Arts and Culture

Dance is where expression, spirituality meet

April 11, 2015

TORONTO - Franck Waille still has the posture of a dancer. When he stands, his back is straight, his shoulders are squared and his feet are pointed out — a more relaxed version of ballet’s first position.

Life is meant to be well lived to the end

April 11, 2015

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande (Doubleday, hard cover, 304 pages, $20). We don’t die the way we used to. At the turn of the 20th century, the primary causes of death in the United States were pneumonia, influenza and tuberculosis. Today, heart disease and cancer are by far the major causes of death. In 2010, pneumonia and influenza combined accounted for a slightly higher number of deaths than suicide, but less than Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Tuberculosis was virtually eradicated in the United States by the 1950s.

Healing body, mind and spirit through art

April 5, 2015

SASKATOON - Many factors contribute to a positive healing experience at a hospital, including medical expertise and respectful and compassionate care by physicians, health care personnel, staff and volunteers. But for patients at St. Paul’s Hospital, where core values include holistic care, the process of healing the body, mind and spirit is enhanced through art.

Cinderella’s Christian symbolism

April 4, 2015

Released before Easter, Cinderella is the most surprising Hollywood movie of the year so far.

The political life of a Catholic priest

April 4, 2015

Richard John Neuhaus: A Life in the Public Square, by Randy Boyagoda (Image, hardcover, 480 pages, $35). Fr. Richard John Neuhaus’ life was a broad sweep in many ways. Born into a Lutheran family in the rural Ottawa Valley, he ended up living in densely populated lower Manhattan.

3-D art depicts Christ’s light

April 3, 2015

Jed Malitz appends V2 to the name of his art gallery in New Orleans’ Warehouse District. The V2 stands for “Version 2” — both in art and in life.

Pure Flix aims to bring ‘culture of Christ’ to the film industry

March 28, 2015

David A. R. White and Michael Scott fell in love with movies at Church. Both grew up as pastor’s kids (or PKs as Scott likes to call it) and had regular movie nights at their respective churches, enjoyable nights that brought the whole community together.

Not just pretty pictures: Church art is catechetical storybook of faith

March 28, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Having so much world-famous art housed in Rome's churches and chapels has risked turning the city's sacred spaces into sightseer circuses. A hushed prayerful atmosphere for the faithful is often broken by clicking cameras and tourists exchanging guidebook details.

Meet the Muslim actor chosen to play Jesus in upcoming film

March 24, 2015

“Bless you for playing Jesus, peace be upon him.”

Comic-book reissue of St. John XXIII's life improves on the original

March 14, 2015

NEW YORK - Forget the Avengers. The coolest Marvel-related character this year is Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, better known to the world as St. John XXIII.