Issue: December 2007

Letter from the Editor

The Editor surveys the status of newspaper reading across the land, and tells of his recent pilgrimage to the American heartland and the history of one of its great church-builders, Fr. Nerinckx.

Advent and Christmas

Fr. Doran gives a practical and spiritual commentary on the liturgical season at hand.

Advent is an annual reminder that Christ asks us now to prepare willingly for His return. We do this by looking to the Epiphany here and now and His Parousia to come.

Pascendi

An excerpt from the sermon given by Bishop Williamson at the ordination ceremony in Econe, Switzerland (June 29, 2007). The Rector of the Seminary of La Reja, Argentina, analyzes St. Pius X's encyclical against Modernism to show that the present crisis in the Church and in society at large is mainly caused by an "intellect in danger of death."

Catholic Artistic Piety in a Motet

Bibiana Gattozzi relates the musical glory of the Catholic Church through an analysis of Tomas Luis de Victoria's motet Vidi Speciosam. A useful glossary is included, as well as an assessment of various recordings of this motet currently available.

Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Rosary and of St. Catherine of Siena

Traditional Religious Orders

Although our Congregation is small and situated "at the end of the world," i.e., in New Zealand, it has a proud history. We can trace our ancestry back to the first convent founded by St. Dominic, as the result of a sign from God, at Prouille in Southern France, in 1206...

The Christian Home and the Role of the Housewife

Fr. de la Tour shows the role of the woman in creating a happy, Christian home, and presents some ideas on how she can succeed in her sublime mission.

Indecision, a Disease of the Will

Thirty minutes with Fr. de Chivré.

We talk as much as we can with a great deal of virtue as a way of sidestepping a decision. The result is that we forget that decision is the one real virtue, for it imitates God in the clarity of His intellect and the precision of His will. "Let there be light!" and the light is...

A Dinosaur's Collection of Old Letters

Fr. Doran reviews the first volume of Bishop Richard Williamson's "Letters from the Rector," which covers the decade of the 1980's until the episcopal consecrations of 1988, with wide-ranging, thought-provoking themes. 

Catechism of the Crisis in the Church, Pt. 7

The Catechism delves into the question of the social kingship of Christ, and the duties of the State toward the true religion.

Questions and Answers

Fr. Scott answers questions about the reception of Holy Communion, the worth of prayers said in a state of mortal sin, and how priests determine what penance to impose in the sacrament of Penance.