A novel fundraising approach to restore one of the most iconic monuments in the world, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, enables donors to have a piece of history. On April 15, Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris unveiled an interactive website that allows people to donate by adopting or sponsoring pieces of precious art and artifacts that were damaged in a 2019 fire.
Rarely does an artist’s career span 60 years, but Louis Armstrong was a performer whose musical talent encompassed the entire scope of popular music.
Country Charley Pride, as he was affectionately called when starting out, would go on to earn 29 No. 1 hits on the country chart, 12 gold albums, be named the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year in 1971, become only the second African-American artist invited to join the Grand Ole Opry, and be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.
Commemoration is a long-standing tradition, both inside and outside the church, through a myriad of expressions. In the church, it’s common to see paintings and statues of saints who are important to a parish’s community.
Country music has a rich history of adding inspirational standards to the catalog of American popular music. As far back as the 1930s, the Carter Family’s classic “Gospel Ship” informed us that, “I’m going to take a trip in that old gospel ship / I’m a-going far beyond the sky.” Around the same time, country founding father Jimmie Rodgers teamed with Sara Carter for “That Wonderful City” where the streets are lined with gold.
I am amazed that even today many people believe that science and theology contradict one another. I am also amazed at the number of people who believe that to know some reality in the best and most profound way is to know it scientifically. To know a reality scientifically is wonderful but it is also wonderful to know a reality philosophically, theologically, or poetically.
New York City museums and other cultural institutions began operating once again on Aug. 24, under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Phase 4 reopening plan. Since then, many museums have curtailed occupancy to a 25-percent capacity, issued timed-entry reservations online with staggered, in-person entry times, controlled foot traffic flow, and limited days and hours of operation.
Artists have always depicted real-life moments, illustrated interpretations, and expressed emotions through their mediums, allowing viewers to observe and ponder the subject matter before them. Brother Geoffrey Clement, an expert in medieval history, emphasized every piece of art is a reflection not only of the artists, but of the culture, mentality, and time in which they were produced.
Catholic Creatives was started by Catholic publisher Our Sunday Visitor in 2014, with the goal of bringing young Catholics artists together to try energize the church with their creative talent.
Clare McCallan is an example of a young Catholic trying to make a living while melding her faith with her art.
