X

Browsing News Entries

Vatican authorizes opening of cause for canonization for 13-year-old Filipina girl

The Vatican on March 16, 2024, determined that nothing prevents the opening of the cause for canonization of Niña Ruiz-Abad, a 13-year-old girl who died in 1993 in the Philippines and whose grave has become a place of pilgrimage. / Credit: Diocese of Laoag/Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 18, 2024 / 16:05 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has determined that nothing prevents the opening of the cause for canonization of Niña Ruiz-Abad, a 13-year-old girl who died in 1993 in the Philippines and whose grave has become a place of pilgrimage.

On March 16, the Vatican news agency Fides reported that the Vatican has granted the “nihil obstat” (“nothing stands in the way”) for the cause of canonization to begin for Ruiz-Abad, who is now considered a “Servant of God,” the first step toward sainthood. If the Filipina girl is declared a saint, she will be one of the youngest in history.

The news was announced with a circular from the bishop of Laoag, Renato Mayugba, that was read in all the churches of the Ilocos Norte region, where Ruiz-Abad is originally from.

In July 2023, the bishops of the Philippines had already expressed their support for the opening of the cause, which will be formally opened on April 7, Divine Mercy Sunday, at St. William Cathedral in Laoag City, with the first session of the diocesan tribunal.

Who was Niña Ruiz-Abad?

Niña Ruiz-Abad was born Oct. 31, 1979, in Quezon City. Her parents were lawyers and her father died when she was only 3 years old.

Ruiz-Abad grew up in Quezon City on Luzon island along with her sister, Mary Anne. She attended school at the Child Study Center of the University of the Philippines and later at the Holy Angels Montessori School, both in Quezon City. 

Her mother, a devotee of divine mercy, moved with her daughters to Sarrat, 300 miles to the north of Quezon City, in April 1988 to work at the Department of Justice.

Ruiz-Abad started high school at Mariano Marcos State University High School in nearby Laoag CIty. She had a strong devotion to the Eucharist and from a very young age, she distributed rosaries, Bibles, prayer books, and holy cards in her neighborhood and at school.

When Father Danny Pajarillaga met Ruiz-Abad in 1993, he immediately noticed her great love for the Eucharist and that she prayed a lot. 

“She was a walking testimony of piety and religion. She was always dressed in white and with a rosary around her neck,” those who knew her recalled.

Ruiz-Abad was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at the age of 10 and lived with the disease for three years with great faith and joy. 

“Niña’s life was one of prayer, adoration, and an intimate relationship with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Blessed Virgin Mary,” Mayugba said.

On Aug. 16, 1993, she suffered cardiac arrest while she was at school and was immediately taken to the hospital, where she died. She was buried in a public cemetery in Sarrat and her grave is now a pilgrimage site.

“Today, children and young people are inspired by the life of Niña Ruiz-Abad to live a life rooted in prayer. Her story continues to reach the hearts of many people because it is an example of how with God obstacles can be overcome,” the Philippine Bishops’ Conference stated.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

U.S. bishops call for ‘focused effort of prayer’ ahead of Supreme Court abortion pill hearings

Katie Mahoney, Rev. Pat Mahoney, Peggy Nienaber of Faith and Liberty, and Mark Lee Dickson of Right to Life East Texas pray in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on April 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

CNA Newsroom, Mar 18, 2024 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

The U.S. bishops are calling for a nationwide prayer campaign ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing next week that could affect the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone.

The court last year said it would review a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling decided in August 2023 that imposed restrictions on the abortion pill based on safety concerns. The Supreme Court’s ultimate decision could curtail the shipping of the drug through the mail. 

The hearing is scheduled for March 26. In a letter this month, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) president Archbishop Timothy Broglio and USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities chairman Bishop Michael Burbidge said they were “inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer” for “the end of abortion and the protection of women and preborn children” starting on March 25. 

The bishops said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through its allowance of mailed abortion pills, “has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry and turned neighborhood pharmacies into chemical abortion providers.” 

Those pills “are now the most common form of abortion in the United States,” the bishops pointed out. 

The Supreme Court’s ultimate decision on the matter, the bishops noted, “has the potential to make a major impact in the widespread accessibility of chemical abortion.”

