Do we REALLY need another blog?

Last updated on: December 17, 2008 at 11:14 am by Pat McNamara

Do we REALLY need another blog? 2008-12-17T11:14:00-07:00 Pat McNamara

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

New blogs, like new books, must justify their existence. I see this one as a way to share my interest in all aspects of the history of the Catholic Church: local, national, and international. For me, this has both a personal and a professional aspect. Professionally speaking, I received my Ph.D. in Church History from The Catholic University of America in 2003, and from time to time I teach courses on the subject at the local seminaries. My writing has been almost exclusively in the field of American Catholic history. On a personal level, Church History is a subject that has never exhausted my interest.

And it started at an early age. When you’re growing up Catholic, you’re surrounded by history. More likely than not, the church you attended as a child had statues of men and women who lived a long time ago, and stained glass windows of scenes from the past. If you went to a Catholic school, some wall had paintings of bishops and former principals. Another wall had old class photos. You realized that you were part of a long tradition, something bigger than yourself. The same thing was true if you went to a Catholic college or a university.

Catholics are historically minded people, but at the same time they don’t know much about their own history. Take the local high school, which is probably named for a bishop or a priest or a nun who lived long before you got there. How much do we know about that person, or the religious community that founded the school? Maybe the school had a scholarship endowed in the name of someone long since dead. How much do we know about that person?

If you’re a college basketball fan, you might root for Notre Dame or Villanova, Georgetown or Gonzaga, Boston College or Loyola. How much do you know about these schools: who founded them, why they were founded, the challenges they faced in their early years, or how the school got its name?

My experience has been that there aren’t a lot of resources on the web to answer these and other questions. And most schools, Catholic or non-Catholic, don’t offer courses in the history of Catholicism. My hope here is to help people become more familiar with all aspects of Catholic Church history. It’s a great story, rich and multifaceted, and one that shouldn’t be neglected. Writing from New York City, my main interest is in the local scene. But it’s not confined there, and my entries will attempt to reflect that.

So “without further eloquence,” let us proceed!

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 21, 2020

St. John Henry Newman and the “Special Charm of Christmas”

Next Post

December 17, 2008 TWO WEEKS LEFT!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category African-American Catholics Alabama Catholics American Catholic History American Catholic women American History Anniversaries Anti-Catholicism Arkansas Catholics Benedictines Bishops Blessed John Henry Newman Book Reviews Books Boston College Brooklyn churches Brothers California Catholics Capuchins Cardinals Carlo Carretto Carmelites Catholic authors Catholic Cemeteries Catholic Historians Catholic History in Less Than 5 Minutes Catholic musicians Catholic Poetry Catholic Press Catholic School Textbook Catholic University of America Catholic Worker Catholics and Music Catholics and Race Catholics in Politics Catholics in the American Revolution Catholics in the Military Catholics in the Movies Catholics in the South Catholics in the West Catholics on Stage Catjolic Women Catolic Poetry Charles de Foucauld Children's Masses Christian Brothers Christmas Church Reform Civil Rights Movement Civil War Colleges and universities Converts D.C. Catholics Deaf Catholics Dominicans. Dorothy Day English Catholics Florida Catholics Fordham University Franciscans French Catholics Georgetown University German Americans Good Shepherd Sisters Hispanic Catholics Historians and Archivists Holy Cross Fathers Holy Name Society Idaho Catholics Illinois Catholics Indian Wars Indiana Catholics Irish Americans Irish Catholicism Italian Americans Italian Catholics Jesuits Josephite Sisters Kentucky Catholics Know-Nothings Laetare Medal Recipients laity Liturgical Movement Maine Catholics Manhattan College Maryland Catholicism Michigan Catholics Middle Ages Minnesota Catholics Missionaries Mississippi Catholics Missouri Catholics Monasteries Montana Catholics Native Americans New England Catholicism New Jersey Catholics New York Catholics North American College Ohio Catholics Oratorians Oregon Catholics Parish Mission Parishes Passionists Pat McNamara's Books Paulists Pennsylvania Catholics Popes Presidents Priests Quotations Religious Orders Rhode Island Catholics Saints Salesians Seminarians Seminaries Sermons Servants of God Siisters of Charity Sisters of Mercy South Carolina Catholics Spanish-American War Sports St. Francis of Assiai St. John Henry Newman Suplicians Tennessee Catholics Texas Catholics The year in review Thomas Merton Throwback Thursday Photograph Trappists Uncategorized University of Notre Dame Video Presentations Vincentians Virginia Catholics Visitation Nuns Washington West Point West Virginia Catholics West Viriginia Catholics Wisconsin Catholicism Women Religious World War II

Select a Month December 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 April 2012 March 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who leaped for joy after being healed at the Temple gate (by Peter, in Jesus' name)?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A blind man A Pharisee A lame man A rich man