Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially

patristics Patristics or patrology is the study of the early Christian writers who are designated Church Fathers. The names derive from the combined forms of Latin ''pater'' and Greek ''patḗr'' (father). The period is generally considered to run from ...

(the study of the early

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

). He is executive vice-president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is also a contributing editor of ''

Angelus The Angelus (; Latin for "angel") is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Christ. As with many Catholic prayers, the name ''Angelus'' is derived from its incipit—the first few words of the text: ("The Angel of the Lord ...

'', and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He hosts ''Way of the Fathers'', a podcast produced by CatholicCulture.org.

Personal life and education

Aquilina was born in

Kingston, Pennsylvania Kingston is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the western bank of the Susquehanna River opposite the city of Wilkes-Barre. Kingston was first settled in the early 1770s; it was incorporated as a borough in ...

in 1963. He received his elementary and secondary education in Catholic schools in

Pittston, Pennsylvania Pittston is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated between Scranton, Pennsylvania, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The city gained prominence in the late 19th an ...

. He is a 1985 graduate of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

, and he received that university's Oswald Award for Achievement in Journalism and Mass Media. He and his wife, Terri, have been married since 1985. They live in the suburbs of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

with their children, who are the subject of his book ''Love in the Little Things'' (2007).

Professional career

Aquilina is the author or editor of more than sixty books, including: ''What Catholics Believe'' (1999), ''Living the Mysteries'' (2003), ''The Fathers of the Church'' (2006), ''The Mass of the Early Christians'' (2007) and ''The Resilient Church'' (2007). His books have been translated into many languages, from Croatian and Portuguese to German and Braille. ''The Grail Code'' has appeared in ten languages since its publication in 2006. Critics have praised Aquilina's work for making the Fathers accessible to non-academic readers: "Most scholars … study the paper trail — homilies, letters, teaching manuals, works of theological disputation … Aquilina loves the words, too. But he also finds the sermon in the stuff, the theology expressed in the little things that the first Christians left behind — fading murals on catacomb walls, pottery and dishware, pieces of coinage, ancient hymns and mass prayers, common household items … The point is that for Aquilina, the little things matter — because they tell us big things about what Catholics believe and how they look at the world". Dr. John Grondelski said in the ''

National Catholic Register The ''National Catholic Register'' is a Catholic newspaper in the United States. It was founded on November 8, 1927, by Matthew J. Smith as the national edition of the '' Denver Catholic Register''. The ''Registers current owner is the Ete ...

'': "Aquilina has made a vocation and career out of, in many ways, single-handedly popularizing patristics." Aquilina's book ''Ministers and Martyrs'' (2015), was an official companion volume to the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

series '' A.D. The Bible Continues''. A year later, he published ''The World of Ben-Hur'', as a guide to

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

's remake of the Lew Wallace classic '' Ben-Hur''. Aquilina is also a poet and songwriter. His poems, collected in the volumes ''Terms and Conditions'' (2014) and ''The Invention of Zero'' (2020), have appeared in U.S. literary journals and in Polish and Spanish translations. His collaborations with

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

artist Dion include the book ''Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth'' and four albums: ''Tank Full of Blues'' (2012), ''New York Is My Home'' (2016), '' Blues with Friends'' (2020) and ''Stomping Ground'' (2021). The title song of ''New York Is My Home'' was recorded as a duet by Dion and

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

, launched by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine, and released as a single in 2015. It was used in episode 5 of season 1, in the drama series ''

Horace and Pete ''Horace and Pete'' is an American web series created, written, and directed by Louis C.K., who describes it as a tragedy. In addition to C.K., the series stars Alan Alda, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco and Jessica Lange. Dealing with the themes of ...

''. It was also chosen by clothing designer

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...

, as the catwalk theme for his 50th-anniversary show in 2018. The song also appears in the Deluxe Edition of Simon's album ''

Stranger to Stranger ''Stranger to Stranger'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on June 3, 2016 through Concord Records. Simon wrote the material over a period ...

''. Dion's album ''Blues with Friends'' (2020), which included twelve songs co-written with Aquilina, debuted at number one on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' and U.K. charts. It was also the number one ''Billboard'' Blues Album for 2020. ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'' magazine honored " Song for Sam Cooke (Here in America)", a single from ''Blues with Friends'', as the "Greatest of the Great 2020 Songs". DiMucci-Aquilina songs have also been recorded with or performed by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christia ...

Joe Bonamassa Joseph Leonard Bonamassa ( ; born May 8, 1977) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his inde ...