“While the Supreme Court case is not about ending chemical abortion, it can restore limitations that the FDA has overridden,” they wrote. 

The prayer campaign — which will begin on the anniversary of St. John Paul II’s pro-life encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) — will invoke the intercession of St. Joseph under his title “Defender of Life.”

“We ask Catholics to offer this prayer daily, from March 25 through June, when a decision is expected,” the bishops wrote. 

The FDA’s regulation of abortion pills was subject to a whipsaw series of court decisions last year. In 2022, several pro-life groups and individuals, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), sued the FDA arguing that the administration failed to use the proper channels and hurriedly approved the drug in 2000 without weighing its severe risks to women.

Texas judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued a controversial ruling on April 7, 2023, that suspended the FDA’s approval of mifepristone on the grounds that the agency had “acquiesced on its legitimate safety concerns” and approved the drug “based on plainly unsound reasoning and studies that did not support its conclusions.”

The Biden administration immediately issued an emergency appeal to block the ruling, first to a three-judge panel in the 5th Circuit and then to the Supreme Court. 

In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked Kacsmaryk’s ruling and returned the case to the 5th Circuit for full review, leading to the ruling in August, which will be the subject of the Supreme Court’s March hearing. 

Norwegian bishop celebrates Nordic country’s first Catholic Bible

Bishop Erik Varden, OCSO, a Trappist monk and spiritual writer, has served as bishop of Trondheim in Norway since 2020. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Mar 18, 2024 / 11:30 am (CNA).

A Norwegian bishop and monk has hailed the publication of Norway’s first official Bible for Catholics as a breakthrough.

“The publication of a Bible presented and packaged as ‘The Catholic Canon’ by the Norwegian Bible Society is a major ecumenical event,” Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim told CNA in an email.

“It invites us afresh to engage with the entirety of Scripture, to read each book as part of a whole, attentive to the symphony of voices that join in proclaiming a single, undying and saving Word. It is my hope that many Catholics will discover the immense fascination of the scriptural text, learning to love and revere it, letting their lives be renewed by it.”

Varden, 49, is a Trappist monk and spiritual writer. He was consecrated bishop of Trondheim, in central Norway, in 2020

Published March 15, this Norwegian edition is notable not only for its inclusivity toward the Scandinavian nation’s Catholic minority, Catholic editor Heidi Haugros Øyma told CNA. The project saw linguists and Scripture experts collaborating with poets and other literary authors, including Nobel laureate Jon Fosse.

The Bible is now available in both official written languages of the country, Bokmål and Nynorsk. 

Pål Johannes Nes, co-founder of EWTN Norway, told CNA: “This is also a very important element in the re-evangelization of Norway toward 2030 through Mission 2030, which EWTN Norway together with the Diocese of Trondheim are working on.”

“It is also a great joy for me to be able to read the Bible to my children in Norwegian,” he added.

What makes this Norwegian Bible Catholic?

The distinction between Catholic and Protestant versions of the Bible in Norway hinges on the inclusion of several additional texts in the Catholic Old Testament. Specifically, the Catholic canon incorporates seven extra books: Tobit, Judith, the First and Second Books of Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (also referred to as Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch. 

Furthermore, it contains extended passages in the books of Esther and Daniel. These additional books and passages, known collectively as the Deuterocanonical books, are recognized and revered within the Catholic tradition but are not included in the Protestant version of the Old Testament.

Øyma, who was deeply involved in the project, told CNA: “The inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books represents a move toward a more inclusive, ecumenical approach to Scripture in Norway.” 

“It is a way of saying that we belong here, we are a part of the cultural and Christian landscape.”

Do you know how to make ‘St. Joseph’s bread’? Here’s the recipe

St. Joseph’s altar at St. Mary’s Assumption Church in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. / Credit: William A. Morgan/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 18, 2024 / 11:00 am (CNA).

In the book “Dining with the Saints” there is a special recipe for making delicious “St. Joseph’s Bread.” Below you can find the ingredients and how to make it, perhaps as a special treat for the saint’s feast day, March 19.

According to the National Catholic Register, the book “Dining with the Saints” features a variety of foods and drinks in honor of famous and not-so-known saints. In addition, there’s a wide variety of dishes according to the liturgical season.

