Upcoming Sacred Art Class and Wine Pilgrimage

I approach Catholic culture by integrating a variety of disciplines: theology, history, culture, and art. Following the proposal of Christopher Dawson for The Study of Christian Culture as the anchor of Catholic education for our time, my goal is to help people experience the great cultural legacy of the Church in order to live it out in the world.

Starting in January, I am teaching a free course on sacred art with the Institute of Catholic Culture: The Beauty of Faith: Christian Art History. The first part is 19 weeks and will reach into the Romanesque period. At the end of the summer, we’ll pick up with part two stretching from the Gothic period to today. I’ve taught Catholic art history a number of times, and it’s my favorite course because of the opportunity to explore the riches of the Catholic tradition together. We’ll look at the great masterpieces and artists, and how they tell the story of faith throughout history.

I had planned to do a pilgrimage to France back in 2020 but it got postponed and then canceled due to COVID. It is finally back on! Saints, Shrines, and Wines: A Pilgrimage through Catholic France. The trip embodies my integrated approach to Catholic culture as a deeply spiritual, historical, and cultural experience through Occitania, Provence, and Burgundy. In addition to visiting the great shrine of Lourdes, we’ll venerate the relics of St. Anne (Jesus’s grandmother), Mary Magdalene, her brother Lazarus, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Margaret Mary, and St. John Vianney. We will explore the important role of wine in Catholic culture, visiting Chateauneuf du Pape, established by the Popes in Avignon, the greatest of the Cistercian vineyards at Clos de Vougeot, and the vineyards recently resurrected by the monks Le Barroux for their Via Caritatis wines. We will enter deeply into the treasures of Romanesque architecture and sculpture, such the cathedrals of Toulouse and Autun, the great pilgrimage church of Vezelay, and remarkably preserved abbey of Fontenay.

I’m leading the trip with Fr. Greg Bierbaum of St. Mark’s Parish in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Here is a link to a video offering an overview of the trip and inviting you to an informational meeting on December 16th at 8:30pm EST.