Mystagogy

In a tradition that dates back to the first centuries of Christianity, many newly initiated Christians were prepared for lives of faith through a formation with spiritual, liturgical, and communitarian dimensions. This period of formation was called mystagogy, a word which, in Greek, means "leading through the mysteries." Our program of mystagogy will have four primary goals: 1) To break open Magisterial teaching on the lay state (selections from Vatican II as well as letters/encyclicals from recent popes) as well as classic spiritual texts to build a thoughtful, practical devotional life; 2) To introduce the various spiritual charisms in the Church (i.e. Dominican, Carmelite, Franciscan, Salesian, etc.) so that they may develop a personal program of spirituality rooted in the uniquely Catholic legacy; 3) To deepen the prayer life through study, communal prayer, the practice of meditation, Mass, and the Liturgy of the Hours; and 4) To establish a fully Catholic life and mission, including a formation in the art of the Church, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and the commitment to a specific personal work of service.

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Mystagogy

Pope St. Pius X on Modernism

July 15, 2023 • Dr. Cynthia Nicolosi • Season 4 • Episode 3

We continue our survey of key papal teachings of the 20th century by considering Pope St. Pius 10th brilliant encyclical On the Doctrine of the Modernists.

Our guest presenter for the evening is Dr. Cynthia Nicolosi. Dr. Nicolosi has a Masters in philosophy from Boston College and her doctorate in Philosophy from Santa Croce University in Rome. Her doctoral studies focused on the work of St. Thomas Aquinas. Dr. Nicolosi also has a Masters in theology from Santa Croce, and a Masters in Cognitive Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. She currently teachers Honors courses and music history at Regent University.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

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Intro: Hello and welcome to the Mystagogy podcast, offered as part of the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, VA.

In a tradition dating back to the earliest centuries of Christianity, newly initiated believers were prepared for ongoing lives of faith through mystagogy, a period of formation designed to deepen their spiritual, liturgical and community life. Mystagogy is a Greek word which means "leading through the mysteries."

This program has been developed by Barbara Nicolosi Harrington, a university professor of screenwriting, cinema, Great Books and theology.

Today's episode is a presentation on Pope Pius X and his encyclical letter on The Doctrines of the Modernists.

Our guest presenter is Dr. Cynthia Nicolosi. Dr. Nicolosi has a PhD in philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy. She studied music composition for two years at the Claremont Graduate School in California and completed the certificate program in Gregorian Chant at Catholic University in Washington, DC. She was the director of the college choir at Magdalen College in Warner, NH for seven years. Dr. Nicolosi is now teaching music history and honors courses at Regent University.

Outro: Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Mystagogy podcast.

The music for the podcast is provided by George Sarah. Learn more about his music over at GeorgeSarahMusic.com or by following the link in the show notes.

Until next time, be well and God bless.

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Barbara Nicolosi Harrington

Host