The book was written by chef and EWTN host Father Leo Patalinghug and drinks expert Michael Foley. At the end of each recipe you can even find a box titled “Food for Thought” with messages about faith or advice from a saint.

The introduction explains that “Dining with the Saints” offers you the resources you need for a healthy and uplifting family meal, a memorable couples’ night-in, or a fun dinner.

In honor of St. Joseph, a prudent and just man, the book offers the following recipe for a sweet bread for four people:

St. Joseph’s Bread

Serves 4

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (110 degrees Fahrenheit)

2 packages active dry yeast

6 cups bread flour, divided

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons melted butter, at room temperature

5 large eggs, divided

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon anise seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Combine lukewarm milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together and rest for 10 minutes until yeast blooms.

2. Add melted butter, sugar, and 1 cup of the flour and beat with the regular paddle attachment of the mixer for about 2 minutes.

3. Add 4 of the eggs, the anise seeds, and 1 more cup of flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

4. Switch out the regular paddle attachment on the mixer for the dough hook and add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough starts to tighten up. (Depending on the size of the eggs, you may not need all the flour.) Continue to knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes.

5. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a cloth towel, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

6. Punch the dough and divide it into 3 equal pieces.

7. Roll each piece of dough into the shape of a thick noodle, about 1/2- to 1-inch thick and 20-22 inches long. Braid the dough together loosely and tuck the ends of the braids under the dough. Place the braided loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

9. Combine the water and the remaining egg to make an egg wash, and use it to brush the loaf.

10. Generously sprinkle the top of the dough with sesame seeds.

11. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Transfer dough to a wire rack and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Vatican Observatory publishes new method to better understand the Big Bang theory

null / Credit: Vadim Sadovski/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 18, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Two priests and cosmologists from the Vatican Observatory have made further progress in developing a new mathematical method to understand the Big Bang theory, which describes the first moments of the universe.

In a 2022 article published in the prestigious journal Physical Review D, Fathers Gabriele Gionti, SJ, and Matteo Galaverni introduced the new and promising mathematical tool. They have recently published a new article in the European Physical Journal C, a publication that presents novel research results in theoretical physics and experimental physics.

“It really is fascinating to try to understand the physical laws in the early moments of the universe. The search for new physical laws and the effort to fully understand them is a process that fills our minds and hearts with great joy,” the priests said in a Vatican Observatory publication released March 14.

The observatory’s statement points out that Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which postulates that gravity is the curvature of space-time rather than a force as proposed by Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity, remains the best physical theory “for understanding the large-scale structure of the universe today.” However, there are still unresolved questions about the laws of physics during the first moments of the universe and about how gravity works on extremely small scales, which can be studied using quantum mechanics.

Currently, there are alternative or modified theories of gravity that suggest that gravity might behave differently than general relativity predicts, even with respect to the large-scale structure of the universe.

In their new article, “On the canonical equivalence between the Jordan and Einstein frames,” Gionti and Galaverni demonstrate how they can “map” the solution to a physical problem from an alternative theory of gravity to general relativity through a mathematical trick. This trick consists of analyzing the problem through two different mathematical frames, known as the “Jordan” and “Einstein” frames, which are different approaches to describing the geometry of space-time in general relativity, each with its own advantages and specific applications.

For Gionti and Galaverni, this work is “a way to contribute, together with the entire scientific community, to answering some fundamental questions: “Who are we? Where do we come from? What is our origin?”

“Furthermore, for a person of faith, it is a wonderful possibility to interpret one’s research as a discovery of new traces or signs of God’s beauty and elegance in the creation of the universe, despite our extremely limited knowledge!” the priest-scientists concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

‘Miracles’: Rhode Island Catholic school thrives after last-ditch purchase from diocese

Chesterton students celebrate Mass in the school's new chapel. / Credit: Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope

CNA Staff, Mar 18, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A newly launched Catholic school in Rhode Island is on a fast track to growth after what its leader described as a series of “miracles” that led to its acquisition of a disused Catholic property. 

Dioceses across the U.S. regularly announce the sale of old parish properties that are no longer actively in use. The Diocese of Fall River in Massachusetts, for instance, is moving to sell a disused “seasonal church” in Dennis Port — the Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel — so that the town can raze it to make way for a public park. 

