Prime Matters

Caravaggio's stark presentation of the beheading of St. John the Baptist, housed in St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, invites us to view a brutal reality through the eyes of faith.

In "The Return of the Prodigal Son," Rembrandt shows the desolation that comes from a life of sin, a brother on the cusp of a decision, and the embrace of mercy.

Guido of Arezzo solidified and improved musical notation, allowing for the sight-reading and rapid spread of music.

Situated in the forested Sabine Hills between Rome and Assisi, the little town of Greccio holds a special place in the Franciscan tradition and is the birthplace of a common Christmas practice.

The Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, standing in the location of the house of the beloved third-century virgin martyr, shows forth the vast centuries of Church history.

The Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre has played a central role in the spirit of Cuba, and her image is to be found everywhere, in churches, homes, and even on taxis.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral stands over the site of both centuries of persecutory practices and the previous cathedral, which was destroyed by the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

The massive obelisk standing in the center of St. Peter’s Square is likely the last thing St. Peter saw as he died upon the cross.

The remote Italian town of Cascia is home to two great relics of late medieval origins: the incorruptible body of a local saint and the blood-stained pages of a Eucharistic miracle.

Devotion to Mary, Untier of Knots, was born from a painting of the same name and highlights Mary's loving interventions into our lives.