Why we’re still drawn to Rome
From Ave Maria in the Afternoon Segments by Dr. Marcus Peter
June 2, 2026 · 10 min
About this episode
The episode explores the historical and spiritual significance of Rome in Catholicism, particularly in relation to Peter's first sermon on Pentecost.
As Peter preached the first sermon on Pentecost, he could hardly have imagined that he was shaping a Catholicism—a new way of life in Christ for all people—that would become Roman. There was nothing Roman about Jesus’ life until His saving death. The cross, Christianity’s central symbol, was a Roman execution device. But the fact that Rome supplied the cross that redeemed mankind is not the cause of Catholics’ intense veneration of the city, which began just a few decades after Peter’s first sermon. David Bonagura has more. Further Reading On the eternal allure of Rome Guest Info David G. Bonagura, Jr. is the author, most recently, of 100 Tough Questions for Catholics: Common Obstacles to Faith Today , and the translator of Jerome’s Tears: Letters to Friends in Mourning . An adjunct professor at St. Joseph’s Seminary and Catholic International University, he serves as the religion editor of The University Bookman , a review of books founded in 1960 by Russell Kirk. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Marcus Peter
Guest: David G. Bonagura, Jr.
Topics covered
- Catholicism
- Christianity
- Rome
- Pentecost
- faith
- religion
Keywords
- Catholicism
- Rome
- Pentecost
- David Bonagura
- Christianity
- faith
- religion
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: 100 Tough Questions for Catholics: Common Obstacles to Faith Today, Jerome’s Tears: Letters to Friends in Mourning
Places: Rome
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