of beauty in the thought of St . Thomas Aquinas . PFIC alumnus and current director of the Schola Cantorum of the Dominican House of Studies , Fr . Vincent Ferrer Bagan , O . P ., shares considerations on the vital place of Gregorian Chant in the Church . Fr . John Martin Ruiz , O . P ., PFIC librarian , offers a glimpse at some rare books from the library ’ s rare book collection . Finally , the exquisite photography of current PFIC student Fr . Lawrence Lew , O . P ., lent a visual depth and beauty to the entire program .
Dr . Sullivan is pleased that the Dominican presence in the documentary does not escape notice . “ Many viewers across the country noted their delight in seeing the many ways in which the Dominicans of the PFIC continue in the tradition of their renowned Dominican brother , the friar artist , Fra Angelico , through their dedicated service of the Church in extending the mission of evangelizing culture with the Gospel light of truth , goodness , and beauty .”
“ What is the place of sacred art in the new evangelization of culture , in preaching , and teaching the faith today ?”
Other guests on the program include the PFIC ’ s 2016 Commencement speaker , Bishop Robert Barron . Bishop Barron speaks about the importance of preaching about beauty and the arts . Dana Gioia , award winning poet and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts , shares some of his own poetry in addition to his reflections . Entrepreneur Tim Busch talks about the beauty found in the business world . Sir James MacMillan , the internationally acclaimed composer , considers sacred music ’ s place in the Church and culture .
For Dr . Sullivan , producing this documentary was a way of raising questions that have come up in her time as a writer and teacher . “ We live in the midst of a visual culture . Images dominate daily life today , for better or for worse . Over two thousand years , rich artistic traditions have developed in the Church ’ s history , and many of the world ’ s treasured artistic masterpieces are Christian in inspiration and theme . How does the Church ’ s artistic tradition , developed over centuries , speak to today ’ s visual culture ? What is the place of sacred art in the new evangelization of culture , in preaching , and teaching the faith today ? How is beauty understood in the Catholic tradition ?”
An hour-long program can only start to address these multifaceted and profound questions . Your investment in the PFIC helps ensure that the voices heard in The Beauty of Faith will be part of this cultural conversation .
Bishop Robert Barron From EWTN ’ s The Beauty of Faith
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