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About the Author

Prime Matters
Editorial Panel

In keeping with the best of our ancient Benedictine heritage, in which authors sign their work simply “a monk,” the editorial panel of Prime Matters remains anonymous, committed solely to articulating and awakening the Catholic imaginative vision for Catholics and all people of goodwill.

Published Pieces

Chains

The Scourge of Human Trafficking

Slavery and human trafficking are daily realities for millions of people across the world, a fact that calls on Christians to continually affirm the dignity of the human person in word, prayer, and action.

Prime Matters
Feb 19, 2024
Mosaic

Giacomo Leopardi’s Alla Sua Donna

While not a Christian himself, Giacomo Leopardi's poem "Alla Sua Donna" points to the desire of every human heart: communion with the Incarnate Lord.

Prime Matters
Feb 19, 2024
The Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows in Šaštín, Slovakia

The Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows in Šaštín, Slovakia

It has been said that God writes straight with crooked lines. The origins of the Basilica of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows might provide an example of that kind of oblique writing.

Prime Matters
Jan 18, 2024
Open church door

An Anniversary Year for Evangelization

Forty years ago, St. John Paul II made the first reference to the "New Evangelization" while speaking to Latin American bishops in Haiti.

Prime Matters
Dec 11, 2023
The Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral

Home to the relics of the Magi, the Cologne Cathedral - whose construction lasted for 632 years - has drawn pilgrims since its cornerstone was placed in 1248.

Prime Matters
Nov 9, 2023
Perov Vasily's "First Christians in Kiev"

Perov's "The First Christians in Kiev"

Perov's depiction of Christians worshipping under the cover of night reminds us of the generations of Christians who have embraced the conquering spirit of the Gospel through times of uncertainty.

Prime Matters
Nov 2, 2023
Castel Gandolfo and Lago Albano

Castel Gandolfo

Overlooking a crater lake hidden within the hills southeast of Rome, the papal palace (and gardens and observatory) at Castel Gandolfo has provided popes a respite from Rome's summer heat.

Prime Matters
Oct 25, 2023
Michelangelo's "Pieta"

Michelangelo's Pietà

Michelangelo's Pietà captures a serene moment of surrender, as the Virgin Mary cradles the body of her crucified son in her lap.

Prime Matters
Oct 12, 2023
Mary College at ASU, Tempe, AZ

Old St. Mary's Church, Tempe

Old St. Mary's, the oldest standing church in the Phoenix area, has served the spiritual and pastoral needs of Catholics in Arizona for generations and is now home to Mary College at ASU.

Prime Matters
Oct 5, 2023
The Monastery of Mar Saba

The Monastery of Mar Saba

Like all things genuinely Christian, the ancient Monastery of Mar Saba has been no stranger to conflict and controversy as it has borne witness to the Gospel throughout the ages.

Prime Matters
Sep 27, 2023