“England and Always” The British, the Empire, and the Faith Part III: In the Good Old Colony Days In good old colony days When we lived under the King, Three roguish chaps fell into mishaps Because they could not sing … Continue reading
Author Archives: Charles A. Coulombe
England and Always: When the King Enjoys His Own Again
“England and Always” The British, the Empire, and the Faith Part II: When the King Enjoys His Own Again Though for a time we see Whitehall With cobwebs hanging on the wall Instead of gold and silver brave Which formerly … Continue reading
“England and Always”: Part I: Separated by a Common Language
“England and Always” The British, the Empire, and the Faith Part I: Separated by a Common Language If England was what England seems An’ not the England of our dreams, But only putty, brass, an’ paint, ‘Ow quick we’d drop … Continue reading
The Celtic Church — Myth and Reality II
[Click here for part one.] Depending upon whom you read or speak to, the received modern narrative about “Celtic Spirituality” is roughly like this. Once upon a time, the Druids lived happily in green and misty Celtic lands, leading their … Continue reading
The Celtic Church — Myth and Reality
For many people — practicing, nominal, and non-Catholic alike — in the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere, St. Patrick’s day is welcome relief from the rigours (if any) of Lent, or at the very least a mid-spring party. Shamrocks … Continue reading
Longfellow and the Faith
And in despair I bowed my head “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men.” Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God … Continue reading
The Pagan Temptation
A few weeks ago, I did something I have not done since I was nine years old. I went to a performance at the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre near downtown Los Angeles. It was a delightful rendition of The Nutcracker … Continue reading
Where Have All the Heroes Gone?
The just-passed feasts of Michaelmas and Our Lady of the Rosary, redolent with their memories of the bright Archangel who cast Satan out of Heaven and the great Captains (Don Juan of Austria and Prince Eugene of Savoy) who crushed … Continue reading
The Perfect Versus the Good
A number of recent events are rather in my craw at the moment: the entirely secular inauguration of King Felipe VI of Spain; so much of what happens in Rome today; the July 4th celebrations in which we annually tell … Continue reading
What do Universities Teach?
Several recent occurrences have put me to thinking about universities in particular and education in general. One was marching in the Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Cambridge, MA, in support of the Blessed Sacrament against the planned Black Mass … Continue reading
Seeking the Kingdom
Ever since Constantine legalized the Faith, Catholics have striven for perfection, far from the madding crowd of nominal believers and the outright corrupt. The first fruits of this quest were Ss. Paul the Hermit and Anthony the Abbot, from whom … Continue reading
Should the Good Times Roll?
The season of Septuagesima in which we find ourselves has a number of popular names: “Carnival” from carne vale – farewell to meat, in token of the approach of Lent. Another is Mardi Gras – “Fat Tuesday,” the last day … Continue reading
What is ‘Inculturation?’
The recently-completed season of Christmas has many lessons to teach us. One is that every nation has its own way of celebrating the mystery of the Incarnation. Indeed, as numerous websites show us, the ways of expressing belief in the … Continue reading
What is America?
Nothing reflects the strangely mixed nature of our country so much as the uniquely American way of celebrating Christmas. The Christmas Tree is German; Santa Claus, via Clement Moore, Thomas Nast, the old New York Sun, and Coca-Cola, Dutch; holly … Continue reading
What Is Christendom?
The question posed by the title of this article was asked several of us by our august editor. Its immediacy is reinforced by the season of Christmas – which, despite being under sporadic attack by “holiday” partisans, centers on the … Continue reading
