There’s good news out of Youngstown, Ohio!

On June 13, 2025, Bishop David J. Bonnar, the bishop of Youngstown since 2021, issued a pastoral letter entitled, “Take Heart! Do Not Lose Heart! Behold the Sacred Heart!” It is worthy of a read.

Just six months before his death, Pope Francis offered an extensive and wide-ranging summary of the history of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, including significant references to his predecessors, including Popes Leo XIII, Pius XII, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI. These references make the document rich in spiritual theology.

As the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus approaches, now is a perfect time to meditate on the power of this beloved and important devotion.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus - "…there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another, therefore is it fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to His most Sacred Heart—an act which is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ

Feasts of Saint Joseph, Past and Present:  How the Church honors the patron saint of fathers workers and the Universal Church.  Model of Protection for all the faithful! 

Apologetics appears to be making a comeback. After a long and honorable run in the pre-conciliar era, apologetics was often dismissed as little more than “proselytizing” and thus offensive to ecumenical or interreligious dialogues, which were acclaimed in some circles as among the greatest fruits of Vatican II. But “the times they are a-changing,”

Ever wonder how to go deeper into the Word of God?... Where to begin? Tan Books has recently published a very handy “workbook” of sorts, Lectio Divina with the Spiritual Masters: The Gospel of John with St. Augustine (2025), compiled and adapted by Rev. Peter A. Heasley, S.Th.D., a priest of the Archdiocese of New York. This paperback of 241 pages provides the entire text of the Gospel of Saint John, numerous citations from the work of St. Augustine to assist the reader in understanding the sacred text, questions and other observations by Fr. Heasley, and plenty of space for the reader to make his/her own written notes and comments. 

Whoever expected that the latest round of “liturgy wars” would be fought before the eyes of the whole world here in the Tar Heel State? How might a faithful Catholic, whether laity or clergy, best respond? Certainly not by uncharitable posts on social media (including blogs!). Nor by sticking our  heads in the sands. The Tar Heel disciple humbly recommends sincere prayer for everyone involved in these and similar controversies, old and new, near and far, and self-education. This scribe respectfully suggests a good read: The Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Ignatius Press, 2000).

Bishop Varden,  monk-bishop-evangelist-spiritual master and featured on Hallow app, is an effective Catholic evangelist for our times.

Pope Leo III and teachings on the Rosary.

In this Marian month of May, it might be of particular interest to Catholics to note that of his numerous encyclicals, Leo XIII wrote twelve about the rosary, beginning in 1883. Most of them were issued in September, anticipating the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in October.

The shrine of Our lady of Good Counsel is still entrusted to the Augustinian friars and her feast day is observed on April 26. The new Holy Father has given us a beautiful witness of his devotion to the Holy Mother of God. Let us commend him and his pontificate to her loving care. Our Lady of Good Counsel, pray for him!

From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple: May 12, 2025   We have a Pope!  Leo XIV.  And we quickly learned that he was born in Chicago, served many years as a missionary in Peru, and was an Augustinian friar. In fact, he was at one time the prior general (international superior) of that community of religious men.     While Tar Heel Catholics might have never encountered an Augustinian priest, they number nearly 2,000, serving throughout the world and might be best known in this country as the community which founded and still serves Villanova University in Pennsylvania....

As the conclave has concluded with the election of Pope Leo XIV, in addition to intensifying our prayer life and prayers for the new Pope, we might beg God to make us faithful witnesses of the resurrection.