Mission
Memorare, latin for “remember”, encapsulates the two-fold mission of the publication. One goal is to offer articles remembering how Catholicism has provided vitality to culture throughout time. This can be seen broadly such as in monastacism’s preservational accomplishments during the disintegration of the Roman empire. It can also be seen more acutely in situations such as Flannery O’Connor’s impact on 20th century modernist literature. This remembering is not nostalgia. In the liturgy, most particularly the Mass, we recognize that our remembrance of events in the drama of salvation makes them present in our own lives. Analogously, our looking back is a cultural act impacting the present.
The other goal is to share contemporary Catholic artists’ work. Dialoguing about craft in terms of faith deepens the interplay between the two for artists and audiences. St. Basil discusses the relation between evangelization and culture as such:
“The sycamore is a tree that bears very plentiful fruit. But it is tasteless unless one carefully slits it and allows its sap to run out, whereby it becomes flavorful. That is why, we believe, the sycamore is a symbol for the pagan world: it offers a surplus, yet at the same time it is insipid. This comes from living according to pagan customs. When one manages to slit them by means of the Logos, it [the pagan world] is transformed, becomes tasty and useful.”
Catholic artists have a duty to pierce secular culture in order for it to fully develop. We “re-member” culture to properly order it towards transcendence. In this, we humbly hope the Lord of history may look upon our work, “with a serene and kindly countenance” as he did the gifts of Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, and the offering of Melchizedek.
Memorare!
The other goal is to share contemporary Catholic artists’ work. Dialoguing about craft in terms of faith deepens the interplay between the two for artists and audiences. St. Basil discusses the relation between evangelization and culture as such:
“The sycamore is a tree that bears very plentiful fruit. But it is tasteless unless one carefully slits it and allows its sap to run out, whereby it becomes flavorful. That is why, we believe, the sycamore is a symbol for the pagan world: it offers a surplus, yet at the same time it is insipid. This comes from living according to pagan customs. When one manages to slit them by means of the Logos, it [the pagan world] is transformed, becomes tasty and useful.”
Catholic artists have a duty to pierce secular culture in order for it to fully develop. We “re-member” culture to properly order it towards transcendence. In this, we humbly hope the Lord of history may look upon our work, “with a serene and kindly countenance” as he did the gifts of Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, and the offering of Melchizedek.
Memorare!
About me
On December 5th, 2015, I received my first communion at the age of 25. Wrestling with how to integrate my faith with creative endeavors is a process that started before this and continued since. My initial response to the issue was a suppression of creative activity as it had been linked to other aspects of my life that needed pruning. This did not work out so well... I hope that I have found more nuanced ways of dealing with this issue, and Memorare is an expression of that.
I am an English teacher, writer, and musician. Last summer, I self-released an album that incorporates old recordings of my grandfather telling stories about our family: https://windhoverandover.bandcamp.com/. Writing, music, and teaching students all differ, but an awareness of the sacramentality of nature is a theme running through all of my work.
I am an English teacher, writer, and musician. Last summer, I self-released an album that incorporates old recordings of my grandfather telling stories about our family: https://windhoverandover.bandcamp.com/. Writing, music, and teaching students all differ, but an awareness of the sacramentality of nature is a theme running through all of my work.