About Howard Kramer

So as most of you have probably heard by now, Notre Dame de Paris, one of the world's greatest and most iconic churches, was devastated by a tragic fire on Monday.  The good news is that while the interior was badly damaged, the walls and towers were essentially undamaged.  Moreover, only one person, a brave Parisian firefighter, was injured, and a lot of the artwork and sacred … [Read more...]

Easter, the holiest day of the Christian year, commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and his triumph over death.  It is both a literal and figurative celebration of life and rebirth, and is a holiday of great joy for Christians around the world.  Easter religious services are often followed by festivals and traditions of all sorts.  In the United States, two of the … [Read more...]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or the Mormon Church as it is more commonly called, is the largest completely home-grown American Christian denomination. Founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, this unusual movement had an adventurous if rough early history.  Begun in New York state, its members moved several times ever westward across the American frontier, … [Read more...]

The idea of building a church that embraces the natural world is, surprisingly, a relatively recent concept. But with the advent of modern architecture and the availability and use of glass in great quantities, the 20th and 21st centuries have seen many churches constructed that have taken the beauty of nature into account.  These can be found everywhere, from forests to … [Read more...]

Officially, St. Patrick’s Day is the Roman Catholic feast day celebrating St. Patrick, who is credited with converted Ireland to Christianity. However, in the United States in the 20th century, St. Patrick’s Day has morphed into a celebration of Irish pride and all things Irish.  Even out west, where America’s Irish population is much smaller per capita than it is in the east, … [Read more...]

You don’t have to be Irish or Catholic to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the most popular of Catholic feast days in the United States.  However, it does help if you live in the northeast.  Let’s face it: when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day, its places like Boston, Philadelphia and Buffalo which usually grab the spotlight, not to mention New York City and its massive celebration.  … [Read more...]

The cities of the American Midwest are home to a huge Irish Catholic population, and not surprisingly St. Patrick’s Day is very popular here. Except for New York City and Boston, most of the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations take place in the heavily Catholic cities of the Midwest, especially in the old industrial centers along the shores of the Great Lakes.  So … [Read more...]

Magnificent sacred places can be found in all countries on the planet. But let’s face it, when it comes to the best of the best, the “I”s generally have it: Israel, Italy, India, Iran and Iraq collectively pack in virtually all of the top sites of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, not to mention some of the most important sites in Buddhism (the most visited religious … [Read more...]

The Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper and which caught at least some of his blood during the Crucifixion, is (no pun intended) the Holy Grail of religious artifacts. This vessel, if it could be found and verified, would undoubtedly be the greatest treasure of the Christian faith.  Its existence and location have been the subject of countless … [Read more...]