Though I may not have an Irish sounding last name, my dad was born in 1912 Dublin. When my wife and I took an ostensibly Catholic tour of Ireland in 2018, we heard the absolutely dopey description of Bridget as a "pre Christian" saint! Modern Irish ignorance of Catholicism helps to explain how they could have voted in abortion and a brand new definition of marriage! Ireland needs the prayers of her children in the old land and of those of us living in the diaspora.
Kevin Williamson (a convert) closes his Tuesday newsletter today with the following:
Today is the feast day of St. Brigid, who is one of the patrons of Ireland and a great favorite of the pooh-poohers and would-be sophisticates, who revel in the fact that St. Brigid is a pretty clearly mythological figure, the pre-Christian pagan goddess Brigid swallowed whole by Catholic hagiography in the early days of Irish Christianity. This would not have come as a surprise to early Irish Christians, at least some of whom seem to have been well aware that the saint was none other than the goddess in minimal disguise and put that observation into writing more than 1,000 years ago. The church has long experience with this kind of thing: St. Christopher medals remain popular devotional items, but there isn’t much reason to suppose that the story about his carrying Jesus across a river on his back is anything other than a “charming legend,” to use a frequently recurring phrase in the Catholic literature. I would think that people who cannot quite agree about what happened in the last election — or what is happening right now with Covid or Russia or the economy — would understand that any enterprise that is still going after 2,000 years is going to have some stories attached to it, some legends, and some myths — and some outright fabrications, too.
The Catholic writer Hilaire Belloc once observed: “The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine — no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight.” It is a great big vineyard, one that happily makes room for such knaves as us.
To reply more directly to Mr. Tevington: I'm 7/8 Irish and blessed with the name of a legendary saint. The Catholic faith is compatible with sober inquiry regarding any particular saint's life (or existence, for that matter).
Regarding abortion and marriage, I am afraid the quasi-theocracy that ruled Ireland in the middle of the 20th century bred a lot of resentful "nones" who are eager to stick it to the Church, no matter what the issue.
I haven’t yet had the necessity of seeking special education services for any of my children, and really wasn’t aware of the lack in Catholic schools until a few years ago. I think it’s a scandal that children who need special services feel the only place that can meet those needs would be a public school. I appreciate your charitable but persistent challenge to our Church to provide for ALL of our children. I’ll try to keep my eye out for ways I can support such endeavors in my own diocese. 💙
On a lighter note, I am one of those who has not been a fan of Matthew Walther’s work, generally, (the couple of pieces I’ve read have seemed frankly kind of sneering and self indulgent) but because I always respect the Pillar’s recommendation I read the article and was pleasantly surprised! I think his analysis is good. I am of the age that WYD 2000 was a formative experience in my life and St. Pope John Paul 2 certainly became a hero of mine. Then, because I am of a theological and conservative bent Pope Benedict XVI felt semi-heroic as well. For people like me, it certainly has been a kind of whiplash during the Pope Francis papacy, but probably good for my development and understanding.
FYI, the link in the emailed newsletter to Dr. Selner-Wright's lecture did not work for many -- unbeknownst to me, the seminary took down the original link this morning (shortly after I sent out the newsletter), so that they could clean up some distortions in the audio.
Here's a correct link, and the copy above has been corrected:
« But like all parents, I’ve learned that the vocation of love has an immediacy: The existence of the small people in front of me requires that — at times inconvenient and unchosen by me — I must shelve my own plans and priorities in order to meet their practical, visceral, and important needs.
God calls all parents to love like that, whether or not we feel especially qualified, prepared, or well-disposed to the task. That’s just what it means to love in the image of God the Father. »
This is why I always make sure to read your newsletter - thank you for these beautiful words. I know I can definitely apply that reminder to my own life, and to the life of my parish.
