"He instinctively can find the shining greatness of our American culture and does a good job of highlighting it (although he also does have those rare lapses when he writes about hockey, but that is something caused by impurities in the Eastern waters or something)." Erik Keilholtz
Under the patronage of St. Tammany
Mark C. N. Sullivan is an editor at a Massachusetts university. He is married and the father of three children. Email
It followed that his piety was matter-of-fact. To him, the church was home. Thus, although he attended Mass daily, he believed (it is theologically sound) that a Low Mass should last no more than 10 minutes. If I attended Mass daily and were as hungover as he often was at that hour (Belloc was occasionally known to almost stagger to church, murmuring, "Oh, what we must endure for our holy religion"), I suspect I, too, might prefer similar brevity. I would not imitate H.B.’s criticism of a slow priest by standing up after 10 minutes, taking out a pocket watch, opening it and staring at its face."Defender of the Faith," William Bryk, ""Old Smoke," New York Press
Was put in mind of this paragraph by the spectacle of the pope being basted and garnished at the Aztec halftime show-beatification extravaganza in Mexico. The frail pontiff was coming off a three-hour Mass at World Youth Day. Why does John Paul II have to undergo these marathon services? Can't he assert papal privilege and declare a time limit? Doesn't he deserve a good half-hour commuter-special Mass once in a while?