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

Joe Louis Walker Joe Louis Walker, also known as JLW (born December 25, 1949) is an American musician, best known as an electric blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. His knowledge of blues history is revealed by his use of older material and playi ...

Billy F. Gibbons William Frederick Gibbons (born December 16, 1949) is an American musician who is the guitarist and lead singer of the rock band ZZ Top. He began his career in the band the Moving Sidewalks, which recorded a full-length album entitled, ''Flas ...

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including Rock music, rock, Rhythm and blues, R&B ...

, and many others.

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

praised these songs for their craft. In recent years, Aquilina has hosted eleven television series on

EWTN The Eternal Word Television Network, more commonly known by its initials EWTN, is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic-themed programming. It is not only the largest Catholic television network in ...

and hosted two independently produced feature documentaries, one on

St. Perpetua Perpetua and Felicity ( la, Perpetua et Felicitas) were Christian martyrs of the 3rd century. Vibia Perpetua was a recently married, well-educated noblewoman, said to have been 22 years old at the time of her death, and mother of an infant son s ...

and another on St. Augustine. He is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio, especially

Relevant Radio Relevant Radio (corporate name Relevant Radio, Inc.) is a radio network in the United States, mainly broadcasting talk radio and religious programming involving the Catholic Church. It is the largest Catholic radio network by owned station base. R ...

and EWTN. His journalistic work has appeared in many periodicals. Aquilina is the past editor of ''New Covenant'' magazine (1996–2002) and ''

Pittsburgh Catholic The ''Pittsburgh Catholic'' is the weekly Catholic news source for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, published for lay people, clergy and religious. It labeled itself as the oldest Catholic newspaper in continuous publication in the U.S. ...

'' newspaper (1993–1996).Karl Keating, "Mike Aquilina Explains Schmoozing," This Rock, October 1996, http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1996/9610int.asp .

Bibliography

* ''Africa and the Early Church: The Almost-Forgotten Roots of Catholic Christianity'' (2023), * ''Rhymes' Reasons'' (2022), * ''Fathers of the Faith: Saint Augustine'' (2022), * ''Fathers of the Faith: Saint Irenaeus'' (2022), * ''How the Fathers Read the Bible: Scripture, Liturgy, and the Early Church'' (2022), * ''Friendship and the Fathers: How the Early Church Evangelized'' (2021), * ''The Holy Mass: Sayings of the Fathers of the Church'' (2021), * ''St. Joseph and His World'' (2020), * ''History's Queen: Exploring Mary's Pivotal Role from Age to Age'' (2020), * ''The Invention of Zero: An Accumulation of Poems'' (2020), * ''Work Play Love: How the Mass Changed the Life of the First Christians'' (2020), * ''The Eucharist Foretold: The Lost Prophecy of Malachi'' (2019), * ''The Church and the Roman Empire (301–490): Constantine, Councils, and the Fall of Rome'' (2019), * ''How Christianity Saved Civilization: And Must Do So Again'' (co-author with

James L. Papandrea James L. Papandrea (born May 9, 1963) is an author, Catholic Church, Catholic theologian, historian, speaker, and singer/songwriter. He is currently Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in ...

) (2019), * ''Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians'' (2018), * ''A Joyful Noise: Praying the Psalms with the Early Church'' (2017), * ''The Healing Imperative: The Early Church and the Invention of Medicine as We Know It'' (2017), * ''A History of the Church in 100 Objects'' (co-author with Grace Aquilina) (2017), * ''The Apostles and Their Times'' (2017), * ''How the Choir Converted the World: Through Hymns, With Hymns, and In Hymns'' (2016), * ''The World of Ben-Hur'' (2016), * ''Take Five: On the Job Meditations With St. Ignatius'' (co-author with Fr. Kris Stubna) (2008/2016), * ''Sharing Christ's Priesthood: A Bible Study for Catholics'' (2009/2016), * ''The How-To Book of Catholic Devotions'' (co-author with Regis J. Flaherty) (2016), * ''Praying in the Presence of Our Lord: with St. Thomas Aquinas'' (2002/2016), * ''Something More Pastoral: The Mission of Bishop, Archbishop, and Cardinal Donald Wuerl'' (co-author with Ann Rodgers) (2015), * ''Keeping Mary Close: Devotion to Our Lady through the Ages'' (co-author with Fr. Frederick Gruber) (2015), * ''Ministers & Martyrs: The Ultimate Catholic Guide to the Apostolic Age'' (2015), * ''Seven Revolutions: How Christianity Changed the World and Can Change It Again'' (co-author with James L. Papandrea) (2015), * ''The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today'' (co-author with

John Michael Talbot John Michael Talbot (born May 8, 1954) is an American Christian musician, author, television presenter and founder of a monastic community known as the Brothers and Sisters of Charity. Life and career Talbot was born into a Methodist family wi ...

