Faith and Culture
Local author’s new book sings praises of sacred music
Virginia Schubert, a parishioner of St. Agnes Church and Nativity of Our Lord, both in St. Paul, recently published “To Sing with the Angels: A History of the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale.” In it, the longtime soprano member of the Chorale — in its 42nd year — highlights the musical contributions and reach of Chorale founder Msgr. Richard Schuler, and its significance as part of the sacred liturgy at St. Agnes Church. Schubert, a professor emerita of Macalester College in St. Paul and Lady Commander in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, answers questions about her new book.
Piano concert to highlight Cathedral acoustics
One winter night last year, pianist Steven C. Anderson was preparing to record a CD in the sanctuary of the Cathedral of St. Paul when he discovered that the echo his piano produced in the Cathedral’s vast, sacred space was like another musical instrument that could enhance his performance if “played” properly.
Christmas opera’s spirit reaches beyond the stage
Proceeds from ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ performances to benefit local charitable causes
Chanhassen’s ‘Sister Act’ a holy riot
Song and dance and musical theater at it’s best, with a message it’s director says is in sync with the pope.
With Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan, it’s a family affair
Jim Gaffigan, the comic actor known both for his funny books like “Dad Is Fat” and “Food: A Love Story” and his inclusion of his Catholicism in his stand-up routines, has a close collaborator: his wife, Jeannie.
Praying for the dead: Love and charity sustain ancient tradition
Erin Flood was only 8 years old when her uncle died in a car accident. But because her extended family has gathered for Mass on the anniversary of his death for the past 17 years, she has come to better understand the importance of praying for the dead.
Art historian explores Michelangelo’s ‘masculine’ women
Strong shoulders, thick legs, defined muscles. The attributes were true of Michelangelo’s depictions of men, but also many of his women. In the past century, art historians have theorized that Michelangelo — creator of the world’s most famous Pieta, the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling and Last Judgment frescoes, and Florence’s David — masculinized the female form because he was a product of a patriarchal society that denigrated women, or because he found men more beautiful.
Saints helping the household
Wondering what saints your family should turn to for their needs? Some saints have special connections to family roles. Saints — men and women the Church believes are in heaven — commonly asked to intercede for families (and their feast days) include:
Families share how they make their homes reflect their faith
The World Meeting of Families will be held for the first time in the U.S. in Philadelphia Sept. 22-25 with the aim of strengthening families in America and across the globe. Under the theme “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” the four-day “congress” intends to deepen the Church’s understanding of the family and its challenges, and provide tools to build up what “Lumen Gentium” — a principal document of the Second Vatican Council — calls “the domestic Church.” Throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Catholic families are making daily efforts to build their own domestic Churches through prayer, charity and intentional living. The Catholic Spirit invited local Catholics to share their efforts to make their homes Catholic homes. The following are in their own words.
Icon of Blessed Junipero Serra is ‘window to heaven’
Anyone looking at the new icon of soon-to-be canonized Blessed Junipero Serra might first notice his Franciscan habit and priest’s stole along with a cross and model of one of his California missions in his hands. But when they look at his eyes, the future saint could draw their gaze to heaven.
Soon-to-be-saint, founder of missions, a model for evangelization
When Blessed Junipero Serra, the 18th-century Spanish priest known for founding a string of iconic California missions and ministry to native population, is canonized later this month, Catholics in Minnesota and across the country hopefully will be inspired by his evangelistic “witness of fortitude” and will look for ways to share their faith, said Bishop Andrew Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
‘Jim Gaffigan Show’ treats Catholicism seriously, but in a funny way
So plaudits are due to the folks behind the new TV Land program “The Jim Gaffigan Show.” Remarkably, they’ve managed to strike just the right balance between the weighty topic of religious devotion and the comically challenging situations to which the exercise of Catholic piety can all too often lead in today’s mixed-up world.
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