Fr. Matonti (Charlie) sent me this “book” more than 30 years ago in the form of a box full of typewritten pages. I don’t recall why he did, but I could not get him to agree to publish it, so it is presented here as an informal manuscript. This is not for sale nor for wide distribution. Charlie did not have access to the wonders of search engines, and I have taken the liberty of illustrating these chapters with images and music as I found them. Nothing in here is used with permission, but none of it is for sale. None has any particular use intended.
Charlie was a Catholic priest who taught Sacred Art and Music at St. John’s College in New York. This awareness is necessary as you read the many insights he has into the art and music he presents. You will find that he sees things that you and I would miss. After all, this is about art. That’s the joy of this “book”. Charlie was also a parish priest and pastor. He once told me that he loved celebrating the Mass more than anything else. Charlie possessed a great and joyful spirituality. He was a most unusual man. This is a most unusual “book”
You can do something which you could not do if you had this book in your hands. You can open a painting in a new tab and slip back and forth between that and the text. Thus, when he points out the expression on Mary’s face in a Pieta, you can see in color what you might have missed but still have the text in front of you. Please turn the volume on in your computer or device because his selection of music is wonderful. I am fairly certain that Charlie wrote this as a teaching aid, and you can “take the course” for free. All it costs you is your time.
The Editor, 2026