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The 33 Doctors of the Church – A Review
By
Jude Wudarczyk - posted December 5, 2009.
Be it the Latin Mass, the Illuminate, or the many miracles associated with it, there is no denying that the Roman Catholic religion has many mysteries. One such mystery is the 33 doctors of the Church. Although I have asked many devout Catholics, including a priest, to explain the doctors, none knew who they were or why the Church reveres them. None of them even knew of their existence.
Lawrenceville author, Fr. Christopher Rengers, O.F.M. Cap., answers the question of who these saints are and what their contributions were to elevate them to such a respected position within the Catholic community. This massive 692-page book is not for the casual reader. It is a scholarly work, but should be read by all Roman Catholics and those wishing to know more about the Catholic religion. The doctors’ lives spanned from the end of the fourth century to the end of the nineteenth century. Their stories are varied and rich. Starting with St. Athanasius and working his way through St. Therese of Lisieux, the author dedicates one chapter to each doctor. Sometimes Fr. Christopher works a little humor into the stories, but mostly they are serious stuff.
The book is published by Tan Books and Publishers and is well worth the price. It would make an excellent gift for any devout Catholic who likes to read about saints.
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Stephen
Collins Foster (1826-1864)
Born on July 4, 1826, while the country celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, Stephen Foster has become Lawrenceville’s most famous native son. He was the son of William Barclay Foster, founder of Lawrenceville and Eliza Tomlinson. Foster’s parents moved to Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh’s North Side) when Stephen was very small.
He developed a love for music at a very tender age of about three or four, and from that point forward there was no stopping him. Foster is considered by many to be the world’s foremost composer, and is the only person to have written two state songs – “My Old Kentucky Home” (Kentucky) and “Swannee River” (Florida). A third song “Oh! Susanna” was considered by the state of California as being their state song, but it was rejected.
Today he is considered the founder of “Pop Music” and his works are played throughout the world. There are many books written on Stephen Foster and the University of Pittsburgh maintains the Stephen Foster Memorial Center in his honor. It is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh close to the Cathedral of Learning. |
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