Who was Theophilus? And why does the evangelist Luke talk about him so much? Luke introduces the mysterious character at the beginning of his Gospel—the third gospel, which includes the infancy narrative and stories of Jesus' early life—with
On October 31, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI observed the 500th anniversary of the Sistine Chapel by offering a prayer—celebrating Vespers beneath Michelangelo’s famed frescoes of biblical stories including, most famously, the Creation of Adam. The
White elephant (n.) an idiom for a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose, and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth. * * * * * Did
Actually, I had thought this whole story was over. Back in August 2015, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a Catholic hospital had "backed down," relinquishing its right to observe the teachings of the Catholic Church, and had
Did you know that Edgar Allen Poe once penned a hymn to Our Lady? Poe, the tortured poet of the American Romantic Movement, is best known for his stories of mystery and the macabre--stories like
Everyone enjoys a word game! If you're a Catholic, you might like this opportunity to shine: Try to guess the meanings of the thirteen obscure Catholic words on my list, over at the National Catholic
Recently I overheard a woman speaking angrily on the way out of church. She was upset that the parish had recently reverted to Latin for the Agnus Dei and the Sanctus. Not the whole Mass,
It was hot, and we were tired. It was September 2000, our first trip to Rome, and our band of seven hearty travelers had embarked on a long walk through the streets of the city
In 1896, Pope Leo XIII became the first pope ever to be captured on film. Clearly, His Holiness did not understand the film industry. You can see him respond to an off-screen reminder that this
Through the years, I’ve met several people who have worked in the abortion industry, and who have then experienced a dramatic conversion and joined pro-life forces: Abby Johnson, whose work on behalf of Planned Parenthood
