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The Catholic Novel

The Catholic Novel with Fr. Robert Lauder

The Catholic Novel, as defined by Fr. Lauder, is a story whose theme is directly related to some Catholic teaching, dogmatic or moral; or some Catholic sacramental principle; and the mystery of Catholicism is treated favorably. Unfortunately in recent years the Catholic novel has been like a treasure hidden in a field, largely neglected even by Catholics. This series will attempt to change that.

This is a lecture series raising awareness about a specific type of literature. Each lecture runs approximately 12-14 minutes and each half-hour episode features 2 lectures.

Our 7th and Final Season is currently airing Tuesdays at 9pm! The final episode, airs this Tuesday, March 31st:

Season 7, Episode 7: Miles Connolly’s “Dan England and the Noonday Devil” (NEW)

Season 7, Episode 8: Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited” (ENCORE)

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To catch up on what we’ve covered so far, see ALL our episodes below!

All Season 1, episodes are currently available for viewing below:

Season 1, Episode 1: Overview of the Catholic Novel

Season 1, Episode 2: Graham Green’s “The Power and the Glory”

Season 1, Episode 3: Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited”

Season 1, Episode 4: Georges Bernanos’ “The Diary of a Country Priest”

Season 1, Episode 5: Walker Percy’s “The Moviegoer”

Season 1, Episode 6: Shusako Endo’s “Deep River”

Season 1, Episode 7: Ron Hansen’s “Mariette in Ecstasy”

Season 1, Episode 8: Graham Greene’s “The End of the Affair”

A 2nd season of 8 novels aired during the 2017 Advent Season, and are currently available for viewing below:

Season 2, Episode 9: Shusako Endo’s “Silence”

Season 2, Episode 10: Graham Greene’s “The Heart of the Matter”

Season 2, Episode 11: Alice McDermott’s “The Ninth Hour”

Season 2, Episode 12: Myles Connolly’s “Mr. Blue”

Season 2, Episode 13: Francois Mauriac’s “Viper’s Tangle”

Season 2, Episode 14: Mark Salzman’s “Lying Awake”

Season 2, Episode 15: Morris West’s “The Devil’s Advocate”

Season 2, Episode 16: Graham Green’s “Monsignor Quixote”

A 3rd season of 8 novels aired during the entire month of April 2018, and are currently available for viewing below:

Season 3, Episode 17: Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

Season 3, Episode 18: William Kennedy’s “Ironweed”

Season 3, Episode 19: Budd Schulberg’s “On The Waterfront”

Season 3, Episode 20: Bruce Marshall’s “Father Malachy’s Miracle”

Season 3, Episode 21: Graham Greene’s “The Third Man”

Season 3, Episode 22: A. G. Mojtabai’s “Ordinary Time”

Season 3, Episode 23: Wm. Paul Young’s “The Shack”

Season 3, Episode 24: Bruce Marshall’s “The World, The Flesh, and Father Smith”

A 4th season of 8 novels aired during the 2018 Advent Season, and are currently available for viewing below:

Season 4, Episode 25 – Piers Paul Read’s “Monk Dawson”

Season 4, Episode 26 – Piers Paul Read’s “The Death of a Pope”

Season 4, Episode 27 – Muriel Spark’s “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”

Season 4, Episode 28 – Brian Moore’s “Catholics – A Novel”

Season 4, Episode 29 – A.J. Cronin’s “The Keys of the Kingdom”

Season 4, Episode 30 – A.J. Cronin’s “The Green Years”

Season 4, Episode 31 – J.F. Powers’ “Morte D’Urban”

Season 4, Episode 32 – J.F. Powers’ The Presence of Grace”

A 5th season of 8 novels aired during the 2019 Lenten season, and are currently available for viewing below:

Season 5, Episode 33: Walker Percy’s “The Last Gentleman”

Season 5, Episode 34: Walker Percy’s “Love in the Ruins”

Season 5, Episode 35: Morris West’s “Eminence”

Season 5, Episode 36: Morris West’s “The Shoes of the Fisherman”

Season 5, Episode 37: Graham Greene’s “Brighton Rock”

Season 5, Episode 38: Graham Greene’s “A Burnt-Out Case”

Season 5, Episode 39: Ayaka Sono’s “No Reason For Murder”

Season 5, Episode 40: Walker Percy’s “Lancelot”

A 6th season of 8 novels aired during the 2019 Advent season, and are currently available for viewing below:

Season 6, Episode 41: Walker Percy’s “The Second Coming”

Season 6, Episode 42: Walker Percy’s “The Thanatos Syndrome”

Season 6, Episode 43: John Hassler’s “A Green Journey”

Season 6, Episode 44: John Hassler’s “Dear James”

Season 6, Episode 45: Edwin O’Connor’s “The Edge of Sadness, Part 1 – Humor”

Season 6, Episode 46: Edwin O’Connor’s “The Edge of Sadness, Part 2 – Depth”

Season 6, Episode 47: Thomas Keneally’s “The Office of Innocence”

Season 6, Episode 48: John Hassler’s “North of Hope”

A 7th and final season of 4 novels aired during the 2020 Lenten season, and are currently available for viewing below:

Season 7, Episode 49: Jon Hassler’s “Simon’s Night”

Season 7, Episode 50: Jon Hassler’s “The Love Hunter”

Season 7, Episode 51: Piers Paul Read’s “Polonaise”

Season 7, Episode 52 Miles Connolly’s “Dan England and the Noonday Devil” (Coming Soon)

FR. ROBERT LAUDER

Author of over a dozen books, full professor of philosophy at St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens, and regular contributor to NET’s Gabriel Award-winning movie-review series, REEL FAITH, Father Lauder has long had as an avocation viewing and writing about films, theatre and literature. His essays on film have appeared in The Sunday Arts and Leisure Section of the Sunday New York Times, America magazine, Commonweal magazine and in his weekly column which appears in The Tablet, the Brooklyn Diocese’s newspaper. He has also contributed essays to books about film. In the popular Friday Film Festival program at Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, Father Lauder has shown more than two hundred films, all classics or near classics. Knowing that many still think of film as nothing more than escapist entertainment, Father Lauder believes that film has tremendous potential to influence people deeply, at least as much potential as literature, theatre and television. In fact he believes that film, like other art forms, can be a mediator of God’s grace.This priest-philosopher is fond of saying “One film will not change anyone’s life but a constant diet of the same type of film has to affect people”. Father Lauder thinks that great films can raise consciousness and challenge conscience. In recent years he has tried to interest Catholic formation programs to include some study of film in their educational efforts.