I was recently thinking about aspergillums, the sprinklers used at Mass (and elsewhere) to disperse Holy Water. I didn’t imagine the silver sticks with a ball on the end, but a rustic aspergillum made of a plant; the sort of thing Moses would have whipped up to sling a bull’s […]
O Fortuna: Taverns, Tents, and Tabernacles
Most Americans have heard the song O Fortuna at the movies or on TV, although they may not know its name or its composer. It’s one of a suite of poems from the Middle-Ages (Carmina Burana, Bavarian Songs) which were set to music by the 20th century German composer Carl […]
The Bible Tells Me So by Christian LeBlanc
Finding appropriate material for middle school faith formation classes can be a real challenge. Very often classes are a mix of previously well catechized youth and kids who have never been in any type of faith formation. Frequently you end up with a class where half the kids are bored […]
Ad Alta Altare: Why Do We Have Altars in the First Place?
Editor’s note: Please welcome architect and catechist Christian LeBlanc, who has long practice teaching sixth graders about the connection between Scripture, art, and sacred architecture. He has graciously agreed to write a series for the Catholic Writer’s Guild. Enjoy! I was married 24 years ago last month; that’s right, 24 […]