A few months ago, in this space, this writer offered some musings on the 65th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. But this summer marks the Golden Jubilee of an event that has had far more impact … Continue reading
Category: Catholic America
Little House on the Prairie, Conversion of the Ingalls Family
Church Pop, Lindsay Kuniyuki: Edith Florence Ingalls is mentioned only in passing by her nickname, Dolly, in The Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She was only a baby in the chapter entitled “Christmas.” But that’s a thrill enough … Continue reading
Unheralded Martyrs of Pre-Colonial America, About 1000 of Them
National Catholic Register, Peter Jesserer Smith: A small group of Catholic faithful in Florida never imagined that a simple inquiry into a mysterious plot of land in Tallahassee would reinvigorate a dream shared over three centuries by the king of Spain, … Continue reading
Venerable Missionary Priest to US, Often Spent 14 Hours in Confessional
Aleteia, Philip Kosloski: Born to a wealthy Italian family in 1806, Samuel Mazzuchelli had a bright future ahead of him. He was destined to become a great politician and his father was looking forward to his son’s career. Mazzuchelli, on … Continue reading
Uruguay: Catholic Youth Feeding 2000 Homeless Daily
Catholic World Report: The name “Luceros,” which means “bright stars,” came out of the experience in Salta. “It’s to be a light in the night, to not hold back the lamp so it can be raised high, to shine down light. … Continue reading
Colonial America’s Fear of Canadian French Catholicism, and the Quebec Act
[I wrote the story of Frances Allen for our website here] National Catholic Register, Stephanie Mann: In describing the conversion of Sister Frances Margaret Allen I concluded: “Like all converts, Fanny Allen had to overcome many obstacles, including the almost inbred fear and … Continue reading
Miracles Still Happen at Wisconsin Marian Shrine
“Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation” (Our Lady’s words to Adele Brise in 1859) You can find the whole story of this marvelous apparition of Our Lady and her message … Continue reading
Out of the Ashes: a Book Review
A Catholic Blueprint for Change – Review of Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture by Dr. Anthony Esolen. Regnery Publishing, 2017 Within the past few weeks, I have had three encounters with Dr. Anthony Esolen. The first was Reconquest … Continue reading
Venerable Solanus Casey To Be Beatified in November
There are three saints who were actually born in what would be, or later became, the United States: Mother Seton, Catherine Drexel, and Kateri Tekakwitha, the Iroquois virgin. And one Blessed, Sister Miriam Theresa Demjanovich from Bayonne, New Jersey. Father … Continue reading
Feminism’s Goal
It was obvious to all with eyes to see that when feminism arose as a social and political force in the 1960s it was only tangentially about equal pay for equal work or anything like that. Of course seeking equality … Continue reading
The Knights of Columbus: Compromise Weakens the Witness
I was given the last two issues of the Knights of Columbus magazine, Columbia, by a friend of mine. And it is an inspiring publication in many ways. The editor, Alton J. Pelowski, does a commendable job in making the … Continue reading
Catholic Confederate General Beauregard’s Statue Removed in New Orleans
The AP report is here. Sometime before this, the city took down the statue of Confederacy President Jefferson Davis, who was (as you will see in the article below) a Catholic in heart. Another Catholic Southern General who converted shortly … Continue reading
How ‘Father Hurricane’ Could Have Prevented the Terrible Loss of Life in the Hurricane of 1900
Anyone who has lived in the Gulf South knows to become wary as the end of June approaches. That is when the tropical “waves” coming into the Atlantic off the western coast of Africa begin. In fact, June 30 is … Continue reading
Easter — The “Other” Holiday
Easter is soon to be upon us, after the emotional roller coaster ride of tragedy and triumph that is Holy Week. As with Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hallowe’en, and the Fourth of July, after a certain age the glimmer of nostalgia leads … Continue reading
Saint John of Capistrano and the Swallows
Here’s a little Catholic Americana for you. Today’s saint is Saint John of Capistrano, who gives his name to the old Franciscan Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, California — associated with the memory of the “Father of California,” … Continue reading