How very poignant the inclusion ofdifferently abled children in our Catholic school environment. These children are God’s special creation.We talk about pro- life. Life does not begin and end in the womb. As Catholic Christians we have an obligation in justice to find the resources to educate or train them as their needs require. Yes,Pastors are strapped at times financially but I have yet to find anyone who would not dig deep to help our differently abled brothers and sisters. These children teach us more in minutes than some of us have learned in a lifetime. Support SPRED programs and find ways to make this happen in your Catholic schools. You will be blessed many times over
As always this newsletter continues to be is the most informative thing I read on a Tuesday! On a side note the bishops conference here in Scotland have got Cardinal Mario Grech (General Secretary for Synod of Bishops) doing a webinar on what he’s hoping for the Synod on Synodality. Here’s the link for the upcoming video coming up at 2pm (UK time) on Saturday 12th Feb - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVI7zVOSVaLONR4YM46h4Gg - just incase he decides to give a realistic strategy for it that doesn’t consist of the word ‘accompaniment’ repeated 20 times.
Thank you for your kind words about Catholic schools, for continually advocating for disabled Catholics, and also for not criticizing teachers. My mother is a special education teacher at a Catholic elementary school, and she often receives the brunt of backlash from parents for not being able to provide the amount of one-on-one attention that all 50+ of her students need. She truly loves her students, she got into special education because of her brother, with Downs' Syndrome. But she is only one person, and there are only so many hours in the school day. I've met many special education teachers that want to work in Catholic schools, but the schools can't pay them. Teachers really do want to help students with disabilities.
I appreciate JD's Tuesday comment about the inclusion of children with intellectual and physical disabilities in Catholic school classrooms.
I think it would be great to do a follow-up piece on December's "Wichita stewardship model" that reported how "the best education diocese" is doing regarding this inclusion. Or to link to a meritorious piece, if another publication has already covered it.
Though I may not have an Irish sounding last name, my dad was born in 1912 Dublin. When my wife and I took an ostensibly Catholic tour of Ireland in 2018, we heard the absolutely dopey description of Bridget as a "pre Christian" saint! Modern Irish ignorance of Catholicism helps to explain how they could have voted in abortion and a brand new definition of marriage! Ireland needs the prayers of her children in the old land and of those of us living in the diaspora.
Kevin Williamson (a convert) closes his Tuesday newsletter today with the following:
Today is the feast day of St. Brigid, who is one of the patrons of Ireland and a great favorite of the pooh-poohers and would-be sophisticates, who revel in the fact that St. Brigid is a pretty clearly mythological figure, the pre-Christian pagan goddess Brigid swallowed whole by Catholic hagiography in the early days of Irish Christianity. This would not have come as a surprise to early Irish Christians, at least some of whom seem to have been well aware that the saint was none other than the goddess in minimal disguise and put that observation into writing more than 1,000 years ago. The church has long experience with this kind of thing: St. Christopher medals remain popular devotional items, but there isn’t much reason to suppose that the story about his carrying Jesus across a river on his back is anything other than a “charming legend,” to use a frequently recurring phrase in the Catholic literature. I would think that people who cannot quite agree about what happened in the last election — or what is happening right now with Covid or Russia or the economy — would understand that any enterprise that is still going after 2,000 years is going to have some stories attached to it, some legends, and some myths — and some outright fabrications, too.
The Catholic writer Hilaire Belloc once observed: “The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine — no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight.” It is a great big vineyard, one that happily makes room for such knaves as us.
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/02/01/public-holiday-marking-st-brigids-feast-established-in-ireland/
To reply more directly to Mr. Tevington: I'm 7/8 Irish and blessed with the name of a legendary saint. The Catholic faith is compatible with sober inquiry regarding any particular saint's life (or existence, for that matter).
Regarding abortion and marriage, I am afraid the quasi-theocracy that ruled Ireland in the middle of the 20th century bred a lot of resentful "nones" who are eager to stick it to the Church, no matter what the issue.
Six plus months later....
Those "resentful 'nones'" are defying God in their embrace of murder and destruction of the family structure.
