The Ember Days are special days for prayer and fasting during the liturgical year. They correspond to the four seasons, and they focus our attention especially on the blessings of nature. On the Ember Days, we give thanks for blessings we’ve received, but also remind ourselves of our need for penance and grace.

As someone who sees perennial bachelorhood as a societal sickness, recommending Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry might seem counterproductive.  Jayber, Berry’s main character in the novel, is a small-town barber that finds himself an “ineligible bachelor,” as he puts it.  He never marries, never has kids, and in that way is “free” of the burdens […]

Grab your pint glasses and phone your Fathers! This Sunday, September 9, is International Buy a Priest a Beer Day!  On this festive day, faithful Catholics all over the world take their priests out for a beer and get to know them better. It’s a beautiful Catholic tradition that goes back to the time of […]

Grab your pint glasses and phone your Fathers! Next Saturday, September 9*, is International Buy a priest a beer day!  On this festive day, faithful Catholics all over the world take their priests out for a beer and get to know them better. It’s a beautiful Catholic tradition that goes back to the time of […]

Though it has been obscured during different ages of her life, the Church has taught the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers since the very beginning. Our baptism immerses us into the fullness of the life of Christ, granting us participation in his threefold role of prophet, priest, and king. Scripture goes so far as […]

Brewers worldwide have been ramping up production, six packs have been flying off the shelves, and priests everywhere are giddy with anticipation. Why? Because International Buy a Priest a Beer Day (IBAPABD) is right around the corner! This ancient and joyful feast—dedicated to the celebration of hardworking priests—falls this year on September 7th*! Origins of Said […]

Grab your beer steins, buy a 6 pack, and ring the rectory doorbell—it’s the second Monday in September, also know as International Buy a Priest a Beer Day! This festive holiday traces its origins back to the pious deed of St. Hopswald of Aleyard, the first man to buy his priest a beer. The legend goes that […]