The Diocese of Springfield, also in Massachusetts, is likewise seeking buyers for several properties in its territory. Several years ago the diocese sold a shuttered Catholic high school that was then converted into apartments.

‘God and Our Lady are at the helm’

In Warwick, Rhode Island, meanwhile, the newly launched Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope recently acquired the property of St. Francis School and Church from the Diocese of Providence in what the school’s head described as several miraculous occurrences that played out in rapid succession.

Michael Casey, the president and executive director of the institution, said the school — part of the Minneapolis-based Chesterton Schools Network — was first launched in early 2022 with the goal of opening for students at the start of the 2023 school year. 

Casey said the school’s leaders chose Warwick for its central location in the state. 

“We first went to the diocese to look for properties we could rent, and every property was either in terrible shape or was not for rent by the local pastor,” Casey said. 

The school’s board of directors discovered the St. Francis property and sought to obtain it, but it was not for sale or lease at the time. The school settled instead on a 3,000-square-foot property, which Casey said was “tight.”

“As we tried to make this rental our temporary home, I felt it was too small and kept waiting for a shot at St. Francis,” Casey said, admitting that “every day, I drove by St. Francis Church and School, waiting for the for-sale sign to go up.”

After writing one last-ditch letter to the diocese, Casey learned that the property had just come up for sale and that closing bids on the parcel were in a matter of days. After a flurry of walkthroughs, consultations with a lawyer and real estate agent, a last-minute benefactor’s letter of collateral, and an extension from the realtor — all while the school community was praying a novena — they delivered the proposal “with two hours to spare.” 

“I aged about 10 years from Tuesday night to the following Monday morning,” Casey admitted. 

The school’s bid was ultimately accepted. 

“There are so many miracles that happened in those three days and over the three months while the decision was made,” Casey said, “but we became owners of three acres with a church that seats 400 people, a school that can accommodate 160 students and a rectory [at which] we are housing our teachers.”

“It has been a crazy ride, but we believe God and Our Lady are at the helm,” Casey said. 

Volunteers help install a sign at Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope. Credit: Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope
Volunteers help install a sign at Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope. Credit: Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope

Following the school’s acquisition of the property, volunteers and engineers both pitched in to help prepare it for opening. Workers “did quite a bit in a short time to get the buildings to code to move in,” Casey said. “We spent about $55,000 to open it and during the first year we needed about $20,000 in repairs that showed up as we started using the property again.”

He admitted that those investments were financially “draining” but that the school is engaging in fundraising as it grows into a four-year institution, after which “the financials look pretty good.” The school currently hosts about 20 students; the St. Francis property can accommodate a total of 160.

Casey said the school is well supported as it launches. Benefactors “are starting to get behind the mission and vision to help the school get to the next level,” he said, while volunteers “have been incredible, sharing their gifts in areas such as painting, construction, and much sweat equity.”

Students in the classroom at Chesterton Academy. Credit: COLE DeSANTIS/Rhode Island Catholic
Students in the classroom at Chesterton Academy. Credit: COLE DeSANTIS/Rhode Island Catholic

Casey said the experience with the school shows that lay Catholics looking to help the Church need to “step up and help instead of hoping someone else does it.”

“Catholic laypeople must become part of the solution for the Church’s future,” he said. “We need to support our diocese and priests.” The diocese, Casey added, has been “so supportive” of the school, with a different priest visiting the school “every day” to celebrate its daily Mass. 

“Priests visit us from all over Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, and the students have an opportunity to see how each priest has a different journey in faith,” he said. “They sometimes share lunch with the students. Priests or deacons help us every month for our First Friday Holy Hours. Both bishops and a few monsignors have celebrated Mass with us.”

Casey said the school aspires to “bring spiritual life back to the Warwick and greater Rhode Island community and help families committed to raising their children to be the next generation of saints.”

“Many Chesterton schools do not start this way with buying at the start,” he said, “but we believe with Our Lady of Hope guiding us, that we will be able to fill the school and help bring more souls to Christ.”

Pope Francis: God’s glory does not correspond to human success

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square during his Sunday Angelus on March 17, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 17, 2024 / 09:07 am (CNA).

Pope Francis said Sunday that God’s glory and our true happiness are not found in success, fame, or popularity but in loving and forgiving others.

