With courage and charity

In 1993, when I was a young married man with a growing family, I received a magazine in the mail as a gift from Paul Morgan of the Peterborough Pro-Life Association—the first issue of Catholic Insight. This issue had articles on the media and the US election of the pro-abortion president Clinton, a selection from Pope John Paul II, and an editorial by the founding editor, Fr. de Valk, with associate editors David Dooley and Fr. Stephen Somerville. They wrote:

Our purpose therefore is threefold: to defend the Church; to educate ourselves; to help (re)-evangelize our corner of God’s vineyard. Our theology is that of the church ancient and modern: ancient because we believe in the unchanging teachings of the Church, modern because we happily accept the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) as the radiant Catholic witness of our own day. Our method is that of helping the enquirer seeking truth to see some light despite being stymied or puzzled by the crush of false data. We will try to analyze falsehoods and, if necessary, point a finger in the direction where a solution may be found.

The effect of this manifesto on many of us young Catholics, living largely isolated and misunderstood by our culture and co-religionists who had in all appearances uncritically embraced modern culture, was tremendous. Finally, in spite of unrelenting preaching based on the gospel according to Karl Marx, we were no longer tempted to despair—the Church saw, and Providence had provided us with solace and hope in the form of a monthly magazine called Catholic Insight!

I think what we were most impressed with was the courage and charity of Catholic Insight: courage to speak unpopular truths, and charity in how these were stated—always for the edification of the readers. Catholic Insight from the first has been out of step with the times, much in the same way that the Saints are out of step, and holiness itself is out of step. Yet Catholic Insight has never been nostalgic; those who wanted a magazine to bring back the good old days were soon disappointed! Catholic Insight is topical, current, and relevant; romanticizing neither the past under the filtered memory of a false traditionalism, nor the present under the illusion of progress.

G. K. Chesterton once argued that if we want to keep a white post in a village square, we need to be always refurbishing it; to simply conserve it dooms it to a slow decay. This is certainly consistent with the Catholic mind and the mind of the Church. By my count, Catholic Insight has gone through six changes in style, content, and focus in order to remain true to its mandate, six refurbishings under Fr. de Valk’s editorship.

Now it is being refurbished in order to keep true to the founding mandate. We hope you will continue to find in Catholic Insight the same uncompromising delivery of the truth, always with the goal of helping keep the faith in the current culture war. The new Catholic evangelization of our Church and home begins with liturgical renewal, which requires a rediscovery of objective beauty in music, art, and literature. In the words of the Holy Father, “The encounter with the beautiful can become the wound of the arrow that strikes the heart and in this way opens our eyes, so that later, from this experience, we take the criteria for judgment” (2002 Message to the Communion and Liberation, Rimini, Italy). To this end, we are adding music, art, and literature to these pages to promote the restoration of the domestic church.

One final thing. We know that the culture war has already been won. We count it a blessing to be able to participate in the contest knowing the victory has already been achieved. We would not have it any other way: Christ has given us His church to guide us, His flesh and blood in the Eucharist to sustain us, and His Blessed Mother as our own to keep us faithful and hopeful.

Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress

This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→

Remembering Father Alphonse de Valk

(Today marks the sixth anniversary of the death of Father Alphonse de Valk, C.S.B., a faithful, courageous and indefatigable Basilian priest, pro-life-and-family apostle, and the founder of Catholic Insight magazine. Here is what we wrote those on his entering into eternity five years ago, as we continue to remember him in our prayers and thoughts)[…]Continue reading→

My Name is Bernadette

April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→

Canonizing Sister Faustina and Divine Mercy

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Divine Mercy Sunday – An Echo of Every Mass

Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe’…  ‘My Lord and my God!’ (Jn. 20:18)). Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, and as we celebrate the end of the Easter Octave, we contemplate the wounded side of our Saviour, the Church’s source of life. On Good Friday in the[…]Continue reading→

First Holy Communion: Sermon from May 16, 1943

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In the Glorious Light of Easter, Alleluia!

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory (Col. 3:3-4). The Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour[…]Continue reading→

An Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday

The time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is one of waiting, in silence, as the world wonders – anticipates – what will happen, after the death of Christ. We re-live this time each year in the anamnesis of our liturgy, and in turn look forward to the glorious re-creation of all things at the[…]Continue reading→

Europe’s Long Descent

(As we meditate on this day on Christ’s burial, and His descent into hell, it is fitting to ponder here with contributor Peter Marcus how the world seems to be heading there as well. The difference is that, although God cannot ‘redeem’ hell, nor those therein, He can and did redeem the world. There is[…]Continue reading→

Pope Saint John Paul II’s First Good Friday Homily

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS AT THE COLOSSEUM Good Friday, 13 April 1979   When we make the Way of the Cross from one station to the next, in spirit we are always at the spot wherethis journey had its “historical” place: where it[…]Continue reading→