NYC mayor will not reconsider ban on clergy at 9/11 ceremony

His spokesman said so on Friday: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will not reconsider his decision to exclude clergy from the ceremony marking 10 years since the Sept. 11 attacks, a spokesman said Friday. The statement comes despite increased pressure from religious and conservative leaders who say that even though the mayor has not [...]

A Prayer for Hurricane Season

O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The sea, like a provoked [...]

Looking for a joke for this Sunday's homily?

A reader from the U.K. left this comment on another post: Anglican priest to his wife who’d just spent a fortune on a dress – ”Why did you spend so much, I’ve told you that whenever you feel tempted you should say “Get behind me Satan” “I did” said his wife. “What happened then?” said [...]

Will it play in Peoria? Parish begins webcasts of its Masses

This is something altogether different and, I think, rare: a parish (not a cathedral or a diocesan entity) offering web streaming of its Masses. Details: St. Joseph Catholic Church member Dave Fisher explains how the church’s new webcasting feature is helping a friend who has trouble hearing. “I have a friend who is hard of [...]

"Soon, it's gonna rain…"

As we get ready for Irene, here’s a favorite song from a favorite show, “The Fantasticks.”  This is a clip from the seldom-seen movie version, from 1995.  It features Jean Louisa Kelly, who is probably better known as the chipper wife, Kim, on the long-running sitcom “Yes, Dear.” Who knew she could sing?

Homily for August 28, 2011: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

You may have heard: we’re about to get a little rain. I’ve been following the stories in the paper and on TV.  They’re encouraging people to be prepared.  I made the mistake of going to Walgreens last night.  It was packed with people.   Stores around the area report that they have run out of batteries, [...]

Do you still have to attend Mass during a hurricane? — UPDATE

A friend from my parish called, wondering if there was any policy about Mass and bad weather, or if any of the three dioceses in our region had issued a statement on Hurricane Irene. Here’s what I found. All three have  statements on their websites from their respective bishops. From Nicholas DiMarzio in Brooklyn: “In [...]

Earth, your hurricane is showing

In space, no one can hear you scream. The pictures below, from our friends at NASA.  You can see more shots of Irene here. I stopped by Walgreens to get some odds and ends this afternoon, which turned out to be a terrible idea. (You can never have too much dental floss or deodorant!) My [...]

Hurricane? What hurricane?

Clouds are scuttling across a beautiful blue sky here in New York City. But batten down the hatches.  Stay tuned.  Things could get interesting in the next day or so. Meantime, take it away, Lena.

Census shows divorce rate higher in the south

Why is that?  Some details: While the Bible Belt is known for its devotion to traditional values, Southerners don’t do so well on one key family value: They are more likely to get divorced than people living in the Northeast. Southern men and women had higher rates of divorce in 2009 than their counterparts in [...]