Details: “I … want to reaffirm this forcefully: the Church has confidence in young people, she hopes in them and in their energies, she needs them and their vitality, to continue to live the mission entrusted her by Christ with renewed enthusiasm”. This was Pope Benedict XVI’s message to young people Thursday, as he greeted participants at the plenary session of the Pontifical Council for Culture. In what has to be a first at the Vatican, the Plenary on “Emerging... Read more
You have probably seen his work in gift shops or churches and not even realized it. The image above —depicting The Last Supper— shows his distinctive, simple style. Details, from the Los Angeles Times: Father Maur van Doorslaer lived a kind of double life. For decades, the Benedictine monk spent half the year working in a studio at an abbey in Belgium, painting abstract art in varying shades of white. For the other half, he took in the High Desert summers... Read more
Details: More attempts to stop the Feb. 13 execution of convicted child killer Christopher Sepulvado failed to make headway Tuesday. Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office said he has rejected a request from the Louisiana’s Catholic bishops to stop the lethal injection. And the Louisiana Board of Pardons has denied Sepulvado’s clemency petition without a hearing. Sepulvado, 69, formerly of Mansfield, was sentenced to die in 1993 for the March 8, 1992 beating and scalding death of his 6-year-old stepson, Wesley Allen... Read more
Here’s a palate-cleanser for you: a remarkable display of a rarely-appreciated talent, napkin-folding. After seeing this all the work involved, you may want to just use your sleeve. These creations are just too pretty to ruin with gravy. From Huffington Post: Guided by Joan Sallas’s hands, napkins transform into ornate structures, armadillos, giant griffins. But they do not, under any circumstances, mop up errant drops of barbecue sauce from the corner of your mouth. By most accounts, Sallas, 48, is... Read more
Some of you may remember Greg Hall who, as a deacon candidate three years ago, helped rescue the trapped Chilean miners. He’s back in the news again: Greg Hall, a Roman Catholic church deacon in Houston, owns American Manufacturing Company in St. Joseph and filed a federal suit Tuesday evening, saying the contraception mandate violates his religious freedom. American Manufacturing company, which manufactures mining equipment, garnered worldwide attention for its role in helping rescue 33 trapped Chilean miners in 2010.... Read more
The Archdiocese of Newark is standing by its decision to appoint an accused child molester —one whose conviction was later reversed on a technicality—to be director of a diocesan office. From Catholic News Agency: The Archdiocese of Newark affirmed its decision to allow a priest accused of abusing a minor to remain in ministry, stressing that they are complying with authorities and prohibiting any interaction alone with children. “We have not received any complaints from the prosecutor’s office…since Father... Read more
Not only that, but they’re Catholic. Just in time for World Marriage Day this weekend comes this item from the New York Daily News: One Fairfield, Conn., couple is receiving an early Valentine’s Day gift: recognition as the “longest-married” couple in the United States. John and Ann Betar have been married since Nov. 25, 1932, and this year will mark their 81st wedding anniversary. The award does not mean the couple is the longest married in the country; it means... Read more
From Michigan Catholic: Deacon Kurt Godfryd’s venture into Internet blogging has grown rapidly from a simple place to post his own homilies to a multi-faceted website for Catholic writers. “Sometimes, people come up to you after Mass, and ask if they can get a copy of your homily, and I was told the easiest way do that would be to have a website where they would be available,” said Deacon Godfryd, who serves at St. Clement of Rome Parish in Romeo. But... Read more
The BBC went so we don’t have to. Details: An “atheist church” in North London is proving a big hit with non-believers. Does it feel a bit like a new religion? Not many sermons include the message that we are all going to die and there is no afterlife. But the Sunday Assembly is no ordinary church service. Launched last month, as a gathering for non-believers, it is, in the words of master of ceremonies Sanderson Jones, “part foot-stomping show,... Read more
Not unexpected, but still something of a jolt: Get ready for some big changes in your mail service. After losing $16 billion last year, the postmaster general will make announce Wednesday that the Postal Service intends to halt Saturday delivery of first-class mail by this summer, Aug. 1, CBS News has learned. That means most mailers, letters and catalogs would not arrive on Saturdays, ending a 150-year tradition. The plan to shrink delivery from six days a week to five... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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