Category: Uncategorized

by Brett Manero Wicked has been in theaters for nearly a month, and I finally got the chance to see it on December 20, 2024.  From start to finish, it is immensely enjoyable, thought-provoking, and sheerly entertaining, even if the musical numbers become a bit too much (no offense to musicals!).  I highly recommend it…

by Justin Wahl One of the biggest divides in our country – and one which hugely defined this past presidential election – is the simple cultural divide between those who are old enough to remember a time before the internet, and those who only ever knew the world through a virtual lens.  And, naturally, there…

by Brett Manero I was not present at the official reopening of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral on December 7, 2024, but as a Catholic, its reopening has meaning for myself and for the universal Church. After the devastating fire of 2019 that destroyed its famous roof and spire, the Cathedral has been rebuilt and once…

by Brett Manero Chapter II:  2023 The synagogue was quiet on a Friday afternoon.  The following day, the Sabbath, it would be packed.  It was your typical Jewish synagogue, with the pews, the altar, the Star of David, the Bible opened upon the altar.  It was peaceful and pleasant, and sacred, even if it wasn’t…

by Brett Manero November 24th, 2024, marks the annual Feast of Christ the King in the Catholic Church. It is the conclusion of the Church year, as one year ends and another begins with the beginning of the Advent season the following weekend. It’s of course an incredibly fitting way to end one year and…

by Brett Manero Chapter I:  2006 “Nice catch!”  Jesus was always so full of life and energy, even at the age of five.  At the age of twelve, he had even more energy, and a certain wisdom well beyond his years.  He was unique, different, and yet remarkably the same as every other boy. “Not…

by Brett Manero A friend texted me the other night about the bells of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral ringing for the first time since the fire of April 2019. The bells – which can be heard in the video below – sound as sweet as ever, as cathedrals and bells are meant to inspire us…

by Brett Manero Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that a tremendous historical event occurred with the second election of Donald Trump this week. Enthusiasts of American history will know that he is only the second person to be elected to two non-consecutive terms to the Presidency – the other being Grover Cleveland,…

by Brett Manero The 2024 American election is a mere ten days from today. I don’t think anyone needs an education into how wild and genuinely bizarre this election cycle has been. Readers also don’t need to be made aware of how chaotic the world situation is at the moment, either. The pax Americana, like…

by Brett Manero October 11th is the optional feast day of St. John XXIII, who was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in 1881. As Bishop of Rome from 1958 until his death in 1963, he is perhaps most famous for his opening of the Second Vatican Council in 1962. Along with St. John Paul II (the…