The bishop of Springfield responds to a newspaper columnist with a column of his own: In her Jan. 25 guest column, Elaine Boardman asked, “Why should I return to the Catholic Church?” Since she asked publicly, I would like to answer her question publicly. Elaine, let me say first that I am grateful you took the time to express your views openly and frankly. They are upsetting to read precisely because they are, in large part, accurate (one correction: Father... Read more
Rhode Island Catholic, while spotlighting the first ordination of deacons in Providence in a decade, also is giving some well-deserved attention to the deacons’ wives: Diana Davis, a syndicated columnist and author of Deacon Wives: Fresh Ideas to Encourage Your Husband and the Church, shares the importance for women to receive support from other deacon wives. “No one else in the church understands your support role like other deacon wives,” she said. “Those deacons are worthy leaders, and you’ll find... Read more
[Click here for readings.] For the last 24 hours or so, besides being buried in snow, we were buried in news about the snow. Weathermen were breathlessly tracking the storm. Among the things they liked to talk about were OTHER storms—blizzards that had blitzed New York in the last century. One of them was the Blizzard of 1935. Across two days in late January of that year, nearly 18 inches of snow fell in a storm that stretched from the... Read more
That, at least, is one of the sentiments expressed here by Fr. George Rutler in Crisis Magazine: The grandson of St. Elizabeth Anne Seton, Archbishop Robert Seton, long-lived but less loved, wrote that during the course of a holiday in France as a boy, the ceremonious spectacle of a man being beheaded inspired him greatly to think of the dignity of life. He was especially close to Leo XIII and St. Pius X who in 1905 reiterated the Roman Catechism... Read more
Below is Bishop Thomas Tobin’s homily at the ordination of deacons, celebrated on February 2 in Providence, Rhode Island. You can see a video of the homily and read more about the ordination at this link. +++ To the deacon candidates about to be ordained for the service of Christ and His Church, we extend our very sincere congratulations, prayers and blessings on this day which is so important for you, for your families and friends, indeed for the entire... Read more
Below is Bishop Thomas Tobin’s homily at the ordination of deacons, celebrated on February 2 in Providence, Rhode Island. You can see a video of the homily and read more about the ordination at this link. +++ To the deacon candidates about to be ordained for the service of Christ and His Church, we extend our very sincere congratulations, prayers and blessings on this day which is so important for you, for your families and friends, indeed for the entire... Read more
[Click here for readings.] For the last 24 hours or so, besides being buried in snow, we were buried in news about the snow. Weathermen were breathlessly tracking the storm. Among the things they liked to talk about were OTHER storms—blizzards that had blitzed New York in the last century. One of them was the Blizzard of 1935. Across two days in late January of that year, nearly 18 inches of snow fell in a storm that stretched from the... Read more
Check this out: Four Atlantic City, N.J., firemen were promoted to the rank of battalion chief Friday morning. But when officials at City Hall couldn’t find a Bible for the oath of office, they decided to use an iPad Bible app instead. Read more and see video here. Read more
Check out this fine report by my old CBS News colleague Deborah Potter, focusing on the woman who famously didn’t want to be called a saint—but who is one anyway. Watch The Life of Dorothy Day on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. Read more
Boston is taking the lead, as the blizzard nears: The Boston Archdiocese is urging parishioners to “use good judgment” when deciding whether to travel to Sunday Mass in the wake of the massive snow storm hitting the region. Blizzard conditions and up to 3 feet of snow are forecast in the Boston area during the storm, which is expected to be at its worst late Friday and early Saturday. The archdiocese issued a statement Friday in which it reminded Catholics to be... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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