Dear Readers,

With the approach of the start of this academic year, I am coming very close to the end of my doctoral studies. This has had me thinking about “what’s next.” As you know, I am working on the athletics and philanthropy stuff as seen in my last post.

I’m also getting into history.

After the fifth time I tried to leave Rome failed, I have resigned myself to staying there indefinitely. This bodes well for a career or at least intense hobby in the world of history, especially Catholic history. I’ve also been getting familiar with various archives in Rome, and now I also have an extremely helpful connection or two…

About ten years ago, I had started to collect filmed interviews of priests who had been ordained before Vatican II. It was so interesting… And I thought it was an important contribution. I still think that – not everyone I interviewed is still alive today. It’s a strange feeling to have a kind of responsibility to be a custodian of the stories of men who’ve gone before oneself.

I’m a moral theologian by training, but I’m very drawn to history, especially ecclesiastical history (and archaeology, its handmaiden). Part of it’s the existential thrill of uncovering the past and feeling part of a larger story than your own brief existence. Part of it’s the fear that people will not appreciate the present because they don’t know the past and its many lessons. And, being in Rome, it’s also just plain easy – every rock has a story to tell.

For these reasons, I am launching Catholic History Initiative.

The show is going to be very different. First of all, it’s not just a show. It has a WhatsApp group connected to it – anyone in the group can talk with anyone else, and we can and will plan episodes together. We may even have some LIVESTREAMED visits to sites I hope… If you just want to get an email with a link to the latest episode, that’s fine too. Second, the feeling of the on-site episodes will be a bit “rough and tumble.” It’s a notch or two above “me and my cell phone.” Here’s a teaser I shot in an afternoon and edited in an evening:

The episodes will typically be once a week (at least) and will usually be about 3 to 5 minutes – this is my projection. There will be a non-publicly listed video posted on YouTube which you will receive the link for.

I will be doing all kinds of stuff in Rome, but also around Italy and the rest of Europe and even well beyond. Want to learn about the missionaries and martyrs of the Pacific Islands? Want to wander around the Seven Churches of Revelation? Want to see where the ancient Ecumenical Councils were held? Then you want to sign up for CHI.

The truth is that I wish I could do this for free, but I can’t. The full price is 100 Euro per year or 10 Euro per month. I am offering a special discount to readers of this blog – use the code CRM30 to receive a 30% discount off your first year. The funds help me to produce the show and also help my company, Pro Fide, to start businesses in the missions.

The first episode is coming at the end of next month.

The show’s website is here. I hope you’ll join me on the many adventures which await…

God bless you and happy Sunday,
-Eamonn