Category Archives: Patristiblogging

Formerly NAPLAM – For Patristibloggers – blog posts concerning the Fathers of the Church

St. Phoebe, the deaconess in Romans 16

There is a lot of chatter in the bloggosphere about (sacramentally) ordaining women.  Today in the Roman Martyrology we find an entry for St. Phoebe, spoken of in Romans 16:1.  She is often pointed to by the confused as a … Read More

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Let them be anathema

A bunch of women think they have been ordained Catholic priests.  This is risible on the surface, of course, but it is spiritually dangerous for them and those who have been duped into believing it.  As a matter of fact, … Read More

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Sts. Joseph of Arimethea & Nicodemus

Today is the feast of Sts. Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus: 1. Hierosolymae, commemoratio sanctorum Ioseph de Arimathaea et Nicodemi, qui corpus Iesu a cruce depositum acceperunt, involverunt in sindone et posuerunt in monumento. Ioseph, nobilis decurio et discipulus Domini, … Read More

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USCCB: Patristics in the formation of seminarians

The USCCB issued a program for formation for US seminaries. Inter alia the conference has codified that Patristics (study of the theology of the Fathers of the Church) is to be included. Here are the relevant paragraphs: 201. Patristic studies … Read More

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John the Baptist: decreased by the sword

Today is the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist. I consider this (also) my name day, and in a way it is even more appropriate than the Nativity of John in June. Here is the Roman Martyrology entry … Read More

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Augustine’s strongest suit

Today I have been thinking about the impact of Augustine. (Actually, I think about that nearly every day.) This morning in a chat with a friend who is a true scholar of Augustine, I gleened something. If you want to … Read More

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Augustine’s Bones – where are they now?

Augustine died on 28 August 430. His friend and biographer Possidius describes his last days during the siege of Hippo by the Vandals. Sometime before the early 8th century, Augustine’s remains were translated from N. Africa to Sardinia for fear … Read More

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Augustine is ordained

Many bloggers and certainly patristibloggers will be posting today about St. Augustine. Rather than relate the same old stuff you already know, you might be interested in other less known episodes from the life of this titanic figure who so … Read More

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Monica’s tomb in Sant’Agostino in Rome

This is the chapel in the church of St. Augustine in Rome (literally across the street from my back door) on the day when the bones of St. Augustine were brought from their resting place in Pavia to Rome. For … Read More

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Monica: an influence on the doctrine of Original sin?

Turning again to Serge Lancel’s excellent Augustine, the best biography I know of the great Bishop of Hippo (p. 11 ff) we can get a view of Monica and her son and their relationship (my emphasis): In the course of … Read More

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