The Texas Catholic Herald

July 9, 2019

As it is in Heaven: Understanding the grim realities of space flight

Long before first Apollo mission, the hopeful 1967 launch practice marred by a tragic fire that killed all three astronauts, the journey to space flight has always been treacherous.

July 9, 2019

Catching the stars: Houston Passionist priest and astrophotographer captures heavenly views

Sometimes Father Joe Barbieri, C.P., finds himself in the dead of night, surrounded by silence in prayer as the stars and planets twirl above him, far above the Earth — light years, actually — then he clicks the shutter button. Another image of the celestial skies. Then another. Then another. Eventually, he can piece the images together to fashion the earthly view of galaxies hundreds of thousands of light years away.

July 9, 2019

MORENO: St. John Paul II - Faith and reason are united

It’s been nearly 21 years since the promulgation of the landmark encyclical “Fides et Ratio” by now St. John Paul II. The pope wrote in the encyclical’s opening statement: “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth — in a word, to know himself — so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.”

July 9, 2019

LOCKETT: In His Light - Harnessing the ‘Drum Major Instinct’

Feb. 4, 2019, marked the 51st anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his powerful “Drum Major Instinct” sermon. His discourse was delivered at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church exactly two months before his assassination and would come to be his last sermon delivered at the church he shepherded.

July 9, 2019

ADAMS: The moon landing, science and faith

Each generation has a special event or moment which can shape its understanding of their world. For Randy Adams, one of those events is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary: The Apollo 11 Moon Landing.

July 9, 2019

Signs of Apollo: Vatican Observatory shows Church’s long history with the moon

At the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, Brother Robert Macke, S.J., finds his work as the Curator of Meteorites for the Vatican Observatory — formally founded in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII — allows him to, as the Jesuit saying goes, “find God in all things.”

July 9, 2019

Mapping with the stars: Nuns instrumental in Vatican celestial survey

Of the many momentous or menial tasks women religious perform, one of the better-kept secrets has been the role of four Sisters of the Holy Child Mary who were part of a global effort to make a complete map and catalog of the starry skies.

July 9, 2019

ISS, can you hear me? Popes link Church’s ties to science, research

Twice Daniel Cardinal DiNardo has made the trip down to NASA Johnson Space Center to view a live satellite link call with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

July 9, 2019

St. Paul VI hailed Apollo 11 astronauts as "conquerors of the moon"

Just minutes after Apollo lunar module shiny foil feet touched down on the surface of the moon, St. Paul VI sent a message from his Observatory at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome where he was watching the landing and viewing the moon from the Vatican’s telescopes, to the astronauts.

July 9, 2019

Earthrise: Behind the iconic image of our home

On Dec. 24, 1968, NASA astronaut Bill Anders orbited the moon as the lunar module pilot with the Apollo 8 crew on humanity’s first voyage to another world. Anders took the iconic Earthrise photo on Christmas Eve, a gift of perspective in a turbulent year.