5.14 The Music of St. Hildegard of Bingen w/ Margot Fassler
Way of the Fathers
St. Hildegard of Bingen, 12th-century abbess, mystic, polymath, and Doctor of the Church, is best known to non-Catholics for something else – her music. We have more pieces of music by Hildegard than by any other medieval composer whose name we know. Her chants are beautiful, otherworldly, virtuosic and ahead of their time. Some of them were written for her morality play, the Ordo virtutum, which is also the first of its kind. Thomas Mirus (producer of Way of the Fathers and host of the Catholic Culture Podcast) interviews musicologist Margot Fassler about what makes St. Hildegard’s music...
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5.13 St. Hildegard of Bingen: Teutonic Prophetess
Way of the Fathers
St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a mystic, an anointed prophet, a reformer, theologian, poet, teacher, and preacher. Over eight centuries ago, she wrote, “Today the Catholic faith is in a state of agitation, on a global scale. The gospel limps its way around the world; the early Church fathers, who wrote so well, are ignored; people are apathetic; they refuse to read and taste the nourishment in the Scriptures.” Links To get a sense of what the Cathars were all about, here’s the Way of the Fathers episode on gnosticism: Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s Hildegard of Bingen: A Spiritual...
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5.12 St. Hildegard of Bingen: Multimedia Visionary
Way of the Fathers
St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a visionary, teacher, Abbess, composer, theologian, painter, and the first woman in history to be given papal approval to preach in public. Four centuries before the emergence of the “Renaissance Man,” there was Hildegard of Bingen. Usually known mostly for her music (and rightfully so) there is so much more to this medieval mystic. Links To get a sense of what the Cathars were all about, here’s the Way of the Fathers episode on gnosticism: Playlist of Hildegard’s Music on YouTube: Margot Fassler’s Cosmos, Liturgy, and the Arts in the Twelfth...
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5.11 St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Arbiter of Christendom
Way of the Fathers
St. Bernard of Claivaux (1090 - 1153 AD) was the founder of the Cistercians, a reform order of the Benedictines, and was one of the Church’s true mystics. He opposed the “intentionalism” of the heretic Peter Abelard with his quip: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” He also opposed an anti-pope, corrected a king, brokered peace in Europe, and had to nuance the doctrine of “just war” in the face of Christian losses in the Crusades. Links Check out this article on St. Barnard of Clairvaux and the Active Life: Here’s the Classics of Western Spirituality volume...
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5.10 St. Bernard of Clairvaux: The Mellifluous Doctor
Way of the Fathers
St. Bernard of Claivaux (1090 - 1153 AD) was born to be a knight, and grew up in a castle, but he chose to be a different kind of knight - a true prayer warrior - and he supported the invention of the Christian knight by endorsing the Knights Templar. He would be the founder of the Cistercians, a reform order of the Benedictines. He was a strong advocate of devotion to Our Lady, and of orthodox doctrine, and he would turn down the office of bishop in six different cities. Listen in to find out what “mellifluous” means! Links SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE...
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5.9 St. Anselm of Canterbury: Father of Scholasticism
Way of the Fathers
St. Anselm (1033 - 1109 AD) was Abbot of the monastery of Bec, and later, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the first of the medieval scholastics, and the first real systematic theologian. His treatise, Cur Deus Homo brought together biblical and patristic themes related to salvation and the atonement to provide the Church with a comprehensive (up to that point) teaching on the Incarnation and the Atonement, known as the Satisfaction Theory of Atonement. Links To read Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo online: To read several of the most important works of St. Anselm, get the book Anselm of...
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5.8 St. Anselm of Canterbury: Doctor of the Atonement
Way of the Fathers
St. Anselm (1033 - 1109 AD) was Abbot of the monastery of Bec, and later, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the first of the medieval scholastics, and the first real systematic theologian. In many ways, St. Anselm is the bridge between St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Links To read Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo online: To read several of the most important works of St. Anselm, get the book Anselm of Canterbury: The Major Works: For more on the medieval scholastics, the atonement, and St. Anselm, see the book Reading the Church Fathers: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s...
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5.7 St. Peter Damian: Monitor of the Popes
Way of the Fathers
St. Peter Damian (1007 - 1072 AD) was an advisor to, and sometimes corrector of, Popes, Emperors, and Kings. Through his writings he was a reformer of the clergy, and the monasteries, especially calling out and confronting immorality among the clergy. He was a member of the first college of cardinals as we know it today, and took part in wrestling away from royals and nobles the power to appoint Popes, restoring the process of papal elections. Links Listen to the Catholic Culture audio book of St. Peter Damian’s The Lord Be With You: Listen to previous episodes of The Way of the...
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5.6 St. Peter Damian: The Medieval Jerome
Way of the Fathers
St. Peter Damian (1007 - 1072 AD) is another one of our lesser-known Doctors of the Church, and yet he was, in his time, a man who could give advice to the Popes, and call for reform in the clergy and in the monasteries. Known as a Catholic reformer (long before the Protestant Reformation), he confronted clergy immorality, simony and lay investiture, as well as corruption in the process of the election of Popes, and he was a member of the first college of cardinals, as we know it today. Links Listen to the Catholic Culture audio book of St. Peter Damian’s The Lord Be With You: Listen...
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Sicilian Pilgrimage with Mike Aquilina and Jim Papandrea
Way of the Fathers
The Holy Father has proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee year, and pilgrims are already flocking to Rome to cross the thresholds of the major basilicas, and to visit the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul. Original host of the Way of the Fathers podcast, Mike Aquilina, and current host of the podcast, James L. Papandrea, talk about jubilee and pilgrimage, and introduce listeners to the first (of hopefully many) Way of the Fathers pilgrimage. If you’re interested in going on pilgrimage to Sicily, December 1-11, 2025, with Mike, and Jim, and Fr. Kevin Barrett, you can find more information at this...
info_outlineIn this episode, the first in our series on the Doctors of the Church, Dr. Papandrea introduces you to St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735 AD). He lived in a Benedictine monastery from the age of seven, and he wrote the first scholarly history of England and its conversion to Christianity. He is considered the “Father of English History” and the patron saint of historians
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Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed: https://www.ccwatershed.org/