A "cardboard cathedral" for New Zealand?

The innovative design for a temporary structure — that could serve as Christchurch’s cathedral for several years — was unveiled yesterday. Details: Christchurch leaders have revealed the unconventional design they want to use for the city’s temporary Cathedral and it is made out of cardboard. They hope to have it built by the first anniversary [...]

Worth a thousand words: new priest edition

As part of our parish’s annual novena to St. John Vianney, a newly ordained priest comes to celebrate Sunday mass and offer a special blessing after.  This year, we were lucky to have Fr. Rodnev Lapommeray, ordained for the Diocese of Brooklyn just last month. Following mass, people lined up outside — some waiting over [...]

A sister for 60 years: one woman's story

The Georgia Bulletin is profiling several women religious as they mark significant milestones in their vocation — including Sister Angela Abood, who is celebrating her 60-year jubilee. Details: A native of Georgia, Sister Angela has spent nearly 40 years of her ministry in the Atlanta area. She has worked at the Village of St. Joseph [...]

New York Times spotlights Call to Action

The peg, ostensibly, is the rich Catholic history of America’s Second City.  But, of course, this being the Times, there’s more to it than that. Snip: It’s a long way from the Vatican to Roscoe Village, but a group based in that North Side neighborhood is leading a high-profile protest among American priests that challenges [...]

World Youth Day? There's an app for that

And the Vatican announced it yesterday. Details: Pilgrims at next month’s Catholic World Youth Day in Madrid will have some high-tech help in their devotions, thanks to a new iPhone app unveiled at the Vatican on Friday (July 29). World Youth Day (WYD), an international gathering held every three years in a different city, will [...]

Wanted: cowmonks

A monastery that once ran one of the largest ranching operations in North Dakota is planning to stop raising cattle. Details: A Roman Catholic monastery in western North Dakota is ending a century-old practice of raising cattle because of a lack of monks with cowboy skills. The Assumption Abbey in Richardton intends to sell its [...]

Homily for July 31, 2011: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

For the last few weeks, we’ve been hearing a series of parables from St. Matthew’s gospel: the story of the sower and the seed; the parable of the wheat and the weeds, the stories that have compared the Kingdom of God to a pearl of great price or a treasure in a field. While each [...]

The paper people: when iCal just won't do

It sounds soooo 1985, but there is a loyal band of people who steadfastly refuse to give up their Filofaxes and DayRunners. Writer Pamela Paul has done a little anthropological study on this rare breed: Last month, I did something that not once in my 20 years as an overscheduled, neurotically punctual, paper-bound calendar keeper [...]

Philadelphia monsignor, priests to be tried together

Details: A monsignor who is the only US church official ever charged with transferring pedophile priests to unsuspecting parishes will be tried alongside three priests and a lay teacher accused of rape, a judge ruled yesterday. Common Pleas Judge Lillian Ransom denied most pretrial requests made by Monsignor William Lynn, two current priests, a former [...]

Ha!

Get a load of this: H/T to the jolly Frank Weathers, who has more here. Thanks, Frank.  I needed that.