A letter from a little boy to Jesus, written 82 years ago at the beginning of World War II, was recently found in the bottom of a drawer of a piece of furniture in France. It was December 17, 1939. Little Pierre, from the town of Mazamet in Tarn (southern France), wrote: Dear little Jesus, Read More…

Seven years ago, Fr. Jim needed a way to connect with a boy from his parish. For whatever reason, the child did not want to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation with his class. While visiting the boy’s family, Fr. Jim noticed that he was playing Minecraft, and that’s when he saw in this decade-old game Read More…

In discussions on morality and legal issues, we often hear the term “natural law.” However, almost every time I’ve seen it used outside the context of academic Catholic philosophy and theology, I see people misunderstanding it. Unfortunately, most explanations I’ve seen likely go over many people’s heads. I hope to provide an explanation an average Read More…

Most of the time, the Catholic church is referred to as the Roman Catholic Church. There are several different historical reasons for it. However, the denomination is somehow misleading —the Catholic Church is far from being exclusively Roman. It comprises 24 particular churches, the Latin Roman church, yes, being the biggest of them all. The Read More…

The “rags to riches” trope is generally not applied to philosophers, but it certainly could be so applied to one of the great and yet lesser known Catholic philosophers in the 20th century, who passed away last week (July 13) after an extremely distinguished and improbable career.  Professor Jorge J.E. Gracia, the late SUNY Distinguished Read More…

(The following includes spoilers for some of the storylines in Mare of Easttown, though certainly not all of them. For those who have not watched the show and wish to do so with no foreknowledge, be warned.) It was the collective groan heard across all of Catholic social media. It came as Mare of Easttown, Read More…

The increase in religiously-unaffiliated Americans — commonly referred to as “nones” — is slowing, according to a new survey. “The proportion of religiously unaffiliated Americans hit a high point of 26% in 2018 but has since slightly declined, to 23% in 2020,” according to The 2020 Census of American Religion, published by the Public Religion Read More…

A new pilgrimage dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene has been inaugurated in France. The 147-mile route retraces the steps of the “disciple of disciples” through the Camargue and Provence regions.  St. Mary Magdalene has long been an important figure for French Catholics. Tradition holds that she traveled to Europe after the Resurrection, where she helped Read More…

The city of Krakow, Poland, is probably known to Catholic travelers for sights such as Wawel Cathedral and the John Paul II Family Home Museum. But not many of us may know that one of its most impressive Catholic treasures lies underground. The chapels of the Wieliczka Salt Mine For at least 700 years, one Read More…

A recent article published by the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship featured the inspiring story of pioneering Cuban sculptor and exile Roberto Estopiñán.   Alejandro Anreus, a professor of art at William Paterson University, writes that Estopiñán, one of Latin America’s most important artists of the 20th century, emigrated to the Read More…

A new documentary is examining the rich history of Native American Catholic witness. Enduring Faith: The Story of Native American Catholicism, a feature produced by the Knights of Columbus, is playing on ABC TV affiliate stations on Sundays.  The film frames the historical contributions of Native American Catholics as “a missing piece to the greater Read More…

Getting married is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make in your life, and hopefully one of the best. Of course, it’s not the easiest of vocations, but it can bring immeasurable joy. To help those who are about to start off in married life, here’s a guide to make your marriage a joyful Read More…