) (2015), * ''The Holy Land: A Guide for Pilgrims'' (co-author with Fr. Dave Halaiko) (2014), * ''The Feasts: How the Church Year Forms Us as Catholics'' (co-author with Cardinal

Donald Wuerl Donald William Wuerl (born November 12, 1940) is an American prelate, a cardinal, of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Washington, D.C., from 2006 to 2018. He was elevated by Pope John Paul II to serve as auxiliary bishop of S ...

) (2014), * ''Terms and Conditions: Assorted Poems, 1985-2014'' (2014), * ''The Witness of Early Christian Women: Mothers of the Church'' (2014), * ''The Fathers of the Church: An Introduction to the First Christian Teachers'' (1999/2006/2013), * ''Good Pope, Bad Pope: Their Lives, Our Lessons'' (2013), * ''The Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church'' (2013), * ''The Fathers of the Church Bible'' (2013), * ''Saint Monica and the Power of Persistent Prayer'' (co-author with Mark W. Sullivan) (2013), * ''The Church: Unlocking the Secrets to the Places Catholics Call Home'' (co-author with Cardinal

) (2013), * ''Faith of Our Fathers: Why the Early Christians Still Matter and Always Will'' (2012), * ''Yours Is the Church: How Catholicism Shapes Our World'' (2012), * ''A Year with the Angels: Daily Meditations with the Messengers of God'' (2011), * ''Understanding the Mass: 100 Questions, 100 Answers'' (2011), * ''Dion: The Wanderer Talks Truth (Stories, Humor & Music)'' (co-author with

Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci (born July 18, 1939), better known simply as Dion, is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. His music has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop, rock, R&B, folk and blues. Initially as the lead singer of Dion and t ...

) (2011), * ''The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition'' (co-author with Cardinal

) (2011), * ''The Doubter's Novena: Nine Steps to Trust with the Apostle Thomas'' (co-author with Christopher Bailey) (2010), * ''A Year With The Church Fathers: Patristic Wisdom for Daily Living'' (2010), * ''Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman'' (co-author with Fr. Juan Velez) (2010), * ''Roots of the Faith: From the Church Fathers to You'' (2010), * ''Sweet Gridlock: Selected Love Poems 1985-2010'' (2010), * ''Why Me? When Bad Things Happen'' (2009), * ''Take Five: Meditations with Pope Benedict XVI'' (co-author with Fr. Kris Stubna) (2009), * ''Fire of God's Love: 120 Reflections on the Eucharist'' (2009), * ''Praying the Psalms with the Early Christians'' (co-author with Christopher Bailey) (2009), * ''Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts'' (2009), * ''Companion Guide to Pope Benedict's 'The Fathers' '' (2008), * ''Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols'' (2008), * ''Love in the Little Things: Tales of Family Life'' (2007), * ''The Resilient Church: The Glory, the Shame, & the Hope for Tomorrow'' (2007), * ''The Mass of the Early Christians'' (2001/2007), * ''The Grail Code: Quest for the Real Presence'' (co-author with Christopher Bailey) (2006), * ''The Great Life: Essays on Doctrine and Holiness in Honor of Father Ronald Lawler, O.F.M. Cap.'' (co-editor with Kenneth Ogorek) (2006), * ''Talking to Youth About Sexuality: A Parents' Guide'' (co-author with Fr. Kris Stubna) (1995/2006), * ''Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians'' (co-author with Scott Hahn) (2003), * ''A Pocket Catechism for Kids'' (co-author with Fr. Kris Stubna) (2001), * ''The World's First Christmas: Jubilee 2000'' (co-author with Regis J. Flaherty) (2000), * ''What Catholics Believe: A Pocket Catechism'' (co-author with Fr. Kris Stubna) (1999), * ''The Way of the Fathers: Praying With the Early Christians'' (1999), * ''Weapons of the Spirit: Selected Writings of Father John Hugo'' (co-editor with David Scott) (1997),

References

External links

Mike Aquilina's websiteMike Aquilina's credits at AllMusicReflection for Catechetical Sunday 2016, USCCB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aquilina, Mike 1963 births Living people People from Kingston, Pennsylvania American Roman Catholic religious writers Writers from Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University alumni Catholics from Pennsylvania