In his Angelus address on March 17, the pope asked: How it is possible that God’s glory is manifest in the humiliation of the cross?

“One would think it happened in the Resurrection, not on the cross, which is a defeat, a failure,” he said. “Instead, today, talking about his passion, Jesus says: ‘The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified’ (Jn 12:23). What does he mean?” 

The pope explained that “for God, glory is to love to the point of giving one’s life.”

“Glorification, for him, means giving himself, making himself accessible, offering his love,” he said.

“And this reached its culmination on the cross, where Jesus outspread God’s love to the maximum, fully revealing the face of mercy, giving us life and forgiving his executioners.”

Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus on March 17, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media
Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus on March 17, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis underlined that giving and forgiveness “are very different criteria to what we see around us, and also within us, when we think of glory.”

Yet while worldly glory fades, this Christian way of life brings lasting happiness, he explained.

“And so, we can ask ourselves: What is the glory I desire for myself, for my life, that I dream of for my future?” Francis asked.

“That of impressing others with my prowess, my abilities, or the things I possess? Or the path of giving and forgiveness, that of the crucified Jesus, the way of those who never tire of loving, confident that this bears witness to God in the world and makes the beauty of life shine? What glory do I want for myself?”

“Indeed, let us remember that when we give and forgive, God’s glory shines in us,” Pope Francis said.

Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus on March 17, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media
Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus on March 17, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media

After praying the Angelus prayer in Latin from the window of the Apostolic Palace with the crowd gathered below in St. Peter’s Square, the pope asked people to pray for war-torn populations in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, and Syria.

Pope Francis expressed his relief at the release of some of the religious brothers kidnapped three weeks ago in Haiti as he made an appeal for the “beloved country tried by so much violence.”

Four of the six religious from the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Institute who were kidnapped in Port-au-Prince on Feb. 23 have been freed, along with a teacher. The pope called for the release of the two remaining kidnapped religious and all other people who have suffered at the hands of kidnappers in Haiti.

The pope called on all political leaders and social actors in Haiti to “abandon all special interests and to engage in a spirit of solidarity in the pursuit of the common good” while supporting “a peaceful transition to a country … that is equipped with solid institutions capable of restoring order and tranquility among its citizens.”

Before waving goodbye to the crowd, the pope gave a shoutout to the athletes who ran in the Rome marathon on Sunday morning, especially the volunteers and runners from the Vatican’s own sports club, Athletica Vaticana.

‘The religion of the Incarnation’: Catholic artists reflect on the necessity of beauty

Martin Earle, a sacred artist who specializes in works for churches and the liturgy, told CNA that one should not mistake an artistic revival for a simple re-creation of the past. / Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 17, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is easily the most recognizable church in the world. Visitors to the basilica are often left staring up in awe, taking in the grandeur and beauty of the world’s largest church.

Likewise with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel paintings, Johann Christian Bach’s “Requiem Mass,” and even Jean-Francois Millet’s “Angelus” — some more of the world’s most influential and beloved works of art created throughout the millennia. 

What do all of these great works of art have in common? They were created by Catholics.

For millennia, Catholic artists have drawn millions to God through the power of truth, goodness, and beauty. But today, the Church is no longer widely known for producing beautiful art. What happened?

Daniel Mitsui, a contemporary Catholic artist based in Hobart, Indiana, who creates art in the medieval style, told CNA that Catholic art today suffers from the wounds of a double-edged sword: rejection of tradition and complacency.

Daniel Mitsui, a contemporary Catholic artist who creates art in the medieval style, works on a drawing. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui
Daniel Mitsui, a contemporary Catholic artist who creates art in the medieval style, works on a drawing. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui

“I believe that Catholic religious artists have two tasks,” he said. “First, they should be faithful to tradition, attempting to hand down in their turn the things that have been remembered since the time of the New Testament and that are reflected also in the sacred liturgy and the writings of the Church Fathers. And second, they should make their work as beautiful as possible, because they are attempting to depict things the way that God sees them.”

“The experience of beauty,” he said, “is like a dim memory of life in paradise, an experience that no fallen human artist will be able to recreate. But we should strive to do the best we can!” 

