One hundred years ago, on November 22, 1922, the new Pope Pius XI († 1939) issued the motu proprio Ad musicæ sacræ restitutionem, with which he set up what is now the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. Although monumental, this was not the first papal action in this regard. “The liturgical-musical ‘conservatory’ of…
Previous essays in this series The Art of Dress – Two Schools of Thought The Art of Dress – Problems with Normalcy Time and Effort Many women desiring to improve the way they dress become discouraged by abysmal market conditions. For instance, a woman desiring a graceful skirt to wear when running errands on cold…
Unwanted Priest: The Autobiography of a Latin Mass Exile By Bryan Houghton Angelico Press Paperback: $16.95 / Hardcover: $26 206 pp This is a book which anyone interested in the controversies surrounding Vatican II, the Latin Mass, and modernism will find interesting and thought-provoking. Yet it must be recognized as a dated, incomplete, and partial…
“How freely did I weep in thy hymns and canticles; how deeply was I moved by the voices of thy sweetly sounding Church! The voices streamed into my ears; and the truth was poured forth clearly into my heart, where the tide of my devotion overflowed, and my tears ran down, and I was happy…
350 years ago, on November 6, 1672, the most important German composer (before Johann Sebastian Bach) died in Dresden, eastern Germany: Heinrich Schütz. Through the example of his compositions and through his teaching he played a major part in establishing the traditions of high craftsmanship and intellectual depth that marked the best of his nation’s musical…
Above: the old St. Alphonsus parish theatre, now refounded as the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture Our readers should be aware that The Catholic Art Institute will be hosting its 4th annual conference, this year themed “Art & Virtue.” The event will take place on Sunday, October 30th, beginning with High Mass at St.…
350 years ago, on October 20, 1672, the solemn feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with the approval of many Bishops in France, was observed for the first time.[1] The liturgical worship began with the priest born in Normandy, St. John Eudes (†1680), who was responsible for the first liturgical office celebrated in honor…
Two centuries ago, on the morning of October 13, 1822, in Venice “died a sublime Christian” the artist for whose work “the sculpture came out renewed”, as we read on the memorial tablet placed on the door of his Roman studio: Antonio Canova.[1] He was born 65 years earlier, on November 1, 1757 in Possagno,…
In reviewing Frank LaRocca’s Mass of the Americas release through Capella records on September 20th, I mentioned that in times and places of great sin and strife, great beauty is possible. That particular pursuit of great beauty was released on September 23rd, and yesterday we learned that Frank LaRocca’s Mass of the Ages debuted at…
Above: St. Francis bids farewell to his children to enter the Society of Jesus. Four hundred and fifty years ago, on September 30, 1572, a “prince among the saints, because he was a saint among the princes” died in Rome: Saint Francis Borgia.[1] Life The fourth duke of Gandía was born in this city in…
Above: recent Latin Mass in Steubenville. Photo by Allison Girone. In 1972, the U.S Supreme Court officially declared the death penalty “unconstitutional,” even though our constitution explicitly says that no state shall “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”[1] What did they think it means to deprive citizens of…
