Sections
Home
Search
Angelo Stagnaro (“Erasmus”) performs as a stage magician and mentalist and divides his time between Europe and North America. He is the editor of “Smoke & Mirrors,” the Net’s largest e-zine for professional magicians. He’s also the Guildmaster of the Catholic Magicians’ Guild and a professed member of the Secular Franciscans (Third Order Franciscans)
Angelo has published articles in most of the major Catholic journals in the United States and Great Britain and had worked as a correspondent for the Catholic News Service having served as principle liaison for the wire service to the United Nations and to the Holy See’s Office to the United Nations.
Angelo has authored six books on mentalism/cold reading including Conspiracy, Something from Nothing, The Other Side, Shibboleth and his upcoming Spur of the Moment. This series has been translated into four languages and is considered seminal in the art of mentalism. He is also one of the world’s experts in cold reading. In addition, he’s written an instructional book for catechists which uses stage magic as a teaching tool for children and young adults entitled The Catechist’s Magic Kit. (Crossroad) His other books include How to Pray the Dominican Way (Paraclete) and The Christian Book of the Dead. (Crossroad) His most recent book was released through Tau Publishing and is entitled A Lenten Cookbook for Catholics.
All of his theology books have received imprimaturs and nihil obstat from Bishop Nicholas DeMarzio of Brooklyn.
Angelo has traveled extensively and has worked, studied, performed and/or traveled in 70 countries.
Blogs
Herein lies a difference between the Catholic worldview and the secular one.
1
Blogs
Why would Our Lord say ‘Be not afraid’ to us so many times unless he wanted us to take him seriously in anxious times like these?
3
Blogs
Each repetition adds another layer of understanding of our Lord’s character until we see his form perfectly.
2
Blogs
Today as in the days of Moloch-worshippers, unborn innocents are sacrificed selfishly.
7
Blogs
“The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
2
Blogs
“The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light.” — St. John of the Cross
11
Blogs
“When you do not receive Communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you.” ―St. Teresa of Ávila
0
Blogs
“If souls are humble, they will be moved to give thanks.” —St. Teresa of Ávila
0
Blogs
Atheism sets itself in opposition to Christianity and abortion is the line in the sand.
1
Blogs
In Sweden, it’s tradition to eat waffles on the Solemnity of the Annunciation.
6
Blogs
“The sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic... subsists in the Catholic Church.” (LG 8, CCC 870)
4
Blogs
A society of laws means we shouldn’t aim toward mob rule. Democrats like Chuck Schumer, apparently, have different plans for us.
4
Blogs
The horrors perpetrated upon humanity by atheists are unparalleled.
13
Blogs
The Church’s Just War Doctrine describes four conditions for a legitimate defense by military force.
7
Blogs
“Once a person has come to faith, it is faith that must have the primacy in the relationship between faith and reason.” —Pope St. John Paul II
8
Blogs
Ask your parish priest to bless the main door’s lintel with the Epiphany blessing.
3
Blogs
“When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.” (Proverbs 19:17)
0
Blogs
“We do not really want a religion that is right where we are right. What we want is a religion that is right where we are wrong.” —G.K. Chesterton
4
Blogs
Without the right to life, no other right has any meaning at all.
3
Blogs
Babies have the right to life. It is the job of all men and women speak for and defend these voiceless victims.
3
Blogs
The architectural message of the church’s beautiful interior is, “I’d seriously reconsider my religion if I were you.”
1
Blogs
Moral relativists hate living next door to other moral relativists.
4
Blogs
October 3 is the vigil of St. Francis of Assisi's death and bears a special name — the Transitus.
3
Blogs
No one really believes in moral relativism — including the very people who advocate for it.
2
Blogs
All too often Catholics will be called upon to defend the Church’s stance on homosexuality. Here’s a short primer.
8
Blogs
How can they be so sure what they’re saying is good and what we’re arguing for is evil?
9
Blogs
Happy Feast of St. Lawrence everyone! Remember — a cheerful heart is good medicine.
0
Blogs
“A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out.” —G.B. Shaw
1
Blogs
“Nothing is more beautiful than to know all.” ― Fr. Athanasius Kircher
2
Blogs
Murder is murder. There is no moral difference between infanticide and abortion.
1
Blogs
Pope Benedict XIV solemnly approved and recommended the use of the medal to the faithful in 1742.
11
Blogs
We are all required as moral agents to help those who can’t help themselves.
0
Blogs
“Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic.” (CCC 2138)
1
Blogs
If abortion is not killing, what could it be?
4
Blogs
Several recent polls have shown a great preponderance of Americans are in favor of heavily restricting abortion, including those who label themselves “pro-choice.”
