The Cathedral of St. Paul (Birmingham, Alabama)
A resource for adult Catholic educationUpcoming events
Fr. Cantalamessa
1) Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., Preacher to the Papal Household, will be speaking at Samford University on Tuesday, February 21. Fr. Cantalamessa will be taking part in the “This Sacred Space” series at Beeson Divinity School. The program will begin at 11a.m. in Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel.
2) Please join us on Sunday, February 26 as we continue our series on the stories of Flannery O’Connor. Next up: one of O’Connor’s most peculiar and subtle tales, “A Temple of the Holy Ghost.” It should be a great discussion, so, again, we hope to see you there. By the way, if any one has a question/comment about the story, please feel free add it to the “Comments” section below. Perhaps we’ll be able to tackle some of them on Sunday, if not before!
Feb 19: ‘Art & Catholicism’: Music
The Cathedral of St. Paul’s series on ‘Art & Catholicism’ continues on Sunday, February 19. Steve Calvert, music director at St. Paul’s, will be talking about the role of music in the Church. Moreover, the choir will join him, and they will be performing a number of choral pieces. Please note that this session will take place from 9.45-10.45 AM in the Great Hall, which is located on the second floor of the Cathedral Life Center. All are welcome!
“The Displaced Person”
We will resume our of discussion Flannery O’Connor’s stories this Sunday (February 12). This meeting will concern one of O’Connor’s most piercing tales — namely, “The Displaced Person,” which weaves together a narrative of prejudice (whether cultural, ethnic, racial or religious) with one bearing deep resonances of Christ. Please do join us! Below is a guide to our discussion:
Plot Outline – or a Series of Displacements
I. The Arrival of the Displaced Person
II. The Shortleys Are Displaced
III. Sulk’s Engagement and the Displacement of “Manners”
IV. The Displacement of Love
V. Mrs. McIntyre’s Final Displacement
Questions
1. In many respects, “The Displaced Person” is a story about prejudice – or, perhaps more precisely, a story about how prejudice distorts (or displaces!) our ability to see the world clearly. What are some examples of the many prejudices that surface over the course of the story? Where do they come from? And do any characters seem to avoid falling into their trap? If so, which ones? And why?
2. Mr. Guizac is compared to Christ in the story, both directly (p. 229) and indirectly (pp. 231, 234). What is meant by this comparison? In other words, how is the “D.P.” like Christ – and Christ the ultimate Displaced Person?
3. In the story’s final scene, Father Flynn sits with the incapacitated Mrs. McIntyre and explains to her “the doctrines of the Church.” Is this the so-called “moment of grace” in the story? Why or why not?
Conscience Protection
Here is a link to the USCCB’s site dedicated to Religious Liberty. In particular, it contains a great deal of information regarding the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate for contraception and sterilization coverage in private health plans. The details of the mandate are featured, and there are plenty of resources for taking action. Please do take a look!
Save the date!
We are happy to announce that, on Friday, March 30th, St. Paul’s will be hosting a special event — namely, a book reading and signing by the Catholic author, Amy Welborn. Amy’s new book, Wish You Were Here: Travels Through Loss and Hope, is coming out on February 7th. Our event will take place after Stations of the Cross (about 6pm), and a light vegetarian supper will be served. More information will be provided in the coming weeks.
Coming up: Exploring Icons of the Crucifixion
Please join us on Feb. 5th as we welcome a speaker, Shane Harless. A native of Homewood, Shane has recently graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Master’s in Theology, and, at the moment, he is going through the RCIA process at St. Paul’s. His talk is entitled, “An Exploration into the Iconography of the Crucifixion.” As part of our ongoing series on “Art and Catholicism,” Shane’s presentation should help us get a better sense of how art encourages devotion — and vice versa.
St. Paul’s adult ed goes international!
O'Connor's desk at her home, Andalusia
Well, not exactly. But it is interesting to note that Fr. Robert Barron’s newly-founded Word on Fire Book Club is currently featuring one of Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, “A Temple of the Holy Ghost.” We’ll be reading and discussing that story in due course. In the meantime, it may be worthwhile to take a look at Word on Fire for more information. There is an essay on O’Connor by Fr. Damian Ference, a forum for discussion, etc.
On Catholic Education
Cardinal Wuerl's new book, SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM
On a recent visit to the Vatican, Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington discussed the importance of ongoing Catholic education. His point builds on Pope Benedict XVI’s recent comments about the dangers of “radical secularism” — that is to say, the idea that Church doctrine and tradition have no value in the public square. With that in mind, both leaders are encouraging Catholics of all ages and backgrounds to deepen their understanding of what the Church teaches — and why.
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
The Grandmother
Our book study on Flannery O’Connor begins this Sunday (Jan. 22). We will be discussing one of O’Connor’s most famous (and most gut-wrenching) stories, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” Our meeting will begin with a general overview of the story, but will eventually focus on a handful of themes:
*The character of the Grandmother. What is she like? How does she change at story’s end?
*The character of the Misfit. What is his worldview? How has he been affected by Jesus?
*The social criticism in the story. What, for O’Connor, are the dangers of societal norms, even “good manners”?
It should be a good discussion, so please join us!
Two reminders
1) The Birmingham March for Life takes place tomorrow morning. The day’s events begin with a “Respect for Life” Mass at 9am at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Then, at 10.45am, there will be a rally at Brother Bryan Park in Southside. The march will follow. More information can be found here.
2) Amy Welborn (whose soon-to-be-released book is pictured above) will be speaking at the Cathedral of St. Paul on Sunday morning at 9.45am. She will be kicking off our upcoming study of Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, and, to that end, she will be providing an overview of O’Connor’s life and thought. Please do join us!
