. You know the story. It’s three in the morning and the disciples are out in a fishing boat in the storm tossed Sea of Galilee. Then out of the mist they glimpse a figure walking on the water. Is it an apparition? Is it a ghost? Is... Read more

  My latest article for Aleteia reports on the universal appeal of the Catholic Church and the papacy. The extent of the pope’s reach was re-affirmed recently as he welcomed King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. At fifty-four Philippe is one of Europe’s youngest reigning monarchs. He ascended the throne in 2013 after the abdication of his father, King Albert II. A fighter pilot, parachutist and commando, he attended the Belgian Royal Military Academy followed by Trinity College, Cambridge,... Read more

Join me, Steve Wood and Johnette Benkovic for a Divine Mercy Weekend at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Greenville, SC April 11 and 12. for more information go here. Read more

We’re supposed to pray more in Lent. So pray more why dontcha? Here are  some ideas for kickstarting your Lenten Prayer life. 1. Pray the Divine Office – The complete daily Divine Office consists of Morning Prayer, Mid Day Prayer, Evening Prayer, Office of Readings and Night Prayer. But if you’re not a priest you don’t have to pray it all. Just use the main two offices of Morning and Evening prayer. If that’s too much use the great publication Magnificat. You can also... Read more

Feisty Catholic blogger Katrina Fernandez, known as The Crescat went to her beloved Grandmother’s funeral Mass only to be humiliated and embarrassed by the priest when she went to receive communion. She writes about the experience here and she ain’t happy. Katrina is a courageous single Mom who struggles to make ends meet. She was not only upset by the death of her grandmother, but being a more traditionally minded Catholic she was not happy that her grandmother’s funeral–which should have been... Read more

Are food pantries and soup kitchens always a good thing or are we inadvertently handing out deadly food and toxic soup? I’m exaggerating to make my point about what’s called toxic charity. My article for Aleteia this week focusses on the non productive way we do our charity work. Those who run the soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food pantries and welfare programs are constantly faced with the dilemma of the prissy curate and the blunt Baptist. “Are we really helping people... Read more

I know. I know. The headline was misleading, but I couldn’t resist. Catholic News Agency reports on the pope’s  recent interview with an Argentinian shanty town paper the pope admitted that there is a threat to his life from ISIS, but he puts himself in the Lord’s hands saying that he does not fear death, but he doesn’t like pain. We hear on television a lot of news that hurts us, that there are fanatics that want to kill you.... Read more

Johnette Benkovic will be coming to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish In Greenville, South Carolina for a Divine Mercy Weekend. On Saturday, April 11 join Johnette, myself and EWTN radio personality Steve Wood for a day conference on The Divine Mercy and the Family. Johnette will give two talks, and Steve and I will deliver one talk each. The day includes lunch and will conclude with a Vigil Mass at 5:15. On Sunday afternoon Johnette will join us for... Read more