The Dispatch
“Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creatures”
What happened in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary can and must happen in our own lives. Each of us has received the Holy […]
Articles by Peter M.J. Stravinskas
The Dispatch
Athanasius contra mundum: A Saint for a time of confusion
Our saint of the day, Athanasius of Alexandria, was probably born in that city between 296 and 298 A.D., a hub of the Greco-Roman world at that time, culturally, politically, intellectually, and morally. It was […]
Essay
The Resurrection, the Eucharist, and the Emmaus story
In the midst of the Easter season, we re-read the twenty-fourth chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, the Emmaus story, my favorite passage in the New Testament. On Easter night, two lonely, frustrated disciples of Jesus […]
The Dispatch
Why the Annunciation stands at the center of the drama of salvation
On this solemnity, which celebrates the high-water mark in the history of salvation, permit me to explore with you three Latin expressions. 1. Verbum caro factum est [The Word became flesh]. We find this line, of […]
Essay
Cardinal Newman: Doctor of Catholic Education, Part Two
Editor’s note: The following is Part Two of an address given to The Thomistic Institute of Fordham University on February 26, 2026 (read Part One). 3. Does a Catholic university have a distinctive curriculum? John Paul […]
The Dispatch
On Saint Patrick’s challenge to Catholics today
Editor’s note: The following homily was preached on the Solemnity of St. Patrick, March 17, 2026, at the Church of the Holy Innocents, New York City. What is today, in the Universal Church, an optional […]
Essay
Cardinal Newman: Doctor of Catholic Education, Part One
Editor’s note: The following is Part One (of two) of an address given to The Thomistic Institute of Fordham University on February 26, 2026. Introductory Remarks We are gathered in the month which marks the […]
Essay
Three questions to answer on Ash Wednesday
Since all human sin has its origins in that “original” sin of our first parents, let’s go back to that very beginning. […]
Essay
On the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the Church
This Sunday celebrates the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the Church. We are also fast approaching the onset of Lent. With that in mind, I would like to urge you […]
The Dispatch
“Throughout the year”: Why there is nothing ordinary about “Ordinary Time”
Editor’s note: The following homily was preached on January 18, 2026, at the Church of the Holy Innocents, New York City. Let’s check your grasp of what we were taught in kindergarten about the “primary […]