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Oops: parish publishes mass intention for Osama bin Laden
May 9, 2011 By 12 Comments
The parish is saying it was a hoax. Details: Irish church officials have been left red-faced after announcing plans for an Osama bin Laden memorial Mass. Howth parish in Dublin yesterday hastily withdrew an online newsletter advertising plans to dedicate a Mass to the man credited with masterminding the 9/11 attacks on New York’s twin [...]
Boys Town names Hindu as its next chairman
May 9, 2011 By 19 Comments
The legendary organization founded by Fr. Flanagan — or, Spencer Tracy, to people who remember the movie — will make history with a new non-Christian chairman: For the first time in its 94-year history, the board chairman of Omaha-based Boys Town will be a non-Catholic. In fact, the new chairman is also non-Christian — he [...]
Fr. Pfleger prays with mothers of slain children
May 8, 2011 By 2 Comments
The suspended priest made a brief appearance for a special Mothers Day event in Chicago near his former parish, according to the Chicago Sun-Times: On a bright Sunday morning, children around the city celebrated their mothers while a group of mothers gathered at St. Sabina Church to remember their children lost to violence. For the [...]
"Do you know what brings you gladness?"
May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
That’s the stirring question at the heart of a recent post by spiritual writer Tony Woodlief, and the point of it seems to echo something that was mentioned at the royal wedding last weekend: “If you become whom God meant you to be, you will set the world on fire.” Doesn’t the world need more [...]
In the breaking of the bread …
May 8, 2011 By 2 Comments
One reason I look forward to this Sunday’s gospel reading every year is the opportunity it offers to hear this beautiful hymn. It was sung by our choir at the 11:30 mass this morning. (I’ve heard it in other settings, too — including, last year, as the communion hymn for a wedding.) Here’s a lovely [...]
Who does what: why the deacon proclaims the gospel
May 8, 2011 By 15 Comments
Last night, I attended the annual convocation for deacons in my diocese. During dinner, one of the deacons — a classmate of mine, in fact — told me about a particular problem he was having with his pastor. “If I’m not preaching,” he said, “he doesn’t want me to read the gospel. He wants the [...]
Best wedding video ever?
May 7, 2011 By 14 Comments
That’s what they’re calling this jaw-dropping production over at Huffington Post. See what you think. Now, when I was married (25 years ago this month!), my uncle brought a gargantuan video camera from New Jersey and surprised us by shooting the whole thing on a big fat beta tape with blurry images and scratchy sound. [...]
Homily for May 8, 2011: 3rd Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The writer Amy Welborn lives in Alabama, near Birmingham, and she spent part of this past week volunteering at a call center, helping people whose lives had been turned upside down, literally, by the tornadoes that tore through the region. She wrote about her experience on her blog, and described what people were doing for [...]
Air Force dedicates chapel to Wiccans and Druids
May 7, 2011 By 24 Comments
It happened earlier this week in Colorado. Details, from the Colorado Springs Gazette: Add Wiccans and Druids to the list of faiths that have their own chapel at the Air Force Academy. A circle of stones around an altar was dedicated on a hilltop above the campus Tuesday with earth-centered prayer and speeches about religious [...]
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