Perhaps no author’s name has appeared in 'America' more often than Flannery O’Connor’s over the years, from a 1956 editorial through to a story just last week.
One wonders: If the “red wolf” of lupus had not ended Flannery O’Connor’s life at age 39, what would the author be writing about in 2025? What might she think of what was being written about her?
Pat Conroy was the epitome of the "Southern Writer" for many years and called by some "the most beloved American writer of his generation"—and was also a God-haunted Catholic who wrote often and deeply about religious faith.
Lawrence "Larry" Cunningham, a longtime professor of theology at Notre Dame University and a well-known writer on spirituality, sainthood and more, died on Feb. 20, 2025.
Throughout his life, William Stringfellow was the modern incarnation of an Old Testament prophet, calling out lies and hypocrisy and demanding fidelity to the commandments of God.
A century ago, Al Smith was a force in American politics—and the first Catholic to mount a major run at the White House. And if he is to be believed, he didn't know what an encyclical was.