St. John the Baptist
About the Author
I'm a seminarian for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas, working on a theology degree at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.I'll use this blog to chronicle any noteworthy experiences I may have while away from home, as well as muse on Catholicism, culture, etc.
My views are solely my own, based on a reasonable grounding in the Western Tradition, and subject to correction if necessary. They do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer or any institution with which I am associated.
Author Archives: Emmett Hall
Summer in Jilin
I know I haven’t exactly done a good job of keeping this updated. I’ve been back in Rome for over a week now, and China is slowly fading from the forefront of my mind. My only excuse is that helping … Continue reading
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Trip Update: Back from China
[I’ll be blogging from Asia for the rest of the summer, as I teach English and learn about the Church’s missionary efforts here. For more information, see my previous post detailing my summer plans.] Actually, I’ve been back in Hong … Continue reading
Trip Update: Japan
[I’ll be blogging from Asia for the rest of the summer, as I teach English and learn about the Church’s missionary efforts here. For more information, see my previous post detailing my summer plans.] I depart for mainland China in … Continue reading
Trip Update: Arrival in Hong Kong
[I’ll be blogging from Asia for the rest of the summer, as I teach English and learn about the Church’s missionary efforts here. For more information, see my previous post detailing my summer plans.] My group arrived safely in Hong … Continue reading
What Waterskiing can teach us about the Virtuous Life
When I was growing up, skiers dominated the lake where I spent my summers. These days, however, I find the lake of my boyhood increasingly littered with people riding inner tubes. I find this notable because it takes skill to … Continue reading
“Time” and Eternity
The Angelus bells were ringing a few days ago as I walked to Mass, and I couldn’t help but think of the lyrics to Pink Floyd’s “Time.” Far away, across the field, Tolling on the iron bell Calls the faithful … Continue reading
Preparing a Culture to Receive the Gospel
Evangelization requires preparation: not just on the part of the evangelist, but also on the part of those who are to be evangelized. We see this fairly plainly in the Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13:3-8,18-23). If the soil of … Continue reading
The Villa Agrippina
Every day on my way to class I pass the front gate of a luxury resort hotel on the Janiculum hill, called the Villa Agrippina. It looks like a very nice (if expensive) place for family and friends to stay, … Continue reading
Vulgate on iTunes–for Free!
My Latin is not that good. There, I said it. Despite the fact that my three semesters of Latin at UD are enough to exempt me from having to take any more of it here in Rome (at least for … Continue reading
A Very Brief History of the English Reformation in the 16th Century
I recently finished reading Evelyn Waugh’s biography of St. Edmund Campion, an Oxford scholar-turned-Jesuit priest who was martyred under Queen Elizabeth I. I find the history of the English Reformation fascinating, in part because England was not at all a … Continue reading
A Blog in the Desert 