From the homily delivered by Miami’s Archbishop Thomas Wenski at the opening of the convocation of priests Tuesday night: The crisis which our Church is facing today — not only in this country but throughout the world — has its origins in the failure to hold each other accountable. The crisis is not a crisis of faith, and it’s not mainly about a crisis of sexual abuse by clergy. It is a crisis of leadership — our people still do... Read more
Well, it finally happened. Someone is actually publishing a book with my name on it. I’m pleased and proud to introduce my contribution to “The Living Gospel” series published by Ave Maria Press: daily devotions for Advent 2018. (Yes, Advent. It’s a little over two months away. Commence your freak-out now.) It officially goes on sale today, September 21. As the folks at Ave Maria describe it: Daily Devotions for Advent 2018 offers prayerful guidance from the first Sunday of Advent... Read more
Details: The Catholic Diocese of Green Bay has approved a request by retired auxiliary Bishop Robert Morneau for a withdrawal from public ministry for failing to report to civil authorities an incident of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest in 1979. The details of the incident and diocese’s response are published in the newest edition of The Compass, the official diocesan newspaper. Bishop David Ricken is expected to address the issue at a media event Friday morning. He... Read more
This is something we need to hear right now, from Elizabeth Scalia, who eloquently and incisively answers those who think the innocent laity don’t necessarily need to make reparations for the guilty clergy: Recently on Twitter a friend questioned why layfolk should be charged to take up any bit of the work of penance when the great sins that have roiled us originated with priests and bishops. I could only answer that the white blood cells cannot refuse to do... Read more
CNS picks up on something many of us have noticed: the increasing popularity of Sunday night liturgies. Read on: Going to church on Sunday morning is a tradition for most Catholics, but a new trend may be emerging: Sunday-evening Masses. St. Michael the Archangel in South Glens Falls is one of nearly a dozen parishes in the Diocese of Albany that offer a Sunday-night Mass. It’s the only parish in that area with an evening Mass on Sundays. Five years... Read more
From CNS: To be a voice for victims of clerical sexual abuse, Father Brendan McGuire realized he had to come to terms with the abuse he suffered at the hands of a priest when he was 18. It was a secret he had held for 35 years. He told the story of his abuse in a homily delivered at five weekend Masses Sept. 8-9 at Holy Spirit Church in San Jose, California, where he is pastor. In a Sept. 18... Read more
Via The New York Times: The remarkable letter last month calling on Pope Francis to resign for allegedly shielding an abusive American cardinal also served as a public call to arms for some conservative Catholics who pine for the pontificate of the previous pope, Benedict XVI. For years now, they have carried his name like a battle standard into the ideological trenches. Benedict apparently would like them to knock it off. In private letters published on Thursday by the German newspaper... Read more
And a new study proves it’s beneficial: A new study released by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that praticipation in spiritual practices during childhood can lead to better health and well-being during early adulthood. Researchers found that those who attended religious services or prayed daily throughout their upbringing reported greater positivity and more satisfaction in their lives in their 20s. Science Magazine has first author Ying Chen remarking on the study results: “These findings are important for... Read more
From The Los Angeles Times: Stanford University’s leaders plan to strip some prominent campus references to Junipero Serra, the canonized 18th-century priest who established the California mission system that critics now blame for decimating Native American communities. The Franciscan friar was credited with bringing Catholicism to California when it was under Spanish rule, and he evangelized indigenous people. Critics note that he sometimes used harsh methods and many see him more as an oppressor than a protector of early Californians.... Read more
We just celebrated our parish feast day — Our Lady of Sorrows — and it was an opportunity to reflect on the great history and heritage of our parish in Queens, and remember with prayerful affection our founding pastor. Father Joseph McLaughlin was assigned as the new parish’s pastor in 1917, and remained as pastor until 1960 — an astonishing run of 43 years — during which he built the first church, then the school, the present church, the rectory... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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