Mary Undoer of Knots by Daniel Mitsui. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui
Mary Undoer of Knots by Daniel Mitsui. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui

The ‘religion of the Incarnation’

Despite the artistic lack in recent decades, there appears now to be a growing resurgence in the Catholic artistic world.

Gwyneth Thompson Briggs is one of the most prolific artists creating in the traditional Catholic style. A New England-based artist, Briggs told CNA that she has seen “stirrings of a restoration in the art world” and a “growing desire for a return to the grand tradition of sacred art.” 

Catholic artist Gwyneth Thompson Briggs works in her studio in the former St. Francis de Sales School in St. Louis. Credit: Photo by Max Bouvatte Photography, courtesy of Gwyneth Thompson Briggs
Catholic artist Gwyneth Thompson Briggs works in her studio in the former St. Francis de Sales School in St. Louis. Credit: Photo by Max Bouvatte Photography, courtesy of Gwyneth Thompson Briggs

She started a website called the Catholic Artists Directory, which features many of the artists leading the Church’s artistic revival. This revival, Thompson believes, is vitally important. 

“It is the enemy who wishes to make the world ugly, and he has had a lot of help in that direction these last 200 years. Our task is to make the world more beautiful,” she explained, adding that because “Christianity is the religion of the Incarnation,” Christian art “should be incarnational too.” 

Rebuilding the Church

The Catholic artistic revival is not just limited to painting. Emerging from a relatively dark age of Catholic art, there are now many talented Catholic artists working in the mediums of painting, sculpting, music, architecture, and more.

Indeed, a large percentage of the Catholic churches built in the last two decades have been constructed in traditional styles in which beauty and form are emphasized. 

St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas, is just one example of a beautiful Catholic church built in the last decade. 

Serving a vibrant student community at Texas A&M University, St. Mary’s long struggled to fit the multitudes of students coming to Mass in its old church building. Finally, St. Mary’s decided it was time to build a new church. 

Mass of Consecration in St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center
Mass of Consecration in St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center

Father Will Straten, St. Mary’s pastor, told CNA that when they were considering the new church, they wanted something “that did not look like other buildings” that “students could identify as a church.” 

“We wanted the building to be a beacon, to be a light that guided students to God,” he said. 

The church was designed by a team of faithful Catholics from Studio io and completed in 2023. Anna Olinger, a student at A&M and an intern at St. Mary’s, told CNA that the new church has already had a big impact on students, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

A baptism during the Rite of Christian Initiation at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center
A baptism during the Rite of Christian Initiation at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center

“The new church has been such a blessing because it has allowed students to enter into the liturgy and prayer in a way that uses all of our senses,” she explained. “From his birth, cross, and resurrection to his eternal reign, the church makes heaven seem a little closer. The church better helps students understand salvation history and the plan that God has for their personal salvation.” 

“Art and architecture have been important tools of evangelization for centuries, and that is still true with the younger generation,” she said.

‘Surprised by the Gospel’ 

Martin Earle, a U.K.-based sacred artist who specializes in works for churches and the liturgy, told CNA that one should not mistake an artistic revival for a simple re-creation of the past.

According to Earle, the job of a Catholic artist today is to get “under the skin” of the old masterpieces of the faith and instead of copying them, “create new works that manifest a living tradition.” 

Altar frontal for St. John the Forerunner Church in Austin, Texas, by Martin Earle. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle
Altar frontal for St. John the Forerunner Church in Austin, Texas, by Martin Earle. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle

“We artists have a role to play in preaching the Gospel to each generation: to present it in all its freshness, beauty, and liveliness in a language that is attractive to our peers. This can only happen if we firstly allow ourselves to be surprised by the Gospel. Then we need to find the tools to communicate our wonder,” he explained.

Yet, according to Mitsui, if any Catholic artistic revival is to occur, ordinary, lay faithful will need to play a crucial part in it. Without Catholics supporting artists and fostering an environment where new art can be made, nothing will change. 

The 3m crucifix for St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Aberdeen, Texas, painted by Martin Earle and Jim Blackstone. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle
The 3m crucifix for St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Aberdeen, Texas, painted by Martin Earle and Jim Blackstone. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle

“We live in a time when it is easy to obtain reproductions of many historic masterpieces. Maybe collecting those and only those seems satisfactory and less risky than supporting any living artist. But if everyone does that, the next great religious artist will never get a chance to exist, because he or she had to get a job in advertising or something like that,” he explained. 

Only with the help of the faithful, Mitsui said, can Catholic artists help the Church reach a new age of beauty and wonder in art. 

What St. Patrick can still teach the world

Detail of stained glass depicting St. Patrick, in Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Goleen, County Cork. / Credit: Andreas F. Borchert via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

National Catholic Register, Mar 17, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Although March 17 is still known to the world as St. Patrick’s Day, the celebrations tend to focus more on beer and leprechauns than on the saint himself. That’s a shame because there’s a lot to celebrate about the legendary St. Patrick.

Born in Britain in the latter years of the fourth century and torn from his home in a slave raid as a young man, Patrick went on to be one of the greatest missionaries the Catholic Church has ever known.

St. Patrick and Ireland — for many people, it’s impossible to think of one without the other. His name is, and will always be, associated with the conversion of a nation. In the illustrious history of evangelization, few saints could make similar claims.

There are many reasons to admire Patrick: He was an orator of Ciceronian proportion, he was gifted with the ability to teach common people uncommonly difficult concepts, his physical stamina was legendary, his perseverance unwavering, and his personal sanctity was evident to all except those who blindly refused to see it.

Yet, there was one man who wasn’t all that impressed with Patrick, and that was Patrick himself.

In reading his own writing, one quality perhaps rises above the rest: humility. Two of his written works survive from antiquity: “Confession” and “Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus.” Both provide a glimpse of the Apostle of Ireland in his own words.

The humility of St. Patrick is evident in his writings. For instance, he begins his “Confession”: “I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many.”

To hear Patrick tell it, he was slow-witted, sinful, and unlikeable. However, an objective analysis illustrates he was actually brilliant, holy, and loved throughout the nation. Patrick loved the Irish people and the Irish loved Patrick. They also loved God.

In “The Building of Christendom,” Catholic historian Dr. Warren Carroll writes: “The Irish proved, remarkably, almost uniquely receptive to Christianity. Their conversion … was unusually rapid, unusually thorough, and above all peaceful. … The native priesthood, the druids, feared and opposed Christianity but seem to have been almost helpless in the face of its rapid and steady advance.”

Carroll, who is well known for his historical observation that “one man can make a difference,” could certainly point to St. Patrick to defend his claim. Indeed, with the efforts of Patrick, the Emerald Isle experienced a springtime of Christianity. Patrick’s humility, coupled with his trust in God’s love, proved a powerful combination for evangelization.

In his latter years, Patrick could look back with wonder and joy at how eager the Irish were to embrace Christianity. He writes: “So, how is it that in Ireland, where they never had any knowledge of God but, always, until now, cherished idols and unclean things, they are lately become a people of the Lord, and are called children of God.”

Only by God’s grace, for sure. Yet at least part of the reason for their conversion lies in Patrick’s faith, courage, and humility.

Though he lived more than 15 centuries ago, Patrick still has a lesson to teach our world today. 

We have gone mad in an effort to glorify ourselves. We tend to be slow to recognize or thank others, but we are lightning fast in pointing out our own achievements and demanding recognition. In our narcissistic world of selfies, our focus often fails to reach beyond arm’s length. There is a name for all this, of course: pride.

Happily, there are ways to overcome this vice, and one of those is to consider the humility of St. Patrick. After all he had accomplished, after all he had endured, Patrick sensed that others might conclude that he was the hero. But he admonished them, assuring them that anything worthwhile that he achieved was “the gift of God.”

God wants us to be successful in our vocation and every effort that expresses his will. But in the end, we must have the humility to see that each and every one of our successes is the gift of God. We can honor St. Patrick by first recognizing that fact.

This article was originally published by the National Catholic Register, a partner of CNA, on March 17, 2017, and has been adapted for CNA.

Harrison Butker addresses family life, gun violence, Taylor Swift, and more in far-reaching interview

Harrison Butker on the sideline of the AFC Championship in Baltimore on January 28, 2024. / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Mar 16, 2024 / 09:21 am (CNA).

Super Bowl-winning kicker Harrison Butker shared a simple — but countercultural — message when he delivered a graduation speech at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, last year. 

