As a parish that offered a Latin high Mass every Sunday morning, St. Agnes in St. Paul offered Latin classes to parishioners using “A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin” as the textbook. But when the pandemic and lockdown hit, Deacon Nathan Allen said those involved with the class wondered what to do. He thought “Why not podcast it?”
In addition to serving as a deacon, he is an attorney and a judge on the Metropolitan Tribunal, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ court of canon law. Deacon Allen joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley March 19 to discuss the free Latin class offered via podcast.
Deacon Nathan AllenLatin classes
There are multiple benefits to the podcast format, including students’ ability to learn at their own pace, Deacon Allen said. “You can pick it up for a while,” he said. “If life gets in the way, you can put it aside a bit. You can go back and re-do lessons.”
Deacon Allen said that he, his wife and a couple of friends wanted to learn Latin themselves. He started using Latin with the Liturgy of the Hours, and his Latin improved dramatically over the course of a year, he said.
Deacon Allen teaches Latin I in the podcast, while a retired classics professor from St. Olaf College in Northfield teaches Latin II and Latin III. People who get through the entire course can have a solid foundation in Latin, Deacon Allen said.
So, what is the value of learning Latin in 2021? Deacon Allen gave a number of reasons, including:
- It remains the official language of the Church and, historically, the language of the liturgy
- It’s a palpable connection to past centuries of the Church
- Even the best translation of one language to another loses some meaning and richness
- Latin is the foundational language of much of Europe
- It’s a great intellectual exercise
To take a first lesson, go to St. Agnes’ home page at churchofsaintagnes.org/home, scroll down and click on “Recordings,” then scroll down to Latin I.
The podcast focuses on ecclesiastical Latin. To learn the difference between ecclesiastical and classical Latin, tune in for the entire interview at 9 p.m. March 19 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Other airings of “Practicing Catholic” are 1 p.m. March 20 and 2 p.m. March 21. “Practicing Catholic” is produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Other guest interviews on the March 19 show are Steve Hawkins, who describes helping the homeless by volunteering with Friends of Dorothy Day, and Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun, who discusses Maronite traditions for Lent and Easter.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic
Practicing Catholic on Spotify
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