…of Fr. Foster, the "Latin Lover." – from Catholic News Service

Though Father Foster’s Latin classes at the university had been enormously popular, most students had not been paying for the course, according to the staffers and Father Foster.

The priest said the lack of registered students "is my fault for the simple reason that I told the students if you want to come for Latin, I will teach you … and of course they’re not (registering) and they’re not paying."

Typically, school records would show that only three out of 65 students paid and "that’s what (the university) didn’t like," he said.

Students had been taking advantage of the Milwaukee-born priest’s open-door, free-for-all instruction for the past 20 years, he said, and now that he is freed from duties at the university this year, he wants to set up and run his own informal Latin academy. Courses will be gratis, he said.

I’m actually rather interested that CNS picked up the story. It seems to me that even a year ago, this wouldn’t have been part of their normal coverage. I think that the role of the Internet  – blogs picking up little stories like this, fueled by the broader knowledge of even these kinds of nooks and crannies in the Catholic world – oh, I know about that guy  ’cause Zadok and the Whapping People and the Roamin’ Roman all blogged about him in the past – as well as the ability of all of us to listen to things like Vatican Radio without a shortwave anymore – might be impacting story choice – just a little.  Plus I do know there’s a greater interest in All Things Rome since April ’05. Tourism is up, and folks are just….interested.

Fr. Z has perspective – and good stories.