The month of October saw Virtue Ministry (VM) presenters Stina Constantine and Sam
Heffer ventured onto the Charles Sturt University campus in Wagga Wagga for an event
hosted by the newly formed Newman Society. Stina presented a talk on living virtuously as
university students, focusing on dialogue, conviction, discipline and relationships. This was
followed by a lively and encouraging Q&A session.
“The students were so reflective and insightful and it was a delight to sit back and get to
know them more personally,” says Stina, “our young people have a way of getting to the
heart of the matter that even many adults struggle to get to.”
The VM team wish to extend a huge congratulations to the dedication of the Newman
Catholic Society crew. The Church is alive and well in these young students and
professionals, and that is something well worth supporting.
Musica Sacra
It was another team member, however, who co-hosted a Living Fullness podcast episode
with Stina where they chatted about sacred music, our current perception, what it looks like
within liturgical contexts, the resurgence of Gregorian chant in young society, and also how
we can incorporate reverent sacred music within our church communities.
Grace Feltoe, as well as being VM’s social media and marketing whiz, is also the founder of
the Musica Sacra Project.
An Australian soprano, and sacred music specialist, Grace heard a call to provide a large
international resource library to the English speaking world, as a means for liturgical sacred
music formation within the Catholic Church.
She explains in more detail on the Musica Sacra Project website: “With the growing
renaissance of traditional sacred music within Catholic liturgies, this website is available with
the hope that those within Church music ministry, those of a theological and apologetics
background, or those who appreciate or are wishing to support the movement may find an
accumulation of resources in one place.”
Other resources
Listen to: Awkward Asian Theologians Podcast, S2E8 Heaven’s Tiger Mum: Mary
I have definitely recommended this podcast before and if you haven’t already dived in then
start with this episode. I listened to Heaven’s Tiger Mum: Mary, on the way down to a retreat
a couple of weeks ago and can’t recommend it highly enough. Even the podcast blurb is
entertaining:
“Matt and Dan (yes, the Asians) go full Catholic and talk about Mary, “the tigerest of tiger
mums”. The one who said “yes” to God with the kind of fierce loyalty that only an Asian mum
could pull off. They dive into how Mary’s fiat isn’t just a theological yes, it’s the ultimate
immigrant mum move: sacrificial, strategic, and quietly revolutionary.
“From knockoff Marian statues in Chinatown shrines to Our Lady rocking hanfu, we unpack
how Mary becomes a cultural chameleon, enfleshing the Gospel in a thousand tongues and
ten thousand images.
“They also chop through some of the bad theology out there: no, Mary isn’t the fourth person
of the Trinity. Yes, she matters deeply in salvation history. And yes, Protestant friends, you
can talk about her without spontaneously combusting.”
Read: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible
Back in the dark ages when I was attending youth groups we would often work through the
Ignatius Study editions the individual books of the New Testament. This bible is the fruit of
many years of work and study and collaboration by noted Catholic scholars including: Scott
Hahn, John Bergsma, Andrew Swafford and many others.
“It explains the historical, cultural, literary, and archaeological background of Scripture, while
at the same time looking to the Fathers, Doctors, and Councils of the Church for insight into
its theological and spiritual teachings. The result is a veritable library of Bible study
resources, all under one cover, designed to help readers understand the written Word of
God and apply its lessons to their lives today. It is simply the most ambitious undertaking of
its kind in our generation.” (Ignatius Press Website)
Given its enormous scope, this Bible will certainly put a hole in our pocket, but it is a financial
investment that will pay generous dividends for years and, God willing, generations to come.
