By IHE Graduate Scholar Dominic Cassella  The word “heresy” is used frequently these days. Because of its widespread use, examining the origins and history of the word can illuminate what it really means and why it matters.  The word originates from the Greek hairein, which means “to choose.” The noun form, hairesis, appears several times […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia Recently, I spent a couple days on an annual getaway to a popular family theme park. Yes, there were long lines, hot weather, overpriced snacks and crowded hotels. Yet, in the happy exhausting chaos, I caught a glimpse of the love of God. The park was filled with parents of young […]

I miss landlines. Certainly, I like the convenience of being able to reach friends and family quickly and appreciate being able to receive phone calls away from home or office. Truly, I am grateful for the connectedness easily taken for granted when a pocket-sized phone has become a constant companion. Yet, what I miss about […]

By IHE Graduate Scholar Daryl Li Radical historicism implies that the insights and values of the past are irrelevant to us today since they are, at most, true and good in their historical contexts but not our own. In this framework, ideas about right and wrong within the current epoch must be determined by us […]

On Memorial Day last year, an acquaintance of mine visited a parish not my own and brought home a church bulletin. I glanced through it and saw, prominently displayed, a colorful graphic wishing everyone a “Happy Memorial Day.” I found myself surprisingly angry to see this festive greeting. I have come to accept the misunderstanding […]

By IHE Scholar Beatriz Lopez Bonetti Most agree that beauty has something to do with symmetry, order, and pattern. When we encounter a nature scene that exhibits these qualities — such as my homeland’s Angel Falls, the tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the world — we naturally find it beautiful and feel a sense of wonder […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia By now, the eclipse glasses have been put away. The photos of the April 8 nature show have all been posted to Facebook and Instagram to prove that it really happened. The stories from the day have, likewise, also been told — ranging from the “wow” from those in the path […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia Recently, I was in the happy company of a seven-year-old. She asked me the delightfully shocking, and shockingly delightful question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The question was shocking to me because it has been decades since someone asked me this question with the earnest sincerity […]

By IHE Graduate Scholar Molly Egilsrud Is it still worthwhile to go on pilgrimage? Throughout the Church’s history, pilgrims have traveled hundreds of miles on foot to the Holy Land, to Marian apparition sites, and to the relics of the saints, even walking as far north as Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, near the Arctic […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia Happy Leap Day!   The elusive February 29 rolls around again this year, as it does in all years that are divisible by four – unless, oddly, they are years that are divisible by 100 but not by 400. This quirky adjustment to the calendar has its origins in the astronomical reality […]