Damian Costello

Damian Costello is the author of Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism (Orbis Books). He is director of post-graduate studies at NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community and the American co-chair of the Indigenous Catholic Research Fellowship.

By this Author

A person near a bonfire on a beach before sunrise in Courtown, Ireland (Unsplash/Traolách Conboy)

Rediscover sacred fire on the eve of the Nativity of St. John

On June 23, the eve of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, connect to an ancient tradition, "The Night of John's Fire," and rediscover fire not only as a survival tool or scorching threat, but also as a sacred presence.

St. Patrick depicted in stained glass at St. Boniface Church in San Francisco. (CNS/Octavio Duran)

What St. Patrick's prayer song teaches us about connecting with the land

Commentary: Known for converting Ireland, St. Patrick's relevance today comes from how the land of Ireland converted him.

Black Elk/Mighty Flowering Tree" by Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath (Courtesy of Michael O’Neill McGrath)

Re-Indigenize your faith by recognizing sweetgrass, all things as kin

Seeds of authentic kinship with the other-than-human world exist in Christian tradition as well as in Indigenous wisdom. Both views create a vision of the whole of creation, with humanity a small yet important part.

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