Six plus months later....
Those "resentful 'nones'" are defying God in their embrace of murder and destruction of the family structure.
Six plus months later....
Those "resentful 'nones'" are defying God in their embrace of murder and destruction of the family structure.
I haven’t yet had the necessity of seeking special education services for any of my children, and really wasn’t aware of the lack in Catholic schools until a few years ago. I think it’s a scandal that children who need special services feel the only place that can meet those needs would be a public school. I appreciate your charitable but persistent challenge to our Church to provide for ALL of our children. I’ll try to keep my eye out for ways I can support such endeavors in my own diocese. 💙
On a lighter note, I am one of those who has not been a fan of Matthew Walther’s work, generally, (the couple of pieces I’ve read have seemed frankly kind of sneering and self indulgent) but because I always respect the Pillar’s recommendation I read the article and was pleasantly surprised! I think his analysis is good. I am of the age that WYD 2000 was a formative experience in my life and St. Pope John Paul 2 certainly became a hero of mine. Then, because I am of a theological and conservative bent Pope Benedict XVI felt semi-heroic as well. For people like me, it certainly has been a kind of whiplash during the Pope Francis papacy, but probably good for my development and understanding.
FYI, the link in the emailed newsletter to Dr. Selner-Wright's lecture did not work for many -- unbeknownst to me, the seminary took down the original link this morning (shortly after I sent out the newsletter), so that they could clean up some distortions in the audio.
Here's a correct link, and the copy above has been corrected:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mwcJ-o1J6c&t=1s
« But like all parents, I’ve learned that the vocation of love has an immediacy: The existence of the small people in front of me requires that — at times inconvenient and unchosen by me — I must shelve my own plans and priorities in order to meet their practical, visceral, and important needs.
God calls all parents to love like that, whether or not we feel especially qualified, prepared, or well-disposed to the task. That’s just what it means to love in the image of God the Father. »
This is why I always make sure to read your newsletter - thank you for these beautiful words. I know I can definitely apply that reminder to my own life, and to the life of my parish.
How very poignant the inclusion ofdifferently abled children in our Catholic school environment. These children are God’s special creation.We talk about pro- life. Life does not begin and end in the womb. As Catholic Christians we have an obligation in justice to find the resources to educate or train them as their needs require. Yes,Pastors are strapped at times financially but I have yet to find anyone who would not dig deep to help our differently abled brothers and sisters. These children teach us more in minutes than some of us have learned in a lifetime. Support SPRED programs and find ways to make this happen in your Catholic schools. You will be blessed many times over
As always this newsletter continues to be is the most informative thing I read on a Tuesday! On a side note the bishops conference here in Scotland have got Cardinal Mario Grech (General Secretary for Synod of Bishops) doing a webinar on what he’s hoping for the Synod on Synodality. Here’s the link for the upcoming video coming up at 2pm (UK time) on Saturday 12th Feb - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVI7zVOSVaLONR4YM46h4Gg - just incase he decides to give a realistic strategy for it that doesn’t consist of the word ‘accompaniment’ repeated 20 times.
Thank you for your kind words about Catholic schools, for continually advocating for disabled Catholics, and also for not criticizing teachers. My mother is a special education teacher at a Catholic elementary school, and she often receives the brunt of backlash from parents for not being able to provide the amount of one-on-one attention that all 50+ of her students need. She truly loves her students, she got into special education because of her brother, with Downs' Syndrome. But she is only one person, and there are only so many hours in the school day. I've met many special education teachers that want to work in Catholic schools, but the schools can't pay them. Teachers really do want to help students with disabilities.
I appreciate JD's Tuesday comment about the inclusion of children with intellectual and physical disabilities in Catholic school classrooms.
I think it would be great to do a follow-up piece on December's "Wichita stewardship model" that reported how "the best education diocese" is doing regarding this inclusion. Or to link to a meritorious piece, if another publication has already covered it.