A news item last week reminded me of a story about the writer Flannery O’Connor. In one of her letters collected in The Habit of Being she described how she was present at a swanky literary gathering in New York where the author Mary McCarthy was a fellow guest. O’Connor was intimidated by the literati
What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church teach? It teaches that it is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. What did the first Christians believe? St Ambrose (340-397) writes: “Be convinced that … the power of the blessing prevails over
I must have been a college student when I had to memorise a sonnet by John Donne for my English class. I chose Sonnet 10, “Death Be Not Proud” and although so well known, it is worth reading again: Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not
I was travelling south on Interstate 85 last weekend, returning to my home in South Carolina from speaking at a men’s conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, when I noticed the northbound side of the highway was empty. I suspected engineering works were to blame. Then I noticed there were emergency vehicles on the bridge over
At Epiphany you may hear a homily about the symbolism of the gifts the Magi presented to the Christ Child: gold for his royal status, frankincense for his divine status and myrrh which foreshadows his sacrificial death. You may also hear about how the coming of the Magi fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah or how
A verse in the epistle to the Hebrews asserts that faith is “the substance of things hoped for – the evidence of things not seen.” The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an event forever hoped for, but it is also an event unseen. Believers in the Shroud of Turin, however, insist that the Shroud is
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