“Get married and start a family,” the Kansas City Chiefs NFL star told the new graduates. 

Outspoken about his Catholic faith for several years, Butker garnered headlines during the 2023 Super Bowl when fans noticed he was wearing a scapular — a brown woolen sacramental from the Carmelite tradition, worn around the neck as a sign of consecration to Mary. 

In addition to Butker’s devotion to the Traditional Latin Mass, the 28-year-old father of two frequently promotes his pro-life convictions as well as the importance of marriage and family life, frequently emphasizing the importance of prioritizing his vocation as a husband and father.  

In an interview Friday with Mark Irons on “EWTN News in Depth,” Butker said he wants to encourage men, especially fathers, to “be courageous, to not be afraid to be the leader.”

“It’s something that we struggle with, I think, a lot of times to go outside of our comfort zone and to say, ‘You know what? God has called me to be a leader, and to lead by example. I’m going to lead my household and I’m going to lead outside the world when I’m evangelizing.’ So that’s something that I’m very passionate about,” Butker told “EWTN News in Depth.”

“I think Our Lord needs to be king. He needs to be front and center. And as Catholics, we have to be unapologetically proud of our faith and of Jesus Christ.”

Addressing several topics in the interview, Butker spoke out against the violence that erupted last month at the Feb. 14 parade in Kansas City celebrating the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory. A dispute between revelers escalated into a shooting that claimed the life of Lisa López-Galván, a local radio DJ, mother of two, and a parishioner at Sacred Heart-Guadalupe Parish in Kansas City. 

Butker said he later learned that López-Galván was wearing a football jersey with Butker’s number when she was shot. He said he subsequently gifted López-Galván’s family one of his own jerseys, and she was buried in it. 

Butker said although he didn’t know López-Galván, he said he hopes that “she appreciated the fact that I was a Catholic, that I was outspoken for my faith.”

“To be able to receive that encouragement, that love, even though I never met her, I heard that from her family, how much she was encouraged by me and loved all my work. That’s just very encouraging for me to continue on the path that I’m on and to be never unwavering in my beliefs,” Butker said.

Expressing deep sorrow over the violence, Butker said the shooting incident demonstrated the need for strong father figures to set positive examples.

“I think we need strong fathers in the home. I think we need men that are leading, that are setting good examples, that are teaching the young men in our society that violence is not the way to handle our disputes,” he said.

Butker was asked about another recent news item, also from February, whereby Catholics expressed outrage over a controversial and irreverent funeral service for a well-known transgender advocate that was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. 

Cardinal Timothy Dolan — who oversaw a Mass of reparation at the cathedral after the funeral — later said that the cathedral “had absolutely no idea about this” and that the archdiocese does not “do FBI checks on people who want to be buried.”

Butker said he sent Dolan a letter encouraging him to take a “strong stance” against the irreverent actions that took place during the funeral. 

“We need men that are leading saying, ‘This is not right. This is wrong. As Catholics, we will not accept this.’ We need to take a hard stance. I think sometimes we value what the world says about us instead of what Jesus Christ says about us,” Butker said.

Addressing the ongoing and soon-to-be culminating Eucharistic Revival taking place in the United States, Butker said he personally was encouraged in his belief in the Eucharist when, while in the process of returning to the faith, he attended a Catholic conference and got the opportunity to spend time in Eucharistic adoration with thousands of other people. 

Butker said the truth about the Eucharist “can’t be promoted enough.”

“I think a lot of Catholics who prioritize adoration and time with Our Lord in daily Mass and daily Communion and confession … I think they see this big growth in their spiritual life, because they are allowing themselves to fully immerse themselves in the Church and her sacraments.”

“I’m very excited for the Eucharistic Congress,” he added, referring to the upcoming national event set for July 17-21. 

Asked about Taylor Swift — the ubiquitous pop star currently dating teammate Travis Kelce — Butker described her as “so humble and so gracious” when he met her for the first time at a New Year’s Eve party. 

“I was a little nervous to meet Taylor Swift. I mean, it’s Taylor Swift, so maybe I’m a ‘Swifty’ if I was nervous to meet her, but it was a great experience, and I can’t say enough great things about her,” he said. “And I hope [she and Kelce] get married and start a family.”