| |
Saints speak to the modern world on new MP3 release
‘Saints and Sanctity’ features 19 hours of inspiring lectures by former editor
By Samuel Morehead
Untitled Document
Perhaps St. Gabriel the Archangel, the heavenly patron of communicators, has been praying for the work of Frank Morriss, and perhaps God has heard these prayers.
More than 30 years ago, Morriss developed a series of recorded discussions on the lives of the saints and their ability to speak to a modern world. Yet, after the soundtracks were laid, the project was all but abandoned. Now, three decades later, Morriss’ inspiring words have found new life.
This summer, a Catholic audio apostolate released Morriss’ anthology: “Saints and Sanctity: The Saints Speak to a Modern World.”
In the 1970s, while Morriss served as the editor for both the Denver Catholic Register and the National Catholic Register, he was asked to develop two year’s worth of weekly lectures on the Catholic faith.
During the second year, reporting each Saturday morning to a Denver radio station, Morriss took up the cause of the saints on old audio reels. In 48, half-hour programs, he featured more than 90 saints from the better known St. Peter and St. Frances Cabrini to the lesser known St. Ludwina and St. Kuna.
“The saints are needed today as models for resisting forces against the faith for all the saints, in one way or another, contended with these forces,” said Morriss. “We’re feeling a lot of identical forces in our time.”
Moreover, Morriss argues that, through the example of the saints, a modern world can see that sanctity is indeed achievable and the common vocation of all persons.
“What sanctity tells us through the voice of saints is that the way to salvation is possible,” Morriss contends in the introduction to his reflections. “They prove to us the truth that we should otherwise be inclined to ignore, that if we yoke ourselves to Christ that burden becomes light, the bitterest of tasks sweet, the most difficult of duties easy.”
Originally, the former editor, who attended Regis College and earned a law degree from Georgetown University and who still contributes to the national Catholic weekly newspaper The Wanderer, developed the narration for these now-resurrected tapes as apologetic material for Catholics United for the Faith. At the time, the reflections were recorded onto 24 cassette tapes but were never made freely available.
During the 1990s, The Catholic Corner Audio Tapes, based out of California, acquired Morriss’ recordings with the determination to make his powerful, poetic and provocative words public for the first time.
Using the latest technology, the lay Catholic apostolate whose mission is to record and distribute talks by Catholic speakers, digitally re-mastered Morriss’ lecture series. From 24 cassettes, the group has put all 19 hours of the recordings onto one MP3 audio compact disk, which can be read by computers and newer CD players.
Morriss, who will take no proceeds from this new release, indicated that he hopes many, including individuals and families, will purchase copies of the CD in order to learn more about the saints, the spiritual predecessors of the Church. He also hopes that many will buy copies to help The Catholic Corner offset the cost of production.
Speaking of the saints, Morriss contended: “We need champions today. We need heroes today.”
Morriss invites those who would like to learn more about the saints, about how to turn to them and follow their example, to acquire this CD.
To purchase “Saints and Sanctity: The Saints Speak to a Modern World,” available for $24.99, contact The Catholic Corner Audio Tapes at 1-925-449-8402 or at www.tccaudio.com.
|
