The good people at Rome Reports have put together the brief video below, which helps explain the work being done by this outreach to women (and men) who have gone through the experience of abortion. As Project Rachel’s website explains: Abortion is an extremely unnatural experience for a woman’s body and her maternal instinct. Negative reactions are to be expected and do not depend on a person’s religious beliefs or general mental health. It is true that women and men... Read more
This comes from a letter signed by more than 1/4 of all the Catholic priests in England and Wales. Details: More than 1,000 priests have signed a letter voicing alarm that same-sex marriage could threaten religious freedom in a way last seen during “centuries of persecution” of Roman Catholics in England. In one of the biggest joint letters of its type ever written, they raise fears that their freedom to practise and speak about their faith will be “severely” limited... Read more
Details, from Mendon, Massachusetts: The town has bought St. Michael the Archangel Church and plans to convert the former house of worship on North Avenue into a public library. The Diocese of Worcester sold St. Michael’s and its attached rectory for $360,000. The new library would replace the Taft Public Library, which is at 18 Main St. The project was made possible after residents in November approved two debt exclusion questions. The sale price for St. Michael’s was negotiated between... Read more
Yes. Just when you thought someone couldn’t find a new and surprising way to do a flash mob, along comes this. Enjoy. Read more
From the New York Times: The rebirth of a medieval Cistercian monastery building here on a patch of rural Northern California land was, of course, improbable. William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper tycoon, brought the dismantled Santa Maria de Óvila monastery from Spain but failed to restore it. The City of San Francisco, after some fitful starts at bringing the monastery back to life, left its stones languishing for decades in Golden Gate Park. The Great Depression,World War II and lethargy got in the... Read more
The lights are still ablaze in Princeton, New Jersey, where I stepped into St. Paul’s Church Thursday night and encountered the glorious scene above. The church was just lovely. Thanks to Msgr. Joseph Rosie, Deacon Jim Knipper and the wonderful folks at St. Paul’s for their hospitality and warm welcome in support of “Hungry and You Fed Me.” There was an excellent turnout for the local book signing. I know the charities benefiting from this project — who were present for... Read more
Watch what happens when a clever dude with a camera, a costume and a car decides to freak out people working at the drive-thru window. Read more
My friend, the Trappist priest James Stephen Behrens at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Georgia, published the following reflection on time, and starting a new year, in the local paper. A snip: Looking back is a common experience as a new year approaches. Nostalgia warms the heart as it evokes the past, making it come near again in a wistful, shimmering glow. It all once was, and it was good, but had to recede to make way for... Read more
Details, from AP: Germany’s Roman Catholic Church said Wednesday it has called off an independent institute’s investigation into sexual abuse by clergy over several decades. The lead researcher complained that the church wanted too much control over his work. In 2011, the church asked Prof. Christian Pfeiffer’s Lower Saxony Criminological Research Institute to analyze data on abuse from German dioceses as far back as 1945, including material from church archives. It was part of efforts to address the scandal triggered... Read more
With a grateful h/t to my blog neighbor Frank, here’s the text of the letter from Cardinal Timothy Dolan to New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo, following Cuomo’s “State of the State” message. Dear Governor Cuomo: Congratulations on your third State of the State message earlier today. There is much to cheer in your report, and my brother bishops and I look forward to working with you to advance much of this agenda. In particular, we share your absolute horror at the... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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