How Then Shall We Live?: One

Until his passing on December 12, 1998 (The Feast of Our Lady of Guadelupe), Dr William Marra was an enigmatic presence on the traditionalist Catholic lecture circuit. A professor of philosophy at Fordham University, he had been a student of the great Deitrict von Hildebrand, a man whose work and legacy continued to inspire Marra throughout is life. His Faith knew no secular political alliance. For decades he crusaded against the dangers of sex education in both Catholic and public schools. However, lest anyone be quick to label Marra a typical "conservative," he also maintained that the State had a responsibility to provide public assistance to single mothers, thus enabling them to stay home with their children.

One of the most inflential events of Marra's life, was during World War II, when he was a radio operator for the Army Signal Corps. In the decades that followed, his lectures on living the Faith would include mention of his ability to take radios apart and put them together again. As time went on, this tenured professor of philosophy also became a master plumber, and jack-of-all-trades for the Marra household.

The ingenuity of this man, combined with his intellectual rigor, was the starting point for a unique perspective on the role of Catholic laity in the world. He admonished his fellow-Catholics to put aside their petty differences, in favor of that which truly mattered. This was not confined merely to questions of Old Mass versus New Mass (even as he was a tireless promoter of restoring the former), or those of homeschooling versus the parish scchool system. Marra wanted to reach beyond distinctions in profession and social class. He envisioned a lay apostolate where bankers and lawyers would rally alongside laborers and shopkeepers, where the benefits of a classical Catholic liberal arts education would be of service to them all -- whether as a means of understanding one's relationship to God, or as a proper formation for entering the business world.

Listening to his recorded talks in recent weeks, years after first hearing them, one is reminded of a saying:

"We do well to heed the advice of both our plumbers and our philosophers, lest both our pipes and our theories become full of holes."

While contemplating the building of a "Catholic college town," one wonders if people of varying walks of life, while sharing a common faith, could realistically be compelled to move there. Would a banker be willing to see a bricklayer as his neighbor? Or will Ave Maria simply become a suburban retirement village (This is Florida, remember?) for 20,000 frustrated Republicans, who want to drive their SUVs a few blocks to daily Mass?

We'll find out soon enough. But some of the influences that could be brought to bear, is a subject of our next installment. Stay tuned...