Qui fideliter cuncta faciebant.
Sean Domencic (formerly published as Thomas Hackett) is the co-founder and director of Tradistae. For more information about our volunteer staff, click here. To request Sean to speak at conferences, rallies, and parishes, or to lead retreats and workshops, please fill out our contact form. A list of talk topics will be available soon. "Dorothy … Continue reading Speaking Requests
[Trading for profit] is justly deserving of blame, because, considered in itself, it satisfies the greed for gain, which knows no limit and tends to infinity. Hence trading, considered in itself, has a certain debasement attaching thereto... Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II. Q77. A4. co. The merchant class is a group of people who, … Continue reading The Old Limits of the Merchant Class
The iniquity of money-lending must absolutely be abjured, and the gain which lacks all humanity must be shunned. A man's possessions are indeed multiplied by these unrighteous and sorry means, but the mind's wealth decays because usury of money is the death of the soul. —Saint Pope Leo the Great, Sermon 17 Many today have … Continue reading Understanding the Social Sin of Usury
Saint Thomas Aquinas is often considered the greatest Doctor of the Church and the towering mind of medieval society. In 1879, Pope Leo XIII devoted an encyclical to restoring the study of Thomism in Christian philosophy: We exhort you, venerable brethren, in all earnestness to restore the golden wisdom of St. Thomas, and to spread … Continue reading The Economics of Saint Thomas Aquinas
I would like to pose a challenge to young people in particular: begin exploring your heritage. Christianity makes you heirs of an unsurpassed cultural patrimony of which you must take ownership. Be passionate about this history which is yours. Dare to fix your gaze on the young Jerome who, like the merchant in Jesus’ parable, … Continue reading Catholic Action: How to Start a Reading Group
It could also be said of Jerome that...“by assiduous reading and constant meditation he made his heart a library of Christ”. Jerome spared no effort in expanding his own library, which he always viewed as an indispensable workshop for understanding the faith and the spiritual life; in this way he serves as a fine example … Continue reading Tradistae Reading Lists
The following is an excerpt from a homily “On the Earthquake” by Saint John Chrysostom, translated by Bryson Sewell. It likely refers to an earthquake which hit Constantinople, where Chrysostom was Bishop, in 398 A.D. The entire sermon can be found here. Chrysostom is a Doctor of the Church known for his preaching and his … Continue reading Saint John Chrysostom, Sermon after an Earthquake
The following is an excerpt of the sermon titled “God threatens to chastise in order to deliver us from chastisement” by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. This is the first sermon of a series which discusses divine chastisement. You can find the full set of sermons here. Liguori was a Bishop in Italy during the 18th century. … Continue reading Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Sermon on Divine Chastisement
Note: The following is an excerpt of the homily "In Times of Famine and Drought" by Saint Basil the Great. You can read the complete sermon here. We strongly encourage you to purchase the collection of St. Basil's homilies titled On Social Justice from SVS Press (link). Basil was a 4th century Bishop of Caesarea. … Continue reading St. Basil on Famine: ‘The multitude of our sins has changed the seasons’
The following prayer was offered by Pope Francis at the conclusion of his apostolic exhortation, "Querida Amazonia". The Holy Father warns us that "the equilibrium of our planet also depends on the health of the Amazon region... The cry of the Amazon region reaches everyone" (§ 48). Friends of Tradistae are asked to join this … Continue reading Prayer to Our Lady of the Amazon