Avengers Assemble!

It's no secret that we're in the middle of a culture war.  Almost every day - certainly, every week - seems to bring with it some new catastrophe, some new infringement upon our rights as Catholics and as citizens.

What we hear from every pundit, every apologist, is the same: we need Catholic artists.  We need to enter into the cultural conversation.  In short, the commentators seem to say:

"Where are the Catholic artists today?"

If you're like me, then when you hear this question on the TV or radio, you tend to throw your arms up in the air, shouting: "I'm already here!  I'm already doing what I can!"

Musicians, fine artists, performers, filmmakers, writers, video game designers...we're already in place.  We're already holding the line as best we can with love, respect, arguments, beauty, and the tools of our trade.

But we're fighting individually.

What we as artists need to do, in order to strengthen one another, and in order to respond to our nation's and our Church's cry, is to...well...assemble.

Let's take the Avengers as a model: each hero in that movie (fantastic movie, by the way) retains his or her own individuality.  Thor doesn't suddenly Hulk out, for example.  Unlike the X-Men or Fantastic Four they don't suit up to fall in line.

So it is with Catholic artists.

We can work together, reach out and support one another, help one another in the front line of this cultural clash each in our own disciplines...while working with Catholic artists of other disciplines.  Catholic fine artists need Catholic curators; Catholic actors need Catholic directors who both need Catholic playwrights and - God willing! - Catholic producers.  The arts are inter-dependent.  It's about time we realized that.

So, to all Catholic artists and patrons of the arts, I invite you to assemble - I invite you to effect the world by joining the CAUSE.