Don & Cassidy Parker
Don received his BA in History and Catholic Studies from Saint Louis University in 2024. He later earned his MA in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University in 2026. His academic interests center on the Christian imagination of the West through European history, Thomism and the Great Books tradition. He has also extensively studied the histories of Britain and Ireland, focused on the high medieval period, as well as key authors such as Dante, Newman, Chesterton, and Tolkien. In recent years, his work has included archaeological experience in Western Ireland. Don has scholarly aspirations, included but not limited to teaching Medieval History or Theology at a Catholic university or directing a Catholic Studies program. In addition to his academic work, he hosts “Tolkien Night,” a local gathering centered on fellowship, tobacco, and Catholic literature.
Cassidy received her BS in Nutrition and Dietetics from Missouri State University in 2024. She later earned her MS in Nutrition and Dietetics from Illinois State University in 2025. She currently works as a dietitian with a focus on women’s health. In particular, she enjoys helping women with pre and postnatal nutrition. Her passions include nourishing both body and soul through homemaking, baking, and intentional family life. In her free time, she enjoys walks in nature, sipping matcha, and trying new recipes. She also hosts “Tea with Thérèse,” a tea gathering inspired by the life and spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
“Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment.’”
– Catechism of the Catholic Church § 1657
What is Via Domestica?
Via Domestica, meaning “The Domestic Way,” was born from our shared desire to cultivate a home rooted in faith, beauty, hospitality, and the ordinary rhythms of family life. It is a nod to the Catholic idea of the “ecclesia domestica,” or the family life endemic to the Church. In a culture often marked by noise and distraction, we long for a slower and more intentional way of living; one shaped by the traditions of the Church, meaningful work, lifelong learning, and the quiet sanctity of the home. Here we share reflections on marriage, homemaking, liturgical living, theology, family life, and the pursuit of virtue within the domestic church. Our hope is that Via Domestica might encourage others to rediscover the beauty and purpose found in ordinary daily life lived faithfully.
“The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesia communion, and for this reason too it can and should be called a domestic Church.”
– Pope Saint John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio
We’re so glad you’re here,
Don & Cassidy