A forum of Catholic Thought

Newman and the start of the academic yearMichael Pakaluk

The memorial of a canonized saint is typically his "dies natalis," his "birthday," the day he passed from this life and was born into everlasting life. But St. John Henry Newman died on Aug. 11, which ...

Deer in the dusky eveningEffie Caldarola

On a dusky fall evening, I take a walk down a familiar neighborhood street. Ahead of me, a small deer looks my way at the same moment I spot him. Freezing, I realize he's being followed by seven companions. ...

Underground RailroadEffie Caldarola

The window is closed, yet the roar of the New Jersey Turnpike just beyond the trees disturbs the stillness inside this old house, built in the woods of New Jersey around 1845 before automobiles or turnpikes ...

Demographic decline as caused by 'procreation'Michael Pakaluk

What do we do when we have children? I want to say that the two words we use for it, "reproduction" and "procreation," are almost at war with each other. The word "procreation" connotes what theologians ...

Visiting the dying, a distinct work of mercyMichael Pakaluk

It is not quite one of the corporal acts of mercy. These include "visiting the sick," even if the illness is temporary or slight, and "burying the dead." True, by extension, burying the dead includes ...

Pushed off the platformMichael Pakaluk

It is highly important to the United States that some national political leader, somewhere, affirm the principle that since all human beings are created equal and endowed by their Creator with a right ...

Advice to fathersMichael Pakaluk

I thought for this week following Father's Day I would try to remember and collect the best advice I know about fatherhood. Here it is: First, and above all, pray for each child each day. If possible, ...

The higher you go liturgically, the lower you should go in service of the poorBishop Robert Barron

This past week was one of the most liturgically rich of my priesthood. As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, the Marian pilgrimage was making its way through my diocese en route ultimately to Indianapolis. ...

The Easter Season is the fleshly seasonMichael Pakaluk

Easter is a celebration of the centrality of the body in the Christian faith, because it is a celebration of the resurrection of the Lord, and, as Christians, we confess the resurrection of the body, ...

Ripley and RupnikEffie Caldarola

If you're looking for a creepy, unsettling thriller to stream, "Ripley" fills the bill. Based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," the edgy film starring Andrew Scott ...