Good Catholic Apps: Catholic Answers Forum

Good Catholic Apps for Smart Phone - Catholic Answers Forums I would like to share two apps that I find very helpful in my Catholic faith and wonder if anyone else have found any useful apps. Divine Mercy By: Marians of the ...

Angels and Saints at Ephesus CD

The awe-inspiring music of ANGELS AND SAINTS AT EPHESUS, the highly anticipated CD from the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, is available today from De Montfort Music/Decca.

This follow-up to last year’s number one hit ADVENT AT EPHESUS is a year-round collection featuring 17 English and Latin pieces sung a cappella for the feasts of the holy Saints and angels. Recorded once again at their Priory in the heartland of America, this new album, also available for digital download, is a dynamic yet pure fusion of their contemplative sound.

“We are truly excited that ANGELS AND SAINTS AT EPHESUS is available today,” De Montfort Music co-founder Monica Fitzgibbons said. “This is a classic must-have recording for any collection of music, and an opportunity to experience the Heavenly sounds emanating from these holy hearts of the Benedictines of Mary whose singing sparks a heightened sense of the True and the Beautiful.”

De Montfort enlisted nine-time International Grammy® winning producer Christopher Alder, from Germany, and two-time Grammy® winning engineer Mark Donahue to capture the Sisters in their contemplative environment.

“I was surprised by how well [the sisters] sang,” Alder said. “I was already convinced that the quality of their singing was high, so I would enjoy myself musically. … The main feeling to listening to them is the belief in the thoughts that are being expressed and a familiarity and love of the style of music.”

Check out a visual sneak peek of the album.

This is the second album from the Benedictines of Mary. Last November and December, the Sisters’ debut album, ADVENT AT EPHESUS, with De Montfort Music/Decca, spent six weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Music Chart, and the Sisters ended up as the #1 Classical Traditional Artist of 2012, according to Nielson’s Soundscan. Featured on NPR, USA Today, People Magazine and The Washington Times as well as countless other critically acclaimed press outlets, the Benedictines of Mary have created another beautiful recording of their music.

30-minute behind-the-scenes special to air this week

EWTN – the Eternal Word Television Network – has announced multiple broadcasts of a 30-minute special on the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, and the making of ANGELS AND SAINTS AT EPHESUS, which is available now worldwide from De Montfort Music and Decca Records.

The special debuts at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT tonight, May 7. Other broadcasts are set for 3:30 a.m. ET/12:30 a.m. PT Wednesday, May 8; 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT Friday, May 24; and 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT Saturday, May 25.

About the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles

Founded in 1995, The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, are a young, monastic order of Sisters. The Sisters sing together eight times a day as they chant the Divine Office in Latin.

About De Montfort Music

De Montfort Music is a division of Aim Higher Media, both founded by music-industry veterans Kevin and Monica Fitzgibbons. Its special mission is to sign, develop, produce and bring to market the very best in Sacred Music.

Pray for Me: The Life and Teachings of Pope Francis

On March 13, 2013, in Rome, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected pope. As he stepped onto the balcony, and overlooked the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, he made a humble and unexpected gesture. Before offering the traditional apostolic blessing, he greeted the faithful with a request, “Pray for me.”

This simple appeal set a beautiful precedent for his papacy and was the inspiration behind the title for a new book on his life — Pray for Me: The Life and Spiritual Vision of Pope Francis, First Pope From the Americas (Image Books, April 30, 2013) by Dr. Robert Moynihan, founder and editor of Inside the Vatican magazine.

In Pray for Me, Moynihan offers a three-part introduction to the life and teachings of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was chosen by the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church to be the 266th successor of the Apostle Peter.

In Part One, Moynihan provides a firsthand account of the first two weeks of Pope Francis’ papacy, capturing the historical moments of those early days — his first Angelus, his first Wednesday audience, his inauguration Mass — as they happened.

Part Two is a brief biography, providing context for understanding Pope Francis’ origins: from his youth to his election as Pope at the age of seventy-six. This part offers insight into the spiritual influence behind actions taken during his years as a Jesuit priest and later as Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Part Three is titled “In His Own Words” and is a collection of Pope Francis’ thoughts on various theological and philosophical topics. Taken from homilies, interviews and public addresses, this section gives readers an insight into the spiritual vision of the new pontiff with a look at his most inspirational teachings on God, prayer, marriage and family, religious freedom, and more.

In the introduction, Moynihan writes that the central purpose of the book is to offer “readers an opportunity to journey alongside this new pope, not only by walking with him in the first days of his papacy, but also by allowing readers to experience the soul of this man, his strength, passion, and tenderness.”

Speaking to the significance of the title, Moynihan writes “This book is intended to help those who are responding to the first request made by this pope to all of us, a simple request, from his heart: ‘Pray for me.’”