Huge turnout for St. Thomas at Center for Catholic Studies opening event

Walking around the UST area on the first Tuesday of the school year, passerbys were most likely taken aback by the abnormal amount of people hanging around talking and playing yard games behind a huge house on summit. Little do they know, that huge house is the Center for Catholic Studies, and that large crowd was there for the Fall Kick-Off event for the year.

This year’s kick off event held true to its usual Ice Cream Social theme complete with CS Faculty and Staff. However, Catholic Studies decided to mix it up by adding a substantial food element. Clearly, this was a smart move because Famous Dave’s had nothing on Sitzmann Hall with the amount of people that showed up for some good ol’ BBQ. The attendance at this event was very high in relation to previous years (at least 200) and no one would probably deny that it was a success. To prove this perhaps undeniable statement even further, the event ran out of food. Twice. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, within the first half hour the BBQ and ice cream had run out. And then, when the thin red line of Davanni’s pizza kicked in, the food was again gone within the first 15 minutes.

As passerbys looking at the crowd and perhaps hearing murmers of Catholic theology, an inordinate amount of “Praise Gods”, or just seeing  general air of joy, they may have been asking themselves: I don’t know what that is, but there is something going on.

And in fact, there is something going on. Catholic Studies is providing education, experience, and community for yet another year for so many Catholics and Christians on (and off) campus. If the kick off event is to give any sign as to what this year entails, then UST better brace themselves because the Spirit is moving: Catholic Studies is back.

 St. Thomas U

HT Bliss

Madison Youth petition for better liturgical music at Youth Retreat

We're all smiles after someone smashes your guitar

As you might know, many have attended the Youth 2000 retreats since they began here in Madison in 2009. Thank you for all of the work that you have put into these retreats.

But as you also may know, one of the frustrations that many have stems from the music used during the weekend. It seems quite clear that the church consistently asks us for something higher, something more reverent than rock music during the Holy Mass (rock music is being used in a more general sense, for the sake of this discussion).

Of course, this is not a new problem. For example, in 1905, Pope Pius X covered nearly the same issue:

“[2.] It must be holy, and therefore avoid everything that is secular, both in itself and in the way in which it is performed. It must really be an art, since in no other way can it have on the mind of those who hear it that effect which the Church desires in using in her liturgy the art of sound.


“But it must also be universal in this sense, namely, that although each country may use in its ecclesiastical music whatever special forms may belong to its own national style, these forms must be subject to the proper nature of sacred music, so that it may never produce a bad impression on the mind of any stranger who may hear it.”
—Tra Le Sollecitudini, 1905

 continue and sign the petition at Yankehome

HT BY