beauty

Sarah Clarkson’s book, “This Beautiful Truth: How God’s Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness,” is a remarkable corrective to our persistent urge to “make sense” of evil and suffering.

As Guido Monaco, an 11th-century Italian, poured over the manuscripts in the abbey’s library, he wondered: Why couldn’t music be written down and read like the words in a book?

The academy was founded in 1542 as the Congregation of St. Joseph of the Holy Land and its members not only were artisans and artists, but also were volunteers dedicated to helping the poor of Rome.

“God Is Beauty: A Retreat on the Gospel and Art” is comprised of the retreat, given by then-Bishop Karol Wojtyla during Holy Week 1962, an introduction, commentary and reflections by various contributors.

In the spotlight: papal meeting with artists, Ukraine shelling, Brazil mudslide

The artists are part of a movement called “Diakonia of Beauty,” created in 2012 to restore a relationship in which the Catholic Church relies on artists to share the Gospel and in which the artists seek to learn from and serve the church.