SPIRITED THINKING SINCE 1888
Fr Lawrence Lew, OP

Sorry, no search matching search results found. Please try again.
Why we do it: Praying for the dead
November 02, 2020
November is a time for remembering our mortality and the lives of those who have gone before us
Lepanto, Fatima and the importance of the daily rosary
September 29, 2020
The Dominican pope Saint Pius V had a room in Santa Sabina, the Dominican headquarters in Rome, and that room is now maintained as a small chapel, adjacent to the wing known as the Master’s Corridor. One of the frescoes in this chapel depicts the sainted pontiff kneeling with the Rosary in his hand as
Ways to deepen your devotion to the Holy Cross
September 11, 2020
About half a year after the Great Fast of Lent that prepares us for the Easter festivities there is another lesser-known Little Fast that punctuates the year. This time of penance and abstinence is traditionally undertaken by the Franciscans in imitation of St Francis of Assisi, who had begun the custom of fasting from the
Why we do it: Honouring Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart
August 06, 2020
“Ferragosto” is celebrated on August 15 in Italy, and it is the high point of the summer months, around which holidays and shop closures are centred. This period of mid-summer rest and festivity dates to 18 BC during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus (after whom the month is named), but it has come
Why we do it: The litany to the Precious Blood
July 10, 2020
In St Thomas Aquinas’s Eucharistic poem, Adoro Te devote, he writes: “O true pelican, Lord Jesus, cleanse me, who am unclean, in your blood, one drop of which would be enough to wash the whole world of all its defilement.” The reference to Christ as a pelican is based on the medieval belief that pelicans
Why we do it: Reparation to the Sacred Heart
June 19, 2020
The universal Church only began celebrating a feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1856, to be observed on the Friday “after the Octave of Corpus Chris­ti”, which is often in June. Hence this month came to be associated with the Sac­red Heart. Although this liturgical observ­ance is somewhat modern, devotion to the Sacred
Why we do it: Crowning Our Lady
May 15, 2020
Since the 11th century, when a crescendo of Marian devotion began in the Western Church, there arose the custom of devoting 30 days to Our Lady, a time set aside to contemplate her virtues. Called a Tricesimum, these 30 days became known as “Lady Month”, but the custom did not become widespread in the Church
Ordinations at Blackfriars, Oxford
July 26, 2010
Archbishop Bernard Longley ordained two young Dominican friars priests and ordained a third deacon on Sunday. Br Lawrence Lew OP reports from his ordination to the diaconate.
Ampleforth church: a skilful blend of Gothic and modern
July 21, 2010
Its creator, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, also designed the red phone boxes in London
In defence of the cappa magna
July 07, 2010
Mgr Patrick Brankin, a diocesan communications director, defends the 'great cape' after protests against his bishop
Most Popular
Donate
Please Donate

Having been unable to sell in churches for well over a year due to the pandemic, we are now inviting readers to support the Herald by investing in our future. We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values.

Please join us on our 130 year mission by supporting us. We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching. For more information from our chairman on contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund, click here

Make a Donation

Donors giving £500 or more will automatically become sponsor patrons of the Herald. This includes two complimentary print/digital gift subscriptions, invitations to Patron events, pilgrimages and dinners, and 6 gift subscriptions sent to priests, seminaries, Catholic schools, religious care homes and prison and university chaplaincies. Click here for more information on becoming a Patron Sponsor. Click here for more information about contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund