What happens when a priest confronting life’s deepest questions shares a college newspaper with a cartoonist finding humor in life’s everyday absurdities?
On November 17, 1978, Notre Dame’s Observer featured two remarkable voices: Father Robert Griffin, whose Letters to a Lonely God explored faith, compassion, and the difficult choices of human life, and Michael Molinelli, whose beloved Molarity comic strip captured the humor, awkwardness, and unforgettable characters of campus life.
Nearly fifty years later, we’re turning back the pages.
In this Friday Flashback deep dive, we revisit Griffin’s powerful column The Child That Never Cried, Molinelli’s hilarious take on preparing for a hall formal, and the extraordinary world of Notre Dame in 1978 — when Joe Montana was quarterback, dormitory life had its own traditions, and the student newspaper was a daily companion.
Two very different voices. One remarkable university. And a surprising reminder that faith and laughter have always belonged together.
Friday Flashback is sponsored by the paid subscribers of Chesterton Radio. Your subscriptions make original programs like this possible and help keep the classics, forgotten stories, and cultural history alive for a new generation.
Enjoy the journey? Become a subscriber today:
https://www.ChestertonRadio.com/subscribe
Chesterton Radio — Playing the Classics!
