Joining Deacon Mark Campbell from his monastery in Norcia, Italy, Fr. Basil Nixen is a Benedictine monk who has lived the monastic life for over twenty-two years. Raised in Yuma, Arizona, in a devoutly Catholic family — his own father is a permanent deacon — Fr. Nixen discerned his calling to religious life through seminary formation before discovering the Monastery of San Benedetto in Norcia, Italy, founded by Fr. Cassian Folsom, O.S.B., originally of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana.

In this interview, Fr. Nixen discusses his new book The Last Communion of Saint Jerome, published by TAN Books, which examines one of the most beloved subjects in Renaissance sacred art: the dying Jerome receiving his final communion. Though the narrative source — a 14th-century text known as the Transitus of Saint Jerome — has long been considered a pious legend, Fr. Nixen argues powerfully that the legend draws on deeply authentic aspects of Jerome's life and character:

His Eucharistic devotion — Jerome's reverence for the Body of Christ as the center of Christian life
His love for Scripture — captured in his famous phrase, ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ, and illuminated through the Emmaus narrative in which the disciples move from Scripture to the Eucharistic breaking of bread
His Marian piety — Jerome authored the first Marian treatise in Latin, defending the perpetual virginity of Our Lady
His commitment to doctrinal purity — Jerome's fierce defense of the faith and the discipline of the Church

Fr. Nixen also reflects on how Saint Jerome prepared for holy communion through fasting, bodily discipline, and the ordering of one's life toward God — an ancient and timely challenge for Catholics today.

📖 Pick up The Last Communion of Saint Jerome by Fr. Basil Nixen through TAN Books.

📻 Listen to the Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7 AM Central on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network:

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Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm.

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