Brian Doyle on Why He Lived His Catholic Faith

"Recently a friend asked me why I was Catholic. I mumbled the first few reasons that entered my head - the faith of my family, the enticing power of the story, and increasing belief as I age that divinity indeed infuses all thing, and that Christ, dead in the dust at age 33, was indeed distilled divinity.

"My friend was satisfied and moved the conversation along to other things, but I was not satisfied and so have continued to write down reasons that I am Catholic.

"I believe that a carpenter's son named Jesus did indeed crack time in half, entered this world in the guise of a squalling infant, said his piece, was slaughtered for his pains, and cracked time again on his way home. I have no real basis for this belief, and neither do you. We either believe the man or we do not, and I do, for reasons I know and do not know."

U.S. Catholic recently republished, posthumously, a post by Brian Doyle, editor of Portland Magazine at the University of Portland, in which he reflected on why he lived his Catholic faith.

To access Mr. Doyle's complete post, please visit:

U.S. Catholic: How I came to speak Catholic (29 JUN 17)