Support a Catholic Speaker Month! Mike Aquilina

Fallible Blogma has put together a wonderful project that I'm very delighted to participate in: Support a Catholic Speaker Month. Here's what the project organizers have to say about it:

The goal is to create a rising Catholic tide on the internet that lifts all boats (websites, speakers, and all those who participate). This giant, sudden influx of Catholic material and interlinking between Catholic websites should get some attention and raise awareness about all of these great Catholic speakers while also promoting the many wonderful Catholic blogs out there that perhaps you haven’t heard of yet either.

I think this is a fabulous idea, in part because we all need to be frequently reminded of what bonds us together - a passion for Christ's truth and a strong desire to share it with others. We need to focus on the truth we hold in common partly because the devil wishes to divide us - and sometimes accomplishes it through the most non-essential differences - like differences of taste or personality (which are gifts from God intended to enrich our lives and the world not divide us and keep us from accomplishing His will). This message of unity is the same message that has been beautifully articulated in a quote I came across many years ago when it was taken on as the motto of Catholic Information Network and which is popularly attributed to St. Augustine:

"In essentials unity, in doubtful matters, liberty, in all things, charity."

I've long been a fan of Mike Aquilina's work - especially through his books and blog - and I think the quote is one he'd heartily agree with. I was privileged to have a chat with him in preparation for this interview and asked him about this unity of truth and charity and how he came to understand it in his own life. He said that studying the Fathers of the Church (and appreciating their differences as well as what they held in common) and having children (he's a homeschool dad of six!) were primary influences.

Mike's blog, the Way of the Fathers, is always a pleasure to read, especially for those who have an interest in history, and I've always enjoyed his quirky sense of humor present there. He's a prolific writer and editor, though we only have a few of his books reviewed here on Love2learn (so far):

The Fathers of the Church
Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols
Love in the Little Things: Tales of Family Life

This last book is a particular favorite of mine and speaks well to his potential as a speaker on parenting and family life in addition to his areas of expertise in history and theology. I think he'd make a great speaker for homeschool conferences as well as ones aimed at wider Catholic audiences. He also speaks on the angels.

He's a big part of an excellent new project for children on Saint Perpetua. The Story of Saint Perpetua (from the Catholic Heroes of the Faith series) is a short animated film on the early Christian martyr and her companions. You can read a detailed review on Love2learn. As mentioned in the review, Mike is also featured in a companion documentary on Saint Perpetua, The Passion of Saint Perpetua: Martyr of the Faith, which is excellent.

Mike has co-hosted a number of EWTN programs with Scott Hahn and is the vice-president of The Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Mike is a passionate and faith-filled speaker with a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm to share with others, as evidenced by the free radio clips and talks available on his website.

You can visit the following websites for more information on Mike Aquilina and his projects and interests:

Mike Aquilina's Website

The Way of the Fathers Blog