Anti-Catholic bigotry fails to dampen call to love in Philadelphia September 27, 2015By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, The Narthex Faith opens a window to the presence and working of the Spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures.
Praise Jesus for Monsignor Valenzano September 6, 2015By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Baltimore Basilica, Blog, The Narthex When a doctor told Treasa and me two years ago that our unborn baby likely wouldn’t live for more than a day or two after his birth, one of the first people I called was Monsignor Arthur Valenzano.
Mary gets her crown in Emmitsburg May 5, 2015By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex The gleaming gold-leafed statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that soars over Emmitsburg finally has her May crown.For the first time since the statue was erected a half century ago, the much-loved figure was adorned with a gigantic wreath of silk flowers hoisted 120 feet by a crane during a
Living like Father Hipsley December 22, 2014By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex When Father Milton A. Hipsley Jr. was pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas in Hampden in the 1980s, a visiting priest took note of stacks of unopened correspondence from the Catholic Center that seemed to be accumulating in the rectory. He asked Father Hipsley if he was worried about the unread letters.“I
Remembering a friend October 17, 2013By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Journalism, The Narthex Chris was one of my greatest mentors. I learned more from reading his eloquent prose and sitting next to him at the Catholic Review than I did in any writing course. More than that, he became a friend.
Community life inspires ‘miracle man’ November 22, 2011By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex Redemptorist Father John Murray is convinced he’s a walking miracle. After suffering a fall that left him paralyzed from the chest down, the former pastor of St. Mary in Annapolis and St. Wenceslaus in Baltimore began praying for Blessed Francis X. Seelos – a former St. Mary’s pastor – to intercede on his behalf. As noted in this […]
A rare birthday present for St. Joan of Arc November 16, 2011By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Arts & Culture, Blog, The Narthex Pope Benedict XVI minces no words when he describes the medieval judges who interrogated and sentenced St. Joan of Arc to death 580 years ago. The French clergymen were aligned with St. Joan’s political opponents, the pope said in a Jan. 26 general audience, and they “lacked charity and the humility to see God’s action in […]
Baltimore sculptor honors Brooksie October 26, 2011By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex Before the new statue of Baltimore’s beloved Brooks Robinson was unveiled last weekend beneath a blast of black, orange and white confetti outside Oriole Park, the bronze behemoth rested in a foundry in Pietrasanta, Italy. Standing right next to the likeness of the Hall of Fame third baseman was a replica of Michelangelo’s David. Joseph Sheppard, the Baltimore sculptor who crafted the Robinson statue, […]
A glimpse into Archbishop O’Brien’s playful side August 29, 2011By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex The archbishop has a well-earned reputation as a serious-minded and devoted leader who gives everything he has in service of a Church he loves. Yet, there’s another side to him – a playful side that endears him those who know him.
All together now: ‘I love my cross, I love my beads’ August 16, 2011By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex Published in 1925, the yellowed and crumbling “Manual of Select Catholic Hymns and Devotions” had been tucked away on a dusty choir-loft shelf alongside stacks of old, unused sheet music. The hymnal’s binding had been broken long ago – a sign of frequent use in a parish that was once among the largest and most […]
Our Lady of the Butterflies July 14, 2011By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex An image of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child is made out of African butterfly wings. (CR Staff/George P. Matysek Jr.) One of the great joys of my recent pilgrimage to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland was meeting Father Anastasio Roggero. The Carmelite priest, who shepherds the Church of Our Lady Victorious […]
Letters that made a difference April 26, 2011By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Blog, The Narthex Father Milton Hipsley holds his rosary at his Mercy Ridge residence in Timonium last year. (CR/Owen Sweeney III) Father Milton Hipsley’s letters started arriving on my desk in the summer of 2009. Very neatly written in all capital letters, the notes always seemed focused on the importance of kindness and of taking time for