6
Blogs
Before we talk about life with the Culture of Death, let’s get a few things straight
3
Blogs
“If the baby isn’t a human, what species is it?”
4
Blogs
Offer a prayer for the repose of Tim Conway’s soul and ask St. Lawrence of Rome ― the patron saint of comedians ― to watch over him.
4
Blogs
Holy Saturday is also known as the Feast of Our Lady of Solitude, for it was on this day, Mary was separated from her Son and Savior
3
Blogs
11 ways to demonstrate that science is grand but God is grander still.
4
Blogs
All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
5
Blogs
A review of Steven R. Hemler’s Search No More: The Keys to Truth and Happiness
0
Blogs
“All practices of magic or sorcery ... are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.” (CCC 2117)
2
Blogs
Nancy Pelosi tells a young woman who had been adopted that her mother should have had the choice to murder her
4
Blogs
Bingo arose in the U.S. during the Great Depression. By 1934, Americans were organizing 10,000 Bingo games a week.
5
Blogs
This is the new normal and that just means we have to fight all the harder.
3
Blogs
“Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity.” (CCC 2415)
1
Blogs
The world has its problems and God is the solution.
1
Blogs
Algorithms reflect the human bias behind them.
15
Blogs
Rhetoric might temporarily win an argument, but it starts more trouble than it solves
0
Blogs
St. Pantaleon, (c. 275-305) whose name in Greek means “mercy for everyone,” was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.
0
Blogs
“Those who are pure are temples of the Holy Spirit.” —St. Lucy of Syracuse
0
Blogs
Only something infinite will suffice to satisfy our infinite emptiness.
2
Blogs
Perhaps Nessie never existed. Or perhaps St. Columba managed to rid us of the monster permanently.
2
Blogs
“Redemption is a wondrous work ― God's masterpiece. By it, man disfigured by sin is remade.”
0
Blogs
“The Christian who unites his own death to that of Jesus views it as a step towards him and an entrance into everlasting life.” (CCC 1020)
0
Blogs
Christ is calling you to repent and reform your life. It's never too late — that is, until it’s too late.
1
Blogs
I recently stumbled on the biggest religious goods shop I’ve ever seen — in Saigon, Vietnam.
0
Blogs
A Review of Steven R. Hemler’s The Reality of God: The Layman’s Guide to Scientific Evidence for the Creator
10
Blogs
This amazing and little-known saint is a model for our broken world.
0
Blogs
Our demands aren’t without precedent.
18
Blogs
The lesser-known Franciscan Crown Rosary is a unique spiritual devotion
1
Blogs
There’s a big difference between judging others and turning a blind eye to their sins.
18
Blogs
In his biography of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure mentions the pope giving a sermon in which he attests to having seen the wounds with his own eyes.
6
Blogs
How to out-humble even the humblest of Christians
1
Blogs
A group of priests and lay Catholics are working to save the endangered Komodo dragon
0
Blogs
The Dogma of the Assumption of Mary Lives Loudly in Us!
1
Blogs
“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:7)
3
Blogs
Fr. Georges Lemaître’s calculations were correct. So were his physics and his faith.
1
Blogs
The feast day of Saint Simeon on July 1―a good reason to proclaim and enjoy ‘Fool for Christ Day.’
0
Blogs
Christ is the only Light of the World and the only light of our hearts
0
Blogs
The Buddhist craftsmen handled the crucifix as if it were a holy item in their own religion
1
Blogs
One can lose all sense of time in contemplating the Arma Christi
1
Blogs
We can treat waking up in the middle of the night as a call to remember that there’s nothing to fear.
3
Blogs
“All are called to holiness: ‘Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” (CCC 2013)
0
Blogs
This is how a man of faith and action can heal and build up the Church.
2
Blogs
St. Angelo prophesied that St. Francis would receive the stigmata. St. Francis, on his part, praised Angelo for his impending martyrdom.
2
Blogs
None of this should shock anyone who knows the history of this organization.
24
Blogs
Franciscan University of Steubenville was founded in 1946 by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, for whom Marian devotion is paramount.
1
Blogs
“The proposal is an aggressive assault against our Catholic community.”
5
Blogs
When you’re a sheep among wolves, there’s no excuse for being lukewarm
2
Blogs
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours.”
20
Blogs
“Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination. ... The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.”
29
Blogs
An atheist’s attempt at trying to explain anything ultimately explains nothing
20
Blogs
Loving a dog might prompt us into a greater appreciation and belief in the Lord and Master of All.
3
Blogs
Martyrs of Japan and, indeed, all Christians martyrs, pray for us.
2
Blogs
Don Bosco was deeply imbued with God's love and inspired by His mysteries
2
Blogs
Belief in the multiverse isn't merely science fiction — it's wishful science fantasy.
32
